Hawaiian Airlines Cancellation and Refund Policy

Travel plans can become the unrepresented victims of last-minute changes, and an understanding of all that an airline has to say about the cancellation and refund process can save time, money, and stress. Hawaiian Airlines, is one of the famous airlines with policies specifically designed to fulfill the needs of passengers efficiently. The following blog will help you with the cancellation and refund rules of Hawaiian Airlines in detail and fit you with everything you need to handle your travel itinerary successfully.

Overview of Hawaiian Cancellation Policies

Hawaiian cancellation policies are structured to provide clarity as well as flexibility depending on the type of ticket, channel of booking, time of cancellation, and destination. Here are the primary factors influencing the Hawaiian cancellation terms:

Ticket Type

The type of ticket you book is a strong determinant in your cancellation and refund policies:

Refundable Tickets: These tickets suit flexible travelers. These come with the option of canceling for any reason without charging any extra costs and can be refunded in full.

Non-Refundable Tickets: Non-refundable tickets happen to be cheaper and work with some restrictions. Refunds could be replaced by travel credits and some extra fees.

Award Tickets: Tickets purchased with HawaiianMiles can be canceled with specific fees.

Ways to Book a Hawaiian Airlines

Where you book

• Booking directly on the Hawaiian Airlines website, mobile app, or through customer service normally makes cancellations and refunds easier to manage.

• Booking an agency itinerary through an outside travel agent or online third-party booking site likely requires you to route change or cancel your flight through that agency's number. Other conditions may apply.

Cancellation Timeline of Hawaiian

Less Than 24 Hours: All tickets are eligible for a cancellation guarantee period if the cancellation is made within 24 hours of booking and more than seven days from date of departure.

More Than 24 Hours: Refundability and fees will differ with the route type and ticket

 Route and Destination

Cancellation policies can differ with the route;

Inter-island flights: These generally have lower cancellation fees as they cover short distances.

Domestic U.S. Flights: The Hawaiian cancellation fees are moderate but higher than inter-island flights.

International Flights: Fees on these routes tend to be a little more expensive due to operational cost and regulatory complexity.

Hawaiian Cancellations Policy in Detail

24-Hour Cancellation Policy

The airline sticks to the U.S. The Department of Transportation makes it compulsory to make penalty-free cancellations within 24 hours of booking. This applies to all types of tickets provided:

•  Booking is made at least seven days prior to scheduled departure.

• Hawaiian Cancellation is processed within the first 24 hours of making a purchase.

• This cancellation really proves to be helpful, especially for travelers who need time to finalize their travel plans and want to make changes even after booking.

• Hawaiian Airlines offers the free cancellations within 24 hours of the booking, the booking was done at least seven days before the scheduled departure. That should give travelers some relaxation in case passengers will have to make changes to their travel plans shortly after making the bookings.

• The following are the points describing the cancellation policy of Hawaiian Airlines and type of tickets, along with involuntary cancellations:

• A passenger can cancel their booking anytime without paying any penalty charge within 24 hours of booking.

• The above rule is only applicable if the passenger has booked a ticket at least seven days before the date of departure.

• Hawaiian Refunds will be credited back to the same account used for the booking.

Hawaiian Ticket Types and Their Policies

Main Cabin Basic

Non-Refundable: Any changes, and refunds, cannot be made 24 hours from the time of booking.

Restrictions:

No reservation selection at booking and seat assignment at check-in.

No upgrade or standby permission.

Passengers board the last group unless it has other priority boarding options.

Main Cabin Refundable

Fully Refundable: Passengers may cancel before the flight to retrieve a full refund.

Flexibility: Change and cancel without penalty ends

First Class/Business Class

Cancelable: Refundable fares can be canceled at any time before departure.

Non-Cancelable: Changes are okay if done before departure and result in a credit toward future travel.

Changeable: Changes are okay, but changes in fares may be accrued.

