Coronavirus: How Airlines deal with Cancellations or Rebookings
Everyone is talking about the Coronavirus. Of course, this also affects many travelers. If you have already booked or are about to book a flight
into an affected area, it is interesting to know how airlines will deal with cancellations or rebookings.
We have put together a list below, in alphabetic order, how different airlines deal with rebookings and refunds or cancellations due to the Coronavirus.
Here’s as well a list with different countries and their transfer restrictions.
Covid-19: Which countries have transfer or entry restrictions? – UPDATE
Aeroflot
Aeroflot has extended the period for passengers to rebook or request refunds at no additional cost, following an increase in call volumes to the airline’s contact centre regarding refunds and rebookings for tickets for flights to China, South Korea, Iran, Israel, Italy, Germany, France and Spain that have been cancelled as a result of the epidemiological situation.
Passengers holding tickets for travel on or before 20 March 2020 may rebook or request a refund by 30 April 2020 at no additional cost.
Passengers with tickets to travel on or after 21 March 2020 may rebook or request a refund during the entire validity period of the ticket.
Due to high call volumes to the contact centre, waiting times can be significantly longer than usual. Given the extended period for returns and refunds, Aeroflot asks passengers to refrain from calling about non-urgent matters whenever possible.
Aeroflot is working hard to increase contact centre capacity and reduce waiting times. We ask passengers to have their 6-letter booking code or ticket number and passengers’ last names ready when contacting the call centre.
The airline said affected customers can contact its 24-hour call centre at +7 495 223 5555, 8-800-444-5555, via the contact centre’s global toll-free numbers, or at its sales offices.
The Russian airlines “Aeroflot” has announced that it will halt nearly all flights to Spain, France, and Germany between March 13 and April 30, as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus, has halted all flights from St. Petersburg to Nice, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg between March 13 and April 30.
Air China
Dear passengers,
In order to implement the requirements of Civil Aviation Administration of China and continue with the joint prevention and control of the novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia, Air China has made the following adjustments to the free refund rules to help passengers better plan their trips:
I. Applicable Tickets
All tickets with a ticket number beginning with “999” (including mileage award tickets) purchased before 0:00 AM on January 28, 2020 for Air China operated flights or CA-coded codeshare flights that have a travel date later than January 1, 2020 (inclusive).
II. Ticket Handling Rules
1. The tickets are valid for one year from the date of issuance. Any applicable tickets as defined above can be refunded free of charge within the validity period of one year as long as the refund is requested before the departure of the flight. We kindly ask the passengers to apply for refunds outside of peak periods.
2. Passengers can apply for refunds through the original channels where they purchased the tickets. Tickets purchased through the Air China website, app or WeChat applet can be directly refunded in the original order.
3. Air China will keep a close watch on the epidemic updates and make timely adjustments to the flights. To make better use of the transport capacity during the Spring Festival, we kindly ask the passengers to apply for refunds before the departure of the flight. If you have decided to cancel your trip, please cancel your check-in seat as soon as possible through the original check-in channels to avoid wasting the resources and to ensure the seat availability to other passengers who still need to travel.
4. The rules are effective immediately and supersede the previous Notes on Free Refund for Air China Flight Tickets.
The passengers’ safety has always been Air China’s top priority and we will respond quickly to the requirements of the authorities and provide services and support to the passengers on the shortest notice. Thank you for your understanding and support!
Air China Passenger Service Hotline: 00800-86-100-999
Air France
Update on 14 March 2020, 01:30 AM Paris local time
Air France’s priority is to ensure the health and safety of its customers and staff in France and around the world. Since the emergence of the coronavirus COVID-19, we have been constantly assessing the situation in collaboration with national and international health authorities.
To help you to adjust your travel plans in light of the ongoing health situation, we have put in place exceptional measures throughout our network.
YOU WANT TO PLAN A TRIP
YOU WANT TO POSTPONE YOUR TRIP
If you have already booked your flight*, for a trip before 31 May 2020, you have until 31 May 2020 to postpone your departure date without change fees. Your new trip must begin no later than 31 May 2020.
Save time by changing your booking online in the “My Bookings” section of our website or mobile application. You can also contact your sales agent.
*Except for group rates and allotments.
YOU WANT TO CANCEL YOUR TRIP
YOUR FLIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELED
If your flight has been canceled and you no longer want to travel, you can obtain a refund of your ticket from your sales agent.
If you purchased your ticket on our website, you can request a refund online.
British Airways
Last updated 13 March 2020, 17:01
Our commitment to your safety and peace of mind
Thank you for the trust you place in us every time you choose to travel with British Airways. These are unprecedented times for our industry, our country and the world.
Please be assured that our expert teams are working closely with the UK Government and health organisations around the world to ensure we’re following the very latest advice. We’ll do everything we can to help customers affected.
Keeping up to date
Please make sure your contact details are up to date in Manage My Booking so we can let you know directly if your flight is affected.
Before you fly, please check the Foreign Office website for the latest travel restrictions.
Booking with confidence
We fully understand that many of our customers want to change their travel plans given the evolving situation, so we have put a number of measures in place so that you can book with confidence with British Airways.
To allow greater flexibility, we are enabling customers to change their destination, date of travel, or both for free, on all new bookings made from Tuesday 3 March to Sunday 31 May 2020, as well as any existing bookings that depart up to Sunday 31 May 2020. Find out more.
