Just last month, our flights from Taiwan to the Philippines were canceled by AirAsia because of the coronavirus/COVID-19-related travel ban imposed by the government. We were given options and we chose a full refund.
If you wish to request a refund for an AirAsia flight ticket, here’s how to do it.
Who can get a refund?
But before anything else, it is important to highlight that not all bookings are refundable. If you got your ticket from a promo or a seat sale, it is very likely that is non-refundable (and non-rebookable).
However, there are instances when you will be able to get a refund. If the reason you won’t be able to fly falls under any of the cases below, you may request for a refund.
- Flight cancellation, when AirAsia cancels your flight
- Flight rescheduling, when AirAsia moves your flight with at least a 3-hour difference
- Double payment, when you are charged twice for the same booking (with the same booking number)
- Duplicate booking, when you booked twice the same flight (with the same flight number, guests, and travel dates)
- Medical cases, wherein you are unfit to travel due to serious injury, serious illness, or pregnancy of more than 35 weeks.
- Death of a guest or immediate family member of the guest.
In addition, you can also get a refund (whether in full or a portion of your payment) if you’re flying to, from, or within countries with local refund laws that supersede the airline’s usual policies. Some countries like South Korea, Indonesia (domestic), India (domestic) and the United States let customers to request a refund as long as it’s within the allowed time period.
In this post, we’ll focus on the first four items above (1-4) because these are what we have personally experienced before.
How to request a refund online
All you need to do is chat with AVA (AirAsia Virtual Allstar), which is their digital assistant. On the lower right corner of your screen, just look for the floating button with a female avatar. On desktop, you can see AVA right away. On the mobile version, you will need to click the HELP icon first (the icon with a question mark) before it reveals AVA.
- Visit www.airasia.com.
- Tap on the floating AVA button on the lower right corner of your screen.
- A chat box will appear. AVA will greet you and present a menu. Ignore it. Instead, type REFUND.
- On the next menu, choose AIRASIA NEW REFUND REQUEST. A new menu will appear.
- Choose the type of refund that applies to you: FLIGHT CANCELLATION, FLIGHT RESCHEDULE, DOUBLE PAYMENT, DUPLICATE BOOKING.
- Read the reminders that AVA will share. You’ll be asked if you would like to proceed. Choose YES if everything looks good for you.
- Enter the booking code. It’s the code with 6 letters. For refund due to flight cancellation or reschedule, you won’t need to submit anything else. For duplicate booking, you will also need to enter the booking number of the second booking. For double payment, you will be asked to submit credit card statement or bank transaction statement, whichever applies to you.
- Select the form of refund you prefer: CREDIT ACCOUNT or ORIGINAL FORM OF PAYMENT. I always choose the original form of payment.
- Follow AVA’s next instructions. You may be asked your contact information and other details.
The fare, surcharges, taxes, and terminal fees will be refunded to you.
Update: Refunds take a lot longer these past several months. Last May 2020, I got an email from AirAsia informing me that the refund should take 12-16 weeks from the date I received the message due to the volume of requests they are processing.
How to refund airport tax or terminal fee
For refunds due to flight cancellation or rescheduling by AirAsia, double payment or duplicate booking, the terminal fee or airport tax will be refunded to you together with the fare and other charges.
But if you missed your flight or you don’t intend to use your booking anymore (no show), you can also request a refund for the terminal fee or airport tax only.
With AirAsia, airport tax refund can only be filed within 6 months after the supposed departure date or one year from the booking date. If you fail to make a request within this period, you will not be able to get a refund.
We have a separate post for it here: HOW TO GET A TERMINAL FEE REFUND
2020 • 2 • 25
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Is this post helpful to you?
Hi! my roundtrip flight was rescheduled, pwede kayang i- refund yung isang flight lang? thanks in adv.!
Hi, my flight is on march 23 etd 00:30 mnl -dvo. . Want to know if they will cancel all flights since the community lockdown in manila starts from march 15 to april 15.. Is there any chances to rebook since i avail a promo ticket? I need to know ASAP. Will appreciate your reply. Tnx.
