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How Is The Coronavirus Affecting Air Travel And Hotel Stays And Cruises

The Effects Of COVID-19 aka Coronavirus On Air and Hotel and Cruise Travel

 

-Updated April 3, 2020 at 3:46 p.m. Central Time

 

So how is the Coronavirus affecting air travel? There’s a lot of information floating around about the Coronavirus (now called COVID-19), some are better than others. For the clear facts and latest information I recommend that you use the Coronavirus information provided by the Center for Disease Control.

Let’s take a look.

 

The Facts of Coronavirus

I recommend this article on the truth about Coronavirus Infection by friend and travel blogger, Dr. White as it just gives you the facts from a medical expert in the field.

She also did a Facebook Live which you can find on YouTube. I’ve included the video below:

 

 

UNWTO and WHO Statements

Also, the UNWTO and the WHO made a joint statement about Coronavirus aka COVID-19 and you can find information from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

 

Visual Representation

And here is a visual infographic Map of the global cases of the virus: https://infographics.channelnewsasia.com/covid-19/map.html

Johns Hopkins University visual map: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html

 

Government Travel Restrictions

There may be travel restrictions by your country to another country as well as by a country you are visiting. It is imperative you check these first as you may not be able to return to your country if you go to a country that has restrictions or you may not be able to continue your journey. Use the following link to access this information:

IATA Travel Documents Required For Travel To Various Countries Worldwide

In Europe, there may be spot checks when you cross borders, so be prepared and ready for this.

Here are some information for select countries:

If you’ve visited China at all over the last month, you will be under additional scrutiny and may be quarantined. Also, some airlines are asking you to self-certify for previous China travel before you check in when re-entering the U.S. This may be the same for other countries as well.

 

Information From Affected Countries

Italy

 

Travel Insurance

I’ve always told everyone I know to get travel insurances when they travel, however some don’t. Now many are buying it as they are scared something will happen and they can’t get home.

First, I implore you to read the policy properly before you buy it in terms of what’s covered. Also remember that some credit cards will also provide insurance, but only if you use it to pay for the trip.

As there are a lot of questions, I’ve looked around for information and here’s what I’ve found so far:

Allianz Travel Insurance

1-866-724-5082

This is the company I currently use, I have an annual policy. Here’s what they have to say about coverage.

Credit Card Travel Insurances

I suggest you contact your credit card company and ask them what coverage do you have for what you purchased. This is the easiest way to know.

Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Insurance

I had a talk with the insurance benefit part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards and they advised that unless you have the virus and it shortened your trip or stopped you from starting the trip, then its not a covered reason. Sounds harsh, I know. The covered reasons are listed at https://www.chasebenefits.com/sapphirepreferred and you can find them in your account when you sign in.

In terms of ticket options, you have to call them and give them your account information and they will look at your itinerary and tell you what are the options. They are a travel agent, but a large one, so they will have to work with what the airlines have offered on their Web sites. Here are some phone numbers to use:

  • 1-800 945-2000 – General Customer Service
  • 1-866 327 8820 -Chase Sapphire Preferred Travel Service
  • 1-888-511- 5326 – Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Service

Travel Guard/AIG

1-800-826-5248

From their Web site: Please also note that Coronavirus became a known risk on January 24, 2020 and, as such, any claim arising from Coronavirus may not be covered if the policy was purchased or the trip was arranged on or after January 24, 2020.

Here are the details of a FAQ put together by Travel Guard.

TravelInsurance.com

This company offers insurance from several providers. Here’s their take on what’s covered for Coronavirus.

Airline Waivers/Travel Plan Changes

Many airlines are offering a chance to change your travel plans, so ensure that you have the correct and updated contact information. If you have a booking made by a travel agency, ensure that your phone number and email is in the booking as opposed to the travel agency’s. You can do this by pulling up your reservation on the airline’s Web site and updating the information or contacting the airline via phone.

I’ve listed links to the policies so you can take a look.

