How to Cancel Your Hawaiian Airlines Flight Reservation?
Have you booked a flight on Hawaiian Airlines but your plans have suddenly changed? Need to cancel your upcoming trip or make a new reservation instead?
What’s the process for cancelling or changing a Hawaiian Airlines flight booking and what policies should you know about?
This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about cancelling or modifying reservations with Hawaiian Airlines, including the key steps, rules, exceptions, and tips for getting refunds or rebookings.
We’ll cover all aspects of Hawaiian Airlines’ cancellation and change policies, the fees that may apply, your rights as a passenger, and step-by-step instructions to cancel online, by phone, or at the airport. Read on for all the details!
Understanding Hawaiian Airlines’ Flight Cancellation Policy
Before making any changes to your Hawaiian Airlines flight reservation, it’s crucial to understand their basic cancellation and refund policies. This will prepare you for any fees you may need to pay or rules you’ll have to navigate.
Some key things to know upfront in Hawaiian Airlines’ cancellation policy include:
- 24 Hour Full Refund Cancellation Window: Hawaiian allows you to cancel your flight booking within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund, provided you booked at least 7 days before the scheduled flight departure. This applies even for non-refundable tickets.
- Refund Eligibility: Whether or not you can get a full refund depends on the fare rules and class of ticket purchased initially. Refundable fares allow full refunds, while non-refundable tickets may only give future travel credit or vouchers.
- Change vs Cancellation: Hawaiian Airlines allows flight changes as an alternative to outright cancellation. Change fees apply but are usually lower cost than cancellation fees. You’ll pay any fare difference between original and new flights.
- Cancellation Fees: Hawaiian charges fees for flight cancellations in many cases. Amounts range from $25 to $250 depending on ticket type, destination, military status, etc.
It’s always wise to review Hawaiian Airlines’ full cancellation policy terms on their website before proceeding with any reservation changes. Understanding the fine print upfront makes a smoother process.
Step-by-Step Process to Cancel a Hawaiian Airlines Flight
Once you’ve decided to cancel your upcoming Hawaiian Airlines trip, here is the step-by-step process to officially change your flight reservation:
Cancel Hawaiian Airlines Flight Online
- Go to the Hawaiian Airlines website and log into your account >> Manage Flights section
- Retrieve your reservation by entering passenger name and 6-letter confirmation code
- Select your flight booking and click the Cancel Flight button
- Review any cancellation policies, fees, or refund eligibility details
- Confirm cancellation following the prompts
Cancel Over Phone
- Call Hawaiian Airlines reservations at 1-800-367-5320
- Provide booking details to the customer service agent
- Request flight cancellation and answer any policy questions
- Pay any applicable cancellation fees
- Receive cancellation confirmation over the phone
Cancel at Airport
- Go to Hawaiian Airlines check-in counter at airport
- Talk to an airline representative in person
- Provide flight reservation information
- Complete cancellation process onsite
Cancelling online through the Hawaiian Airlines website is typically the quickest and simplest way, avoiding long hold times over phone. However that option is only available if you originally booked directly with Hawaiian Airlines. If you booked via a third party site, you’ll need to call them to cancel.
No matter how you cancel, be sure to retain any cancellation confirmation codes for your records.
Getting a Refund for Your Cancelled Hawaiian Airlines Flight
If you need to cancel your Hawaiian Airlines reservation, getting a refund back to your original payment method depends greatly on the fare rules and other policies in place at time of booking.
Here’s what to know about refund eligibility and processing from Hawaiian Airlines:
- Refundable Fares: Full refunds issued automatically back to original form of payment
- Non-Refundable Fares: Future travel vouchers or credits only; no cash back
- Refund Timeline: Can take 7-20 business days after cancellation processed
- Exceptions: Full refunds usually offered for Hawaiian’s own flight cancellations or passenger medical emergencies
For the fastest refund, cancel your Hawaiian Airlines flight as early as possible. Last minute cancellations will likely only get vouchers, not cash back.
And if booking originally through a third party provider, you need to process any cancellations or refund requests directly through them rather than Hawaiian Airlines.
What to Do If Your Flight Gets Cancelled by Hawaiian Airlines?
Sometimes, flight disruptions that trigger cancellations are out of your hands. What if Hawaiian Airlines themselves need to cancel your upcoming trip?
If this occurs, Hawaiian Airlines cancellation policy guarantees passengers either:
- Option to rebook the next available Hawaiian Airlines flight to your destination at no extra charge
- Receive a full refund of the original fare rules allow
In most cases of flight cancellations imposed by Hawaiian that are out of passenger control, standard policies still apply in terms of fees or voucher values. But at minimum, Hawaiian pledges to get you to your destination on the next flight or provide compensation. Monitor notifications from them directly as well as checking online or calling to confirm any rebooking instructions if they cancel your itinerary.
