Airlines Coronavirus policies

[alwysonvac]

From https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...lations-airline-policies-on-flight-disruption

March 6, 2020, 4:44 PM EST

Here’s a roundup of the coronavirus policies of major U.S. carriers:

Delta
No change fees for tickets purchased between March 1 and March 31. Rebooked travel must begin no later than Feb. 28 of next year. International tickets for travel in March will have change fees waived for trips beginning no later than May 31.

American
No change fees for passengers purchasing travel through March 31.

United
No change fees over the next 12 months for flights booked by March 31. Change fees will be waived and refunds will be given for certain flights to affected regions.

Southwest
Never charges change fees. Will work with customers who aren’t comfortable re-booking within the one-year re-booking window for new tickets.

JetBlue
No change and cancel fees for new flight bookings made between March 6 and March 31 for travel through September 8.

Alaska
No change fee for nonrefundable first class or main fare tickets purchased between Feb. 27 and March 31 for travel through Feb. 28, 2021. Those tickets as well as saver fare tickets purchased under the same terms can be canceled and the funds applied to a future ticket.

 

[alwysonvac]

Airline Coronavirus Travel Alert pages

Coronavirus – Alaska Airlines Blog

blog.alaskaair.com

Travel alerts − Travel information − American Airlines

www.aa.com

Help Center | Southwest Airlines

Find answers to all of your travel and flight-related questions and view common FAQ articles regarding your travel experience when you fly with Southwest Airlines.

www.southwest.com

Coronavirus Travel Updates

Health concerns from Coronavirus may impact travel to/from/through the Beijing, Shanghai, and Incheon areas, as well as all of Italy. Our policy on change fees is also spelled out for your convenience.

www.delta.com

COVID-19 Updates

Hawaiian Airline’s latest information on travel updates, travel waivers, and flight suspensions related to the COVID-19.

www.hawaiianairlines.com

JetBlue

JetBlue offers flights to 90+ destinations with free inflight entertainment, free brand-name snacks and drinks, lots of legroom and award-winning service.

www.jetblue.com

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html

 

[CPNY]

Just made a change to Italy trip in June. They charged me half the fee. I could have waited a week when I’m sure they push the dates to the end of June but I didn’t want to risk increases in sky mile usage. I’d rather pay the 80 bucks now and know I don’t have to wake up at 3am to drive to Naples to catch my flight to leave at 6:45am. Now I can sleep and fly out at 12:25 pm.

 

[Ski-Dad]

Air Canada

Just announced that for flights booked between now and March 31, 2020 for travel within the next twelve (12) months, they will waive any change fees on all classes of tickets if you have a change of plans. Change must be made at least fourteen (14) days prior to the travel date. Changes can include different travel dates and/or destinations. All you pay for the change is any difference in the fare, if any.

 

[Talent312]

... I’d rather pay the 80 bucks now and know I don’t have to wake up at 3am to drive to Naples to catch my flight to leave at 6:45am. Now I can sleep and fly out at 12:25 pm.

Good move.
I'm of an age where I exclude early AM flights from searches (even if it is more $$).
.

 

[Luanne]

Seems like all of these deal with flights being made now. What about flights made earlier and now the destination isn't someplace we feel safe going to?

 

[Bunk]

What is the logic of not allowing those who booked flights before March 1 to cancel?

 

[alwysonvac]

Yeah it seems like those of us who plan ahead are getting punished.

Just saw that United Airlines actually made a policy change a few days ago making it harder to get a refund due to their schedule changes.

https://onemileatatime.com/united-airlines-schedule-change-policy/

 

[CPNY]

Good move.
I'm now of an age where I exclude early AM flights from searches (even if it is more $$).
.

Exactly why I did it! 50K delta sky miles round trip booked well before Corona. But the 645am was the only flight back at that mileage. So what the heck! Checked yesterday and the 12:25 flight went down to 50K but the outbound wasn’t available. Just paid half of the change fee. If I’m out any money it’s only 75 bucks. If I have to cancel the trip it will be because of this issue in which case everything should be refunded but that change fee.

 

[Ski-Dad]

Yeah it seems like those of us who plan ahead are getting punished.

Remember the airlines are not doing this for your benefit, they are doing it for theirs.

If you have already booked and they have your $$, well they have your money, and there is no motivation to depart from your original contract terms.

If you are contemplating booking but are uncertain due to what the future holds, your inclination is to hold off. Airlines are offering no fee changes to incent you to purchase now. They dont have your money yet, and sales are down. The no fee changes are simply an incentive.

 

[alwysonvac]

Remember the airlines are not doing this for your benefit, they are doing it for theirs.

If you have already booked and they have your $$, well they have your money, and there is no motivation to depart from your original contract terms.

If you are contemplating booking but are uncertain due to what the future holds, your inclination is to hold off. Airlines are offering no fee changes to incent you to purchase now. They dont have your money yet, and sales are down. The no fee changes are simply an incentive.

