Is this illegal?

The answer depends on the contract that you entered into when you purchased the ticket. That contract will govern the terms of a refund or chage of date request. A careful review of the relevant contract is required to answer your question. You may want a lawyer to review the contract because sometimes the contract seems logical but there can be many overlapping issues to consider depending on how the contract is worded. You can look for the contract on the company's website if you did not sign anything when purchasing the ticket. Many times the contract will be in the form of "terms and conditions" or "policies" governing your use of the ticket.  Sometimes this language is even printed on the ticket iteslf.  If the contract for the ticket or the ticket itself states that you must give 48 hours prior notice to change the date or get a refund then the company you contracted with should honor that contract.  Be careful though as there can be many conflicting provisions in such a contract even if it seems straightforward.  Even if you determine you have a right to a refund or to change the date of the ticket, you may then need to enforce your rights in court (small claims or district court) in order to force the company you bought the ticket from to comply with the contract. There is no other way to force the corporation to act or to settle such a dispute with them without their agreement.   Right now, it is very difficult to say if this is illegal or not without a careful and detailed review of the relevant contract terms and conditions and the particular facts of your case.  If you want to send it to me I can review it for you and give you a more definite answer. Good luck!