Cathay Pacific
In view of the evolving COVID-19 situation, we’re offering you more flexibility, so that you can change your plans easily.
We recommend you read our guide below to find answers to your questions before calling our Contact Centre. We’re currently experiencing very high call volumes and therefore waiting times can be long. Please note that our Contact Centre agents are following the same guide for refunds and charges.
If you’ve booked through a travel agent or third-party website, please contact them directly for changes. We are unable to change travel agent bookings through our Contact Centre.
You can refund your ticket free of charge for these countries/regions that have imposed major travel restrictions. This is the current list of destinations where we offer free refunds, but please note things are changing rapidly. To be eligible for refund, your original ticket must match these dates:
| Destination/Origin | Ticket booked on/before | First date of planned travel | Last date of planned travel | New date of planned travel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 12 Mar 20 | 12 Mar 20 | 30 Apr 20 | Alternatively, passengers can rebook or reroute their ticket for travel on or before 10 Dec 20 |
| Israel | 19 Feb 20 | 19 Feb 20 | ||
| Japan | 6 Mar 20 | 6 Mar 20 | ||
| Mainland China | 3 Feb 20 | 3 Feb 20 | ||
| Nepal | 13 Mar 20 | 13 Mar 20 | ||
| Netherlands | 14 Mar 20 | 14 Mar 20 | ||
| Philippines | 4 Feb 20 | 4 Feb 20 | ||
| South Korea | 24 Feb 20 | 24 Feb 20 | ||
| Spain (flights between Madrid & Hong Kong) | 11 Mar 20 | 11 Mar 20 | ||
| Thailand | 6 Mar 20 | 6 Mar 20 | ||
| Taiwan (flights between Taiwan & Hong Kong) | 8 Feb 20 | 8 Feb 20 |
These restrictions are defined based on locations where the travel restrictions are unduly prohibitive. We are unable to consider the constraints of all countries’ travel-imposed rules right now, but please bear in mind we are constantly reviewing these as the situation evolves.
For all other countries, we are not able to offer a free refund, but you can change your flight with no rebooking or rerouting fees (fare difference applies). We are not able to give refunds for tickets that were bought after travel restrictions were announced.
View the full list of all government travel-imposed rules and how that may affect your plans here.
more here.
China Airlines
Eligibility:
Passengers holding CI/AE valid tickets issued on/before 24JAN20 with confirmed bookings on CI/AE flights to/from/via China/Hong Kong, must file applications on/before 31MAR20.
Rebooking/Reissue/Rerouting:
a. Tickets within validity can be rebooked to the other dates with the original booking class/Carrier/airport. The fare/tax difference, and rebooking fee can be waived once.
b. If other than Wuhan flights to/from China are cancelled or passengers holding tickets to/from Wuhan complied with the rules above may change to other flights in China which are operated by CI/AE, but only once.
c. Any fare/tax differences incurred by rebooking on different booking class/rerouting shall be paid by passengers provided that booking flights are operated normally. Tickets shall be reissued and reissue charge shall be waived only once.
Refund:
Full refund for unused tickets without imposing any refund service charge or penalty.
Payments of chargeable seats, pre-paid excess baggage can be full refund.
Not applicable:
a. Passengers holding OAL tickets shall comply with OAL’s ticket rule.
b. Discount tickets are not applicable for the principles. Group tickets please contact your agency.
All infos HERE.
China Eastern
1. Eligibility
781 tickets (including mileage award tickets) purchased on or before January 24 2020 with travel date on or after 1st Jan 2020 operated by China Eastern Airlines/Shanghai Airlines(MU/FM) and code-share flights with MU/FM flight numbers.
2. Refund Policy
1. Tickets meeting the above eligibility can be refunded without paying refund fees according to the regulations on involuntary refund.
2. Passengers can apply for refund at any time within the validity period of the tickets. Refund shall be processed by the passenger with his/her issuing channel or agent without paying refund fees.
Recently, the traffic volume of China Eastern 95530 customer service hotline has increased dramatically. Please wait patiently, or make a call by avoiding the rush hour, giving the opportunity to the people who need it more. If the ticket is purchased on China Eastern Airlines app and official website, please open the corresponding order directly on app or official website and submit the refund application, the system will automatically process it. If the ticket is purchased on other channel and agent, the refund shall be processed by the original issuing channel or agent.
China Eastern always puts the life safety and health of passengers first, and will continue to pay attention to the progress of the epidemic, and make every effort to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control. We will work together to overcome difficulties. Thank you for your understanding and support!
More here.
China Southern
Traveling Guidelines for Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
31 January, 2020
In order to make efforts to prevent and control the transmission of infections and ensure the health of passengers and employees, China Southern Airlines has formulated and strictly implemented epidemic prevention and control measures.
For passengers who need to travel in the near future, we suggest you to strengthen yourself protection. In order to ensure your travel safety please read the following guidelines:
1. Plan travel time sufficiently
At this moment, various airports have taken measures for prevention and control, such as taking temperature and filling in health status declaration forms. We would recommend you to schedule your arrival time to the airport sufficiently for the implementation of the prevention and control measures.
2. Wear a mask
You are obligated to wear a mask both in the airport as well as in the cabin.
3. Take a pen
To fill out any form you are required.
