Flexible Flights – Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Last Updated on Oct 18th, 2024 by Renu Dahiya, Leave a Comment

Plans Change? Stop Worrying! You still have a chance to reschedule your flight without breaking your bank account. Yes, you heard it right! If you have flexible travel dates, you’ll have a much easier time finding the cheapest flight. Flexible flight is the product for you, you’ll be able to save hundreds of dollars by simply choosing the flexible dates flights option. You can easily adjust your travel dates as per your convenience with no change fees, except for the difference amount of rebooked fare and the original ticket.

Indeed, changing flight dates or canceling a flight ticket is often a hassle. But, no need to worry any longer. We’ve detailed the policies of airlines offering flexible date flight search options, and the pros & cons of flexible date flights. So, read on to learn everything about the options available to you as a passenger and some general rules and helpful tips to save you money and headaches. 

What Are Flexible Flights?

Flexible flights are flights that allow a passenger to make changes to the departure date and time of the flight after an air ticket has been purchased. These flights are called Flexi flights, open tickets, and flights with flexible travel dates. 

If your schedule is unpredictable and you need to delay your flight in or out for business/personal reasons or you need to fly earlier than expected, flexible dates for flights are a great option. 

Major Airlines Offering Flexible Date Flight Search Option 

Some of the major airlines usually allow their passengers to make changes to their travel itinerary, but some general rules and significant fees are applied to the same. And, the fees have increased considerably in the last few years. Some airlines will also charge the difference in fares between the old and new flight tickets along with the penalty fee. 

If you book a full-fare air ticket instead of a discounted ticket, you will surely have more options and be charged fewer fees when it comes to making changes to your travel itinerary. Let’s learn about the specific policies, fees, and offerings of a few airlines. 

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines is continuously updating the rules of its change and cancelation policies post-pandemic. Basic economy fares are not normally eligible for changes but Delta is making an exception with its new basic economy Changeability Waiver which allows customers who have booked basic economy tickets to make changes to their bookings. Delta Airlines has also eliminated change fees on main cabin fares bookings for flights originating from the USA in July 2021. Customers would only need to pay the difference in fares.  

Steps to find flights with flexible dates on Delta:

• To start a search in a calendar view on the ‘Book a Flight’ page of Delta Airlines, just click on the ‘my dates are flexible’ checkbox. 
• The flex search tool of Delta also offers a unique feature that allows you to filter out basic economy fares also. 

Airline	Domestic Change Fee	International Change Fee	Important Note
Delta Airlines	$0.00 + Fares Difference	$0.00 + Fares Difference	Passengers can make changes only to the return portion of an international itinerary.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is the one among major airlines which charges almost negligible change-ticket fees on most of its ticket types. If a flight costs more, you pay the difference only. If it costs less, you also get that difference back. Amazing, right? What else does a traveler need? And, you’ll be able to make changes and cancelations up to 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time. 

Steps to find flights with flexible dates on Southwest:

• You can easily search for flexible fares by checking the low fare calendar on its official website. 
• You can find the link right below the arrival box on the home page. 

Airline	Domestic Change Fee	International Change Fee	Important Note
Southwest Airlines	$0.00 as standard	$0.00 as standard	Passengers are responsible for paying the difference in fare only.

Alaska Airlines 

Alaska Airlines introduced the new Wainer policy which allowed passengers who booked business and first-class fares to change or cancel their tickets for free, between the period from February 2020 to April 2021. After May 2021, it has permanently eliminated change fees. This new rule to change and cancelation policy by Alaska Airlines also applies to flights bought through the saver fare as long as they are changed or canceled within the first 24 hours of purchase. 

Steps to find flights with flexible dates on Alaska Airlines:

• You need to go to the homepage on their official website, then just below the ‘adults’ dropdown field click on the ‘all search options’ box.  
• Then, you can click on a ‘Flexible Dates’ checkbox to start your search with a calendar view. 
• After doing an exact date search, you can also switch to a calendar view by choosing the ‘calendar’ radio button in the ‘view by’ action on the left-hand side of the page. 