Interisland Web-Restricted Sale Fares

Non-Cancelable: No refund, even for parts of the ticket unused

Change Policy: Okay with fare differences collected

International Tickets

• Changes are charged based on the destination and also from the point of origin.

• Non-refundable in case of cancellation upon departure or if the portion of the ticket has been used.

Award Tickets (HawaiianMiles)

• Changes are compulsory only if an award seat is available in the same booking class.

• Passengers are liable to pay taxes and fees accumulated along with changes.

• Miles can be recovered in a canceled reservation script, with sometimes sacrifice of applicable fees.

Hawaiian Refund Policy

Should the ticket not be utilized: The balance of the tariff plus the charges will be refundable.

Partly Used Tickets: Refund will be the balance of the original fare minus the fare for traveling by the part of it.

Refund Processing Time:

• Credit Card: 7 days

• Other payments: 20 days

Refund Applications

• Must be submitted within 12 months after ticket issuance

Involuntary Cancellations

What triggers Involuntary Cancellations

1. Hawaiian Cancellation of Flights or Flight Delay: In case Hawaiian cancels or experiences a substantial flight delay, a passenger could get either a refund or rebooking.

2. Schedule Changes: If the schedule change makes traveling impossible, in this case, the traveler may be refunded.

3. Overbooking: Travelers who are denied boarding due to overbooking have rights to compensation and rebooking or get a refund.

4. Governmental Restrictions: Travel is not possible in case of governmental or legal restrictions.

5. Weather and Operational Issues: Flights canceled or delayed due to factors beyond their control like bad weather or air traffic restrictions.

6. Health or Safety Issues: A passenger is inadmissible for health reasons.

Compensation and Support:

• Unused parts of ticket reimbursed.

• Reservation and meals with grounds when necessary for overnights.

Change Policies

Non-Refundable Tickets: Possible change but passengers have to pay fare differences and change fee

Refundable Tickets: Changes are allowed free of charge fee with respect to fare differences.

Same-Day Flight Changes: Fee, depending on fare type and availability.

Special COVID-19 Policies

• Flexible change waivers on flights whose passengers have been affected by the pandemic.

• Free change or rebookings on flights booked under special promotions.

• Credit on future travels instead of a refund, certain ticket types.

Special Tickets Key Terms

HawaiianMiles Members

• Special change or cancellation balances are satisfied differently, with membership in tiers.

• Elite members may have charges waived for award ticket changes or redeposit.

Group Tickets

• Groups may have their reservations canceled under the group travel contract that applies.

• Generally, refunds or credits are limited unless otherwise indicated.

Additional Cancellation Conditions

Missed Check-In or Boarding: Passengers who miss check-in or board on time will lose the value of the ticket

No-show policy: No refunds and cannot be rebooked when passengers fail to come to the scheduled flight. Rebooking and Future Travel Credits

• Non-refundable fares can often be exchanged for a credit towards travel.

• Travel credits must be applied within one year of when the ticket was issued.

Support for Exceptional Circumstances

Medical Grounds: Rebooking or refund upon presentation of supporting evidence.

Bereavement Fares: Hawaiian Airlines does not allow bereavement fares, but in emergency situations, they can change it.

Military: Change policy is flexible for active duty members for cancellations or changes.

Key Information on Refundable and Non-Refundable Tickets

Refundable Tickets:

• Strong flexibility; fully refundable.

• Changes are free of charge.

Non-Refundable Tickets:

• Less cost but not flexible at all

• It usually has a travel credit rather than a cash refund.

This policy is complete enough for its categories of fares to meet various demands and requirements of travelers while providing flexibility and transparency depending on the tickets bought. For certain situations, passengers should contact Hawaiian Airlines customer service.