4. Take the initiate to cooperate with temperature measure
It is recommended that you cooperate with relevant departments and take the temperature test.
Since January 28, China Southern Airlines has made some adjustments to the relevant standards of in-flight and Lounge services. We have to reduce personnel close contact to a certain extent effectively in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic in the cabin and the lounge. Therefore, we apologize for the inconvenience.
China southern airlines always put the safety of passengers as priority. We will continue to pay close attention to the development of the epidemic, governmental policies and passenger’s demand. The relevant flight policies will be adjusted according to the actual situation. We will always provide passengers with safe and trusted services.
Delta Air Lines
All information can be found here.
Coronavirus Travel Updates
To help address customers with immediate travel needs, we are asking those who do not have travel in the next 72 hours to refrain from contacting us as we are experiencing high volume. Thank you for your patience and partnership as we work through this unprecedented situation.
If you are traveling soon and cannot get through on one of our service channels, rest assured, we will ensure all changes will be processed and applicable credits will be issued if you don’t take your flight. Additional details will be updated soon.
We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves.
Waiver Information
For tickets where we are permitting a one-time change without a fee, the fare for your new flight will apply. If the new fare is higher, we will collect the difference. If the new fare is lower, we will issue a Delta travel voucher for the difference (very limited exceptions apply).
If you are traveling to an impacted destination and a waiver applies (for example, designated countries in Asia, Europe and South or Central America), there is no price difference when you move your travel dates if you select travel that begins before December 31, 2020.
Travel in March or April 2020
You have the option to change your ticket, one time, and the change fee will be waived. Please note, if your new flight is more expensive, the fare difference will apply. Your new travel should begin before December 31, 2020 or your ticket expiration date (whichever is sooner).
View full terms and conditions here, Go to footer note.
Travel Purchased in March 2020
You have the option to change your ticket, one time, and the change fee will be waived. Please note, if your new flight is more expensive, the fare difference will apply. Your new travel should begin before your ticket expiration date.
View full terms and conditions here, Go to footer note.
Travel in Restricted Areas
If your travel is before May 31, 2020 and is to, from, or through Europe and Asia, you may be eligible to change your ticket, one time, and the change fee will be waived. Your new travel should begin before December 31, 2020. Please see the list of destinations and dates below to confirm whether your travel is eligible. If your travel is to, from or through:
- Beijing, Incheon, or Shanghai and your ticket was purchased before March 9, 2020. View full terms and conditions here, Go to footer note.
- Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and your ticket was purchased before March 11, 2020. View full terms and conditions here, Go to footer note.
- Argentina or El Salvador and your ticket was purchased before March 13, 2020. View full terms and conditions here, Go to footer note.
For the best experience, please go to My Trips to adjust your plans before your original travel date. Your new travel should begin before December 31, 2020.
Travel is On or After May 1, 2020
Etihad Airways
REBOOKING AND REISSUE OF TICKETS ON ETIHAD AIRWAYS FOR PASSENGERS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
Many passengers intending to travel, or part-way through their journeys, have been impacted by flight cancellations or by travel restrictions imposed to help contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
For those due to fly before 30 June 2020, but whose flights have been cancelled, who have been directed or advised not to travel by their local authorities, or who are unable to commence or complete their journeys due to restrictions preventing their departure from or entry into other countries, travel can be rebooked for departures up to 30 June 2020, without standard change fees.
Only one change is permitted. Further changes will attract standard fees. Re-routing or rebooking can only proceed if there are no travel restrictions on intended routes.
If their flights have been cancelled, if they have been prohibited from travelling by their local authorities, or if they are unable to commence or complete their journeys due to restrictions preventing their departure from or entry into other countries, passengers may request a fare refund without penalty on the unused portion of any tickets.
Refunds for all other ticket holders will be based on the applicable fare rule.
More here…
Eva Air
Finnair
Why do you cancel flights or even whole routes?
The coronavirus situation has led to a high volume of reservation changes and impacted on our bookings significantly. Also, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland advice is to avoid unnecessary travel to certain destinations and certain countries have set travel restrictions for arriving passengers. We have adjusted our traffic accordingly and cancelled a large number of flights and even some whole routes temporarily.
How do I know if my flight is cancelled?
You can follow our travel updates page for any new information about flight cancellations. If you have a booking on any of the disrupted flights, we’ll contact you personally via SMS and/or e-mail. Please go to Manage booking and check that we have your current contact information, so that we can reach you in case of disruption.
I noticed that my flight is cancelled but I haven’t got an SMS. Why?
As the number of flight cancellations is high at the moment, cancelling flights and sending messages happens gradually and takes some time. We thank you for your patience. We send SMS and/or email to all customers whose up-to-date contact information we have. Please go to Manage booking and check that we have your contact details.
What are my options, if my flight is cancelled?
You have the following options if your flight is cancelled.
-
You can postpone your travel until 30 November 2020 with no extra cost by contacting customer service.
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You can apply for a full refund for your unused flight ticket.
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We do our best to re-route you to your destination as soon as possible. As the availability of alternative flights is limited, re-routing may take time, and on some routes availability of alternative flights is very limited. If there is the availability and after we’ve re-routed your journey, you can find your updated travel plan and other possible flight options via Manage booking.
What are my options, if I don’t want to travel due to the coronavirus situation?
We want to offer you flexibility for making reservation changes and have updated our ticket change policy.
