This article is reviewed regularly by Wego‘s editorial team to ensure that the content is up to date & accurate.

Reviewed April 2024

One “What if” that arises when booking a flight pertains to the possibility of being unable to board the flight and whether you can cancel it and obtain a refund. Qatar Airways offers a seamless possibility to cancel and has a smooth refund system. However, it is essential to be aware of its requirements, eligibility, and policies before booking your ticket so that you can cancel if needed.

Keep reading this Wego article to learn more about Qatar Airways’ refund policy, cancellation procedure and conditions for refunds.

Table of Contents

Qatar Airways cancellation and refund policy

Qatar Airways offers a full refund as long as it’s within the conditions of your fare conditions. The refund validity of a ticket is 12 months from the date of issue for a fully unused ticket; and 12 months from the first uplift date for a partially used ticket.

Refund of tickets beyond 12 months is only allowed in the following situations:

local law / regulatory requirements: When local regulatory requirements take precedence over Qatar Airways Ticket Refund Policy, local station finance is authorised to process the refund on such scenarios without any subsequent approval.
refund in case of death: Legal heirs of the deceased will be refunded after valid documentation (Death certificate or copy etc.) is verified.

The following ticket holders are not eligible to apply for a refund:

tickets that are used beyond the point of turnaround
tickets which are used out of sequence
unutilised or partially flown tickets with non-refundable taxes

Types of Qatar Airways refund

Before departure

For fully unutilised tickets, the amount paid will be fully refunded, including taxes, after deducting the cancellation charges (if any) as per fare rules provided the fare is refundable.

After departure

For fares that permit refund after departure, such as a partially utilised ticket, the refund will be the amount equal to the difference between the fare paid and the applicable fare for travel between the points for which the ticket has been used less any cancellation fees.

If the one-way fare is not available or published on the inventory mentioned on the ticket, then deduct the next available one-way in the higher Reservation Booking Designator (RBD) for which the journey has been performed.

If applicable one-way fare plus cancellation fees exceed the actually collected base fare for the journey, the base fare paid remains non-refundable. All unutilised coupons flown-based taxes excluding the surcharges will be refundable for such scenarios.

How to apply for Qatar Airways cancellation and refund?

You can cancel your flight and get a refund of the un-utilised value of your ticket to the original form of payment online. If you have booked directly with Qatar Airways, you may do this through their website or Contact Centres.

To process a refund online:

head to Manage your booking
enter your last name and booking reference/e-ticket number
retrieve booking
cancel your flight and submit a refund request

The refund amount will be credited using the original form of payment used to purchase the ticket. If your ticket cannot be changed online, you can contact the nearest Qatar Airways office.

Refund process for tickets booked through travel agents

If you have booked through a travel agency, please contact the office or travel agent where you paid for your ticket. This office should be shown on your e-ticket receipt.

How to check your Qatar Airways refund status?

Upon receiving your request for a refund, it will be actioned by Qatar Airways’ support team, who will get back to you within 5 business days. A confirmation of this request will also been sent to your email.

The processing will typically last seven business days if you bought your tickets with a credit card. If you paid with cash, cheque, or another form of payment, you can expect Qatar Airways to take up to 20 business days to issue the refund.

During certain periods, due to the high volume of requests, the estimated processing time can stretch up to 30 business days. It could take several weeks for the money to appear in your bank account.