How to Cancel a JetBlue Flight

Changing and canceling a JetBlue Airways flight is pretty painless for all JetBlue fare classes except one — Blue Basic.

For nonrefundable fares purchased with other JetBlue fare classes, you can typically cancel or change most JetBlue flights with no cancellation fee. You won’t get cash back; instead you receive a JetBlue flight credit.

JetBlue also sells refundable fares, which are typically more expensive but get you your money back as a full refund, assuming you cancel before departure.

Here’s what you need to know about how to cancel a JetBlue flight, how to get future credits and how to know when JetBlue flight credits expire.

What is JetBlue's cancellation policy?

You can cancel all flights for a full refund within 24 hours after booking, as long as you bought your ticket at least seven days before departure. Once you are outside of that 24-hour window, your fare class determines whether or not you can cancel your JetBlue Airways flight with a refund.

Blue Basic is fairly limited and typically hits you with fees to cancel. There are no change or cancellation fees on the other JetBlue fares.

Canceling a Blue Basic airfare

Blue Basic fares are only cancellable for a refund within the first 24 hours after booking (if bought at least seven days before the scheduled departure date).

For cancellations made after that, you can get a flight credit, but you’ll owe JetBlue money for the privilege, as the JetBlue change and cancellation fees are hefty:

• For flights within North America, Central America, or the Caribbean: $100 per person.

• All other routes: $200 per person.

You’ll also owe another $25 for reservations changed or canceled over the phone or through chat. You can save this $25 per person fee by adjusting your itinerary on JetBlue’s website.

Canceling other airfares

Blue, Blue Extra, Blue Plus and Mint fares don’t incur change or cancellation fees, but you won’t get your money back to your original form of payment. Instead, you’ll receive a JetBlue travel credit, valid for future travel on JetBlue. Again, make those adjustments online to avoid the $25 phone fee. Flight credits are valid for 12 months after issuance.

You must also let JetBlue know you’re not flying before the scheduled departure. If you try to cancel after that time, your money associated with the reservation is forfeited.

What if you purchased refundable fares?

JetBlue allows you to purchase a fully refundable fare, offered as an add-on at the check-out page. Prices vary by flight, but they often amount to a solid chunk of your trip costs, so this might not be worth it if you’re fairly confident you won’t need to cancel.

What’s nice about the refundable add-on is that you’re on less of a deadline to initiate that refund. If you don’t show up on a refundable airfare before the departure time, you won’t be eligible for cash back, but you do get the money associated with the segment as a JetBlue travel credit.

» Learn more: Are plane tickets refundable?

How to cancel or change your JetBlue flight

The easiest, cheapest way to cancel JetBlue flights is by doing it yourself, online. Go to JetBlue’s website and navigate to Manage Trips on the header.

From there, be prepared to provide your flight confirmation number, flight number, travel dates and personal information such as name and date of birth.

When you’re ready to book a new flight, head to the JetBlue Travel Bank, which you can access through your JetBlue TrueBlue account.

Travel credits can be applied to airfare and taxes on JetBlue-operated flights booked through JetBlue’s website, the air portion of a JetBlue Vacations package, change fees for Blue Basic fares and any applicable increase in airfare when changing a booking.

They don’t work on extras such as JetBlue checked bags, or bookings on JetBlue partner airlines.

What about a JetBlue same-day switch?

If you want to change your JetBlue flight the day of that flight, you can make same-day switches (assuming availability) for a flat fee of $75. If you hold Mosaic elite status, there is no charge for same-day switches.

Even if the new, same-day flight is far more expensive, you won’t owe any additional fare difference beyond that $75 fee. Just note that same-day switches can only be made on your travel day, starting at midnight in the time zone of your departing flight.

Some limitations include that travel must be between the same airport or what JetBlue considers “nearby” airports. So, you can’t use this as an option to hack the system and switch a flight from, say, San Francisco International to Los Angeles International into a long (and likely more expensive) flight across the country into John F. Kennedy International in New York. But you could switch a flight originally intended for LAX to another nearby airport such as Ontario International or Hollywood Burbank.

What if JetBlue cancels your flight?

If JetBlue is the party that cancels your flight, you have more power.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, travelers are entitled to a full refund if the airline calls off their flight (regardless of the reason) and they choose not to travel on another flight paid for by JetBlue. Airlines are required to make refunds within seven business days if the passenger paid by credit card, and within 20 days if the passenger paid by cash or check.

If you choose to go through with your trip, albeit delayed, JetBlue will put you on the next available flight at no additional charge.

And if your flight was canceled due to what JetBlue calls a “Controllable Irregularity,” which is a cancellation within its control, JetBlue might give you even more compensation. Terms vary based on the situation, but JetBlue might offer you up to $100 credit, meal vouchers, overnight hotel accommodations and ground transportation.

What other options can get your money back?

If you’ve exhausted all the options, your next best bet could be travel insurance. Travel insurance is optional and can be purchased separately. Prices and terms of what’s covered vary by provider, but it costs 5%-10% of your total trip cost, according to insurance comparison site Squaremouth.

Before you book, check your travel credit card benefits. Many cards offer travel insurance as a built-in benefit to customers who pay for their trip on that card, so you might not even need to pay for it.

However, not even trip insurance is a guaranteed refund. Unless you’ve purchased a Cancel for Any Reason policy (which is usually an expensive add-on) you’re only granted a refund if you cancel for a covered reason. Covered reasons vary by insurer and include situations such as severe weather, illness, injury or death. But even in those scenarios, you can’t typically just claim your leg is broken; you’ll usually need proof from a doctor.