- Who runs CheapOair and what kind of agency it runs as
- The 2022 New York settlement with CheapOair's parent
- CheapOair service fees and the 24-hour refund of them
- Does the 24-hour cancellation rule cover CheapOair bookings?
- If your flight is cancelled on a CheapOair booking
- Changing or cancelling once your CheapOair booking is made
- How to check a CheapOair booking before you pay
- Spotting fake CheapOair contact details
- CheapOair at a glance
- Is CheapOair worth using?
- Frequently asked questions
CheapOair is a real online travel agency run by Fareportal, a New York company, so you're booking through an agent rather than directly with the airline. In 2022 the New York Attorney General secured 2.6 million US dollars from Fareportal over misleading urgency messages, fees and cancellation statements. Check the final total and the airline's rules before you pay.
Cheap flights always make me read the small print twice. When someone asks whether CheapOair is legit, I think the useful answer is less about whether it exists and more about how a booking through an agent behaves when plans change. So I've gone to the New York Attorney General, the US Department of Transportation and CheapOair's own fee page, rather than repeating what travellers say in reviews.
Who runs CheapOair and what kind of agency it runs as
According to the New York Attorney General, Fareportal Inc. is a New York-headquartered online travel agency that operates CheapOair.com and OneTravel.com, among other travel sites and apps. So CheapOair is a real, identifiable business, not a front for a third party. What matters for you is how it trades: as a travel agent that sells tickets from airlines, not the airline itself.
That affects everything after you pay. If a flight changes or you need to cancel, you deal with the agent first, and the agent deals with the airline. It can make things slower than a direct booking, which is the trade for comparing lots of fares in one place.
The 2022 New York settlement with CheapOair's parent
This is the most important thing I found, so I'll state it plainly and neutrally. In 2022 the New York Attorney General announced that Fareportal would pay 2.6 million US dollars in disgorgement and costs. The office said that since at least 2017 the company had created false urgency to push customers into booking. Its list included:
- Search-specific 'only X tickets left' messages on popular flights.
- Countdown timers.
- Popularity figures, such as how many people were viewing, which the office said were generated by random numbers rather than real data.
- Fictitious markdown prices for airline tickets.
- Misleading disclosures about service fees added to ticket prices.
- Misleading statements about its policy for cancellations within 24 hours of booking.
The settlement required Fareportal to base supply and popularity messages on accurate data, to use comparison prices at which tickets were really offered, and to make accurate disclosures about service fees and the cancellation policy. I'm quoting the Attorney General's description, not making a claim of my own, and I can't tell you how the sites behave today. What it does tell you is to treat any pressure message as marketing, and to look at the final total.
CheapOair service fees and the 24-hour refund of them
CheapOair's own service fee page says the Transaction Service Fee for cancellations requested within 24 hours of making the booking is refundable, and that it's non-refundable for cancellations requested beyond 24 hours. It also says fees can change without notice and that you're charged the final total price shown at booking.
Fees vary by trip type and by how you book, and the page gives different amounts for different cases, so I won't quote one number. Compare the final total with the airline's own price for the same flights. If the gap is small, a direct booking may be simpler.
Does the 24-hour cancellation rule cover CheapOair bookings?
Here's a point that trips people up. The US Department of Transportation says its 24-hour reservation rule, for tickets bought at least seven days before departure, doesn't apply to tickets bought through travel agents or online travel agencies. So a rule you've heard about for airlines doesn't automatically apply to a CheapOair booking. Rely on CheapOair's own stated terms for the fee refund above, and check the airline's fare rules for the ticket itself.
If your flight is cancelled on a CheapOair booking
The Department of Transportation says ticket agents that are the merchant of record must issue refunds when an airline cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from or within the US. The merchant of record is the business that appears on your card statement. It also says agents aren't responsible for refunding optional service fees or baggage fees, which you ask the airline for, and that for agent bookings you contact the agent first.
On the airline side, the Department says that if an airline cancels your flight and you choose not to travel or take credits, you're entitled to a refund of the ticket price, and refunds for credit card purchases are due within 7 business days after the airline learns you declined. These are the rules to quote if you're getting fobbed off.
Changing or cancelling once your CheapOair booking is made
CheapOair's terms, as summarised in search results, say that once a booking is complete, changes or cancellations are at CheapOair's sole discretion and that of the travel supplier, and that airline rules still apply. In plain English: the fare rules of the ticket decide what's possible, and the agent may add its own fee on top. Before you book a cheap fare, check whether it can be changed or refunded at all.
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How to check a CheapOair booking before you pay
- Choose the flight and look for the final total, not the headline fare.
- Compare it with the airline's own site for the same flights.
- Read the fare rules for changes, refunds and baggage.
- Ignore urgency messages and timers; they're not a reason to pay today.
- Save the confirmation email and the airline's booking reference.
When you plan trips for work (my notes on choosing a travel backpack for work trips help with the packing side), a calmer booking process beats a slightly lower fare. My guide to booking websites for small businesses looks at the same trade-offs from the business side.
Spotting fake CheapOair contact details
Search results are full of phone numbers that claim to be CheapOair. Use the contact details inside your confirmation email or your account, not a number from an advert. Never give card details to a caller you didn't contact, and be careful with any message about a refund that asks you to click a link. If someone is pressuring or threatening you, report it to the platform and, if you're in danger, contact the police.
CheapOair at a glance
| Question | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Fareportal Inc., a New York company (New York Attorney General) |
| Agent or airline | A travel agent; the airline still sets the fare rules |
| 2022 settlement | 2.6 million US dollars over urgency messages, fees and cancellation statements |
| Service fee, 24 hours | Refundable if you cancel within 24 hours, per CheapOair |
| DOT 24-hour rule | Doesn't apply to travel agents or online agencies |
| Cancelled flights | Merchant of record must refund; optional fees go back to the airline |
Is CheapOair worth using?
CheapOair is real, and many people book flights through it without drama. It's also a business that a regulator found used misleading pressure tactics, and you'll book through an agent, which adds a layer when something goes wrong. If the fare is clearly better, go in with your eyes open: check the total, the airline's rules and the cancellation terms first.
Frequently asked questions
Is CheapOair legit?
Yes, it's a real online travel agency. The New York Attorney General says Fareportal Inc. operates CheapOair.com. The same office secured 2.6 million US dollars from Fareportal in 2022 over misleading urgency messages, fees and cancellation statements.
Is CheapOair the same as booking with the airline?
No. You book through a travel agent, which sells the airline's ticket. If something changes you contact the agent first, and the airline's fare rules still apply.
Does the 24-hour free cancellation rule apply to CheapOair?
The US Department of Transportation says its 24-hour reservation rule doesn't apply to tickets bought through travel agents or online travel agencies. CheapOair's own fee page says its Transaction Service Fee is refundable if you cancel within 24 hours.
What if the airline cancels my flight?
The Department of Transportation says a ticket agent that is the merchant of record must issue refunds when an airline cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from or within the US. Optional service and baggage fees are requested from the airline.
Are CheapOair's service fees refundable?
CheapOair's fee page says the Transaction Service Fee is refundable for cancellations requested within 24 hours of booking and non-refundable beyond that. Always check the final total at booking.
How do I avoid fake CheapOair phone numbers?
Use the contact details in your confirmation email or account, not numbers from adverts or search results, and never share card details with someone who called you.
