Some Keys to Obtaining Refunds on Air Tickets : Policies: Getting your money back for unused seats depends on what type of fare was purchased. Heavily discounted fares have the strictest cancellation penalties.

Air fares change constantly. Suppose the price of a ticket goes up before you use it. Do you have to pay the higher amount? Or if the fare goes down, can you get a refund?

If your ticket is already paid for, the airlines won’t hit you for more money if the fare goes up. But if you wait and pay for the ticket at the airport, you have to pay the price in effect at that time, not the rate quoted when your reservation was made.

Turning in your original, higher-priced fare for a cheaper ticket brings up the complex subject of airline refund policies.

Refunds depend on the type of ticket and the amount involved. Full-fare tickets, which don’t have restrictions or cancellation penalties, are fully refundable up to one year from the date of purchase. Refunds on discount tickets depend on the conditions and restrictions of that ticket.

Consumers who buy their tickets from an airline would have to bring the ticket to one of the carrier’s city ticket offices or airport counters to process a refund. Refunds usually take a week to 10 days.

If your ticket was purchased through a travel agency, you might be able to get an immediate refund if the agency hasn’t yet reported the sale to the Airline Reporting Corp., which it must do every week.

For example, “If you buy a ticket on Monday and come back no later than Saturday that same week, the ticket can be voided and you can get a refund,” said Brian Clewer, head of Santa Monica-based Continental Travel Shop.

Refunds on discounted tickets are more complicated than full-fare tickets due to the various restrictions and cancellation penalties involved. With a 21-day advance-purchase fare, consumers can get a full refund anytime outside the 21-day period. But once it’s within that three-week period, the situation varies depending on the rules associated with that fare. Generally, the bigger the discount, the more stringent the penalty for cancellation.

Nonrefundable fares, which have a 100% cancellation penalty, create the most confusion. Refunds are possible when travelers can produce a medical note, death certificate or other documentation of an emergency.

“Domestically, it’s easier to get a refund,” said Martha Scott of Glendale Travel. “The airlines are much stricter with international nonrefundable fares.”

Many travel agents claim that their clients have a better success ratio for getting refunds on nonrefundable fares than agencies do. “Especially if they’re willing to scream a bit,” Scott said.

“Consumers should realize that agents can only enforce airlines rules, which the airlines can and do bend themselves,” said Clewer. “If we call on behalf of the passenger and say they have a medical emergency, we may get nowhere. But when the passenger goes to the airline counter and starts complaining, they get more satisfaction.”

Consumers should also be aware that there can be different price categories within specific sections, such as economy class, which have a bearing on whether or not ticket holders can take advantage of a lower fare that comes along.

“If you buy a low-fare ticket based on a seat code like ‘Q,’ which generally means an inclusive tour with ground arrangements, you may not be able to take advantage of a new, lower price on other economy-section seats,” Clewer said.

Airlines, it should be noted, change the number of seats available in various seat categories on a daily basis. And carriers often spend lots of money promoting fares for which they actually have few seats.

Consumers and travel agents alike grumble about the airlines’ marketing approach to refunds. “It isn’t fair for travelers to be penalized for following all of the airline’s rules in buying a ticket by a certain time in advance, then not be able to receive a refund if a lower fare comes out,” said Scott.

Consumers should be sure of their deadlines for paying for discount tickets. After making a reservation, consumers usually have a 24-hour window to buy a discounted fare at the advertised price. After that, the reservation is canceled and consumers must start all over. Changes on discount fares are often expensive and sometimes not permitted at all.

Consumers can stay alert to possible fare changes by periodically checking newspaper ads. Such changes sometimes appear in newspapers before they emerge on the screens of the computerized reservation terminals used at most travel agencies. Discount fares are the ones most likely to show reductions. Once in a while, consumers may even find that they can save money by accepting a cancellation penalty on their original fare, then booking the new discounted fare.

Also, consumers can call the airline to see if there are any relevant fare changes. If you’ve bought your ticket through a travel agent, check with the agency. However, agencies specializing in discount fares are not likely to take this step on behalf of their clients.

“Airlines aren’t going to call passengers and tell them about a lower fare, and it’s difficult for agencies to keep track of all their ticketed passengers,” said Scott.

“The consumer has to be responsible to some extent for keeping track of the fares they’re paying. We ask our clients to listen to the news on TV and radio, and watch the newspapers for any fare changes. As soon as there’s a fare war, you can be sure there’ll be a story about it.”