Remember that there are always rules of thumb you should be following when you book any ticket with an airline or other travel providers:

  1. Ensure the airline or travel partner have your current contact information
  2. Get Travel Insurance; this can be via your credit card used to purchase the ticket or purchased separately.
  3. Download the airline/travel partner’s App.

 

List of Airline Waivers

Bear in mind that these will change so you should check the airlines’ Web sites from time to time. Also, some airlines will allow you to cancel completely and get a refund while others will allow you to cancel and get a travel credit good for a year.

Plus, although your city is not listed for the Coronavirus, it may be listed for another reason and you can make changes, so check all the travel alerts from each airline.

And, if you’ve bought your ticket through a travel agency, online or otherwise, all changes usually have to be made through the travel agency, so check with them first. If you made your booking with the airline, then use the App, their Website or the telephone to facilitate the change.

 

Aegean Airlines

– If you booked your ticket on/before  February 23, 2020, and is traveling before March 20, 2020, you can change to a later date as long as that date is on/or before October 20, 2020 and the reason is due to Coronavirus, you may do so without any rebooking fees.

Aeromexico

– Issued waivers for passengers flying to Italy, the U.S. and People’s Republic of China either on Aeromexico or its codeshared flights. The dates and rules change with destinations, so check the details on their site. For the most part, there is no change fee and difference in fare as long as the same bucket is available.

Air Tahiti Nui

– Is allowing flight changes if your ticket was bought before February 20, 2020 and your travel dates are between January 28 and June 30, 2020 to/from the following countries: People’s Republic of China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Nepal, The Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Air Canada

– Restrictions on passengers traveling to the U.S.

Traveling to/from/through the following cities, you may be able to may changes at no charge or get a refund:

– Hong Kong (HKG)

– Italy: Bologna (BLQ), Milan (MXP, LIN, BGY), Torino (TRN), Valerio (VRN), Venice (VCE), Trieste (TRS), Genoa (GOA)

– People’s Republic of China: Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG), Wuhan (WUH)

– South Korea: Seoul-Gimpo (GMP), Seoul-Incheon (ICN)

Air China

– Select flights to/from Beijing to/from Los Angeles, (LAX), New York-JFK (JFK), San Francisco, (SFO) and Washington-Dulles (IAD) are operating through February are operating, all other cities are cancelled until further notice.

Air France

– On 12 and 13 March 2020, flights to and from the United States have operated  normally.

From 14 to 28 March 2020 inclusive, we will maintain flights to and from Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York JFK, San Francisco, Miami, Boston and Washington. Service to Houston is suspended effective 14 March, 2020.

Beginning 29 March 2020, together with our partners KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic, we plan on maintaining service to the United States.

Air New Zealand

– Hong Kong: Flights suspended until May 31, 2020; refunds and change options are being offered

– People’s Republic of China: Flights suspended until 29 March 2020; refunds and change options are being offered

– Samoa: Reduction in service; healthy medical certificates required for all passengers.

– South Korea: Seoul-Incheon (ICN), flights suspended until the end of June 2020. refunds and change options are being offered.

Air transat

– Have no particular information about their flights or cancellations.

Alaska Airlines

– They have a “Peace of Mind Waiver” – The waiver applies to tickets purchased between February 27 and March 12, 2020 for travel through June 1, 2020. Make a one-time change or cancel your ticket and deposit the funds into My Wallet with no change/redeposit fee. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary.

Alitalia

– Has a list of entry restrictions to from the following countries for their passengers and what they will offer if their customers want to make a change, some countries will prohibit travel to/from Italy and other infected countries: China, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Mauritius, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam.

American Airlines

March 13, 2020.