Airline	Domestic Change Fee	International Change Fee	Important Note
Alaska Airlines	$0.00 as standard	$0.00 as standard	Passengers are responsible for paying the difference in fare only.

United Airlines

Post pandemic, United Airlines has also permanently eliminated many of its change fees. And, this applies to economy and premium flight tickets booked for travel within the United States or between the USA and Mexico or the Caribbean. Additionally, passengers flying on international flights originating in the USA are also not required to pay change fees or penalties. 

Steps to find flights with flexible dates on United:

• Click on the ‘Calendar Shop’ checkbox on United Airlines’ home page before searching.
• After that, select a month and desired length of stay and you’ll be brought to a flexible date calendar.
• You can also start your search from the ‘Book a Flight’ page of United Airlines and click on the ‘My dates are flexible’ option. 

Airline	Domestic Change Fee	International Change Fee	Important Note
United Airlines	$0.00 as standard	$0.00 as standard	Passengers are responsible for paying the difference in fare only.

JetBlue

JetBlue Airlines charges no fees to passengers wishing to change or cancel their flights, they just need to pay the fares difference. Fares of blue basic flights are subject to a change fee depending on the route. The airline has a somewhat hidden flexible flight search tool. Here’s how you can check cheap flexible flights on JetBlue’s official Website.

Steps to find flights with flexible dates on JetBlue:

• You can find a link to the flex search tool on JetBlue by clicking on the ‘Book’ header and then selecting ‘Best Fare Finder’. 
• This tool will show you just the current month, but if you scroll you’ll be able to see other month options too. 

Airline	Domestic Change Fee	International Change Fee	Important Note
JetBlue	$100.00 to $200.00 for Blue Basic Fares and $0.00 + Fares differences for other classes.	$100.00 to $200.00 for Blue Basic Fares and $0.00 + Fares Differences for other classes.	The fee is $100.00-$150.00 if changes are made within 60 days of departure and with a fare difference over $100.00.

Other Airlines Offering Flights With Flexible Dates 

• KLM Airlines
• Emirates
• Frontier Airlines
• British Airways
• Spirit Airlines 
• Allegiant Air 

Some Specifications About Flexible Flights

No matter which airline you choose, there are some general specifications or rules that you should keep in mind when changing your flexible flight tickets. Here is some advice to consider when you’ll decide to use the flexible flight dates option.  

1. Passengers can change their travel to any date within the validity of their flexible tickets (that can vary between one month to one year).
2. In the case of domestic travel, the changes must be done 24 hours before the departure of outbound or inbound travel. 
3. In the case of international travel, the changes must be done 24 hours before the departure date of the flexible air ticket. 
4. If there are no seats available in the same fare and cabin class of the original ticket booking or there has been some increase in the taxes, then the passengers will be required to pay the difference between the fare classes only and/or the difference in taxes. 
5. Changes to traveler names and origin or destination airports by passengers are not allowed. 
6. Date changes on your flexible flight booking will be done only during business hours. 
7. When you’ll request the date change, the new departure time has to be at least 24 hours after the request. 
8. If you wish to change the airline, you will not be eligible to avail benefits of flexible dates flights. 
9. Flights with flexible travel dates can be used to stay longer or travel earlier.
10.  Flexible flight tickets must be used in the order they were originally booked. 

Benefits Of The Flexible Dates Flights

• Save BIG on your trip – Prices of flights change regularly and it’s indeed always tricky to depend on booking last-minute flights. The flexible dates flight option by various airlines helps you save huge on air tickets by allowing you to change your flight booking to a more suitable date, without even incurring the expensive penalty fees. 
• Adjust your travel dates as per your situation – If your plan has changed or there is some other important work to complete or your health is not well, then it is probably worthwhile booking a flexible option. You can easily adjust your travel dates as per your plans. 
• Opportunity to explore new places – Flights with flexible dates give you the flexibility to return whenever you would like to with no set date. You’ll have the opportunity to stay more and explore new places and destinations. It will satisfy all your travel cravings, for sure.  
• Enjoy the spontaneity of travel – With flexi flights, you don’t have to be restricted by fixed travel dates. As you travel, you can leave a place early or stay longer, or change plans, whenever you want. It’s always your call when you book flexible dates flights. 
• Less crowded flights and airport lines – If you want to enjoy peaceful flights and less crowded airports, then you can easily modify your flight times to late night or early morning flights and can have a seamless and peaceful journey. It truly sounds great – savings with peace and comfort!  
• Extend Your Trip – If you book flights with flexible travel dates, you are required to choose a date on the outbound leg of the flight and are free to stay as long as the expiration date stated on your flight ticket without paying a huge penalty or extra fees. So, extend your trip with Flexi flights easily and complete your important tasks at peace. 