You rebook your flight wihout additional charges. My flight was cancel also.
My flight is automatically cancelled by air asia. I request you to return money.i am waiting still last one week three days it’s not respond .
Hi. How long til you received the refund?
Hi, i already requested the full refund last month. how many days before i get the refund? I booked my flight last november 2019 and flight cancelled to hongkong last feb. 2020
Hi! How long before you will get the full refund? I have been checking my case and the status is just IN PROGRESS. I submitted my request last March 3,2020. Thanks!
Very helpful. Thanks!
Horrible. Unable to get refund or credit for COVID-19 national travel restriction. Wastes time in providing details to end up with a generic “Bummer! Your session has expired, please type in “Main Menu” to try again” message. Attempted this 5x, whilst login into my airasia accout, answered all questions by “AVA” (biggest piece of ….) within 2mins and still get this Bummer message. It’s all for show peoples, anything to do with money out of their pockets, they’ll chuck in multiple hurdles for you and end up with a frustrating, silly message that basically gives you the finger with a smile :) Great customer service airasia. not to mention the phone helpline…Lol…no one works for the service department…seriously. I shall end my rant here.. really disappointed and felt cheated.
PLS MY AIR TICKETS 18 MARCH DELHI TO KUALAMPUR AIR ASIA FLIGHTS D7183 PNR NO DRUM4Y PLS CANCAL & REFANDS
AIR ASIA FLIGHTS D7182 PNR NO DRUM4Y KUALAMPUR TO DELHI PLS CANCAL & REFANDS
hello our trip to cagayan de oro was cancelled due to community quarantine or locksown,how could we move the date for a new schedule
Here’s how to rebook or move flight to a new sked: https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2020/03/rebooking-airasia-flight/
I process a refund for original mode of payment for the flight of mother which was booked using my air asia account and also using my email address because she doesnt have any email address. To make it sure i put my self as emergency contact person. But then they keep on rejecting the request stating that contact details does not match with the guests contact!!
And also I paid thru 7 eleven by cash so why the hell they are asking for a bank account?? Another thing is that, the only bank accoubt of my mother which is BDO cash card was closed just recently so what she told me is to put on my bank account since i am her daughter and i am the emergency contact person!!
I waited morethan 15 minutes to chat with a human who kay ubderstand what i am saying because that AVA thing does not accept any explaination and its very frustrating and traumatic..
I must say AIR ASIA is the worst airline!! I will never book any flight with them anymore. My account with them is just useless!!
I tried to contact them with their available email addressess but none of them were able to sent since it says email address not found!!
This is too stressful. Times like this, i wish i had booked through Cebpac instead. Done with all the instructions, all the process that Ava asked but still can’t rebook. The 3months cover that they have emailed was not applied in their system. Also, if you wish to go to live chat, you’ll be waiting forever. I just tried 4hrs yesterday. Even left my celfone overnight with that live chat. So frustrating. Pls help kabayan, baka you have contact.
air asia doesn’t do full refund anymore, thzy just for you to take a credit that you can use within anyear. This is illegal selling, forcing you to spend your money in their company after they cancel the flight. Don’t use airasia ever, they are stealers!!!
I requested for full refund. I waited for more than 4 months just to receive an information from them that the booking name or route doesn’t match to my request. They closed the case without further explanation.
The same case here… I am very disappointed
same here, I waited 2 months only to be informed that the information I provided doesn’t match the one I input during the booking and that the case is already close.
