Travelers used to U.S. carriers look for a 'change flight' button in ZIPAIR's Manage Booking and do not find one. That is not a bug. ZIPAIR's standard fares do not permit voluntary date or route changes. Changing a ZIPAIR flight is therefore a two-step process — get out of the current ticket on the best available terms, then buy the new one — and the order of those steps matters.
Why there is no 'change flight' button
ZIPAIR keeps fares low by selling a simple product: a seat on a specific flight, with everything else as an add-on. Flexibility is one of those add-ons (Flex Biz), and if you did not buy it, the ticket is fixed. The airline's own conditions are here: Changing and Cancelling Reservations.
The three paths
| Path | When it applies | What you keep |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel and rebook | Standard fare, you want new dates | Taxes and airport fees only; you pay the new fare in full |
| Flex Biz voucher, then rebook | You bought Flex Biz at booking | 97% (30+ days out) or 77.6% (29–7 days) of what you paid, as a 180-day voucher |
| Airline schedule change | ZIPAIR retimed or cancelled your flight | Accept the new time, or full refund of the changed segment |
Inside 24 hours of the original booking (and 7+ days before departure) there is a fourth, better path: cancel for a full cash refund under the U.S. 24-hour rule and simply book again.
Step-by-step: cancel and rebook (standard fare)
- Price the new flight first. Search the new date on zipair.net (or ask us). Note the fare including the add-ons you need.
- Check availability on the return if you are moving both directions — do not cancel a confirmed return until the new one is bookable.
- Decide with numbers. New fare minus the taxes you will recover is the true cost of the change. If it exceeds what the trip is worth to you, consider keeping the original dates.
- Book the new ticket. Names and dates of birth exactly as on passports — a rebook is not the moment to introduce a new typo.
- Cancel the old ticket in Manage Booking (or through the issuing agency) and submit the tax refund request within 90 days.
- Reconcile add-ons. Bags, meals and seats attached to the cancelled ticket are forfeited on standard fares; re-purchase on the new booking, online, at least 24 hours before departure.
Step-by-step: Flex Biz voucher
- Count the days to departure. 30 or more gives you 97%; 29 to 7 gives 77.6%; 6 or fewer gives taxes only. If you are near a boundary, act before it.
- Cancel in Manage Booking and choose the voucher refund. The voucher arrives by email with a number and PIN.
- Book the new flight and apply the voucher at payment. Vouchers can be combined and the booking must include the original passenger.
- Use it within 180 days of issue. Official details: ZIPAIR – Refunds via Voucher.
If an agency issued your ticket
Online travel agencies apply ZIPAIR's rules plus their own. The agency submits the cancellation, may hold the refund or voucher, and often charges a handling fee. Ask the agency in writing: (1) what ZIPAIR will return, (2) what the agency deducts, (3) whether the refund is cash or agency credit, and (4) the timeline. If the answers are vague, we can review the agency's terms with you.
Mistakes to avoid
- Cancelling before pricing the replacement — you may find the new date costs more than expected and you have already given up the seat.
- Missing the 24-hour rule when the booking was made yesterday.
- Assuming a nearby ZIPAIR date exists for a charter route such as Orlando; see MCO charter dates.
- Buying bags at the airport on the new ticket instead of online.
Shorter version and the decision aside: flight-change help page.