UNUSED TICKET
Unused plane ticket:
can you request a tax refund?
Bought a plane ticket but ended up not taking your flight? Even if your ticket is non-refundable, you can sometimes request a refund of certain taxes and fees linked to a passenger who did not board.
Be careful: this does not mean you can automatically get the full ticket price back. The airfare, options, baggage, insurance or service fees may remain non-refundable depending on the applicable conditions.
Guides by airline · Message templates · Step-by-step procedure · No guaranteed refund
If you did not use your plane ticket, you cannot always get the full ticket price back. However, certain taxes and fees may be refundable if they depend on the passenger actually boarding.
To make the request, you need to identify the relevant airline or agency, prepare your booking information, distinguish the taxes from the ticket price, then send a clear request.
What to do if you did not take your flight?
An unused plane ticket may entitle you to different steps depending on why you did not travel, the ticket type, the airline, the purchase channel and the country of departure.
The first thing to do is not to confuse three different topics:
- –a refund of the full ticket price
- –a refund of certain taxes and fees
- –compensation or a refund in the case of a flight cancelled or delayed by the airline
This page mainly covers the case where you did not take your flight for your own reasons: a missed flight, a change of plans, a trip you cancelled, or an unused ticket.
Definition: what is an unused plane ticket?
An unused plane ticket is a ticket for which the passenger did not board the scheduled flight. This can cover several situations:
- –you missed your flight
- –you decided not to travel
- –you personally cancelled your trip
- –your ticket was non-refundable
- –you did not use the outbound or return leg
- –the flight date has passed and you were not on board
Definition: what is a tax refund for an unused ticket?
A tax refund for an unused ticket refers to a request for certain taxes and fees included in the ticket price to be paid back when the passenger was not carried. This is not an automatic refund of the full ticket.
In practice, this may include certain airport taxes or passenger fees, as mentioned by Service-Public in the case of a no-show.
Key facts
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Situation | Plane ticket bought but not used |
| Common cases | Missed flight, change of plans, absent passenger, no-show |
| Full ticket price | Not always refundable |
| Potentially recoverable taxes | Certain airport taxes and passenger fees |
| Automatic request | No, you often need to make it yourself |
| Contact | Airline or agency depending on the purchase channel |
| French legal deadline | Refund no later than 30 days after the request is received |
| Offline fees | Maximum 20% of the amount refunded in France |
| Refund guaranteed? | No |
What you can request after an unused ticket
| Item paid | Can it be refunded? | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare excluding taxes | Often not | Depends on the ticket type and fare conditions |
| Airport tax | Yes, in certain cases | Mentioned by Service-Public in the case of a no-show |
| Passenger fee | Yes, in certain cases | Also mentioned by Service-Public |
| Security fees | Variable | Depends on the country, the ticket and the airline |
| Baggage / seat | Generally not | Separate options |
| Insurance | Variable | Depends on the insurance contract |
| Agency fees | Often not | Depends on the agency or OTA |
What French regulations say
The French Consumer Code states that airlines and sellers of air transport tickets must refund the itemized taxes and fees shown as such in the ticket price, when their applicability depends on the passenger actually boarding and the ticket is no longer valid and was not used for transport.
Article L224-66 specifies that the refund must be made no later than 30 days after the request is received, that the request can be submitted by any means, including online, that the online request is free, and that offline fees cannot exceed 20% of the amount refunded.
How to request a tax refund?
The exact procedure may vary, but the general logic remains the same.
Check why the ticket was not used
Missed flight, decision not to travel, or a cancellation on your end: the procedure differs from a flight cancelled or heavily delayed by the airline.
Check where you bought the ticket
Directly from the airline (account area, "My bookings") or via an agency/OTA (Opodo, eDreams, Expedia, Booking, Trip.com).
Prepare your information
Passenger name, booking reference, ticket number, flight number, flight date, booking email, e-ticket and detail of the price paid.
Clearly distinguish the ticket, taxes, fees and options
A vague request like "I want a refund for my ticket" may be refused if the ticket is non-refundable.
Send a clear request
State the purpose of the request, your booking information, and specify that you did not board.
Keep proof
A copy of the message, the date sent, a screenshot of the form, an acknowledgment of receipt and any replies received.
Follow up if necessary
In France, the refund must be made no later than 30 days after the request is received.
Message template for an unused ticket
Subject: Request for a refund of recoverable taxes – unused plane ticket
Hello,
I would like to request a refund of the recoverable taxes and fees linked to a plane ticket that I did not use.
Passenger name:
Booking reference:
Ticket number:
Flight number:
Flight date:
Email address used for the booking:
I would like to clarify that I did not board this flight. My request does not necessarily concern a full refund of the ticket.
Best regards,
UFC-Que Choisir recommends submitting the request via the carrier's or agency's website and obtaining an acknowledgment of receipt.
Common mistakes to avoid
Requesting a full refund without checking the conditions
A non-refundable ticket may remain non-refundable for its fare portion. The request should target the recoverable taxes.
Confusing taxes and surcharges
Not every line item shown on a ticket is necessarily refundable.
Contacting the wrong party
If you bought via an agency or OTA, the airline may sometimes redirect you to that agency.
Sending a request without precise information
A request without a booking reference, flight date or passenger name may be difficult to process.
Guides available for your airline
Premium guide pricing
Premium guides give you a procedure tailored to each airline, with a message template and mistakes to avoid.
Choose my airline's guide →Secure payment · Instant access · No guaranteed refund
Special case: you bought a round trip
If you did not take the outbound flight, check your airline's conditions right away. Some airlines may cancel the remaining segments if the first segment is not used; others let you keep the return flight.
- –whether the return flight remains active
- –whether the ticket is sequential
- –whether the airline applies a no-show rule
- –whether your request risks cancelling the entire booking
Special case: ticket bought via an agency or OTA
Tickets bought through an online agency can be more complex. You may need to contact the agency, the airline, or both in sequence.
Understand the procedure with an agency or an OTA →What our guides do not guarantee
- –that the airline will accept your request
- –that the full ticket price will be refunded
- –a specific processing time
- –that no fees will apply if the request is not made online
The refund depends on the airline, the ticket, the country of departure, the purchase channel, the taxes actually paid and the applicable conditions.
Independent site, not affiliated with any airline
Flight Tax Refund is an independent site. The site is not affiliated with Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Air France, KLM or any other airline mentioned.
Our guides are practical informational resources. They do not constitute personalized legal advice and do not guarantee that you will obtain a refund.
In summary
- –An unused plane ticket does not automatically entitle you to a full refund of the ticket.
- –Certain taxes and fees may be recoverable if they depend on the passenger actually boarding.
- –In France, the Consumer Code regulates the refund of certain taxes and fees.
- –The request is not always automatic: you often need to make it yourself.
- –The correct contact may be the airline or the agency depending on the purchase channel.
- –Our premium guides help you prepare a clear request, airline by airline.
- –No refund is guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions about unused plane tickets
Ready to prepare your request?
Choose your airline and access the matching premium guide.
Useful sources
- – Service-Public.fr: can you get a refund for your plane ticket if you miss or cancel your flight?
- – Service-Public.fr: template to claim a refund of the airport tax and passenger fee
- – Légifrance: French Consumer Code, article L224-66
- – INC Conso: recovering taxes and fees after a flight cancellation
- – UFC-Que Choisir: refund of the airport tax