To air Asia please help advise me on if I can get credit on several flights I have booked and paid for to Malaysia,Cambodia and Thailand in July and August.as the Australian government is restricting all flights out of Australia I defiantly I can not fly
So can I put all my flights on hold for credit .adise on procedure to do this appreciated.
what if I paid thru Cebuana Lhuiller. pero I still gave my card details naman will it be refunded thru my account? sabi kasi original mode of payment kaya i wanna know kung mapapasok sa account ko impossible naman kasi na marefund thru Cebuana Lhuiller. it is still on process sa my cases ko. finile ko siya nung March 19,2020. until know processing pa din.
ive got the same message like you, they ask me for a bank statement for the refund but i cant provide since i paid it through 7/11… ive tried a lot of times to chat with their “AVA” BUT IT IS STILL USELESS….not i dont know how am i going to get my refund.
air asia is the cheapest airline but the hardest to refund the booking….
Anong no. Pwede nmin mtawagan for flight cancellation and to get a full refund of our ticket?
My flight has cancelled during COVID-19 lockdown period, details is CCU to GAU dated on 5th April,
No refund money to ixigo till now. I am waiting for my return payment.
my case is in progress since March 1st:
“The refund payment will be credited to the original payment method.
Credit card
Under investigation“
I don’t know how long to wait
Did you get your refund in your credit card?
Omg same here and then they closed mine! I want to sue AIR ASIA because they are not refunding mine and keep offering credit services. I DONT WANT THAT. I DONT WANT TO FLY WITH THEM EVER AGAIN. I WANT MY MONEY BACK
Hi Iyanna! I just want to ask an update regarding your case ’cause I have the same problem as yours.
Sobrang hassle ang refund process ng Air Asia. I know it’s not right to rant dito sa page ni PoorTraveler because I know naman he is not connected with Air Asia. Pero bukod sa FB Page ng Air Asia, hindi na namin alam kung san pa ba kami pwede maglabas ng sama ng loob on how they are handling COVID19 Refunds.
1. Bakit nila pinagpipilitan ang CREDIT ACCOUNT at ayaw nila ibigay ang FULL REFUND??
2. Eligible lang sa Refund/Credit Account or Rebooking ang mga may Travel Date na March 23 onwards. Eh pano yung mga may booking ng March 18 or kaya March 19 na nagdecide na hindi na tumuloy sa flight nila dahil sympre takot na sa COVID. So, nganga na lang? Thank you na lang? No refund whatsoever?? Unlike other airlines, even mga big international airlines. Halos lahat ng flight starting March ay eligible for refund. Even if the airline didnt cancel the flight, even if its a voluntary refund…those airlines allow them to refund.
3. It’s taking them too long to process refund. Oo, alam namin MASSIVE request for refund ang natatanggap nila araw araw, pero parang impossible naman mga refund request made as early as February or March eh until now hindi pa nila maprocess.
I am livid!!!! I can’t get a refund either!! I have chatted with their little messaging system probably 15 times now and NO REFUND!!! Horrible!!!!!! Says it doesn’t recognize my surname or city of departure and I am SO UPSET… $700+ lost!
same as mine!!
Anong klasing airlines Yan pinapaasa Lang kami… Hanggang ngayon walang nangyaring respond… Sabi Nila 4month Lang makukuha na but hanggang ngayon wala parin…
yes i agree ms. maika …. its very disappointing about air asia . Very bad service. they dont intend to refund thats why its hard to contact them . And i must say talking to that AVA is absolutely useless .
Ayaw lang nila mag refund and its the WORST airline. Never again would you like to purchase such form this awful airline.
Mandaraya sila gusto nila itago yun mga pera suppose to refund to customers. Marami sila arte at wala silang contact number not like cebu pac and PAL . Bulok na airline yan.
yes maika…….. walng kwenta yan airline na yan. Dont even dare to purchase from them again .
They will not refund the money . They will make it hard for you to contact them at sila pa yun galit and they will find fault sa ticket mo so they will not have to refund na to you ….. yikes service is sooooo bad .
walang kwenta!!! Papahirapan nya tayo for the refund no matter what . I totally agree with you.
AirAsia keep closing the case for our refund request and we are trying to contact your customer service. Your system sucks just return our money.