Refund Policies

Hawaiian Airlines offers a refund policy based on different situations that travelers may face. So it is always highly suggested to know the refund policy actually before getting in traveling. Thus, according to the information for passengers traveling with Hawaiian Airlines, the refund policies are elaborated here:

General refund policies by Hawaiian Airlines

Refund and cancellation policies for Hawaiian ticket types: Refundable and Non-Refundable Tickets

Refundable Tickets: These tickets allow passengers to cancel their reservations and get a refund. To process a refund, passengers must surrender the unused portion of the ticket. The refund amount depends on the ticket usage:

• Wholly Unused Tickets: Where no part of the ticket has been used, the refund is equal to the fare and charges applicable to that ticket.

• Partially Used Tickets: Where a part of the ticket has been used, the refund will be the difference between fare and charges of such original ticket and those applicable to that used portion.

Applications for refunds must be submitted within 12 months of the date a ticket was originally issued. Service fees apply, which vary by route:

Travel within the State of Hawaii: $25.00

Travel wholly within the Continental USA: $100.00

Travel between Hawaii and the Continental USA: $100.00

Credit card purchases will be refunded within seven business days; all other methods within twenty business days.

Non-Refundable Tickets: The ticket has no refundable value if canceled after a risk-free cancellation window of 24 hours. A reservation can be canceled and, when eligible, used with a credit toward travel at a later date. Credit is usually credited within one calendar year from the date that the original booking was made. Regardless, the remainder may not be returned if the price of the new fare is lower than the fare at which the booking was made; accordingly, the passenger could take a net loss out of the difference in fares.

Main Cabin Basic Fares

The most restrictive and nonrefundable of them all, however, are the basic fares sold in the main cabin. Once tickets are sold under this fare option, changes or cancellations thereof are not permitted beyond the 24-hour risk-free period. Past this period, no refund or credits are applicable, so passengers buying this sort of ticket would be wise to confirm their plans before booking it.

Changes in Class of Service

In the event a passenger has prepaid for a higher class of service-upgraded seat or upgrade first class and is bumped down into a lower class of service, Hawaiian Airlines will credit back the difference: 

• Extra Comfort Seat: If re-accommodated to an Economy Seat, the paid Extra Comfort fee shall be credited.

• First-Class Upgrade: If a passenger is downgraded, a fee paid for the First-Class Upgrade shall be credited.

• First-Class Ticket: If the passenger downgrades and travels, the refund will be the difference between the fare paid and the applicable Economy fare, if there is a fare difference.

Flight Cancellations and Important Changes in Schedule 

If Hawaiian Airlines cancels a flight or makes a sufficient schedule change, the passenger is allowed to get a refund for the unused portion of his ticket. This rule applies as well as is relevant to the U.S. Department of Transportation regulation on the issuance of refunds on cancellations or a significant delay.

Refund Processing Time

Hawaiian Airlines is fast processing refunds once they have received them:

Credit Card Purchases: Refunds are issued within seven business days.

Other Forms of Reimbursement: Refunds are credited within twenty business days.

The above timeframes meet the federal regulations.

How to Apply for a Refund Application

The application of a refund may be submitted through Hawaiian Airlines Reservations. Passengers must submit some documents like unused tickets or purchase receipts to apply for this refund process.

Special Cases

Travel Packages: Refunds for travel agency tickets or travel package reservations must be sent to the issuing agency. The agency will refund directly to the ticketed customer. Government and Military Fares: No service charge is deducted from refunded military and government fares.

Changes in Regulation

The effective date of 28 October 2024, new U.S. Department of Transportation rules require airlines to automatically refund tickets on canceled or significantly delayed flights without requiring passengers to ask. Those refunds should be provided within seven days for credit cards and 20 days for all other forms of payment. Beyond the original means of payment, Airlines cannot provide vouchers or credits unless travelers specifically request them. Meaning three hours for domestic flights, and six hours for international flights.

Unreserved Refund

According to Hawaiian Airlines rules, if the airline cancels a flight or substantially schedules, passengers receive a full refund, regardless of ticket kind.