Cons Of Flights With Flexible Dates

• The flexible flight ticket does not cover reroutes, stop-overs, and extended ticket validity. 
• Additional advanced research is required to take maximum advantage of Flexi flights. 
• Sometimes while making changes to your travel dates, flight times may be inconvenient. 
• Fare differences incurred by taxes, exchange rates, or fare class differences will be collected from passengers only.
• To convert a reservation to an open ticket, it must be canceled before the date of the flight. 

Flexible Flights Tips

The pros of flexible dates flights often outweigh the cons for budget-minded travelers. But, even if your travel itinerary is set in stone, the below-mentioned flexible flight tips can still help you save some money.  

• To find the best and cheapest airline tickets, shop for airfare on Tuesdays in the early afternoon. 
• Set up airfare alerts to get timely notifications regarding when better flight rates become available.
• Try to opt for a layover if there’s a massive difference in flight prices and you are not in a rush. 
• Consider early morning and late-night flights (red-eye flights) if your schedule is flexible, it will allow you to save big on flight bookings. 
• Always plan to depart on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, which are generally the cheapest days to fly. 
• Searching for flight tickets only on specific travel dates leaves little wiggle room to find that incredible deal you’re looking for on your next journey. So, be flexible while looking for cheap flights.

Reserve Flexible Flights At Cheap Prices With MyTicketsToIndia

If you have a change of plan and cannot go on the trip as it was intended, reserving flexible flights is the perfect option for you. You can save yourself the frustration when your travel plans change and you have to pay an arm and a leg just to change your travel dates. It means you won’t have to pay crazy date change fees, and airline penalties with the flexibility to change your travel dates for whatever reason. 

To find valuable information about flights with flexible dates for your upcoming trip, head over to our team of travel experts, we’ll take away all your worries about having to change or cancel your flight at the last minute. So, purchase your flexible flight tickets with MyTicketsToIndia, and we’ll help you to rebook your flight tickets at a great value!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I change the destination or departure place with Flexi flights?

A: No, you are not permitted to make changes to the destination or departure place. Flights with flexible travel date only allow you to make changes to the travel dates or times.

Q: Should I pay any extra fees to make flight bookings changes?

A: No, with flexible flight tickets, you don’t need to pay any extra charges to make changes to the travel dates or times. You just need to pay the difference in prices of rebooked and original tickets.

Q: How do flexible dates flights work?

A: Flexible flight dates allow you to change the flight date without any extra charges from the airline. You just need to pay the difference in fares.

Q: How to search for flights with flexible dates?

A: You can search for flexible date flights on the official website of airlines by using their ‘flexible dates flight search’ tool. You can also use reputed online travel portals for flight search with flexible dates like MyTicketsToIndia. We have incredible deals on cheap flexible flights.

So, the next time you feel like your plans may change, consider booking flexible flights. 

With this, you will not only be able to change the dates of your flights as per your schedule, but you will also be able to save big on your flight booking. And, if you’re faced with unforeseen circumstances and hassles while changing your travel plans with the help of flexible date flights, remember to consider this helpful guide and drive away all your problems. If you still face any issues, ask your queries to us, and we’ll try our best to provide perfect solutions to all your queries. Our team, at MyTicketsToIndia, works 24/7 for helping our customers. 

We are a leading flight-booking agency in the USA that deals in offering amazing options on cheap cheap India flight tickets and vice versa whether its flexible date flights, last-minute flights or overnight flights. So, pick up your phone and call us @ 1-585-948-0222 today to save HUGE!