New schedule changes include:

Europe

  • Continue operating flights from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), New York City (JFK), and Miami (MIA) to Barcelona (BCN), Frankfurt (FRA), Madrid (MAD) and Paris (CDG) for up to seven days
  • Suspending flights from Charlotte (CLT) and Philadelphia (PHL) to Amsterdam (AMS), Frankfurt (FRA), MAD, Munich (MUC) and Zurich (ZRH) on Friday, March 13, as CLT and PHL are not government-approved gateways
  • Suspending service from Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina (RDU) to London (LHR)
  • Reducing service from JFK, DFW and Chicago (ORD) to LHR
  • Delaying the start of some seasonal routes to early May

South America

  • Suspending service from MIA, JFK, DFW, LAX to Buenos Aires (EZE) and ending service from MIA to Cordoba, Argentina (COR)
  • Suspending service from DFW and LAX to São Paulo (GRU)
  • Suspending service from DFW to Santiago (SCL)

March 10, 2020 If you’re traveling to / through / from airports in these countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The change fee is waived if you: Booked an American Airlines flight, Bought your ticket on or before March 11, 2020, are scheduled to travel March 11 – May 31, 2020. Can travel March 11 – December 31, 2020 or within 1 year of date the ticket was issued. Keep in mind, you may owe any difference in ticket price when you rebook your trip.

Service suspension as of March 10, 2020 from Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) to:

– mainland china until October 24, 2020

– Hong Kong until July 2, 2020, then three times weekly flights until October 23, 2020

– Seoul-Incheon, South Korea until early May 2020

– Summer flights to Rome may be delayed or suspended

– Santiago, Chile until end of April

Service from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to mainland China and Hong Kong are suspended through summer 2020.

Expect domestica flight cancellations as well.

Any ticket purchased from March 1 at 4:30 p.m. CT and March 16, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CT will not incur change fees if changes are made 14 days prior to travel. More details at http://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2020/American-Airlines-Waiving-Change-Fees-for-Customers-Purchasing-Travel-Between-March-1-and-March-16-OPS-POL/.

Allowing flight changes for passengers traveling to/from/through the following cities:

– Hong Kong (HKG)

– Italy: Bologna (BLQ), Florence (FLR), Milan-Linate (LIN), Milan-Malpensa (MXP), Milan Orio al Serio (BGY), Naples (NAP), Pisa (PSA), Rome (FCO), Turin (TRN), Venice (VCE), Verona (VRN).

– Italy: Service is suspended to Milan-Malpensa (MXP) to/from Miami (MIA) and New York-JFK (JFK) until April 25, 2020. More details at http://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2020/American-Airlines-Update-on-China-Flights-OPS-DIS/default.aspx.

– People’s Republic of China (Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG), Wuhan (WUH)

– South Korea (Seoul-Incheon (ICN)).

ANA

ANA have also instituted specific measures in their operations to mitigate the virus and protect its customers.

Traveling to/from/through the following cities, you are eligible to make changes and refunds:

– Hong Kong, Macau, People’s Republic of China

– All Japan Domestic flights

Austrian Airlines

– Traveling to/from/through the following cities: People’s Republic of China (Beijing (PEK) and Shanghai (PVG)) flights are suspended until March 28, 2020.

– Traveling to/from/through the following cities: Italy (Bologna (BLQ), Genoa (GOA), Milan–Linate (LIN), Milan–Malpensa (MXP), Trieste (TRS), Turin (TRN), Venice (VCE), Verona (VRN) for tickets issues on/before February 26, 2020 on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines or Air Dolomiti.

British Airways

– Flights to Beijing (PEK) and Shanghai (PVG) are cancelled until 17 April 2020. Contact British Airways if they’ve not already contacted you to make alternate arrangements or arrange a refund.  They are also offering flight changes to Hong Kong as well.

brussels airlines

– Shutdown services until April 20, 2020.

Given the extraordinary circumstances caused by the worldwide Coronavirus crisis, we have decided to temporarily suspend our flight operations from Saturday, 21 March until 19 April 2020 included.

Rest assured that we are already putting all our efforts into restarting operations on 20 April 2020 to serve you again with the extra smile you are used to.

Please be aware that our Service Center, both on the phone and via social media, are saturated for the moment. We therefore explicitly ask you to only contact us at this moment if you need to fly in the coming 4 days. That way we can help the customers that need our help most urgently first.

