I’ve actually been in this exact situation with Air Canada not too long ago. I had booked a non-refundable ticket for a quick business trip to Toronto, but a work project got pushed back and suddenly the flight wasn’t going to work. At first, I thought I was completely stuck because the ticket literally said “non-refundable.” But after some digging (and a couple of hours stressing), I realized it’s not totally hopeless.
Here’s what worked for me: I called (877)-764-3622 directly, which turned out to be the fastest way to talk through options. The agent explained that while my original ticket wasn’t refundable in cash, I could either get a travel credit or, in some cases, rebook with a fee. In my case, I chose the credit because I knew I’d be flying Air Canada again within the year. They processed it on the spot, and I had the e-credit in my email within 20 minutes.
So yes, you technically can’t “cancel for a refund” with non-refundable tickets, but calling is key. Online tools were confusing, but over the phone, they broke everything down step by step. Honestly, that call saved me money and a ton of frustration.
