Rebooking guide

Every airline BackFare watches lets you capture at least some price drops, but how differs. The regular fares at American, Delta, Southwest and United return the difference as credit with no change fee. Alaska stopped adjusting fares around October 7, 2026, so a drop there means cancelling and rebooking. Basic fares mostly can't be changed. Each airline's section says when we last checked its rules. Anything marked Unverified hasn't been confirmed yet, so check with the airline. Rules change: look at your airline's own page before you cancel anything. Found something out of date, or did your airline handle it differently? Let us know at support@backfare.app.

At a glance

Regular fares at most airlines can be repriced for free; the savings usually come back as airline credit, not cash.

Before you start

Seven rules hold on every airline here.

1. Compare like with like. Same flight, same fare type, same number of travelers. A cheaper price is often only in Basic, which you can't move into without losing flexibility.
2. Booked in the last 24 hours? Cancel for a full refund to your card, then rebook. This is the only sure way to get cash back. Fine print varies: American, Southwest and United require booking at least 7 days before departure; Alaska at least 24 hours; Delta allows until midnight of the day after purchase.
3. Try a change before a cancel. Changing to the same flight keeps your seat and your booking. Cancel and rebook only when the change is blocked.
4. If you cancel, rebook right away. The lower fare and your seat aren't held between the two steps.
5. Expect credit, not cash. The difference comes back as airline credit, except Southwest Choice Preferred and Choice Extra, and refundable fares.
6. Cancelling loses extras. Paid seats, Southwest Priority Boarding and upgrade waitlist spots can be lost.
7. Booked through Expedia or a travel agent? Changes usually go through them, and some airlines add a fee.

BackFare only tells you about a drop. It never rebooks for you: American's Conditions of Carriage forbid automated rebooking by any third party.

Alaska

Last checked October 13, 2026

Alaska no longer gives the difference back when a fare drops: its Lowest Fare page (updated Oct 2, 2026) says it "can't apply price adjustments after purchase," and its agents won't adjust a price "based solely on subsequent fare decreases." News reports date the change to about October 7, 2026. The "no change fees" on Main and First (Alaska's change page) covers switching to a different flight; it doesn't refund a drop on the flight you already hold. A drop on Main or First now means cancelling for Wallet credit and rebooking; Saver gets half back.

Steps for Main, same flight, now cheaper

1. Booked in the last 24 hours, at least 24 hours before departure? Cancel for a refund to your card, then rebook. This is the only way to get cash.
2. On alaskaair.com, confirm the lower fare is on the same flight, in the same fare type, for everyone.
3. Check for blockers first: booked through an agency (go back to them); a discount code (forfeited on cancel); someone already checked in; more than 7 travelers; pets or special requests (call; agent bookings cost $30 per person).
4. Optional: try changing to the same flight in Manage trip to see whether a credit appears (reports say it no longer does; Unverified).
5. Sign in, find the reservation, and Cancel. The value goes to your Wallet.
6. Rebook right away and apply Wallet funds at payment.
7. Pick seats again and re-add any upgrade waitlist; cancelling releases them.

Alaska's own pages: Lowest Fare commitment · changing your plans · 24-hour cancellation · Saver · credit certificates · Wallet

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American

Last checked October 12, 2026

Main Cabin and up change for free on trips that start in the Americas, and the difference comes back as a Trip Credit. Basic Economy can't be changed.

Which fare do you have? American's receipts often call Main Cabin just "Economy." If yours says "Basic Economy," or the booking code next to Economy is B, it's Basic Economy. Otherwise it's Main Cabin, the fare BackFare shows as Main.

Two kinds of credit

Steps for Main Cabin and up

1. Booked in the last 24 hours, at least 7 days out? Cancel for a card refund and rebook.
2. Check that self-service is open: not paid with a Trip Credit, voucher or gift card; not booked through AA Vacations or an agency; no partner-operated flights; not checked in.
3. On aa.com: Manage trips, Change trip, "Yes, I want to change this flight," search the same route and date, pick your flight, review the credit, submit.
4. If your flight can't be selected (reported Nov 2025 and Aug 2026): ask an agent to reprice it and ask specifically for a Trip Credit; or cancel on aa.com or the app with your AAdvantage number on the booking, then rebook.