The following is moving in the direction I was hoping for.


Delta Airlines update

No Change Fees for All Tickets Purchased on or before March 9, 2020

• Affected Customers: All Tickets Issued on or before March 9, 2020
• Impacted Travel Date(s): March 1, 2020 – April 30, 2020
• New Ticket Must Be Re-issued On/Before: Dec 31, 2020
• Rebooked Travel Must Begin No Later Than: Dec 31, 2020

 

[Talent312]

Delta Airlines update
No Change Fees for All Tickets Purchased on or before March 9, 2020
-- Affected Customers: All Tickets Issued on or before March 9, 2020.
-- Impacted Travel Date(s): March 1, 2020 – April 30, 2020.

As you say, a move in the right direction, but I'm flying Delta in May.
So, no joy for me, yet. Maybe they'll extend it.
-------------------
I'm thinking about cancelling and rebooking our flights + cruise...
just to get better prices for the same thing .
.

 

[RNCollins]

Email update received this evening (March 10 2020) from JetBlue President & COO Joanna Geraghty about the latest on COVID-19:

Hello, On behalf of our 23,000 crewmembers at JetBlue, I want to thank you for flying with us. The fact that you trust JetBlue with your travel inspires us to deliver the signature JetBlue experience that has been our calling card for two decades. I want to personally let you know that safety—your safety—is, and always will be, job one at our airline. Not only is safety built into the DNA of everything we are as a company, but that priority bears repeating in the face of any challenge, including the concerns posed by coronavirus (COVID-19). At JetBlue, we have worked for years to ensure the safety of our crewmembers and customers. Since January, our pandemic response team has been activated to ensure we are working closely with government agencies, our own infectious disease medical staff, and in coordination across the entire JetBlue family to support our customers during their travels. To that end, I want to share some of the steps we are taking. We were the first U.S. airline to suspend our change/cancel fees across all fare types in all markets so that you, our valued customers, could book with confidence should your travel plans change. Currently, all change and cancel fees for travel through 4/30/20 are waived, regardless of when you purchased your ticket. And, there are no change or cancel fees on new flights booked through 3/31/20 for travel until 9/8/20. Our customer support team is ready to support you with adjustments if you need assistance. We know how important cleanliness is during these times. To offer you peace of mind, we have increased aircraft cleaning each night, including the walls, windows, window shades, galleys, lavatories and floors. We are applying disinfectant that is effective against coronavirus across aircraft interiors including the places customers touch most - the tray tables, seat covers, armrests and seatbelts. All of our aircraft are equipped with hospital-grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. All recirculated air is passed through these filters before re-entering the cabin or being mixed with fresh air. All of the air in the cabin is, on average, completely changed every three minutes. We have updated our inflight service standards. We've increased the availability of sanitizing wipes on board, temporarily suspended hot towel service, and you can expect to see our inflight crewmembers wearing medical-grade gloves during the service delivery to further limit contact points. In our airports, we are disinfecting common surfaces more frequently and we are making hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes widely available throughout our terminals. We are encouraging customers to self-scan boarding passes - you can download a mobile boarding pass on the JetBlue app. As of today, authorities have not announced travel restrictions to any destinations where we fly. Some countries, including the U.S., have restrictions in place for customers who have recently been to certain international destinations. Please monitor these closely. You can always find our latest coronavirus information on our blog. You can also learn more about the coronavirus and specific information for travelers on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Your confidence in JetBlue inspires us to deliver the safe JetBlue experience you've always known. We at JetBlue never take for granted your travel decisions and look forward to welcoming you on board soon. Regards, ​

Joanna Geraghty President & Chief Operating Officer, JetBlue Airways​

 

[alwysonvac]

Delta Airlines update

No Change Fees for All Tickets Purchased on or before March 9, 2020

• Affected Customers: All Tickets Issued on or before March 9, 2020
• Impacted Travel Date(s): March 1, 2020 – April 30, 2020
• New Ticket Must Be Re-issued On/Before: Dec 31, 2020
• Rebooked Travel Must Begin No Later Than: Dec 31, 2020

Good news the other Airlines are now providing similar waiver of fees

United Airlines update
All change fees waived for tickets issued on or before March 2, 2020

Airports

• All cities

Original travel dates
March 9, 2020 - April 30, 2020

Additional information
FLIGHT CHANGES:

• New tickets must be reissued on/before December 31, 2020 or 12 months from original ticket date, whichever is earlier
• Rebooked travel must commence within 12 months from the original ticket issue date

ORIGINAL TICKET MUST BE ISSUED ON OR BEFORE:

March 2, 2020

 

[alwysonvac]

American Airlines update
No change fee if you bought your ticket on or before March 1
Information current as of March 10, 2020