It does not take days or weeks to receive the refund lol. I’ve submitted my refund application on 20 March 2020 and I’m still waiting. You clearly have not gone through this process yourself. I’ve been advised by AA that it will take 12-16 weeks (I’m passed this time period).
Hi Will, like you, I’m still waiting for my refund. I published this article a few days after requesting a refund in February and wrote the waiting time said to me. But yes, I should update this! Thanks for your comment.
Are you both still waiting for your refunds? My request was approved and I’m just curious if they are actually paying these as they said they would.
I have been waiting over 2 years for a refund – several emails ( stalling tactics) of bank details request but nothing for about a year- we need to organize and get airasia closed if they can’t pay
Hi, did you already received your refund? I also filed last feb 2020 for refund in airasia on cancelled flight due to covid19
hello.. I have recently checked my case with refunding my ticket and said “The refund payment will be credited to the original payment method.” what does it mean?
Why wont you cancel flights booked before the pandemic? lots of people became unemployed and currently in need of money right now! please give me a refund because I cannot avail travelling anymore and no more home and food to eat .. please be considerate! Here is my booking number RQ3RVR
Hi, were you able to get your refund? I have the same issue but the status is still in process.
Air asia are impossible to contact in any way.
Hello po! :) Yung flight ko po is cancelled din (March 2020 TAC-MNL). I did the same thing as instructed ng AirAsia at ng advice nyo dito. Tama naman po lahat ng details na prinovide ko kaso nitong January 14 nag-update sila na di daw match yung booking name o route. Di ko po alam kung san sa dalawa yung mali. Sana po matulungan nyo ko anong pwedeng gawin
Are there any actual stories here of Air Asia refunded a customer? I have been waiting for their refund for a year now.
Any update regarding your refund request? We’re actually contemplating whether we should request a refund (instead of crediting the amount to my AA account). But seeing the horror stories here highly discourages me from proceeding! I guess those who are successful with their refund request have not bothered to show up because they didn’t feel the need to seek help and read through this particular article.
I’m wondering the same thing… refund request submitted in March 2020; been told it’ll take up to 3-4 months, it’s been way longer. Can’t seem to find out how to get my refund :(
Over 2 years waiting for refund – over a year since emails asking for bank details – airasia should file for bankruptcy if they can’t pay back ..
Cancelled ung flight ko
Gusto ko rebook Kaso wlang email na dumating sakun
Only txt message.
Air Asia. why you can not give our refund? that is our money! I hate to wait 9months and until now you did not REFUND ME!. Give our money back.
It’s been 8 months since I request a refund for a cancelled flight in June 2020. However, I still haven’t received my money as of now.
hi! may i ask if nakuha mo na ang refund mo? thanks in advance
Nope. I still dont get my money back as of now. Very frustrated.
Hi Roger, did you get your refund already? Or is the status still in process?
I havent received my refund yet. Its been 14 months. They closed all my cases submited towards D553WQ. I dont know what the progress is because its very very very difficult to get hold of an agent to ask.
I’m super frustrated and helpless by the bad experience with AirAsia.
Air Asia doesn’t appear to understand even basic customer service. Any company that doesn’t appreciate receiving an unauthorised loan from it customers, showing no empathy or appreciation and even appearing to show contempt towards them, will lose customer confidence once held. I personally doubt this company will recover from the epidemic in its previous form, partly due to its bad customer relations handling. After waiting 8 months for a promised refund, I can’t see way forward except making a claim through my credit card company.
Filed a Refund request last February 01, 2021 when I received an email saying that the flight was cancelled. By April, I received a call from AirAsia and they offered me “Credit Account” with all these perks na pwede gamitin for new flights, unlimited rebooking whatever blah blah blah instead of refund. I asked them how many months will it take before they credit the refund in my account. They say, 6 months. It’s been 6 months. Now, where’s my money?!!!
Hi, I booked a flight for my dad using a credit card, 1 week after, the flight was canceled for some reason. And so i requested for a refund. Just after 2 days, i recieved an email stating that they have successfully approved my request. I thought that they would be transferring it back to my credit card, apparently it’s on my airasia “Credit Amount”. Is there any way that i could transfer it to my Debit Card?