American's own pages: travel credit · reservations FAQ · fees · Basic Economy · Conditions of Carriage · using miles

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Delta

Last checked October 12, 2026

Every Delta cabin now comes as Basic, Classic or Extra. Classic changes for free on trips from the US or Canada, and a change keeps the same level: a Main Classic ticket can only capture a lower Main Classic price, never a Main Basic price.

Trips that start outside the US or Canada pay fees even on Classic: for example €150 on Main Classic from Europe, $200 from Mexico, $330 from South America. The drop has to beat the fee.

Steps for Main Classic

1. Check the price like for like: the same flights, date and number of travelers, in Main Classic, not Basic.
2. On delta.com or the Fly Delta app: My Trips, the trip, Change or Add Flights, search the same date, pick your flight, confirm. Delta issues the difference as an eCredit.
3. If your flight shows only as "Original Flight" and can't be selected (recent reports; Unverified which is current), use Message Us in the app or call, and ask an agent to reprice the same flights at today's fare.
4. Check the eCredit on the receipt email and under your profile's eCredits.

Delta's own pages: change and cancel overview · fees · change a flight · cancel a flight · eCredits · Delta Main Basic · travel with miles

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Southwest

Last checked October 12, 2026

No fare has a change fee. Choice and up can be repriced in place; Basic can only be cancelled and rebooked. Southwest renamed its fares in 2025: Basic was Wanna Get Away, Choice was Wanna Get Away Plus, Choice Preferred was Anytime, Choice Extra was Business Select.

Steps for Choice and up

1. Search the same date, route and number of travelers, and check the price in the same fare type.
2. Open the reservation (Manage reservation; the app's exact labels are Unverified).
3. Tap Change, pick the leg, and select all passengers.
4. Pick the same flight in the same fare. The review screen shows a negative amount.
5. Choice Preferred and Choice Extra: choose a refund to your card or credit, if offered.
6. Confirm. The credit shows under your account's travel funds. Repeat whenever the price drops again.

Basic

• Within 24 hours of booking (booked at least a week out): cancel for a full refund to your card, then rebook.
• After that: cancel at least 10 minutes before departure for a 6-month credit, then rebook right away. Cancelling more than 6 months after booking returns nothing.
• A round trip with any Basic leg can only be cancelled as a whole, so one leg's drop puts the other leg's price at risk.
• Southwest's change tool hid lower Basic prices in a July 2026 test (with points). Search from the home page to see them.

Southwest's own pages: fare information · lower fare refund · changing and cancelling · Basic fare · credit expiration · transferable flight credit · Customer Service Plan

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United

Last checked October 12, 2026

Economy and up change for free on trips that start in the US; a lower price comes back as a future flight credit, never cash. Basic Economy and the new Base fares can't be changed.

Steps for Economy and up

1. Check that the lower price is in your fare (United Economy, not Basic Economy) for every traveler.
2. Booked in the last 24 hours, at least 7 days before departure? Cancel in My Trips for a cash refund and rebook.
3. Otherwise: My Trips, the trip, Change flight, then pick your same flight at the new price. United issues a travel credit for the difference.
4. If your flight doesn't appear or shows as unavailable (common), use United chat in the app and ask them to reprice the ticket at today's fare and issue the difference as a future flight credit.
5. Last resort: cancel for a full future flight credit and rebook with it. The credit can take a while to appear, and the fare can move in between.

Credits

• Only the ticketed traveler can use a future flight credit.
• It's a travel-by date: the trip must start before it. United says credits expire one year after issue in most cases; some guides say one year from the original ticket. Go by the date on the credit.

When United changes your flight

• A schedule change of more than 30 minutes lets you move to another United flight leaving within 24 hours of the original time, for free. That doesn't return money.
• A cancelled flight normally means a refund on request. But since December 2025 the DOT isn't enforcing that for renumbered flights without a significant change (3+ hours domestic, a different airport, an extra connection or a downgrade), through July 7, 2027.
• Worth asking anyway: United's own refund page still lists a cancelled flight as a reason for a refund. Ask chat for a refund first; if refused, ask for a reprice at today's fare as future flight credit. Don't buy a new ticket until a refund is confirmed.

United's own pages: flight changes · flexible booking · travel credits · Basic Economy · refund policy · schedule changes · Contract of Carriage

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Points and miles

Award bookings are the friendliest case: every airline returns the points with no fee on its regular awards.