Refund on flight cancellation is the money you get back when your flight is cancelled by the airline. This is different from choosing not to travel yourself. In this guide, we focus on situations where the airline cancels the flight.

Under the SHY Passenger Regulation, passengers have the right to a full refund of their ticket if they decide not to continue their journey after a cancellation. This includes either the full ticket price or the unused portion of the trip.

Your Refund Rights in Turkey

If your flight falls under SHY (for example, it departs from Turkey or is operated by a Turkish airline arriving in Turkey), the airline must offer you a choice between:

• A full refund on flight cancellation, or
• An alternative flight to your destination

You are not required to accept a replacement flight—you can choose to cancel your trip and get your money back.

What If You Have a Non-Refundable Ticket?

Even if your ticket is labelled as non-refundable, you are still entitled to a full refund if the airline cancels your flight under SHY.

The type or price of the ticket does not affect this right.

Refund on Flight Cancellation vs Compensation Under SHY

Importantly, a refund for a cancelled flight is not the same as flight cancellation compensation.

• Flight cancellation compensation is additional payment for inconvenience, if the airline is responsible
• A flight cancellation refund is the money you paid for the ticket

In some cases, passengers may be entitled to both a refund and compensation. For example, if your flight is cancelled at short notice due to an airline issue, you can get your ticket refunded and also receive compensation.

You Can Get Both a Flight Cancellation Refund and Compensation

There are situations when you can get both the compensation and a refund.

Here’s how to think of it:

• You are getting a refund on flight cancellation because you can’t use the flight you booked.
• If this is a last-minute cancellation, it’s also causing an inconvenience. You can get paid for that. As long as the flight cancellation qualifies as a last-minute cancellation and was due to the airline’s fault. 

As long as the disruption meets the conditions under the SHY Passenger Regulation (or similar rules), you can claim both.

How Long Do Refunds Take?

Generally, airlines are required to issue flight cancellation refunds within 7 days.

However, in practice, refunds can sometimes take several weeks or even a couple of months. If you haven’t received your refund within this timeframe, it’s a good idea to follow up with the airline.

If you cancel the flight yourself, refund eligibility and timing will depend on the airline’s policies and the type of ticket you purchased.

What Happens Outside SHY Coverage?

Can you get a refund on flight cancellation if your flight is outside SHY coverage?

If your flight does not fall under SHY, refund rights may depend on the airline’s own policies and the ticket conditions. In such cases, airlines may offer:

• Travel vouchers instead of cash refunds
• Rebooking on another flight
• Partial refunds depending on fare type

If your flight is covered by EU Regulation 261/2004 or UK passenger rights rules, you are still entitled to a full refund if the airline cancels your flight, regardless of ticket type. Airlines must also offer you a choice between a refund and re-routing.

Read more:

• What Is a Flight Cancellation Refund?
• Does EU261 Apply to Rebooked Flights?

Featured photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels