Originally Posted by
FIFAFLYER
My daughter works for a travel agent, and I asked her this question. In her case, the agency offers a general $20 'same day' cancellation and within 24 hours for some airlines. She also noted it depends mostly on the relationship a given travel agency has with the airline in question.
Travel agents can charge whatever the hell they like. The simple fact is that you have a contract with them, not the airline, and if they want to impose a cancellation fee they are well within their rights to do so, as long as they are upfront about it and do not hide it away without informing you first. Whether you choose to read these T&C is entirely up to you.
It's how the likes of edreams and the other European con-artists make any money - they undercut the airlines slightly to get to the top of search rankings, then cream it in when the customer needs to cancel and make a change. Unfair and underhand? Yes. But totally legal.