Covid-19 struck during a period of festivities, Chinese New Year among the bigger ones affected. That led to many shifting around or cancelling travel plans altogether as a result of policies or protecting oneself; and unfortunately, at the rate at which the disease is spreading, this may extend into following months to come, too.
This may not bode well for those who have made travel plans this year. But whether it’s a family vacation or an expedition of a different nature, you could possibly skip the moping if you haven’t yet explored the details, and thus your options, for your potentially cancelled trip.
Here’s the information you need from each airline if you have plans to rebook, reschedule or get a refund for your flight.
Scoot will be offering full voucher refunds for the full value of bookings made on or before 15 March 2020 for travel up to 31 May 2020. These vouchers will be valid for a period of 12 months, during which passengers can choose to reschedule their bookings.
Other options include rerouting to another Scoot destination with travel dates up to 31 August 2020, with change fees waived (fare differences still apply); or rebooking the flight to a later travel date up to 27 March 2021, with the same origin and destination with change fees waived (fare differences apply). The date changes have to be made prior to their original flight departure dates, or by 31 May 2020, whichever is earlier, for travel up till 27 March 2021.
Passengers are advised to only contact Scoot if their flight is within the next 72 hours.
Contact
You can manage your booking with Scoot’s self-service portal here to quickly process your changes and refunds. If you are eligible for a refund, you will see the ‘I would like a refund’ button at the top right corner.
You can also contact Scoot on their Facebook page, Weibo page, or Call Centre.
Click here for the latest Scoot updates.
Singapore Airlines is waiving all rebooking fees for tickets issued on or before 15 March 2020 for travel up to 31 May 2020.
You can cancel your exisiting flight itinerary, retain the value of your ticket and rebook at a later date when you can firm up your new travel plans. The new flight itinerary should be completed by 31 March 2021.
All rebooking fees will be waived (including new SIA and SilkAir tickets), but fare differences may still apply for new itineraries.
Customers are encouraged to contact the airline only if your flight is departing within the next 72 hours, to allow agents to focus on helping those with urgent flight changes, SIA tells The Straits Times.
Contact
Passengers who booked their tickets directly through Singapore Airlines may contact their local Singapore Airlines reservation office, or write to them with their online form here.
Passengers who booked through travel agencies are advised to contact their travel agent for assistance.
Singapore Airlines official updates can be seen here.
You can also contact them at +65 6223 8888 (Reservations Team) and sq_support@singaporeair.com.sg.
ANA is offering refunds for applicable flights without cancellation charge, with requests to be made up to 1 year and 30 days from the travel start date. A one-time change of boarding date is also allowed, with the boarding date on or before 30 June 2020.
Eligible Tickets
To/from Japan: Tickets issued by 28 February 2020, with boarding dates from 28 February to 5 April 2020.
To/from China (including Hong Kong and Macau): Tickets issued by 26 February 2020. For itineraries containing flights to/from Wuhan, departures from 21 January to 30 April 2020; for itineraries containing flights to/from other parts of Mainland China, departures from 24 January to 30 April 2020; for itineraries containing flights to/from Hong Kong/Macau, departures from 30 January to 30 April 2020.
To/from South Korea: Tickets issued by 6 March 2020, with boarding dates from 26 February to 30 April 2020.
To/from Italy: Tickets issued by 9 March 2020, with boarding dates from 1 March to 30 April 2020.
To/from India: Tickets issued by 6 March 2020, with boarding dates from 28 February to 30 April 2020.
From Thailand to Japan: Tickets issued by 26 February 2020, with boarding dates from 21 February to 30 April 2020.
From Taiwan to Japan: Tickets issued by 26 February 2020, with boarding dates from 26 February to 30 April 2020.
Contact
Passengers who bought their tickets from ANA or at an airport counter can visit the ANA website, followed by View Reservations, and click Cancel or Change. Those who bought their tickets from a travel agency or airline are advised to contact where they purchased their tickets instead.
Click here for their latest Covid-19 update on March 17, 2020.
Entry Restrictions
Korean Air is waiving refund and reissue penalties for passengers with travel dates until 30 June 2020, facing entry restrictions due to Covid-19. The reissue penalty is one-time with permission of date/itinerary changes, but fare differences still apply.
Covid-19 Patients, Medical, Military Personnel and International Students
The same applies to Covid-19 patients, medical, military personnel and international students, along with families/accompanied travellers with the same itinerary with travel daytes between 20 January to 30 June 2020.
Contact
If you booked your tickets from Korean Air website/mobile, you can rebook from the service centre and refund from the Korean Air website/mobile at Log-in, followed by My Trips, then Cancel Reservation/Refund.
If you booked your tickets from the Korean Air regional office/service centre, you can both rebook and refund at the service centre.
Passengers who booked through travel agencies are advised to contact their travel agent for assistance.
Click here for Korean Air updates.
You can email Korean Air at customersvc@koreanair.com, or call them at +82-2-2656-2001.