How to Cancel Flight Step by Step

Online

Cancel a flight directly from the Hawaiian Airlines website or mobile app.

Steps:

1. Log in to your account at Hawaiian Airlines.

2. Go to the "Manage Flights" tab.

3. Add booking confirmation number and surname.

4. Select a flight you wish to cancel.

5. Follow the prompts which will automatically cancel and also allow access to refund or credit information.

Cancel at Customer Service

Customers with itineraries, such as international flights, can contact the Hawaiian Airlines customer service number for assistance with cancellations of fares: 1-800-367-5320.

Cancel at the Airport

To have last-minute changes, passengers may go to the Hawaiian Airlines ticket counter at the airport and have an in-person service.

Travel Credits

Travel credits are given out on non-refundable tickets canceled or as a form of compensation in some involuntary cancellations.

Validity

• Credits are good for one year from the date that has been issued.

Conditions

• Travel credits are not transferable and can only be used by the actual owner of the ticket.

How to Redeem

• Log into your Hawaiian Airlines account, and apply the credits during the payment process for your new booking.

Special Cases

Medical Emergency

Hawaiian Airlines accommodates passengers who may be facing medical emergencies. For fees to be waived or processing of a refund, one will be required to present a letter from the doctor.

Military and Government

Military and government fares: These have specific conditions, whereby they are entitled to waived fees or eased policies. Passengers must produce valid identification or proof with supporting documents.

Family Crisis

The airline company can abandon cancellation fees or grant credits at its discretion in case of separation or family crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Hawaiian Airlines' 24-hour cancellation policy?

Hawaiian Airlines provides free cancellations for up to 24 hours after purchasing a ticket, if the flight is seven or more days away.

May I get my money back on a ticket that is non-refundable?

 Non-refundable tickets are non-refundable in dollars but may be canceled for travel credits when fees apply.

Can I cancel the Hawaiian for any reason?

Yes, you can cancel the Hawaiian for any reason. But this option is available only on some flights. If your airline has this option you can easily cancel the airline. 

When can I expect my money back?

Credit card payments typically post within seven business days. Other payment types may take up to 20 business days.

What happens if Hawaiian Airlines cancels my flight?

Passengers are allowed to rebook their ticket at no additional cost on the next available flight, or passengers may request a full refund.

Do travel credits expire?

Travel credits are usually valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance.

Can I transfer my travel credits to another person?

Yes, no. Travel credits are non-transferable and can only be utilized by the original ticket holder.

Are there cancellations waived due to medical emergencies?

Yes, Hawaiian Airlines can abandon fees for medical emergencies with proper documentation.

How do I cancel a travel booking?

If you booked through an outside agency, you'll need to contact that agency to initiate your cancellation. Hawaiian Airlines may not be very involved.

Can I Change my name on the Hawaiian Airlines Booking?

Yes, you can change the name with Hawaiian Airlines. This is only allowed in HawaiianMiles Award tickets and Unticketed Domestic Itineraries. This helps you in transferring your ticket to someone else. 

Can I change my Hawaiian Airlines flight directly on the Hawaiian website?

Yes, you can directly change the Hawaiian Airlines flight on the Hawaiian Airlines website. It has some steps, by following these steps you can easily cancel Hawaiian Airlines.

When I cancel my flight in Hawaiian can I get a full refund?

Yes, you can get a full refund when you cancel through Hawaiian Airlines but you have to remember the terms and conditions of the airline, with these policies you can apply for a refund.

Can I cancel the Hawaiian Airlines within 24 hours after booking?

Yes, you can cancel the Hawaiian Airlines within 24 hours after the booking, in this case when you cancel the flight you may get a refund. 

Can Hawaiian Airlines offer free cancellation within 24 hours of booking?

Yes, Hawaiian Airlines offers free cancellations within 24 hours of the booking, the booking was done at least seven days before the scheduled departure.