LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — If there was one good thing to come out of the pandemic a few years ago, it was airlines and hotels finally easing those horrible refund rules. Changing a flight or canceling a hotel stay could cost you hundreds of dollars!

A recent headline in USA Today read: “Why 2025 is the year of nonrefundable travel.”

Many of the Covid rules we got used to, like cancel anytime, are not a given anymore. Airlines, hotels, and rental car companies now want to minimize their risk and boost profits, so they are selling more nonrefundable seats, rooms, and cars.

Want the cheapest hotel room? You’ll need to prepay and it is still non-refundable.

Want the cheapest airline seats? You’ll need “Basic Economy,” and in most cases, those are non-refundable and non-changeable.

Buying refundable travel will now cost you more in most occasions. Not sure you’ll be able to take that trip to Las Vegas next spring? A changeable flight will cost about $100 more, while a fully refundable hotel room might be another $100.

One way around it is to purchase travel insurance that lets you cancel for any reason, but that will cost extra money too.

More area business stories:

New flexible child care option opening soon in Louisville

Mission-driven cafe opens at Louisville’s Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center

Tourism officials expect September to be ‘huge’ economically for Louisville

Buffalo Wild Wings GO opens near UofL campus

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