Hi. We have the same situation. I would like to ask if you were able to transfer your refund to your debit? If yes, how did you do it? Thank you.
hi, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to transfer it to my credit card. it can only be used by rebooking a flight. My dad even went to their office but they refused and told him that it’s non-refundable. So sad.
hi. thanks for replying. it’s sad to hear about that. May I ask if it is the Air Asia credit card or your bank credit card? Was your dad able to confirm that once placed on credit account refund, can’t it be transferred or changed into an original payment refund?
hi, good afternoon. It was a bank credit card. Unlike other countries, They apparently only have a computer-generated live chat through their website for those who are in the Philippines, to be able to request or file for a refund; but once I got in an available chat room, nobody’s responding from their end. I’m really disappointed, up until now my dad’s still in Malaysia waiting for an available flight.
Oh I see. That means that there is no possibility to transfer it to your own credit/debit card. Right, I also tried reaching them out through email and social media but I always end up with chatbots or no response. I hope that your father will find an available flight the soonest. Thank you for answering.
My understanding is that you should contact your credit card company. Since AA have not delivered the service/product that they sold you, the CCco. should not pay AA / or reclaim the money from them.
There might be a time limit eg 90 days from purchase date. Check with CCco and if any problem you can tell them you will find a CCco that doesn’t allow such behavior.
Trust Pilot review site rates all major companies. Well worth checking for current behavior from any company.
Hope this helps us all.
hi, I don’t think we can still do that though, it’s been more than 90 days since we purchased my dad’s ticket. Anyways, thanks for the info. :)
My trip was cancelled and I requested a refund in June 2020. It’s been TEN months…..I haven’t received my money. I’ve been following up 20 times and I’m so tired of it. No progress and can’t even hold a person who can give a solid answer. The customer service rep can only log your concern internally. I understand there is a delay in the refund due to the pandemic. However, 10 months is ridiculous. Airasia, you have no right to hold customer’s money. This is illegal and unethical.
There is no “flight reschedule refund” option. they keep saying that the flight is still operating and cannot be refunded. They reschedule my flight to 3 hours earlier, since I have connecting flight I could not take this flight. ><
Hi mera PNR O6F9QQ,ye cencel ho suka hai ,eska refund sahiye joldi sahiye
I have 4 refund request, and under “my case” 3 has been closed but the thing is i did not received any refund nor any message that they will transfer it to my account its only close, what to do with this? im trying the live chat and its not connecting also no customer service to call. am i being duped?
Shameless bastards .
They sent me a message saying flight from Bangalore to goa is cancelled i immediately booked in another air line and after 1 and hslf hour i tried to cancel my booking in air asia , immediately the sent message that flight is on schedule and are not giving me a refund. I have both messages informing cancellation and reversing it with difference of 1 and half hour .
Is nt it your fault
How can u rrefuse me refund shameless dirty pigs
DO NOT FLY WITH AIRASIA!
I purchased tickets January 2019 from Manila to Cebu and back. When I arrive in Manila March 2019 they canceled all of my flights. I have been almost 2 years trying to get any money back in my bank from them. They defraud their customers. They act like they’re going to give you a refund. They keep you going and going and never give you a refund. I gave them all of my bank information. It’s around and around and around situation with them. They do not want to honor their policy when I bought my ticket. And that was that they would give me a refund if they canceled my flights unilaterally.
AirAsia continues to lie to its customers. It promised refunds for flights they canceled during the pandemic. But they never gave the refunds. I have been waiting on my refund for 2 years. Where is my refund airasia? Don’t fly them.
Hi i want a full refund of my back and fort flight to puerto princesa
How to get my refund ?