You can now change your travel date flexibly without a change fee and travel until 30 November 2020, if you made your booking latest on 30 April 2020, you have a Finnair operated and marketed flight on Finnair ticket and there are available seats on your chosen new flight. Please make the change before the departure of your original flight. Please note that the change in the ticket rules doesn’t apply to Finnair Holidays, Aurinkomatkat (Suntours) and other tour operators’ customers.
Can I cancel my reservation and get a refund?
If your flight is not cancelled and you choose to cancel your reservation, the refund depends on your ticket type.
How do I change my travel dates?
If you still have an active flight, the easiest way to change your travel dates is via Manage booking.
If your flight is cancelled, please contact our customer service to change your travel dates.
How can I apply for a refund?
In case you decide to cancel your reservation and want to apply for a refund, please cancel your reservation first at Manage booking and then apply for a refund using our refund form.
If you are applying for a refund because we cancelled your flight, you can go directly to the refund form online and fill it in. We will fully refund the unused part of your flight ticket.
How and when will you pay me my refund?
Due to a high volume of refund requests, we currently have delays in our refund handling. The handling time is approximately one month. We are sorry for the inconvenience this causes you. We will pay the refund to the same credit card account or to another payment method that was used to purchase the ticket.
Will you reroute me to my destination, if my flight is cancelled?
We do our best to re-route you to your destination as soon as possible. As the availability of alternative flights is limited, re-routing may take time, and on some routes availability of alternative flights is very limited. If there is availability and after we’ve re-routed your journey, you can find your updated travel plan and other possible flight options via Manage booking.
All flights to my destination are cancelled. Can you reroute me to a nearby city?
Please contact our customer service to check this possibility.
Is it safe to fly during the coronavirus epidemic?
The safety and wellbeing of our customers is a top priority for us. We are doing everything we can to ensure healthy and hygienic travel for you also during the coronavirus epidemic. Read more on how we take care of unwell customers, clean our cabins or take additional measures for hygiene through our service procedures.
I postponed my travel to a later date and now my original flight is cancelled. Can I now get a refund, if I decide not to travel?
If your ticket type allows refunds, you can apply for a refund. However, you are not entitled to a refund based on your original flight being cancelled.
I booked my flights through a travel agency. Can I change my reservation through Finnair?
If you booked your flights through a travel agency, like ebookers, please primarily contact them to make changes to your reservation.
I already checked in for my flight. Can I still change my booking?
Yes, you can, just make the changes before the departure of your flight.
I can’t change my travel dates myself or reach your customer service. Can I decide not to travel and apply for a refund later?
If your flight is cancelled, you can just apply for a refund afterwards. The easiest way to do this is to fill in this refund form online.
Can I change my travel dates more than once?
Yes, you can. Just do it before the departure of your flight.
How can I reach Finnair Customer Service?
We are at your service via phone, the chat on our website and in social media channels. We do everything we can to help you, but unfortunately, our response times are currently much longer than usual due to this exceptional situation. We are very sorry about this. If your flight is not in the next couple of days, we would appreciate if you could wait for some days before contacting us. Thank you for your understanding.
Hainan Airlines
All news can be found here.
In order to carry out the joint prevention and control of the 2019-nCoV epidemic and implement the requirements established by Civil Aviation Administration of China, we hereby provide free refund service for passengers who have purchased tickets for domestic and international flights of hainan airlines and Grand China Air. Due to we received service consulting crush, call the hotline is busy, you may need to queue for answering the telephone. All customer service staff of hainan airlines are doing their best to answer your call and solve your problem.
Meanwhile, here are some tips:
1. The ticket is valid for one year from the date of the first segment trip start, and passengers can apply for free refund within the validity period.
2. During the validity period of the ticket, passengers can voluntarily refund their tickets to the place where they purchased.Passengers who have issued a ticket at an overseas website (www.hainanairilines.com) can apply for a refund on the website, please click here.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, we will do our best to serve you.
Hainan airlines has issued relevant regulations on handling tickets, as follows:
1. Scope of application:
Before 0:00 on January 24, 2020, all Hainan Airlines/Grand China airlines domestic and international flights and code-sharing flights with flight Numbers of HU that are actually carried by hainan airlines and grand China airlines have been purchased.
2. Applicable tickets:
Tickets with ticket number beginning with 880 or 895.
3. Applicable flight date:
Domestic and international flights after January 1, 2020 (inclusive).
4. Refund:
During the validity period of the ticket, passengers can voluntarily refund their tickets to the place where they purchased.
Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd
JAPAN AIRLINES
Applicable tickets
Tickets issued by Japan Airlines starting with ‘131’ with following conditions:
All flights to / from Japan
- Departure date
From February 28, 2020 (Friday) to April 5, 2020 (Sunday) - Date of Purchase
– Boarding between February 28, 2020 (Friday) and March 19, 2020 (Thursday).
*Tickets issued on/before February 28, 2020 (Friday) inclusive of above eligible flights for reservation change or refund after February 29, 2020 (Saturday).
– Boarding between March 20, 2020 (Friday) and April 5, 2020 (Sunday).
*Tickets issued on/before March 6, 2020 (Friday) inclusive of above eligible flights for reservation change or refund after March 6, 2020 (Friday).
If your flights apply to the below applicable routes, date of purchase and departure date shown below apply instead.