For all other guests we offer you until 1st June to decide on what you want to do with your ticket. We completely understand that in the current situation, you do not know when exactly you want to travel. So please take your time, and get in touch with us when you are ready to fly again. Until then, we simply keep your ticket on hold for you.

Cathay Pacific Airways/Cathay Dragon

As Cathay is close to the epicenter and has several cases, they’ve issued these statements:

– Rebooking and rerouting charges will be waived for all tickets issued on/before February 4, 2020 for travel with Cathay Pacific/Cathay Dragon confirmed bookings arriving in, departing from or transiting through Hong Kong between February 4 and May 31, 2020. View special ticketing guidelines for details.

– Flights To/from Taiwan: In light of the evolving situation regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), with immediate effect, rebooking, rerouting and refund charges will be waived for all tickets issued worldwide (irrespective of fare type) on/before February 8, 2020 for travel with Cathay Pacific / Cathay Dragon confirmed bookings between Hong Kong and Taiwan on February 8, 2020 – April 30, 2020.

– In light of the Government Response Plan to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we will be reducing the capacity of our flights to and from mainland China by 50% or more, from 30 January to the end of March, 2020. Effective immediately, Cathay Dragon has cancelled flights to/from Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Sanya and Haikou in Mainland China on 2 February to 28 March 2020, except the Haikou flight on 8 February is still scheduled to operate. For flights to and from Guangzhou and Chongqing will be cancelled from 5 February to 28 March 2020. We will be assisting the affected passengers regarding alternative arrangements.

– Plus, they’ve detailed travel restrictions for several countries.

Cebu Pacific

Due to travel restrictions issued by the Philippine government,

– Flights between the Philippines and South Korea from March 3 to April 30, 2020. More details.

– Flights between the Philippines, mainland China (Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzen), Hong Kong and Macau are cancelled until March 31, 2020. More details.

Due to the Philippine government lifting travel restrictions between Taiwan and the Philippines, flights will resume between Manila and Taipei. more details.

 

China Airlines

– Details vary based on the country to which you are flying, so check the main page for details. Affected countries for various related reasons are: Italy (Rome (FCO)), Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam (Hanoi). Check each country to see how they are affected and the change rules as they are quite different for each country.

– Read extensive FAQ here.

China Southern Airlines

Travel Guidelines for traveling on China Southern Airlines

Changes/refunds are applicable if traveling to/from/through the following cities:

– Wuhan (WUH)

– Other international cities with flight cancellations or country restrictions

Delta Air Lines

March 11, 2020 – Affected Countries(To/From/Through): All flights to/from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom. Impacted Travel Date(s): February 25 – May 31, 2020 New Ticket Must Be Re-issued On/Before: December 31, 2020 Rebooked Travel Must Begin No Later Than: December 31, 2020.

Service suspended from New York-JFK to Rome, Italy effective March 11, 2020

Service suspended from New York-JFK to Tel Aviv, Israel from March 14-24, 2020.

All flights to Italy are now suspended as a result of the country lockdown that took effect on March 10, 2019

– Issued travel waivers if traveling to/from/through the following cities: All cities in Italy

– Flight to Milan are suspended until May 1 starting March 3, 2020 https://news.delta.com/delta-temporarily-suspends-milan-service.

– Issued travel waivers if traveling to/from/through the following cities: People’s Republic of China (Beijing (PEK/PKX), Shanghai (PVG))

– Issued travel waivers if traveling to/from/through the following cities: South Korea (Seoul-Incheon (ICN)).

– No Change Fees for All Tickets Purchased 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

– Issued waivers for all tickets purchased between March 1-31, 2020. More details:

  • Impacted Travel Date(s): March 1, 2020 – February 25, 2021
  • Ticket Can Be Changed One-Time To An Alternate Itinerary. Must Be Re-issued On/Before: February 28, 2021
  • Rebooked Travel Must Begin No Later Than: February 28, 2021

easyjet

– They are being cautious and awaiting government regulations/restrictions to take effect before making any decisions.