A list of rebooking, rerouting and refund options have been announced by Malaysia Airlines for passengers affected by travel restrictions, advisories and suspensions due to Covid-19.
This includes cancellation and service fees waived for full/partial refunds on refundable and non-refundable tickets for passengers travelling to/from South Korea and Japan. Passengers with refundable tickets will receive full refunds, while those with non-refundable tickets will receive credits (EMD) for future travel.
Click here to check your eligibility and your options.
Contact
To initiate the transactions, you can call their Global Contact Centre at 1-300-88-3000 (in Malaysia), +603 7843 3000 (outside Malaysia), or submit a waiver request at the bottom of the page.
Click here for Malaysia Airlines updates.
Travel Restrictions
Emirates is offering refunds and waiving fees for changes to bookings made on or before 31 March 2020 for tickets to travel until 31 May 2020. Eligible ticket holders are permitted to rebook and reroute (to selected destinations) until 30 June 2020, receive travel vouchers for ticketed value or get a refund of their unused tickets.
You can check out IATA Travel Centre’s list of Covid-19 travel advisories here.
Flight Cancellations
The same applies for passengers affected by flight cancellations and suspensions (not including Iran). Click here for Emirates’ list of suspended flights.
Iran
Emirates has cancelled flights to/from Iran until further notice. Passengers across the Emirates network holding tickets for final destination Tehran will not be accepting for boarding at their point of origin until further notice.
You can opt for a travel voucher for the ticketed value for future use or refund if you’re holding unused tickets for travel to/from Iran booked to travel until 30 June 2020.
Contact
If you booked directly with Emirates, you can visit the Request refund page and add “Refund request due to Coronavirus” in the comments section. To rebook or make changes, click here or contact the Emirates office.
If you booked with a travel agent, you are advised to contact them for rebooking or refund.
Emirates updates can be seen here.
You can call their customer service at +65 6622 1770 (Singapore), 400 882 2380 (China) and +852 30713019 (Hong Kong).
Passengers affceted by entry restrictions can rebook their tickets to alternative dates and destinations, or request a full refund without charge.
Some of Qatar’s services have also been amended or suspended due to Covid-19. As such, passengers to/from China, Hong Kong, Iran (except Tehran QR 498/491), South Korea (not applicable to transiting passengers via Doha), Egypt, Italy and Kuwait with tickets issued on or before 12 March 2020, to travel on or before 31 May 2020 can also rebook for new travel dates until 30 June 2020.
Contact
Manage your booking here, or call their 24 hrs Call Centre at 974 4023 0000.
Passengers are advised to keep their contact details up to date so Qatar can let them know directly if their flight is affected.
Qatar Airways updates can be seen here.
Travel Restrictions
Passengers due to fly before 30 June 2020 with flights cancelled, who are advised not to fly by local authorities, or who are unable to commence or complete their journeys due to restrictions preventing departure/entry can rebook (one-time) for departures up to 30 June 2020, without standard change fees. There must be no travel restrictions on intended routes.
Passengers with flights cancelled, who are prohibited from travelling by their local authorities, or who are unable to commence or complete their journeys due to restrictions preventing departure/entry can request a fare refund without penalty on the unused portion of any tickets.
Suspended Flights
Etihad has also suspended and announced suspension for a list of flights between Abu Dhabi and other destinations. Click here for the list, and here for alternative options.
Contact
To request for a refund, click here to complete the refund request form.
Passengers who booked their flights through a travel agent or third-party booking agent should contact their agent to request a cancellation or refund.
You can call the Etihad Singapore office at +65 68185555, or their Guest Contact Centre in the UAE at (+971 600 55 666).
Etihad Airways updates can be seen here.
Lufthansa is offering free rebookings for passengers who are facing entry restrictions due to Covid-19.
In view of the situation, they are also introducing flexible booking options for their airlines (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti).
If you hold an existing reservation and would like to rebook to a new departure date, with your ticket issued on or before 5 March 2020 with a travel date up to 30 April 2020, you can rebook your ticket within its original validity period or until a new date of travel up to 31 December 2020 with rebooking fees waived. You can visit your individual Lufthansa group airline webpage to self-service rebook, or contact Lufthansa’s Service Centre if you hold a Light Fare.
If you hold an existing reservation and do not have a new departure date, with your ticket issued on or before 12 March 2020 with a travel date up to 30 April 2020, you can cancel your reservation without rebooking immediately. You have until 1 June 2020 to book your new flight, with your travel date within the validity of your ticket or until 31 December 2020. To arrange, get in touch with their Service Centre.
Click here to manage your bookings.
You can also call Lufthansa Service Centre/Flight Bookings And Service Enquiries at +65 6245 5600.
Click here for Lufthansa updates.
If you have a booking with Air France, you can check if you can change, cancel or refund your ticket from My Bookings by entering your booking reference, ticket number and your name.