All JAL flights to / from Beijing Capital, Shanghai (Pudong), Shanghai (Hongqiao), Guangzhou, Dalian, Tianjin, Hong Kong, Shenyang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Yantai, Qingdao, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Kunming.
* Including codeshare flights operated by China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Cathay Pacific Dragon Airlines
- Departure date
From January 24, 2020 (Friday) to April 20, 2020 (Monday) - Date of Purchase
Tickets issued before February 27, 2020 (Thursday)
* We accept the service even outside of period above, if the first sector is already used.
Ticket refund/change
1.Regardless of ticket rules and conditions, we accept refund without any fee.
* Ticketing Service Fee paid at the time of ticket purchase is not refundable.
If you have purchased your tickets through JAL and meets eligible tickets’ conditions above, refund for the unused flight(s) through JAL website is available until 23:59 p.m. of the day before of flight departure.
Even after the boarding date, we will accept your refund specially through call center during the period below, if applicable for conditions above.
[Before departure] Within 1 year and 30 days from the date of issue
[After commencement of travel] Within 1 year and 30 days from the date of travel commencement
* If you are unable to proceed through JAL Website, or if you encounter additional charge or wish to refund the ticket after your planned flight departure date, please contact JAL office below.
2.Reservation changes
Passengers with eligible tickets may change departure date only once to another date on/before April 20, 2020 (Monday).
KLM
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, we have been monitoring the situation minutely and are doing everything possible to assist you with your upcoming travel plans. Here, you’ll find the latest updates and rebooking options.
The United States of America have announced an entry ban for all passengers who have been in a Schengen country in the last 2 weeks. This also applies to passengers transferring at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. This ban will start on Saturday 14 March 2020 at 04:59 CET and is announced for 30 days. See the rebooking policy below for more details on the impact on our flight schedule.
Due to rapid changes in government regulations of various countries and regions, including the Netherlands, we strongly recommend reviewing the latest entry requirements of any destination you’re travelling to. For the latest advice, visit the IATA website .
Rebooking options and more can be found here
Lufthansa Group
Flexible rebooking options
The Lufthansa Group airlines Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Air Dolomiti would like to assist you during this time of exceptional circumstances by introducing more flexible rebooking options. Our new extensive waiver policies allow for your individual travel plans and make it easy to find the right flight at the right time. You can choose one of the following options:
You hold an existing reservation and would like to rebook to a new departure date:
You hold a ticket that was issued before or on 5 March with a travel date up to 30 April 2020.
Your ticket can be rebooked within its original ticket validity period or until a new date of travel up to 31 December 2020 and Lufthansa Group will waive the rebooking fees.
The webpages of the individual Lufthansa Group airlines offer a comfortable way for self-service rebookings. If you hold a Light Fare, please contact our Service Center.
You hold an existing reservation and do not have a new departure date:
You hold a ticket that was issued before or on 12 March with a travel date up to 30 April 2020. You are now able to cancel your reservation without having to rebook right away.
You are able to decide until 01 June by which time a new flight has to be booked. The new travel date must be within the validity of your ticket or until 31 December 2020.
If you choose this option, please get in touch with our Service Center.
You do not have a reservation yet but like flexible travel options:
Book a new ticket until 31 March 2020, and the airlines of the Lufthansa Group will waive the rebooking fees for all newly booked flights worldwide and offer a one-time rebooking – regardless of condition of the original booking fare purchased. You can rebook to a new travel date until 31 December 2020 without rebooking fees.
Luxair
We are continuously monitoring the situation and developments, and we will continue to provide you with regular updates. Luxair & LuxairTours are prepared for all possible scenarios and we are working closely with the official authorities, to make sure we are always aligned with the latest official guidelines.
Luxair has set up exceptional commercial terms and conditions
Free re-booking options on our entire network to make your travel plans more flexible under the exceptional circumstances caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
1. Free re-booking for existing bookings with a travel date between 16th March and 31st March 2020 included
For all existing bookings with a travel date between 16th March and 31st March 2020 included, you are able to rebook your ticket free of charge, regardless of the conditions of the original booking. Your ticket can be rebooked for any new travel date up to 31st December 2020. The destination cannot be changed, if the same booking class is not available, then the fare difference is due.
Important: Due to the huge amount of calls to be handled, we will not be able to accommodate your request via the Callcenter. We kindly invite you to contact us ONLY via our contact form to request the change of your existing bookings in the section « Ticket modification and refund». In case you do not receive an answer before your flight date, don’t worry and be re-insured that we handle your request in accordance with your wishes.
2. Free re-booking for all new bookings from 13th March to 30th April 2020 included
For all new bookings from 13th March until 30th April 2020, you will be able to change your travel dates (without any change fees/re-booking fees) to any later travel date within 365 days of your booking date – regardless of the initial fare purchased (including FlyCLASSIC and FlyPLUS fares). If desired, you can even change your travel dates several times without any change fees.
Detailed conditions for all new bookings:
- The new change policy is valid for the entire flight network of Luxair & LuxairTours (flight only)
- The departure and destination airports must remain as they are, unchanged
- If the original fare is no longer available, the fare difference must be paid.
- The re-booking must be made before the original travel date and by 30th April 2020 at the latest
- FlyFLEX and FlyBUSINESS tickets can always be changed and also refunded free of charge
If you are booking via our website (luxair.lu), mobile app or our customer service center, you can change your travel dates simply online via My Booking.
