Airlines Travel Waiver Policy Due COVID-19: Ultimate Flight Cancellation and Refund Guide

If you’re reading this article, chances are, you probably have or had travel plans lined up.

But with quarantine measures, lockdowns, and travel advisories being announced worldwide.

You’ve decided that it’s wiser to either cancel or delay your travel plans.

I know.

It sucks.

And nobody expected the WHO to declare this COVID-19 a pandemic.

But more importantly, will the airlines or online travel agents (OTAs) agree to refund you if you choose to cancel your flight?

Or will you have to forfeit your hard-earned money?

Can you choose to rebook your flights to a later date instead?

And will you need to pay any rebooking fees?

As always, I gotchu fam.

TL;DR: Will My Airline Refund Me for Flight Cancellations Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The short answer is yes – but only if certain airlines travel waiver policy conditions are met.

Also, it’s usually best to request a refund through the airlines first before using your travel insurance.

As most travel insurance will ask you to do so before claiming from them.

For Tickets Booked Directly From Airlines

Here’s a look at the airlines travel waiver policies regarding COVID-19 related rebooking, refunds, and cancellations:

Note: this list is not exhaustive, I’ve only curated airlines which most Singaporeans would travel by

A couple of things to note about airlines travel waiver policies:

• Rebooking, cancellation, refund fees and charges are usually waived for flights affected by COVID-19
• Rebooking usually involves calling the service centre or hotline to get it processed
• Refunds are a little more straightforward and can be done through ‘Manage Booking’ or a dedicated self-serve portal
• For tickets not purchased through the airlines (eg. travel agents), you’ll usually need to approach the agent for rebooking, cancellation, and refunds

For Tickets Booked From Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

In general, OTA’s abide by their partners’ policies.

However, online changes and cancellations will have to be processed through them instead of the airlines directly.

Can I Still Claim a Refund If I’ve Used Part of My Flight?

Let’s say you’re travelling from Singapore to Tokyo, Japan.

And your first leg is a stopover in Taipei.

Will the airline still refund you for a partially used ticket?

In most cases, yes.

But only for the unused itinerary of your flight ticket.

Especially if it’s due to travel restrictions or cancellations implemented by the destination country.

However, if you’ve already made it to Tokyo and find yourself facing travel restrictions that do not allow you to enter the country…

Chances are, you won’t be able to ask for a refund since the flight has already been completed.

If you’re unsure, always check with the airlines for their most updated travel waiver policy to see what you can or cannot do.

So… Is It Still Safe to Fly?

Most airlines have issued notices assuring passengers that the cleanliness of their aircraft is of the utmost importance.

Many have made reviews and changes to their cleaning programmes including:

• Increasing cleaning and audit inspections
• Using disinfectant and sanitisers after every flight to clean hard surfaces in cabins and lavatories
• Fitting cabins with HEPA filters to remove particulate and bacterial contamination

So if you HAVE to fly, it is still safe to do so.

That being said, most governments and companies have issued statements recommending people to delay non-essential travel.

In fact, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has advised Singaporeans to defer all travel abroad.

FYI: all Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and short-term visitors entering Singapore from 20 Mar 2020, 11:59pm onwards, will be issued a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN).

Meaning if you don’t need to travel now… then just wait lah…

Did You Manage to Get A Travel Refund?

If you’ve managed to get a travel refund because of COVID-19, why not share your experience with the Seedly Community?

This way you can help your fellow travellers make the right decision and hopefully be able to help them save some money on their flight bookings!

Help a fellow traveller!

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• Best Travel Insurance in Singapore