Postpone
Passengers who have booked for a trip before 31 May 2020 have until 30 September 2020 to postpone their departure date without change fees. Click here to postpone your trip, or change your booking from My Bookings here or on the Air France mobile app.
Refund
Similarly, those with flights scheduled before 31 May 2020 can choose cancel and refund. This also applies to passengers who are facing flight cancellations and no longer want to travel.
Click here to fill out the refund form if you purchased your ticket from their website to receive the travel voucher. The voucher is non-refundable and valid for one year on all Air France, KLM, Delta and Virgin Atlantic flights.
Passengers who booked with travel agencies are to contact their travel agents for any changes or refunds.
Air France advisory can be seen here.
You can also call +65 6415 5111.
Virgin Australia advises all passengers travelling internationally to check the latest information and advice on the relevant government websites or via Smartraveller.
Travel Restrictions
Following the restrictions imposed by the Australian and New Zealand governments, Virgin Australia is offering passengers with bookings until 30 June 2020 who no longer want to travel the option to change their flight to a later date and/or a different destination without change fee (fare differences still apply).
Domestic flight passengers are permitted to one change with no fee, and international flight passengers are permitted to two changes with no fees.
Passengers with departures within the next four weeks are also eligible to receive credit to a Travel Bank with no cancellation fee if they want to cancel their flight.
Contact
Passengers travelling in the next 24 hours can call their Virgin Australia’s Guest Contact Centre on 13 67 89.
Passengers travelling before 30 June 2020 are advised to wait until 24 hours prior to call their Guest Contact Centre. To request a cancellation, guests travelling within four weeks can request a Travel Bank credit online here.
Travel Alerts from Virgin Australia can be seen here.
Airasia is offering one-time date change and credit account options for passengers affected by travel restrictions with international bookings to/from Malaysia with bookings made before 16 March 2020, departure on or before 30 April 2020; and Singapore and Australia with bookings made before 7 March 2020, departure on or before 30 April, as well as other countries.
The one-time flight change to a new travel date must be on the same route within 180 calendar days from the original flight time without additional cost, while the online credit account is to be redeemed for booking within 365 calendar days from the issuance date for your travel.
Passengers with internation bookings to/from China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Taiwan, Japan and Korea with bookings made before 7 March, departure on or before 30 April are also eligible for the options.
Contact
Click here to check your eligibility and the steps to take for the different options.
Click here for AirAsia’s latest update on March 17, 2020.
The Expedia official website has offered guidelines on cancellations pertaining to Covid-19. Travellers not travelling within the next two weeks are advised to wait before contacting Expedia. This is to ensure that Expedia provides the latest information available for your travel.
To change flight or package booking
You can check if there has been a policy issued to waive change and cancellation fees under the dropdown here at “To change flight or package booking”. Once you have prepared potential dates for rebooking your travel, you can contact Expedia to make the necessary changes.
If you are flying with a low-cost airline, you can also select the airline under the dropdown at “Low-cost airline” to contact them first, before contacting Expedia to change the rest of your booking.
Expedia’s Customer Service Portal can be viewed here.
You can also contact Expedia locally at +65 6415 5555 or at their international hotline at (877) 227-7481 (international charges will apply).
Trip.com has announced an expansion to its Safeguard Cancellation Guarantee, which offers cancellation waivers to customers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This applies to bookings on Trip.com made before on 23 February 2020 11.59pm, for use before 31 March 2020 11.59pm.
The coverage includes bookings for those unable to travel due to their Covid-19 diagnosis, travel restrictions, quarantine requirement by destination authorities, policies and many more. Click here for more information.
Contact
To cancel your booking, log in to the Trip.com app, select “My Account”, followed by “My Booking”. Then select the “Cancel” button next to your booking.
You can contact Trip.com’s Customer Service at locally at +65 6818 2868, or at their Global Access number at +86 21 3210 4669 (international charges will apply).
Traveloka has suspended flights between Vietnam to/from China, between Philippines and to/from China, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea, as well as all Philippine domestic routes and all routes to/from Italy, Denmark, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Ukraine, Hungary and Poland.
As policies are changed or added at the discretion of the airline, passengers are to check for updates before finalising their options. You can check them here under “Airline Status & Policy”.
If your ticket is eligible for the travel waiver policy, you can waive refund or reschedule without charge.
Contact
To refund, log into your Traveloka account on the app or website, at “My Booking”. Select “Refund” followed by “Force Majeure” as the reason for refund.
To reschedule your flight to another preferred date (as long as it meets airline’s regulation), log in to your Traveloka account on the app or website and go to “My Booking”. Select “Reschedule” and follow the instructions on the screen.
Traveloka Coronavirus updates can be seen here.
You can contact Traveloka here, email at cs@traveloka.com or call at +65 6486 7945 or +65 6911 8138.
Stay safe, everyone!
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Text: Magdelene Mok/Shopback, Additional reporting: Cherrie Lim
This post was updated on March 17, 2020.