– Following the Israeli Government’s travel restrictions, only Israeli nationals or residents in possession of an Israeli passport, Israeli Identity Cards or A/5 Residence permits will be allowed to travel on flights from Italy to Israel until further notice.

Emirates Airlines

– There are various updates here depending on the country to which you are flying. Information is provided for Mainland China, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Iran, Saudi Arabia Singapore and Thailand. Read carefully as the travel dates varies.

– March 6, 2020. Tickets issued between March 7- 31, 2020, there will be no change fees applied.

Etihad

– If you’re scheduled to fly with Etihad Airways before 30 June 2020, you can rebook your flight for free, or use the value of your ticket as credit towards your next trip.

– Etihad Credit

Cancel your booking and use the value as credit towards your next trip.

Book before 30 September 2020, for travel until 30 April 2021.

– Change your flight

You can change your trip to travel on or before 30 June 2020. You can even fly to a different destination within a specified zone. You can make more than one change to your booking

Finnair

– FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS TO/FROM USA BETWEEN 14 MARCH AND 12 APRIL AND TO/FROM INDIA BETWEEN 15 MARCH AND 14 APRIL

12 March 2020, updated 13 March 2020

US authorities are setting restrictions for travel from Europe to the USA until 12 April. Indian authorities have updated their visa requirements. We are cancelling flights to/from USA between 14 March – 12 April and to Delhi, India from 15 March to 14 April. We are sorry for the inconvenience these changes may cause you.

The cancelled flights are as follows:

  • Flights AY007/008 to/from Miami between 14 March and 12 April
  • Flights AY005/006 to/from New York between 19 March and 12 April and flights AY015/016 to/from New York between 4 April and 12 April
  • Flights AY001/002 to/from Los Angeles between 17 March and 12 April
  • Flights AY009/AY010 to/from Chicago 29 March and 12 April
  • We will operate flights before these dates to carry customers who are returning home.

Traveling to/from/through the following cities, you may be able to change your tickets based on your travel and purchase date.

– Mainland China: Beijing-Capital (PEK), Beijing-Daxing (PKX), Guangzhou (CAN), Nanjing (NKG), Shanghai (PVG)

– Hong Kong (HKG)

– Italy: Milan-Malpensa

Hawaiian Airlines

– Suspended flights to Seoul, South Korean from March 2, 2020 until

Iberia

– If you have a ticket issued until March 11th to fly between March 1st and April 30th, you have the ability to change the dates or request a voucher* for the amount of the ticket. You can request your voucher by completing this form.
*The change of dates can be made to flight until November 30th, if you prefer the voucher, it will be valid until December 31st.

Exceptions: Not valid for flights from April 3rd to 13rd; from April 30th to May 2nd; from June 16th to August 15th; and from October 9th to 12th.

Japan Airlines

– All Japan domestic tickets purchased through JAL tickets for flights from February 28, 2020 – March 19, 2020.

– All JAL flights to/from Beijing Capital, Shanghai (Pudong), Shanghai (Hongqiao), Guangzhou, Dalian, Tianjin, Hong Kong, Shenyang, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Yantai, Qingdao, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chongqing, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Kunming. * Including codeshare flights operated by China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Cathay Pacific Dragon Airlines

JetBlue Airways

– Due to evolving coronavirus concerns, we are suspending change and cancel fees for all new flight bookings made between February 27, 2020 and March 11, 2020 for travel through June 1, 2020. This was issued on February 26, 2020.

KLM

– Because of the Coronavirus outbreak, the president of the United States of America has announced an entry ban for Schengen countries. Therefore, we’ve changed our flight schedule to and from the United States of America. Up to and including 29 March, we plan to continue flying to and from Atlanta, Washington, New York JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, possibly with an updated schedule.