If you are booking through an offline or online travel agency, please contact your agency and they will take care of this change accordingly.
Qatar Airways
The safety, security and good health of our passengers and employees is our highest priority.
Qatar Airways is working closely with global and national authorities to understand the latest advice and guidance on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and operate our services accordingly.
Like all airlines around the world, we have to balance the needs of our millions of passengers with the operational challenges we face due to entry restrictions imposed by a number of countries.
Affected passengers can re-book their tickets to alternative dates or destinations, or request a full refund without charge. For tickets outside of those dates or to countries not covered by this policy, normal fare rules apply for re-bookings or cancellations.
- If you have booked your tickets though a travel agent, please contact your travel agent to amend or refund your booking.
- If you have booked your ticket on qatarairways.com or through any of our offices, you can re-book your tickets or submit a refund request online or by telephoning your local contact center.
Singapore Airlines
Customers who are travelling to the countries covered by our travel waiver may use this form to request for a refund, a change in booking or submit a Covid-19 related query on their flights. Please refer to the latest updates on our travel waiver policy.
The online Assistance Request form is applicable for tickets purchased directly from Singapore Airlines. For tickets purchased from a travel agency or through another airline, please get in touch with them directly. Travel agents are to contact SIA’s local sales office.
For travel within seven business days, customers should contact the Singapore reservations team at +65 6223 8888. Otherwise, please submit your request through this form. We will respond to you within seven business days.
Due to high volume of incoming requests, we seek your understanding that it may take longer than usual for our customer service agents to respond to you. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
SWISS
Latest update 13 March 2020, 16:40 CET
Rebooking and refund
SWISS extends rebooking options for customers
SWISS is expanding its existing, comprehensive rebooking options in the interests of its customers due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the spread of the coronavirus.
Customers who have tickets for cancelled and also existing SWISS flights can keep this ticket without having to commit to a new flight date directly. Existing bookings will be cancelled for the time being, but the ticket and ticket value will remain unchanged and can be rebooked to a new departure date up to and including 31 December 2020.
This rule applies to tickets booked up to and including 12 March 2020 and having a confirmed travel date up to and including 30 April 2020. Customers are requested to inform us of their desired rebooking by 1 June 2020. No rebooking fees will be charged. If the original fare is no longer available, the corresponding difference must be paid when the rebooking is made. In addition, customers can also rebook to another destination.
Service centre at capacity
Currently we do experience extraordinary high numbers of customer contacts in our service centres. We are constantly working on increasing the capacity to cope with the demand. Special times call for special measures and so we ask you to allow us to support the most urgent inquiries first:
- Please do check if our special FAQ Corona Rebooking & Cancellation can help
- If you need to contact us please only do so if your flight date is within the next 3 days
- Please be aware that no rebooking nor cancellation of tickets can be handled through email
We ask for your understanding during this dynamic and challenging situation.
Refund
For cancelled flights: If you have booked through swiss.com or a Service Centre and you don’t want to rebook your flight ticket, you can refund your ticket. To do so, please complete the refund form.
If you booked through an (online) travel agency, please contact the travel agency.
Frequency changes on various routes
SWISS makes further service adjustments for commercial reasons
In view of the impact of the coronavirus on its booking levels, SWISS is making further modifications to its European and intercontinental services for commercial reasons.
All services to and from Italy are suspended until the beginning of April. The move affects around 90 weekly flights between Zurich and Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence, Naples and Brindisi. SWISS’s frequencies to and from Italy were already reduced last week. Services are also being suspended for further European destinations including Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Bordeaux.
On the intercontinental front, in addition to the existing suspensions of services to Beijing, Shanghai and Tel Aviv, SWISS is also suspending its four weekly services to and from Cairo until 24 April. The first flight to the new US destination of Washington, DC, originally planned for 29 March, has also been postponed.
The corresponding flight cancellations are being gradually entered into the reservation systems. Customers whose flights are cancelled may rebook free of charge or have the price of their ticket refunded.
SWISS to suspend Tel Aviv services until 28 March
SWISS will be suspending all its services to and from Tel Aviv from this Sunday (8 March) until the end of the winter schedules on 28 March. The last SWISS flight to and from Tel Aviv prior to this suspension – LX 252/3 – will operate on Saturday 7 March.
The action is being taken in view of a new requirement by the Israeli health authorities which will come into effect on Friday 6 March. Under the new provision, travellers from Switzerland will be refused entry to Israel unless they can prove that they have private quarantine arranged within the country for a compulsory 14-day period.
Information for Lufthansa Group Passengers from/to China
Lufthansa Group extends flight suspensions to mainland China
- Flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenyang and Quingdao will be suspended until April 24
- Flight operations to/from Hong Kong will be reduced in March and April
Entry restrictions for various countries due to the coronavirus outbreak
Currently many countries are putting entry restrictions into place for passengers who have been in China within the last couple of weeks. This might also apply for passengers with People’s Republic of China passports. Entry restrictions are not aligned and differ from country to country. Some also include Hong Kong.
Lufthansa therefore asks all passengers to urgently check the current travel and entry limitations of their final destination.
Lufthansa Group offers free rebooking or refund if you are not able to start your journey due to changed entry restrictions in the context of the coronavirus outbreak.
SWISS maintains flights to the USA
Despite the ban on entry announced by the US authorities for passengers from the European Union, Switzerland and other states, SWISS has decided to maintain flights to the USA.
However, with effect from 14 March, SWISS will serve two destinations in the USA only: Chicago and Newark (New York). SWISS is currently drafting a special flight timetable for the USA. Passengers not affected by the stricter entry rules may reach all destinations in the USA with a connecting flight operated by our partner airline, United Airlines, via these two hubs.
Due to the restrictions imposed by the US administration, all other US flights will be provisionally suspended from 14 March, including the daily flight between Geneva and New York (JFK).
The impact on the SWISS flight programme of the recent changes to rules on entry for India is currently under evaluation.
SWISS passengers with flights in the next few weeks are advised to check the latest flight status at swiss.com before travel. Passengers who have registered their contact information with SWISS will be proactively notified if their flight is cancelled.
more here…
Thai Airways
Ticketing Procedures for COVID-19
Between Bangkok/Phuket and Hong Kong
For TG Documents issued before 28Jan2020 for travel with TG 3 digits and TG 4 digits operated by WE between BKK/HKT and HKG with travel period to/from HKG during 24Jan2020-30Apr2020.
Between Bangkok/Chiang Mai and Taipei / Kaohsiung / Nagoya / Fukuoka / Haneda / Narita / Osaka / Sapporo / Sendai / Seoul / Busan / Singapore / Kuala Lumpur / Penang / Hanoi
– For TG documents (217-) issued worldwide on/before 18FEB2020 for travel with TG 3 digits and TG 4 digits operated by WE
– For travel during 18FEB2020 – 30APR2020
Between Bangkok and Rome / Milan / Frankfurt / Munich / Paris
– For TG documents (217-) issued worldwide on/before 25FEB2020 for travel with TG 3 digits
– For travel during 25FEB2020 – 30APR2020
1. Reservation Change:
• Authorize to change date of travel within ticket validity or extend ticket validity until 15Dec2020 only without fee and surcharge(s).
• Revised (NEW) travel date must be on/before 15Dec2020 and subject to flight availability.
• Request of the change must be made on/before 15Dec2020.
2. Rerouting/Reissued :
• Authorize to Reroute/Reissue ticket within its validity or extend ticket validity until
15DEC2020 only without fee and surcharges to any sectors, operated by TG 3 digits and / or TG 4-digits operated by WE.
• The reissued request must be made on/before 15Dec2020.
• Recalculation shall be corresponding to the original fares and Taxes, Fees and Charges paid. – Any additional amount to be collected (e.g. fares, tax(es), surcharges) differences and/or other expenses occurred are on passenger’s account.
3. Cancellation and/or Refund before departure Applied
• If the request of ticket cancellation and/or ticket refund is occurred before departure, any penalty/charges on the cancellation and/or refund transaction as stated on attached fare rule/conditions are applied. Waiver of the penalty/charges is not permitted.
From/to China
– For TG documents (217- ) issued worldwide before 28JAN2020 (As per CAAC
announcement) for travel with TG 3 digits and TG 4 digits operated by WE sectors to/from
BJS / SHA / CAN / KMG / XMN / CTU / CKG / CSX / CGO and travel with TG 4-digits
operated by ZH sectors to/from ZSX.
– For TG documents (217- ) issued before 28JAN2020 for travel with TG 3 digits and TG 4
digits operated by WE sectors between BKK and Domestic points within Thailand (Ticket
issued in conjunction with international ticket to/from China Mainland).
– For Travel during 24JAN2020 – 30APR2020.
1. Reservation Charge :
– Authorize to change date of travel (same routing) within ticket validity or extend ticket validity until 15DEC2020 only without fee and surcharges
– Request of the change must be made on/before 15DEC2020
2.Rerouting / Reissued :
– Authorize to Reroute/Reissue until 15DEC2020 without fee and surcharge
3.Refund :
3.1 International Ticket for travel during 24JAN2020 – 29FEB2020
– As per CAAC Announcement ; Totally unused ticket both refundable and non-refundable
– Authorize full refund. ( Waived of penalty / all charges )
3.2 Domestic Ticket issued in conjunction with International Ticket for travel during 24JAN2020 – 29FEB2020
– Totally unused ticket both refundable and non-refundable
– Authorize full refund. ( Waived of penalty / all charges )
3.3 For travel during 01MAR2020 – 30APR2020
– If the request ticket cancellation and/or ticket refund any penalty/charges as stated on attached fare rule/conditions are applied. Waiver of penalty/charges is not PERMITTED.
For more information about flight schedules or flight cancellations, visit thaiairways.com or contact the THAI Contact Center at Tel. +66(0)-2356-1111, 24 hours a day.
Beijing/Zhengzhou: reservation.bjs@thaiairways.com.cn
Guangzhou/Changcha/Shenzhen: reservation.can@thaiairways.com.cn
Kunmingreservation.kmg@thaiairways.com.cn
Chengdu/Chongqing: reservation.ctu@thaiairways.com.cn
Xiamen: reservation.xmn@thaiairways.com.cn
Shanghai: reservation.sha@thaiairways.com.cn
Hong Kong: hkghf@thaiairways.com.hk (Reservation), hkght@thaiairways.com.hk (Ticketing)
United Airlines
*We will continue to fly our regular schedule from Europe to the U.S. through March 20. After that, we expect to fly daily to Zurich, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester and Edinburgh, maintain multiple flights to Frankfurt and Munich, and operate 18 daily flights to and from London, three to Dublin and four flights a week to Lisbon, all while continuing to monitor demand. Schedule changes will take place this Saturday, March 14. At that time, customers will be able to check the status of flights beyond March 20 on united.com or the mobile app.
Additional travel flexibility
Booking a new flight: We know people are taking a second look at their travel plans right now, and we want you to have flexibility when planning your next trip — that’s why when you book a flight with us between March 3 and March 31, 2020, you can change it for free over the next 12 months. See terms and conditions
Rescheduling a trip: We’re also waiving change fees for all tickets issued on or before March 2 — domestic or international — with original travel dates of March 9 through April 30. See waiver details
How to change or cancel your flight: To change or cancel your flight online, view your reservation, enter your trip details and select the appropriate option.
International travel advisories and waivers
For more information about international travel:
- View our current travel waivers
- See our country-specific travel updates
- Search by destination for passport, visa and health requirements provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Visit the U.S. Department of State’s website for detailed information on coronavirus by country
More here.
Virgin Atlantic
The health and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority. We have a team of experts continually following the guidance issued by public health authorities in all the destinations we fly to. Find the latest government travel advice here
To give you greater flexibility and peace of mind when you book, we’ve introduced a flexible no change fee policy. Learn more here
Please make sure we have the correct contact details for you in My booking, so we can reach you if there is any change to your flight. You can also keep track through Flight status
If you enjoy our blog and would like to support us, you can buy us a coffee 😉
12 Comments
Yvonne
But how about all of us who purchase tickets and hotels in countries where events have been canceled?! Not the countries on these lists, but all over the world. I have tickets for an event in Amsterdam that is canceled and it is not considered a country „on this list“. Yet my event is canceled and thus my reason to travel there gone. Thousand of people are in the same position. It is criminal. In my case, I booked a vacation after the work event to go cruise on the Nile, where 12 staff of a cruise liner had the Corona virus. Corendon, the travel agent, will not cancel their cruises – forcing people to go on a cruise with all of its potential problems. All of this is about greed, and none of it cares about the consumer. Why would I fly to Holland for an event that is cancelled and go on a cruise that should not be allowed to go out?!
J. Asakura
My sisters were booked throught Expedia for a round trip flight with Jetstar from Manila to Narita between March 23 to April 5. We want to postpone the flight until next year’s cherry blossoms, with the same date and time because of the increasing corona virus cases in Japan. Mary, a staff from Jetstar was very accommodating by giving options called temporary or flexible fare and booked them this September because they have no available flight schedule yet for March next year. My sisters can rebook the flight when they know the schedule for next year without any additional charges. We are satisfied with this great accommodation. Thank you and more power to you Jetstar! Looking forward to your great service next year.
rafaelle del rosario
How did you contact them? I have been having so much trouble contacting them! I also have a flight from manila but my destination is to singapore
thomas
Japan airlines will not honor a postponement of my flight to Japan . EVEN THOUGH they have taken there kids out of school until April because of the Corona Virus.
I will never fly them again and will pass this onto all of my International travel companions..
BAD to take advantage in these times!
Tracey M
Please check the JAL website. If you are scheduled to fly before April 5, you should get a full refund from JAL now. The airlines are all trying to keep up with a situation that is changing almost every day. Japan Airlines has been really good with all of this.
https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/info/2020/inter/200127_02/index.html
premiumflights
Thx for the info, we will update that
Burde
Its been a month since cancellations from AIR CHINA. I still have not received my refund! Is there anything you can do to help. I don’t have the extra the funds to book another ticket and AIR CHINA excuse „sorry there are too many refunds, please wait“ is not acceptable.
Its been a month!
I will never book with them again. Can anyone help me?
Funkylady
We are due to fly to Auckland via Guangzhou with China Southern on 15th February. The layover in Guangzhou’s is 6 hours which we are not happy about. I have been keeping my eye on the media in relation to eligibility to cancel flights and get a full refund, however I never see China Southern mentioned as to what they are or aren’t doing in relation to the situation with the Coronavirus.
Does anyone have any information in regards to what China Southerns policy is for cancellation and refunds? Thanks
premiumflights
I will add a statement that they posted on Twitter in the next minutes
Chris
Corona virus was confirmed already in other Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand, India, etc. I hope airline companies would allow their passengers to fully refund their airfare if they are no longer be pursuing the flight. Please do understand that more of the trips purposes are for leisure but with this Corona virus present on those countries, passengers will think of their safety first. I just hope this will be considered. Thank you.
Btw, Jetstar Asia is not listed here. That is my airline for our booking to Singspore on Feb 6-9, 2020. 😭
Lemuel Cruz
Same here, Chris! I’m booked to Singapore Feb 5-9 via Jetstar. Have you tried to contact them for a refund?
premiumflights
This is what the press says about Jetstar:
The airline will contact affected passengers, who will be offered a full refund or credit voucher…
Jetstar Asia has suspended flights from Singapore to three Chinese cities in response to the coronavirus crisis as global airlines axe services to the China mainland.
The move to freeze flights to Hefei, Guiyang and Xuzhou until March 31 came after Chinese authorities banned international group travel from the country.