Ever buy an airline ticket and the price later fell? Get a refund

“As droves of holiday shoppers head to stores for refunds, many fliers are unaware they can get one when their non-refundable airline ticket drops in price.
Most airlines provide a refund if it is requested before a flier’s scheduled flight. Depending on an airline’s policy, the request can be made on the phone or at the carrier’s website.

Only Southwest Airlines (LUV) allows fliers to rebook their flight at a lower fare and refunds the difference on a credit card.

Most other airlines make up the difference with a voucher for a future flight. A change fee — ranging from $75 to $150 for a domestic flight — may apply.

Southwest’s refund policy is the most consumer friendly, a USA TODAY survey of airline policies shows. Besides giving fliers money back, the airline has no change fee.

United, (UAL) JetBlue (JBLU) and Alaska (ALK) also do not charge a change fee but reimburse with a voucher that can be used up to one year from the issue date. Continental, (CAL) Delta, (DAL) US Airways (LCC) and Northwest issue vouchers but charge a change fee.

Frequent flier Rich Szulewski, of Memphis, says the refund policy benefited him and his family last year, when, “on a whim,” he checked the price of a Memphis-Orlando ticket on Northwest a week before departure. The price had dropped $175 below what he had paid for each of three non-refundable tickets. ” (via usatoday.com) by Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

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