KoreanAir

– Provides a lengthy list of flight cancellations to their worldwide destinations (U.S., Europe, Asia, Russia). They’ve also provided a PDF file with the cancellation details. Contact KoreanAir or your travel agency if you used one to make the booking for assistance.

LATAM Airlines

– Offering changes depending on where you’ve traveled and are flying on LATAM.

Lufthansa

– Traveling to/from/through the following cities: People’s Republic of China (Beijing (PEK), Nanjing (NKG), Qingdao (TAO), Shenyang (SHE) and Shanghai (PVG)) flights are suspended until March 28, 2020. Limited service to Hong Kong (HKG).

– Traveling to/from/through the following cities: Italy (Bologna (BLQ), Genoa (GOA), Milan–Linate (LIN), Milan–Malpensa (MXP), Trieste (TRS), Turin (TRN), Venice (VCE) for tickets issues on/before February 26, 2020 on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines or Air Dolomiti.

norwegian

– Flights to/from Italy are still operating as scheduled.

– 22 flights from Europe to/from the U.S. have been cancelled between March 28 and May 5, 2020. Rome to Boston, Los Angeles and New York flight schedule have been reduced. As well as London-Gatwick to New York. If your flight is cancelled, you will be contacted by Norwegian. Bt if you have a flight booked, you may contact them as well. As the flights are cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund.

Qantas

– Flights to Mainland China suspended until May 24, 2020. Contact Qantas for refunds or flight changes.

Qatar Airways

– Contact Qatar if you have travel to the affected areas between February 3 and April 15.

– And this was announced on March 6, 2020: Qatar Airways has launched a new commercial policy to provide customers with maximum flexibility to suit their travel plans. Passengers that have booked or will book flights for travel up to 30 June 2020 will be offered the flexibility to change their travel plans free of charge by altering the dates of their booking or exchanging their ticket for a travel voucher valid for one year. Both changes apply up to three days prior to departure.

Valid for any of Qatar Airways’ published fares only purchased either directly from QR or through Travel Agents. Change Fees will be waived if reservations are changed at least 3 days before departure. Fare difference may apply. Travel Voucher Reissue un-utilized value for a voucher “To be used for future travel”. This voucher will be valid for one year from its issuance date. Refund penalty shall be waived if cancellations are done at least 3 days before departure.

Royal Jordanian

– Due to Coronavirus outbreak, and because your health comes first. Royal Jordanian is offering extra flexibility for passengers traveling from the 15th of April till the 20th of May 2020 who booked or will book their ticket from the 16th of March till the 15th of April,2020.

  • Changing reservation is free of Charge (Penalty waived), difference in fare to be collected if applied.
  • Tickets are refundable with Zero penalty fee, (non-refundable taxes to remain non-refundable). Non-refundable tickets to remain non-refundable

RwandaAir

– suspended flights temporarily to and from Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China and Tel Aviv, Israel

Ryanair

– No changes to any policies; they are awaiting news from the government authorities to act.

SAS

– Flights to Mainland China cancelled. More details.

– Flights to/from Hong Kong cancelled effective March 5, 2020. SK966 will operate from Hong Kong on March 6.

– Italy: all flights to/from Milan, Bologna, Turin and Venice are cancelled effective March 4 to March 16. More details.

Singapore Airlines

– Hong Kong, Macau and People’s Republic of China: Waive all cancellation and change fees for customers with tickets issued on or before February 8, 2020 for travel to and from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau from January 24, 2020 to April 30, 2020. The new travel date must commence on or before August 31, 2020.

– South Korea: Waive all change fees for customers with tickets issued on or before February 25, 2020 for travel to/from South Korea from February 25, 2020 to April 30, 2020. The new travel date must commence on or before August 31, 2020.

– If you are unable to travel due to entry restrictions: Waive all cancellation and change fees for customers with tickets issued on or before February 25, 2020 for travel on any Singapore Airlines or SilkAir operated flights from February 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020. The new travel date must commence on or before August 31, 2020.

– Effective March 6, 2020. All change fees are waived for tickets booked through March 31, 2020.