If asking for a full cash refund due to a cancellation by Hawaiian, be aware that processing times can take weeks in many cases – so have backup payment plans if needed while waiting.
Making Changes Instead of Cancelling Your Hawaiian Airlines Flight
Rather than cancelling your Hawaiian Airlines trip completely, another option is simply changing your existing flight reservation to new dates or times. While fees, fare differences, and other rules still apply, changing flights is often lower cost and provides more flexibility than outright cancellation.
Here is what you need to know about modifying an existing Hawaiian Airlines booking:
- Change Fees: Cost for flight changes on Hawaiian Airlines is typically $200 per ticket. More affordable than cancellation penalties.
- Fare Differences: If your new flight dates/routing costs more than original booking, you must pay the difference additionally to the change fees Hawaiian charges.
- Same Route Required: Can only change flights if traveling between the exact same origin and destination cities. No rerouting allowed.
- Eligible Tickets: Certain promotional or basic economy fares cannot be changed after booking on Hawaiian Airlines.
To start the process of changing your flight instead of full cancellation through Hawaiian, first check your eligibility based on the original fare rules. No changes allowed for basic economy tickets, for example. Provided it is permitted, then call Hawaiian Airlines reservations or access your booking online through ‘My Trips’ on their website.
From there, select your new desired flight dates/times and complete the change process including paying any change fees or additional collection in fare differences that result.
Exceptions to Hawaiian Airlines’ Standard Cancellation Policy
While Hawaiian Airlines does uphold their standard cancellation, refund, and change policies in most situations, certain exceptional circumstances can qualify you for exceptions.
Some of the key situations where Hawaiian Airlines may waive certain fees, provide full refunds outside the norm, or offer other assistance with cancellations include:
- Documented medical emergencies preventing travel
- Military deployment orders suddenly arising
- Family bereavement or other extenuating circumstances
- Severe weather events or unavoidable delays triggering cancellations
- Hawaiian Airlines own flight cancellations due to maintenance, aircraft changes, etc
If an unforeseen situation like illness, loss of a loved one, dangerous storms hindering airports, or other acts outside your reasonable control occur, contact Hawaiian Airlines right away. Have any documentation or proof available. Their policies allow customer service reps to make exceptions and provide you assistance well beyond the usual terms in extreme cases.
And as mentioned previously, if Hawaiian Airlines cancels your flight outright themselves for reasons within their control, standard policy is still a refund or travel voucher at minimum. Reach out to them via phone or airport agents if this occurs.
FAQs and Key Points to Remember About Hawaiian Cancellations
To wrap up this comprehensive guide on all things related to cancelling or changing your flight with Hawaiian Airlines, here are some of the most frequently asked questions along with key takeaways:
What is Hawaiian Airlines’ policy for cancelling flights within 24 hours?
Hawaiian allows cancellations with a full refund within 24 hours of booking, provided original flight is more than 7 days in the future still at time of cancellation. Applies to all fare types.
Can I get a full cash refund if I need to cancel my Hawaiian Airlines flight?
It depends. Refundable fares allow a full refund back to original payment form. Non-refundable flights booked only get a future travel voucher, no cash back.
Are there any extra fees if I need to cancel my Hawaiian Airlines reservation?
Yes, cancellation fees apply in many cases ranging from $25 to $200+ depending on the rules of the original airfare purchased from Hawaiian. Sometimes no fee if within 24 hour window after booking and flight is a week+ away still.
What if Hawaiian Airlines themselves cancel my flight – what are my options?
If Hawaiian cancels your flight themselves, you are due either a refund or a rebooking on the next flight to your destination at no extra cost. Reach out to them directly to process this.
And in conclusion, while having to cancel or alter an existing Hawaiian Airlines flight reservation can be inconvenient, understanding their policies will make navigating this process smoother. Be aware of any fare difference costs, change vs cancellation fees, refund eligibility timelines, and all the fine print rules based on your original ticket.
React quickly if Hawaiian ends up cancelling your flight themselves to take advantage of next flight rebooking options. And consider flight changes instead of outright cancellations when possible as this offers lower fees typically.
Follow the step-by-step process outlined here, give yourself plenty of advance notice, and reach out to Hawaiian Airlines customer service with any other questions on cancelling or changing flights to make it a headache-free experience. They aim to provide support and be transparent on policies throughout the process.
