What to Expect: Refunds by Carrier & Type

To support accurate customer expectations, please note that refund processing times vary by airline. They may vary significantly based on the airline’s own refund policies and procedures, as well as the specific type of refund requested.

Important: This report is for reference only and is based on Atlas’s historical refund data for 2025. This report will be updated periodically with the latest refund data.

Actual refund processing times may vary depending on specific circumstances (such as airline policy adjustments, holidays, special circumstances, etc.), please refer to the Refund Processing Time shared below.

Refund Processing Time Bands

Processing Time Bands provide an indication of how long a refund is likely to take.

Speed Tier	Typical Processing Time	What This Means
Fast	1-3 days	Refund is processed quickly, usually within one week
Relatively Fast	4-7 days	Refund typically completed within two weeks
Normal	8-14 days	Standard industry processing time
Slow	15-30 days	Refund may take up to a month
Very Slow	30+ days	Refund may require 1–2 months

Refund Processing Time by Refund Type

Refund timelines depend on the type of refund submitted. Below are the grouped performance tiers for 2025:

Voluntary Refunds

Customer-initiated changes or cancellations. Average duration: 17 days.

• Fast & Relatively Fast (≤ 7 days): 8B, AK, BX, HD, IX, LJ, OV, SG, U2, ZE

• Normal (8–14 days): 5J, BC, IJ, QP, RS

• Slow (15–30 days): 7C, FD, ID, IU, IW, JT, QG, QH, SM

• Very Slow (30+ days): E5, OD, SL, VZ

Involuntary Refunds

Refunds caused by flight changes or cancellations. Average duration: 19 days.

• Fast & Relatively Fast (≤ 7 days): BX, F9, IJ, IX, J9, U2

• Normal (8–14 days): 5J, 6E, 7C, 8B, OV, QG, SM, TO, TR, UO

• Slow (15–30 days): 3F, FY, ID, IU, JT, MM, QH, QP, W4, ZE

• Very Slow (30+ days): 8D, DD, SG, SL, VJ, VZ

VOID & Special Refunds

VOIDs are typically the fastest to process, while Special Refunds (e.g., medical or bereavement) depend on documentation.

• VOIDs (Avg. 6 days): F9 and ZE process these quickly (Fast); 7C typically falls into the Normal range.

• Special Refunds (Avg. 6 days): 6E is Relatively Fast; IJ typically falls into the Normal range.

Important Notes

• Processing time is measured from airline acceptance through to refund completion.

• Bank or payment gateway settlement processing may add additional days.

• Timelines may be extended in peak travel periods or in the event of airline operational disruptions.

Follow Up Effectively

• Time your follow-ups: Submit enquires 1–2 weeks after the expected refund timeframe has passed.

• Allow for airline variability: Longer processing do not necessarily indicate an issue, particularly for slower processing airlines.

• Keep references details: Retain refund submission confirmations to support tracking and any required escalation.