If you're traveling to / through / from:
All cities served by American

The change fee is waived if you:

• Are traveling on an American Airlines flight
• Bought your ticket by March 1, 2020
• Are scheduled to travel March 10, 2020 - April 30, 2020
• Can travel March 10, 2020 - December 31, 2020
• Don't change your origin or destination city
• Rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference

Change your trip
If your trip is eligible, you can make a one-time change online. Here's how:

• Find your trip
• If your trip is eligible, you'll see the option to 'change trip' in the toolbar

Find your trip

Delay your trip
We’ll continue to waive change or cancellation fees if you:

• Bought your ticket by March 1, 2020
• Are scheduled to travel March 10, 2020 - April 30, 2020
• Can travel March 10, 2020 - December 31, 2020, or within 1 year of date the ticket was issued
• Wish to change your origin and destination cities

Changes must be:
Completed by December 31, 2020 or within 1 year of date the ticket was issued; difference in fare may apply

These changes can’t be made online – you must contact Reservations.

 

[alwysonvac]

Alaska Airlines update

For tickets purchased on/before February 26, 2020:

Tickets Purchased On/Before February 26, 2020
Original Travel Dates March 9, 2020 - March 31, 2020
New Travel Dates March 9, 2020 - February 28, 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 purchased a Saver fare for travel through March 31, 2020, you may:
  • Cancel your trip and deposit the funds into your My Account wallet.
• If you purchased a nonrefundable First Class, main, or award ticket for travel through March 31, 2020, you may:
  • Change without fee. New travel must be completed by February 28, 2021. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary.
  • Cancel your trip and deposit the funds into My Account wallet or credit card certificate via email.
• 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 don’t begin with “027”) are subject to the waiver policy of the other airline.
• Tickets issued by other airlines with a different carrier code (ticket numbers that don’t begin with “027”) are subject to the waiver policy of the other airline.

 

[alwysonvac]

Hawaiian Airlines update

Travel Waivers for Guests with Existing Bookings

For our guests who have existing bookings and may be concerned about upcoming travel, we have adopted flexible ticket change policies due to the evolving COVID-19 situation.

Travel Waiver for all markets – bookings made through March 9, 2020
March 9, 2020, 4:00 P.M. HST

We are issuing travel waivers for all Hawaiian Airlines flights booked through March 9, 2020 HST for travel between March 1, 2020 HST to April 30, 2020 HST.

Waiver qualifications and rules:

• Ticket was issued on/before March 9, 2020 HST for travel between March 1, 2020 HST to April 30, 2020 HST.
• New travel must be ticketed on/before by December 31, 2020 for travel commencing no later than December 31, 2020.
• This waiver allows a one-time change per ticket without fee. Any subsequent changes will be subject to regular change rules and applicable to the originally ticketed fare(s).
• The change fee will be waived, but any applicable fare difference will be collected for the new flight.
• To receive the one-time waiver of change fee, guests must contact Hawaiian Airlines no later than 24 hours prior to departure.
• Guests who have purchased their tickets through a travel agency will need to request changes through their agency directly.
• Voluntary changes made to the origin, destination, and/or via/stopover point will be permitted without a change fee, however any applicable fare difference will apply.
• Refund rules of original ticketed fares will apply.
• Hawaiian Airlines Reservations handling fees and HawaiianMiles award redeposit fees will be waived.

 

[MULTIZ321]

WestJet to temporarily remove flight change and cancellation fees due to COVID-19 concerns.

WestJet to temporarily remove flight change and cancellation fees due to COVID-19 concerns

As a growing number of countries around the world are being added to an 'avoid non-essential travel' list amid an outbreak of COVID-19, WestJet said it is temporarily changing its policy on flight cancellations and changes.

winnipeg.ctvnews.ca

.


Richard

 

[caribbeanqueen]

We are flying to Florida late April. May end up canceling depending on how things go. My flight back is with Southwest. My flight in is with Allegiant. We have two nights scheduled at Marriott Ocean Pointe. Last time we tried to go I had an emergency appendectomy. Maybe I am just not meant to go.

 

[Talent312]

You ain't missing much... Well, truth is that you are. Just didn't want you disappointed.
My thoughts:
You're just as likely to catch something where you're at as I am here in Florida.
Wherever you go... There you are.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Avianca Lifemiles update: We booked a domestic United flight in April using Lifemiles. They answered the phone right away (unlike United call center that said there is a 90 min wait.)

Avianca is not applying United's Covid policy except for China and Italy at this time but cancelling and redepositing the award miles only costs $50 (which is much better than the United waiver because you cannot redeposit the miles without a hefty fee). There may be a waiver of fees for changing the flight but did not pursue yet. Avianca rep said that even though the flight is in April, we have 1 year until the date we purchased the ticket in 2021 to either cancel or change the ticket as long as it is not used. Perhaps there will be additional waivers by then so waiting this out.