Unless you are one of the few people who pay the ridiculous premium to purchase flexible airline tickets, you ordinarily have no option to cancel or change your flight without incurring significant fees or losing the ticket altogether. Well, my friends, these aren’t ordinary times.
As 2020 progressed and the pandemic got worse, the airline industry immediately felt the impact. Up to 90% of all flights were cancelled and airports, which were once bustling with crowds, became virtual ghost towns. Months later, business is ever-so-slowly increasing, but airlines are continuing to hemorrhage money. It will undoubtedly take a few years for airlines to fully recover.
One good thing that came out of this horrific situation is a significant airline policy change. In an effort to drum up business from apprehensive passengers every major airline, domestic and international, has eliminated ticket change fees. No–you cannot get a refund, but you can change the date, destination, and/or the origination city of almost any flight you book. How long will this change be in effect? Who knows–but I think these changes will be around for the foreseeable future.
With the new airline policy in effect you have several options to consider when canceling a flight. It doesn’t matter if the reason is related to Covid or any other reason. But, keep in mind that there is some fine print and little nuances depending on the airline–so do a little research before booking. But, your options are pretty much the same:
- Change your flight to a different date/time. You can even change the destination or origination city.
- Obtain a travel voucher for the full amount of the cost of the flight. Qatar Airways actually will actually add 10% to that voucher for future travel.
- Wait until the date of your flight gets closer.
- If the airline cancels your scheduled flight OR if the airline changes the flight time significantly (usually by 90 minutes or more), you are entitled to a full refund. That’s correct–you do not have to settle for a voucher or reschedule. You can actually get all of your money back. With all of the chaos airlines are going through right now, there is a far greater chance of this happening than ever before–so pay attention to the emails from your airline.
I hope that his helps alleviate some of the trepidation in booking a flight during this pandemic. We all need something to look forward to.
Do you have a flight cancelation story you’d like to share?
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