Hi, I refunded my canceled flight and I chose it to be refunded to my credit account instead of original form of payment. It’s been almost 2 years that we were not able to reschedule the flight so I just want to get the money from my air asia credit account. What should I do? Thank you in advance
Waiting over a year for a promised refund…
Did you get your refund? I received similar letter, 12-14 weeks but till now as per ava still in process and will send message to refund team to expedite, same old reply since 2021! What government agency can i file a formal complaint as my refund request is still in process for almost 2 years now
Looking for answer as well. I want to file a complain in a government agency already!
Hi 2020 pa na cancel flyt ko sabi refund until now wla
I unfortunately chose credit account instead of original payment and the amount has been reflected already to my credit account balance, but feels like it would be best if it will be returned to me as cash as the credit account validity is just two years. can I still change it to be refunded to original payment? Wala kasing makausap na totoong tao laging si AVA haha…
I’ve been waiting over 2 years for my refunds- airasia promised I would receive it but would take time – the last real contact back from them was about a year ago.
they have twice asked me for my bank details to refund me but this seems to be a stalling tactic –
I live in Japan but they have stopped operating from Japan so I can’t simply ask for new flights ..
is there anything more I can do?
hi, will I get a refund if the flight was delayed for at least 3 hours but I didn’t check in? or do I need to check-in to be able to request a refund? Thank you
We still haven’t received our Refund. We requested Feb 2019. It is now May 2022, still In progress. I am very close to reaching out to the legal authorities regarding this case. If you could help me.
Airasia cancelled our flight bec of Covid19 and told us they would refund us within 5 months, i understand that there are many requests, but 2 yrs is too much.
Please enlighten me/help me.
same suitation. Flight cancelled. No refund was issue after more than 14 months. They don’t even have a number to call to!What can we do as consumers?!
Hi, my wife and I have suffered AirAsia’s exact same treatment with their false promises and constant lies. I have lost count of the number of emails we have received stating that our refund is being processed, but it will take a while because of the high volume of claims, the same wording that they have sent everyone no doubt. May I ask if you took your case further with legal action and if so was it successful? Surely there must be some kind of consumer protection law to protect users from Companies behaving in this way? In my view, it’s equivalent to theft.
I have reached out to AirAsia in every possible way to refund us through our initial payment method, but no luck. Same reply all over again stating that Refund is in Process. Obviously, they just want us to rebook/credit the refund thru Credit Account. They probably never wanted to actually refund it.
I asked for a manager’s full name but they wont disclose. Tired of all their BS.
Sounds easy,in reality bullshit,try getting your money
Oh My GOd Airasia Been waiting for refund for 4 months already still u have’nt given back my money is airasia a scam?
Hi! Do you have a 2022 update on how to get a refund for a duplicate booking? Can’t seem to find the option in AVA. Much appreciated! Thank you!
after 3 months still no refund. ticket is “in progress”. no answers via email. live chat is just a bot. never again.
Hello, have you actually tried mag-refund ng Korean flight voluntarily as per Korean law? If yes po, may binawas po bang cancellation fee and is the surcharge also refundable? Thanks in advance!
6 months and still no refund. airasia is a rip off.
hi I am edz. sa ngayon po any idea ilang days sa Philippines magrefund ang ariasai?
I’m waiting for 3 years for my refund
Since Nov 2022, we make a claim to Air Asia who cancelled our flight from Singapore to Cebu a few days before departure. Up until now, end of Jun 2023, we still haven’t receive our refund. We are a group of 7 pax. This is a lot of money! There’s no 3rd party who can help with the claim?
I have been waiting for refund since November 2022 till now wala pa din kahit si AirAsia nag cancel ng flights namin
Hi tanung ko lang po pwde bang ma refund yung ticket na kaka book ko lang today Sept 21
sa Oct 14 pa ang flight, nag kamali yung agent na instead From Bacolod To Manila nagkamali siya na lagay niya From Manila to Bacolod ang nalagay niya sa ticket.?
Depende po yata sa fare type na binook. Ano po bang sabi nung agent na nagbook? Usually may access po ung agent sa ganun