What happens if my trip defaults?

Written by Audrey (SI), Director, Operations Assurance · Updated 2026-10-05

If payments fall far enough behind, a trip can default. When that happens, the trip's payment plan ends, and automatic payments stop.

We know this is a stressful moment. There may still be a way forward, and you can ask about it right from your trip page. Here's what a default means, what you'll see and what you can do.

What “default” means

In plain words, a default means the payment plan for your trip has ended because payments fell far enough behind. Two things change:

  • The payment plan ends. Your trip's schedule of payments stops.
  • Automatic payments stop. We no longer charge your card automatically for this trip.

What you'll see on your trip

Open Trips and tap the trip. You'll see:

  • The trip marked as defaulted. Your trip page shows it plainly.
  • Flight Options grayed out. The Flight Options menu, where you'd normally change flights, add seats and bags or cancel, can't be opened.
  • A Contact Support button. Tapping Contact Support opens a chat with the Defera Concierge, our AI concierge, so you can ask about a way forward.

What happens to what I still owe?

What happens to any unpaid balance after a default is set out in our Terms of Service. If the legal wording is hard to follow, ask the Defera Concierge, and it can explain it in plain English.

Is there a way forward?

There may be. There are two possible ways forward. Both are offered on select bookings, and eligibility may vary:

  • Turning what you've paid into Defera Credit. Defera Credit is credit on your Defera account that you can put toward a future trip, including one for someone else. It never expires.
  • Reinstating the trip. Our team brings the trip back on a fresh payment schedule for your remaining balance. There's a $30 reinstatement fee, charged to your card on file (the card your payments were charged to) when our team processes it.

We can't say here which option, if either, applies to your trip, but the concierge can tell you. Options for a defaulted trip explains both in more detail.

How to ask

Here's what happens:

  1. Tap Contact Support. It's on your trip page. You can also chat with the Defera Concierge and say which trip it's about.
  2. Ask about your options. The concierge tells you what's available for your booking. If both are available, the choice is yours.
  3. Choose, and it sends your request. If you choose to reinstate, the concierge tells you about the $30 fee and checks that you're okay with it first. Then it sends your request to our team.
  4. Watch for the answer. Your request shows as a card on your trip page. The answer posts there and comes to you by email, usually within 24 hours.

What if my trip hasn't defaulted?

If a payment is past due but your trip hasn't defaulted, you can catch up from Make a Payment on your trip, any amount from $5 at a time. Once nothing is past due, your plan picks up its normal schedule again. Catching up on a past-due balance shows how.

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