GDS Cancel, Exchange, and Refund Summary

The JSON APIs support canceling GDS reservations, and voiding, exchanging, or refunding GDS tickets. This guide summarizes supported options and links to additional information in the guides and API references for each process.

To update reservation details not related to the air itinerary, such as passenger data or service requests, see the Traveler Modify Guide and Remarks and Service Requests Guide.
For NDC reservations and tickets, see NDC Modify, Cancel, and Exchange Guide.

In this summary:

Basic Concepts

You can cancel any reservation before it is ticketed.

For a ticket, you can void, cancel, or exchange:

  • Void: Cancel for a full refund within an allowed void period, based on the airline's rules for the market in which the ticket was issued. Generally a ticket can be voided within the same day it was issued, usually up to midnight local agency time. In some instances it may be voided up to midnight of the day after ticketing, or special holiday policies may apply.

  • Cancel: Cancel after the void period without rebooking on another itinerary. Depending on the fare rules, canceling a ticket may result in a full, partial, or no refund.

  • Exchange: Cancel the original air itinerary on a ticket and issue a new ticket.

These terms apply to how a ticket can be refunded or exchanged:

  • Voluntary refund or exchange: The passenger or agency initiates the refund or exchange.

  • Involuntary refund: The airline cancels the ticket, such as if a flight is canceled and the passenger cannot be rebooked.

Refund functionality for GDS is not supported in the JSON APIs.

Supported Options for a Reservation

The following table summarizes the available options for an existing reservation (ticket has not yet been issued). You cannot modify the air itinerary on a GDS booking; you must cancel and rebook.

Action

Workflow Summary

Notes

API References & Guide

Cancel GDS reservation

  1. Single POST request to cancel reservation

Cancel a GDS reservation that has not been ticketed.

GDS Reservation Cancel API Reference

Supported Options for a Ticket

The following table summarizes available options for modifying or canceling a ticketed itinerary.

Action

Workflow Summary

Notes

API References & Guide

Void a GDS ticket

  1. Single PUT request to void

Cancel a ticketed GDS itinerary within the allowed void period.

A GDS ticket cannot be canceled outside the void period.

GDS Ticket Void API Reference

Cancel a GDS ticket and issue a refund

pending

Cancel a GDS ticket without exchanging for a new itinerary. A refund may be issued depending on fare rules.

Not supported for GDS in the JSON APIs.

pending

Exchange a GDS ticket for a different or modified itinerary

  1. Exchange Eligibility (optional)

  2. Create post-commit workbench

  3. Exchange Search

  4. Add/Modify Offer

  5. Exchange Ticketing:

    1. Add FOP if necessary

    2. Add Payment

    3. Commit workbench

The GDS Exchange APIs allow you to check a ticket's eligibility for a refund, search for a new or modified itinerary, and then exchange the ticket for a new or modified itinerary. You can choose to issue tickets on commit or create a held booking for later fulfillment.

Exchange Ticketing also supports several optional actions, such as waiving a change fee or forfeiting residual amounts.

If a price difference applies, a partial refund, even exchange, or additional amount due may occur.

GDS Exchanges Guide (overview of full process, conditions and exclusions)

Exchange Ticketing API reference topics: