Suspension of Change and Cancellation Fees of Select Airlines Worldwide 2020 Due To 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Commercial airlines around the world have announced extensions of policies to suspend change and cancellation fees on a temporary basis due to the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic.

Suspension of Change and Cancellation Fees of Select Airlines Worldwide 2020 Due To 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Without further ado, here is a list of select airlines which are based in the United States and around the world and their updated policies pertaining to the suspension of change and cancellation fees on a temporary basis.

Alaska Airlines

Change and cancellation fees will be suspended and waived for customers of Alaska Airlines who purchase new tickets or travel between Thursday, February 27, 2020 and Tuesday, June 30, 2020 and later decide not to travel because of concerns related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. This waiver applies to travel through Monday, May 31, 2021.

Exception Policy:

• Tickets must be changed or canceled prior to the departure of your original flight.
• If you purchased your tickets through a third party, such as Expedia, another travel agency, or another airline, contact them directly for assistance.
• If you purchase a Saver fare between Thursday, February 27, 2020 and Tuesday, June 30, 2020, you may:
  • Cancel your trip without a fee and deposit the funds into My Account wallet or receive a credit certificate for future travel.
• If you purchase a nonrefundable First Class, main, or award ticket between Thursday, February 27, 2020 and Tuesday, June 30, 2020, you may:
  • Change your trip without a fee. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary.
  • Cancel your trip without a fee and deposit the funds into My Account wallet or receive a credit certificate for future travel.
• This waiver is valid only for tickets issued by Alaska Airlines, which you can identify by a 13-digit ticket number that begins with Alaska Airlines code “027”.
• Tickets issued by other airlines with a different carrier code — ticket numbers that do not begin with “027” — are subject to the waiver policy of the other airline.

Allegiant Air

Customers with reservations may implement a one-time change to their travel plans without incurring change or cancel fees. Changes and cancellations can now be made directly by visiting Manage Travel.

For cancellations, the following options are available to you:

• You may change your flight to any other scheduled Allegiant flight(s) at no additional cost.
• You may cancel your reservation and receive a full credit in the form of an Allegiant voucher for future travel, which is good for two years from the date of the initial reservation.
• You may contact our customer care center at 702-505-8888 for other options.

American Airlines

Contact your travel agent for assistance if you did not book your ticket directly with American Airlines.

Otherwise, change fees will be suspended and waived for customers of American Airlines who:

• Bought a ticket before Tuesday, June 30, 2020, for travel between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Wednesday, September 30, 2020, you can rebook without change fees. Travel must be completed on or before Friday, December 31, 2021.
• Buy a new trip between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Sunday, May 31, 2020, for all future travel, you can also change it a later date without change fees.
• Plus, if you have a ticket that is expiring between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Wednesday, September 30, 2020, the value of your unused ticket can be used for travel through Friday, December 31, 2021. You may owe any difference in ticket price.

Delta Air Lines

Change and cancellation fees will be suspended and waived for customers of Delta Air Lines who purchase new tickets or travel between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Tuesday, June 30, 2020 and later decide not to travel because of concerns related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

Change and cancellation fees will also be suspended and waived for all domestic and international travel departing between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

If your travel is eligible for a waiver, you can move your travel dates and even select a new destination. Your unused ticket will be applied toward your new flight, and in some instances a fare difference will apply. If the new fare is lower, you will receive an eCredit for the difference. If the new fare is higher, the difference will be collected. The fare difference will be waived for changes to existing travel between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Wednesday, September 30, 2020 if originally purchased before Friday, April 17, 2020 and traveling to the same destination before Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

This travel waiver allows you to change your itinerary one time without incurring a fee. The travel waiver applies to all travel outside the United States as well as Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

Frontier Airlines

Change and cancellation fees will be suspended and waived for customers of Frontier Airlines who purchased tickets:

• Between Tuesday, March 10, 2020 and Wednesday, April 15, 2020 will be permitted a one-time change to travel plans without a fee. Changes under this special waiver are subject to the terms and conditions below; additional restrictions may apply.
  • Customers can complete a one-time change free of charge as below:

• • • Change to new flight of equal or lesser value: change fee waived, no residual value retained by customer
    • Change to new flight at higher price: change fee waived, customer pays fare difference, if any.
    • Cancel flight: cancel fee waived, customer retains the value of the ticket to be applied toward the purchase of a future ticket to be booked within 90 days of cancellation for travel available through the selling schedule.
    • To change your reservation, visit the My Trip page. The change fee will automatically be waived.
    • To cancel your reservation and retain the value of your ticket to be applied towards the purchase of a future ticket within 90 days of cancellation, please visit My Trip to manage your booking.
  • For changed flights, travel must be completed by Sunday, September 12, 2021
  • All tickets are nonrefundable unless otherwise specified in the Contract of Carriage
• Prior to March 10 with original travel dates between Tuesday, March 10, 2020 and Thursday, April 30, 2020 will be permitted a one-time change to travel plans without a fee. Changes under this special waiver are subject to the terms and conditions below; additional restrictions may apply.

• • Customers can complete a one-time change free of charge as below:

• • • Change to new flight of equal or lesser value: change fee waived, no residual value retained by customer
    • Change to new flight at higher price: change fee waived, customer pays fare difference
    • Cancel flight: cancel fee waived, customer retains the value of the ticket to be applied toward the purchase of a future ticket to be booked within 90 days of cancellation for travel available through the selling schedule.
    • To change your reservation, visit the My Trip page. The change fee will automatically be waived.
    • To cancel your reservation and retain the value of your ticket to be applied towards the purchase of a future ticket within 90 days of cancellation, please visit My Trip to manage your booking. The cancel fee will automatically be waived.

• • For changed flights, travel must be completed by Sunday, September 12, 2021
  • All tickets are nonrefundable unless otherwise specified in the Contract of Carriage

Hawaiian Airlines

Change and cancellation fees will be suspended and waived for customers of Hawaiian Airlines who purchased tickets:

1. Between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Tuesday, June 30, 2020: No change fees for any changes made within two years of the original ticket purchase date. A fare difference may apply.
2. Before Sunday, March 1, 2020 with travel dates between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Wednesday, September 30, 2020: No change fees for rebooked travel that begins on or before Tuesday, May 31, 2022. A fare difference may apply.

JetBlue Airways

Change and cancellation fees will be suspended and waived for customers of JetBlue Airways who purchase new tickets or travel by Tuesday, June 30, 2020 and later decide not to travel because of concerns related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Rebooking your flight through this waiver applies towards any flight through the end of the flight schedule of JetBlue Airways.

Tickets must be purchased prior to Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Fare differences may apply. Eligible changes made will receive a JetBlue Travel Bank Credit in the amount of the flight fare plus any applicable taxes and fees, valid for 24 months from date of issuance toward future JetBlue air travel only. Rebookings are permitted during the corresponding booking window; after the corresponding booking window, only the first rebooking will be eligible under this policy, and will be subject to the fare rules and Contract of Carriage in effect at time of this rebooking. This policy applies through all booking channels. Group Bookings must be handled through 1-888-JETBLUE Option 2. Only the flight component of a JetBlue Vacations package is eligible under this policy. We recommend customers contact JetBlue to understand the cancel and change policies applicable to rental cars, hotels, and other travel product components of their bookings. Changes/cancellations must be made prior to scheduled departure (otherwise fare is forfeited). All flight reservations made one week or more prior to a flight’s departure may be cancelled without penalty up to 24 hours after the reservation is made for full refund or Travel Bank Credit.

For voluntary cancellations, funds will be issued as a JetBlue Travel Bank Credit, valid for 24 months from the date of issuance. JetBlue Vacations bookings will be issued as JetBlue Vacations Credit, valid for 24 months from the date of issuance.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest is unique in the airline industry because the airline does not charge fees to change or cancel flights; so the change and cancellation policies are permanent and not temporary.

Tickets which cannot be refunded — such as Wanna Get Away fares — not flown on the travel date but canceled in accordance with the No Show policy of Southwest Airlines can be applied to future travel.

Refundable tickets — such as Anytime and Business Select fares — not flown on the travel date can also be applied to future travel.

Find out additional information on refunds by clicking here.

Spirit Airlines

Change and cancellation fees will be waived for customers of Spirit Airlines who book travel by Tuesday, June 30, 2020 and later decide not to travel because of concerns related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Go to  My Trips, enter your name and confirmation number, then proceed with the steps to change or cancel your flight. If you cancel your flight, you will receive a full purchase price reservation credit instantly.

Sun Country Airlines

Change fees will be waived for customers of Sun Country Airlines for qualifying itineraries for travel through Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

Guests looking to cancel their flight can do so online using MyTrips and receive a flight credit to use toward future travel. Flight credits expire one year from the date the original itinerary was booked and can be used towards travel beyond the date of expiration. To redeem flight credits, the confirmation number of the original booking will act as a credit code when booking on suncountry.com.

United Airlines

Change and cancellation fees will be suspended and waived for customers of United Airlines who purchase tickets or travel between Tuesday, March 3, 2020 and Tuesday, March 31, 2020, as customers will be permitted to change free of charge to a flight of equal or lesser value for travel up to 24 months from the original ticket issue date.

For tickets issued between Wednesday, April 1, 2020, and Tuesday, June 30, 2020, customers will be permitted to change free of charge to a flight of equal or lesser value for travel up to 12 months from the original ticket issue date.

If the new flight is priced higher, the customer may change for no fee but must pay the fare difference. If the new flight is priced lower, the customer may change for free but no residual value will be given.

If you decide to cancel the flight which you booked before Tuesday, March 31, 2020, you can retain the value of the ticket to be applied to a new ticket without fee for travel up to 24 months from the original ticket issue date. If you decide to cancel the flight which you booked between Wednesday, April 1, 2020, and Tuesday, June 30, 2020, you can retain the value of the ticket to be applied to a new ticket without fee for travel up to 12 months from the original ticket issue date.

This applies to all tickets, all fare types, all destinations, all points-of-sale, all travel dates available for sale, provided ticket number starts with 016.

No minimum stay. No blackout dates. Fares, fees, rules and offers are subject to change without notice. Seats are capacity-controlled and may not be available on all flights or days. Fares cannot be refunded except during the first 24 hours after purchase. Other restrictions may apply.

Air Canada

You can implement a one-time change without a fee for all new or existing bookings made through June 30, 2020 for original travel between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. If you booked directly with Air Canada and you need to cancel for any reason, you can convert your ticket to an Air Canada Travel Voucher that has no expiry date or to Aeroplan Miles with an additional 65 percent bonus miles.

Air France

Change and cancellation fees will be waived for customers of Air France as follows…

If you have purchased a ticket on or after 22 April 2020, you can change it at no extra cost regardless of the cabin/fare you have selected (Light, Standard or Flex) as long as the same cabin/fare is still available.*

Please note that any other fare conditions attached to your ticket remain unchanged.

If you have purchased a ticket* before 21 April 2020 included for a flight departing before 31 August, 2020, you can postpone your departure date without any change fee, subject to the availability in the same travel cabin. Any changes to your flight must be made before its scheduled departure. Your new trip must begin no later than 30 November, 2020 included.

If you wish to travel on or after 1 December 2020, you can also postpone your departure date without any change fee. If the fare type mentioned in your ticket is not available, you may need to pay the fare difference.

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.

If you have purchased a ticket before 21 April 2020 included at a travel agency, for a flight departing before 31 August 2020 and you no longer wish to travel, please contact them for further information.

If you purchased a ticket directly from our website or at an Air France agency before 21 April 2020 included for a flight departing before 31 August 2020 and you no longer wish to travel, you can request a travel voucher from the “My Bookings” section of our website or mobile application. This voucher is valid until 31 December 2021 on all Air France, KLM, Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways flights. If your original ticket was refundable, and this voucher is not used within 12 months after the date of issued, it can be refunded.

Please note that any request must be made before the date of your initial flight.

If your flight has been canceled before May 15, 2020 and you purchased your ticket directly from our website or at an Air France agency, you can postpone your trip without any change fee or fare difference, as long as your new trip begins no later than 30 November 2020 included. If you wish to postpone your trip to a date beyond 30 November 2020, you may do so without any change fee. Please note however that if the fare mentioned in your ticket is no longer available, you may need to pay the fare difference.

Any changes must be made before 30 June 2021.

Air India

For travel between 15 March 2020 to 30 June 2020: All 098 tickets Domestic & International both Inbound/outbound.

Change or Cancellation of itinerary:

1. If you are holding a ticket for a flight operating between 15 March 2020 to 30 June 2020 and you do not wish to travel; you need not visit or call Air India, or your travel agent. You don’t even have to report to the airport, for rescheduling your flight till normalcy of operations isrestored.
2. Air India will waive No-Show charges i.e. your ticket will be protected at fullvalue.
3. As and when you finalise the date of your travel (up to 30th September2020), you can reschedule your travel without paying any date change or sector change fee for yourtravel.
4. Difference of fare applicable in case of non-availability of sameRBD.
5. Free of Charge Change-in Date/Flight/Routing** is allowed

Air New Zealand

We are offering customers the option to change or credit their domestic flights within New Zealand when booked to travel before 30 June, or international flights booked to travel before 31 July 2020.

If you booked through a travel agent, please ask them to manage your changes.

Please note, if you purchased a non-refundable ticket, it remains non-refundable unless local legislation requires a refund to be made available.

Arrange a credit for your impacted travel – it’s online and fast

We’ve extended credit validity. You now have until 30 June 2021 to rebook, and 12 months to complete your travel from the time you made the booking.

Redeeming your credit

We are building a way for you to easily access your credit online and rebook in the future. If you wish to rebook and use your credit once we move to Alert Level 2, please call our Contact Centre.

Change the date or destination of your flight online

You can make one change without paying any change fees or service fees. You will need to pay for any difference in the fare.

Alitalia

All information pertaining to the change and cancellation policies of Alitalia is found here.

All passengers who have purchased a ticket from 1 May to 30 June 2020 for flights until 30 June 2021 can apply, before the scheduled date of the trip or also after the flight departure date, if the booking was cancelled by the passenger before the departure (no-show not entitled to require rebooking), for:

• One change of booking (rebooking or change of destination), with possible fare repricing, to travel within 1 year from the original flight date
• A nominative voucher of equal value to the ticket purchased or its residual value, valid for one year, to fly to any destination offered by Alitalia. The voucher must be requested before the departure date of the flight that the passenger intends to renounce to.
• A refund of the price of the ticket or of the remaining value of the part of the trip which has not yet been completed, only if the refund is allowed by the fare rules of the ticket purchased. For Alitalia (055) tickets purchased in Italy with travel dates from October 1 2020 to June 30 2021, the refund is only allowed according to fare rules.
  

All passengers who have purchased a ticket by 30 April 2020 on international markets (except Brazil), for flights from 11 March to 30 September 2020, can apply, before the scheduled date of the trip or also after the flight departure date, if the booking was cancelled by the passenger before the departure (no-show not entitled to require rebooking), for:

• One change of booking (rebooking or change of destination), with possible fare repricing, to travel within 1 year from the original flight date
• A nominative voucher of equal value to the ticket purchased or its residual value, valid for one year, to fly to any destination offered by Alitalia. The voucher must be requested before the departure date of the flight that the passenger intends to renounce to.
• A refund of the price of the ticket or of the remaining value of the part of the trip which has not yet been completed, only if the refund is allowed by the fare rules of the ticket purchased. For Alitalia (055) tickets purchased in Italy with travel dates from March 11 to September 30 2020, the refund according to fare rules is not allowed.

For more information click here.

PASSENGERS WHO HAD THEIR FLIGHT CANCELED

All passengers who have purchased, on international markets (except Brazil) within 30 September, for trips between 11 March and 30 September, an Alitalia (055) ticket whose flight has been canceled, can request the following:

• A change of booking (rebooking or rerouting), without fare repricing, to travel within the 7 previous or following days from the date of the canceled flight, or one change of booking (rebooking or change of destination), with possible fare repricing, to travel within 1 year from the canceled flight date

• A nominative voucher, valid for one year from its issue date, for an amount equal to the value of the ticket purchased or its residual value, increased of a fixed amount * (15€ if the canceled flight was domestic or international, 60€ if the canceled flight was intercontinental), to fly to any destination served by Alitalia. The voucher can be claimed within 31 December 2020.

* The offer for an increased voucher is not applicable to tickets purchased in Italy

• A refund of the price of the ticket or of the remaining value of the part of the trip which has not yet been completed. For Alitalia (055) tickets purchased in Italy with travel dates from March 11 to September 30 2020, the refund is not allowed.

PASSENGERS WITH MILLEMIGLIA AWARD TICKETS

All passengers who have purchased a MilleMiglia award ticket by 30 April 2020 for flights from 11 March to 30 September 2020, and who decide not to travel, can request, before the scheduled date of the trip, a change of booking or to have their miles credited back and the reimbursement of airport taxes.
Passengers who have purchased a MilleMiglia award ticket from 1 May to 30 June 2020 for flights until 30 June 2021, and who decide not to travel, can request, before the scheduled date of the trip, a change of booking or to have their miles credited back and the reimbursement of airport taxes.

Avianca

If you have a ticket to fly before October 31, 2020, you can make multiple changes without penalty or fare difference, if your new flight is before October 31, 2020.

• The non-penalty fee applies for all fares and also for flights booked with miles. It applies only for (1) once, if the flight date is after October 31st, 2020 and before June 30th, 2021.
• For flights before October 31st, 2020, no fare difference or mileage charges will apply and multiple changes can be made if they are in the same cabin, to common points, and if your new flight is before October 31, 2020, (for tickets purchased at travel agencies only a maximum of 3 changes can be made), if your flight is after October 31st, 2020 you can only make 1 change. without paying a penalty.
• It applies for domestic flights in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and international flights operated by Avianca.
• For tickets to/from Italy, the penalty fee exemption also applies for purchases prior to February 26th, 2020, and for tickets to/from China, the penalty exemption also applies for purchases prior to January 31st, 2020.
• These measures don’t apply to travelers who lose connections because of their responsibility.
• For partially used LifeMiles tickets, only the flight date change will be allowed.
• If you already know when you want to travel you can change the itinerary of your flight before June 30th, 2021.

British Airways

Change fees will be suspended and waived for customers of British Airways who are scheduled for travel until Friday, July 31, 2020 or purchased new tickets from Tuesday, March 3, 2020 are eligible for a range of flexible rebooking options — including taking a voucher — because of concerns related to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

All vouchers — regardless of when they were claimed — can now be used on new bookings up until April of 2022.

Cathay Pacific Airways

Cancellation fees have been waived for flights during the original travel period of 17 March to 31 July 2020. If you do not wish to cancel your flight, you can easily change your ticket or exchange it for Cathay Credits.

Make unlimited changes to your booking — for no extra charge

If you know when you’d like to fly, you can easily make free and unlimited changes to your ticket.

There are two special arrangements in effect: one for all tickets issued on/before 23 March 2020, another for new tickets issued between 9 March 2020 and 30 June 2020. To learn more, please select the date range that applies to your booking.

If you don’t know when you’d like to fly, you can easily exchange your ticket for Cathay Credits to use at a later date. Alternatively, you may cancel your ticket and request a refund.

We’re giving you the flexibility to make free and unlimited changes to all new tickets issued between 9 March and 30 June 2020. The ticket change deadline is one year after the date of ticket issuance; and you must travel before one year after the date of ticket issuance.

Emirates Airline

You now have two new options that offer you the flexibility to fly with Emirates Airline again when you’re ready if you booked a ticket on or before 30 June 2020 for travel on or before 30 November 2020.

What are the different reasons your ticket/ booking could be affected (for tickets issued on or before 30 June 2020 with at least one coupon where the scheduled Emirates departure is on or before 30 November 2020)?

• Flight Cancellation: Emirates flight is cancelled for a specific date or route is suspended for a continuous period of time
• Travel ban: Where there is an explicit government notification that prohibits travel from either point of journey origin or  destination
• Travel advisory: A general government advisory against non-essential travel but no travel ban
• Visa process change / Quarantine: Visa process which required visiting an embassy/consulate OR mandatory quarantine at origin or destination
• Passenger is unable to reach airport: Countries which have a government lockdown and passengers are unable to reach airport

You can choose to keep your ticket and we’ll extend its validity to 24 months from the date of your original booking. The fare amount you paid for your original booking will be accepted for any flight to the same destination/region at any time with no fees during this period.

You can change your destination with either options. It will be valid for one year from the date it is issued and can be extended for another year.

You can request a refund or travel voucher if your flight hasn’t been cancelled. However, if your request is not related to the current COVID-19 situation, the refund or voucher amount will be processed according to the fare rules available on your ticket. A change fee and/or a difference in fare may also apply if you choose to change the date or destination of your booking.

Etihad Airways

If you booked your flight before 30 June to travel any time until 30 November 2020, you can change your flight for free.

Cancel your trip and save it for later with Etihad Credit. We’ll reward you with up to US $400 and up to 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles, and you can travel any time before 31 October 2021.

Or you can simply rebook your trip at a time that suits you – you can even pick a new destination anywhere on our network. Rebook your trip before 30 November 2020 and travel to any destination on our network before 31 October 2021. It’s free to change your trip and we’ll remove the fare difference if you travel within the same zone before 30 September 2020.

If you’re eligible, you can request a refund. You are be entitled to a refund if your flight has been cancelled by Etihad Airways and you were scheduled to fly from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, the UK or the US.

Booked with a travel agent? You’ll need to speak to them to make changes to your booking.

Etihad Credit

Cancel your flight and use the value towards your next break. We’ll reward you with up to US $400 and up to 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles. You can use your credit at any time within two years to pay for flights or extras for yourself, your family or your friends.

Keep Your Ticket Open

If your flight has been cancelled, you can simply keep your ticket open until you’re ready to travel again. You don’t need to call us or do anything until you’re ready to rebook. We’ll keep your ticket open until 31 October 2021, and if you haven’t used your open ticket within 12 months of your first cancelled flight, you will be entitled to a refund. To request a refund, please call us.

Iberia

If you buy your trip for 2020 from May 28 to June 30, you can change your flight for free. Applies to all fares. Simply request the change (date, time, origin and/or destination) up to 15 days before departure. Then, just pay the fare difference — if any.

At this difficult time we are offering complete flexibility by relaxing the change and refund conditions for all fares and flights until 31 August, provided they were booked by 28 May 2020. So you can plan your trip later on.

You can use the ticket amount until 31 December 2021, even if your ticket doesn’t allow a refund or change. This means that you can use the amount as if it were cash for one or more flights to any destination and for anyone you want, until you have used up the voucher balance.

If you prefer to choose a more convenient time to travel, you can change your ticket to another date without any penalty. Changes are permitted until 30 June 2021.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Request a Refund

If your flight was cancelled, you may be entitled to a refund. Bear in mind that conditions vary, depending on who cancelled the flight (you or the airline). Did you book via a travel agent? Please contact them directly.

If the airline cancelled your flight, you can request a refund in the form of a voucher or cash. If you cancelled the flight yourself, you can only opt for a voucher. You can request a cash refund even if you already received a travel voucher. Please note that if you already received a voucher, it will not be valid anymore.

Travel Voucher is Worth Up to 15 Percent More

If you pay with a voucher before 31 October 2020, you could profit from a bonus up to 15 percent. You can use the voucher to purchase a new ticket or extra options. You can exchange the voucher for cash if you have not used it within 12 months.

You can also choose a new flight for your existing ticket or cancel your flight.

LATAM

VOLUNTARY CHANGES

You can change the flight date once without penalty or fare difference. This is subject to cabin availability and the ticket’s validity (one year from the date of the first flight). You may also change your destination paying only the fare difference.

This applies to tickets purchased before July 31, 2020. Tickets purchased before May 20 are subject to fare difference (except for Brazil).

CANCELED OR RESCHEDULED FLIGHT

Change the date without penalty fee or fare difference. Subject to cabin availability and the ticket’s validity (one year from the date of the first flight).

This applies to tickets that are canceled/rescheduled between March 14 and August 31.

CHANGE ORIGIN/DESTINATION

You can change the origin or destination of your ticket without penalty. Your new ticket will be valid until the expiration date of the former ticket. Fare difference might apply.

TICKET REFUND / TRAVEL VOUCHER FOR CANCELLED OR RESCHEDULED FLIGHTS

You can request a Travel Voucher worth the amount paid for your original ticket and valid for 12 months.  Travel Voucher can be used to purchase a new ticket, pay for other LATAM Services or request a bank transfer.

NOT FLYING? CANCEL YOUR TRIP AND RESCHEDULE LATER

In case you have a ticket to travel through June 30, 2020, and you cannot or do not wish to travel, you may cancel your itinerary up to 7 days before the flight and leave your ticket open to be issued later without penalties or fare difference. This is subject to cabin availability and the ticket’s validity (one year from the date of the first flight). Go to My Trips to manage your booking.

If you don’t choose this option and you don’t show up at the airport on the day of your flight, the initial fare conditions will apply.

Lufthansa

Utilize your full and unused ticket value when rebooking until 31st August 2020, and receive a €50 discount on top for your later travel. The Lufthansa FlightVoucher offers you an additional €50 discount that can be used when rebooking your flight, regardless of the original fare of your unused booking. You may also benefit from our rebooking policy if you are holding a light fare ticket. You do not need to call us to cancel your originally booked flight. All cancellation fees are waived. All customers with unused Lufthansa tickets issued up to and including 15 May 2020 and with a travel date through 31st December 2020 are eligible for this offer. Rebooking and redemption of the discount must take place no later than 31st August 2020. To qualify for the €50 discount when rebooking a new ticket, either the original ticket or the rebooked ticket must have a fare value of more than €50.

Book until 30 June 2020 and Lufthansa Group Airlines will waive the rebooking fee. You will also be able to rebook to a new travel date till 31 December 2021.

• For bookings made until 30 June 2020, the Lufthansa Group airlines waive the rebooking fees for all newly booked flights worldwide and offer a one-time rebooking free of charge – regardless of the conditions of the original fare purchased.
• Start of travel must be until 31 December 2021. The rebooking must be done before the original start of travel. If the original fare is not available anymore, the fare difference must be paid.
• If your flight has been cancelled, you have the following choices:
  • You can rebook free of charge to an alternative flight to the same destination and within the same travel class.
  • Your ticket will remain valid and you can use it towards a future flight. Latest start of travel is 31 December 2021. If you would like to choose this option, please get in touch with us, latest by 31 January 2021. You can also change your destination and your travel class. Please note, that in these cases, an additional payment might be necessary, e.g. if you change to a higher travel class.

