When the plan breaks, ask for the right thing

Airlines and hostels almost never volunteer the best available outcome. They answer the question you ask, so the whole trick is asking precisely: a refund of the unused portion, a rebooking under an involuntary change, a spelling correction rather than a transfer.

One important limit: EuroHostelTraveler is a publication. We cannot see, change or refund your booking. What we can do is tell you which rule normally applies and what wording tends to work.