Cancelled vs Unused Ticket: What Taxes Can You Claim Back?
Blog — Flight Tax Refund
Last updated: September 2026
There is a common confusion between two situations that look similar but have very different consequences for your rights: a cancelled ticket and an unused ticket. Understanding the distinction is essential to know what you can claim and how.
The cancelled ticket: when the airline cancels
A "cancelled ticket" typically refers to the situation where the airline cancelled the flight — not you. In this case, your rights are governed by EU Regulation 261/2004 (for flights departing a European airport, or arriving in Europe on a European carrier).
This regulation provides for:
- A full refund of the ticket price within 7 days, including taxes
- Or re-routing to your final destination under comparable conditions
- Fixed compensation based on flight distance (€250, €400 or €600) unless extraordinary circumstances apply
In this case, you are not limited to claiming taxes: you can demand a full refund of everything you paid.
The unused ticket: when you don't travel
An unused ticket is the reverse: you decided not to take your flight, or you missed it. You hold a non-refundable ticket and you did not travel.
In this case, EU Regulation 261/2004 does not apply. You have no right to a refund of the base fare. However, European consumer rules recognise your right to recover airport taxes — amounts the airline collected on behalf of airports and governments, but did not need to pay over since you did not travel.
Comparison table
| Situation | Who cancels? | Right to ticket refund? | Right to tax refund? | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight cancelled by airline | Airline | Yes (100%) | Yes (included) | EU 261/2004 |
| Flight delayed 5h+ | Airline | Yes (if you give up) | Yes (included) | EU 261/2004 |
| Unused ticket (no-show) | Passenger | No | Yes (taxes only) | EU consumer rules |
| Ticket cancelled by passenger | Passenger | No (unless flexible fare) | Yes (taxes only) | EU consumer rules |
Special case: the no-show
A no-show is when you do not check in or show up at the gate without notifying the airline. It is the least favourable situation: you lose the ticket, and some airlines automatically cancel the return leg on a round-trip booking when you miss the outbound flight. See the full detail on our missed flight tax refund page.
Despite this, even in a no-show situation, airport taxes remain recoverable. The airline cannot keep them: they correspond to airport services you did not use.
What this means in practice
If your flight was cancelled by the airline, start by claiming a full refund through the airline's customer service or a claims platform. Do not limit yourself to the taxes.
If you did not travel for personal reasons (illness, change of plans, no-show), focus specifically on the tax refund claim. That is exactly what our airline-specific guides cover. If your ticket was bought through a travel agency or OTA, also check our ticket bought via agency or OTA page.
A common mistake to avoid
Some passengers, believing they "cancelled their ticket", submit a full refund claim and get rejected. This often happens because the distinction between "airline cancellation" and "passenger no-show" is not clear. Identify who cancelled first, then adapt your approach accordingly.