Qantas Airways

Changes to international travel plans

Flights on or before 31 October 2020

If you have an existing Qantas international flight (excluding trans-Tasman) booked before 19 May, and are due to travel between 1 August and 31 October 2020 and wish to change your plans, you can now cancel your booking and retain the full value as a Flight Credit.

• Request your Flight Credit by 30 June 2020.
• Then book and travel by 31 December 2021.
• When you’re ready to rebook, we’ll waive the change fee one time and you’ll need to cover any fare increase in your new booking, if applicable.

Plus, if your original booking was made before 30 April 2020 for travel on a Qantas flight between 31 January and 31 October 2020, you’re eligible to use your flight credit for multiple bookings. This will be updated in our system from mid-June 2020, and further details will be provided shortly.

Find out more about Flight Credits.

Flights after 31 October 2020

If your plans have changed or you no longer wish to travel, visit Manage Booking to change your travel dates, or cancel your flight and request a flight credit to use the value towards a future flight.

• Your flight credit is valid for booking and travel within 12 months from your original booking date.
• Our standard fare rules apply, so you may be charged a change or cancellation fee.
• You’ll also need to cover any fare increase in your new booking, if applicable.

To check your fare conditions for change and cancellation information, enter your last name and booking reference at Manage booking, then move down to the flight section.

Qatar Airways

All information pertaining to the change and cancellation polices of Qatar Airways is found here.

Hold on to your ticket

Keep your ticket and use it when you are ready with our extended ticket validity, now valid for 2 years from the date of ticket issuance for greater flexibility.

Call any of our offices or contact centres to extend your ticket validity.

Unlimited changes

You can change your travel date or destination free of charge, as often as you need, for travel until 31 December 2020. You can change your origin to another city within the same country or any other destination we fly to within a 5,000 mile radius of your original destination.

Call any of our offices or contact centres to rebook.

Swap for Qmiles

Swap your ticket for Qmiles and redeem them towards reward flights, extra baggage or cabin upgrades when the time is right. For every 1 USD, you will earn 100 Qmiles that are valid for at least three years, so you can have the flexibility to choose how, when and for whom to redeem them. Not a member? Simply join before you submit your request.

Exchange for future travel

You can exchange your ticket for a future travel voucher with 10% additional value. Vouchers are now valid for two years from the date of voucher issuance.

Refund your ticket

Rest assured, we will refund your ticket to the original form of payment if your flight gets cancelled.

Vueling

The flight change fee has been removed from all tickets booked between Tuesday, March 10, 2020 and Tuesday, June 30, 2020 to fly between Tuesday, March 10, 2020 and Thursday, December 31, 2020 on flights operated by Vueling under the Basic, Optima and Family fares.

1. You can change your flight for another one on the same route throughout 2020.
2. Valid for all fares and flights operated by Vueling.
3. You will only pay the fare difference, if applicable.
4. You can change the date up to 2 hours before the departure of the original flight.
5. Valid for bookings through vueling.com or our mobile app.
6. You will have to pay any fare difference if applicable. If the new fare is lower, the difference won’t be refunded.
7. This policy is limited to a one-time date change per route booked. Name changes and origin/destination changes not included. Cancellation is not allowed.
8. Bookings made with the TimeFlex Fare already include free unlimited changes.

Summary

Are the temporary changes in policies implemented by the aforementioned airlines a way to assuage fear by customers of the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus — or is this some sort of marketing gimmick designed to capitalize on that fear? You decide for yourself…

…but would having the suspension of change and cancellation fees be nice if it was implemented on a permanent basis?

Please let me know which airlines you believe need to be added to this list — or if any of the information needs to be amended. Thank you in advance.

Graphic ©2016 by Brian Cohen. All photographs ©2007, ©2013, ©2014, ©2015, ©2016, ©2017, ©2018, and ©2019 by Brian Cohen.