How to Get an Emirates Refund

When spending money on an expensive plane ticket, it can be confusing if you need to change plans and are hoping for a refund.

If you booked a flight on Emirates and now you can’t travel, you might be wondering how to make an Emirates refund request. The process is easy — as long as you booked the right type of ticket.

Let’s take a look at how you can determine refund eligibility, how to request a refund and how long it might take to receive the funds.

Emirates refund policy

Airlines sell different fare products at different price points. This goes beyond the simple cabin categories (economy, business or first, for example).

Within each cabin class, there are numerous other fare types that have different change and cancellation policies. This is an important consideration when booking a ticket, especially if you think you might need to change your plans later.

These details are outlined in the your Emirates ticket's fare conditions. Depending on the ticket you book, you may be able to get a full Emirates ticket refund, a travel credit to use within 24 months for a future flight or no refund at all.

If your ticket is eligible, the amount you receive will vary based on if you’ve used the ticket or already flown on part of it. Unused tickets receive a full refund, while partially used tickets may only receive a prorated refund, if any at all.

Here are some more details from the Emirates' cancellation policy:

• Flex Plus fares. Flex Plus fares with Emirates are fully refundable, while most other fares have conditions that make them non-refundable or that convert them to a travel credit if unused.

• Award flights. If you used Skywards miles for your trip, you can cancel it for a full refund before traveling. There’s a $25 fee for date changes for a Saver reward (free for Flex or Flex Plus awards), or a $75 fee to redeposit Classic Saver mileage tickets altogether (free for Flex or Flex Plus awards).

• Cash + Miles fares. For Cash+Miles tickets, miles will be refunded — although if any expired during the purchase period, those will be forfeited. For trips that have been partially flown, the ticket would be re‑priced with only the unused portion of Cash+Miles refunded.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Emirates Skywards

What if Emirates cancels or changes my flight, can I get a refund?

If Emirates cancels or changes your flight for mechanical, operational or weather reasons, you can request your money back as a refund or receive a future travel credit.

Most likely, Emirates will try to get you to your destination in a reasonable time frame on another airline if it cannot transport you, but the option for a refund is available if you simply choose not to travel at all. If you have partially flown on the ticket, you would only be refunded for the unused portion of the flight.

Flights departing Europe have EU-261 protections that could put some additional cash back in your pocket beyond the refund itself. However, flights inbound to Europe on a non-European carrier are not eligible for that EU-261 protection.

» Learn more: How to book a flight that (likely) won’t get canceled

Can I get a refund for incidental expenses?

If your ticket is eligible for a refund and you didn’t travel, you can request your money back for any seat assignments or lounge access you might have paid for before departure.

If you did travel, but were unable to use the services provided (say, there was a change of aircraft and your seat was swapped, or the lounge wasn’t available), you can use the Emirates refund form to request your money back.

If you were downgraded to a lower cabin (like from business to premium economy), you’re eligible for a refund for the difference in fare, too.

How will my refund be processed?

Any funds will be returned to the original form of payment. If you booked your ticket via a travel agent, you will need to contact them to process the refund. They will then return the money back to your original form of payment.

If you used a third-party travel booking site like Orbitz or Expedia, you would need to contact them directly. These can be far more cumbersome processes than dealing directly with the airline as they may have their own policies in place.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

How to complete the Emirates refund form

Requesting a refund from Emirates is a simple process as long as you have the right information on hand. Luckily, you can find everything you need on your original ticket receipt.

Go to the Emirates.com refund form and input the following:

• Enter your dates of travel, departure and arrival airports and personal details.

• Choose what you’re requesting a refund for (for example, an unused ticket or downgrade).

• Enter the ticket details and payment method.

• Click submit. Keep in mind that this will automatically cancel your ticket.

Emirates doesn’t provide a way to check the status of your refund, but the process typically takes seven business days. If you still haven’t heard anything after a week, you can contact Emirates directly to ask about the status.

Emirates' refunds, recapped

Like most airlines, Emirates has fare restrictions that don’t make every ticket refundable. But, there are many that are eligible for a refund. There may also be cases in which you didn’t receive the services you paid for, and those are also refundable.

If your ticket isn’t eligible for a refund, you might be able to keep the credit for a future travel date. If you are due a refund, you’ll be able to request one using the online form on Emirates’ website.