Southwest Airlines

– Southwest does not have change fees, so if you need to change your flight you just pay the difference in fare if any. Check the travel restrictions to the international destinations Southwest flies to ensure there won’t be an issue with your travel plans.

SWISS

– Traveling to/from/through the following cities: People’s Republic of China (Beijing (PEK), Nanjing (NKG), Qingdao (TAO), Shenyang (SHE) and Shanghai (PVG)) flights are suspended until March 28, 2020. Limited service to Hong Kong (HKG).

– Traveling to/from/through the following cities: Italy (Bologna (BLQ), Genoa (GOA), Milan–Linate (LIN), Milan–Malpensa (MXP), Trieste (TRS), Turin (TRN), Venice (VCE) for tickets issues on/before February 26, 2020 on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines or Air Dolomiti.

Turkish Airlines

– Change fees are waived for tickets purchased between March 6 and March 24 (excluding tickets for domestic flights within Turkey and to/from Ercan Airport). If you’d like to change your ticketed flight, your first change request will be applied free of charge. Moreover, For tickets* purchased before March 5, 2020, for flights taking place up to December 31, 2020 (excluding tickets for domestic flights within Turkey and to/from Ercan Airport) your first change request will be applied free of charge, provided that the change is completed by March 16, 2020.

United Airlines

In order to assist customers departing Europe, we have capped fares to the United States from countries affected by the government-imposed travel policy.* If you’re scheduled to travel March 10 – April 30, 2020 and would like to change your plans, there is no fee to do so, regardless of when you purchased your ticket or where you’re traveling. See waiver details

*We will continue to fly our regular schedule from Europe to the U.S. through March 20. After that, we expect to fly daily to Zurich, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester and Edinburgh, maintain multiple flights to Frankfurt and Munich, and operate 18 daily flights to and from London, three to Dublin and four flights a week to Lisbon, all while continuing to monitor demand. Schedule changes will take place this Saturday, March 14. At that time, customers will be able to check the status of flights beyond March 20 on united.com or the mobile app.

– When you book a flight between March 3-31, 2020, you can change it for free over the next 12 months. More details at https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html#ChangeFeeTerms.

Traveling to/from/through the following cities:

– People’s Republic of China (Beijing (PEK), Chengdu (CTU), Shanghai (PVG), Wuhan (WUH))

– Hong Kong (HKG)

– Italy: Bologna (BLQ), Genoa (GOA), Milan (BGY), Milan-Linate (LIN), Milan-Malpensa (MXP), Trieste (TRS), Turin (TRN), Venice (VCE), Verona (VRN)

– South Korea (Seoul-Incheon (ICN)).

 

Westjet

– All new flight bookings made between March 3, 2020 and March 31, 2020 will be allowed a one-time change fee waiver. The one-time change fee waiver is available for any itinerary change made more than 24 hours from departure.

For flights booked before March 3, 2020 for travel in March or April 2020:

  • $0 one-time fee waiver for changes or cancellations
  • Change or cancellation must be requested at least 2 hours prior to departure
  • If you have already checked in for your flight within 24 hours of departure, please utilize the uncheck feature in our online check-in and then manage your trip.
  • Value of cancelled flights will be returned as a credit to your Travel Bank
  • If you change your flight, the difference in fare applies

 

 

Accommodations Waivers (Hotels, Shared Stays)

 

Accor Live Limitless

– For those staying Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, China between January 23 and March 31, 2020 will be able to change or cancel a valid booking.

AirBnb

The shared hosting company AirBn has issued its policy on the Coronavirus. Check it out here. My recommendation would be to contact AirBnb first before contacting your host if you cannot make your accommodation.

Hilton

– Traveling to/from/through People’s Republic of China (January 23 – March 31).

– Traveling to/from/through Italy (February 24 – March 8).

– Traveling to/from/through South Korea (February 24 – March 8).

Hyatt

– Cancellation fees are waived for stays up to March 31, 2020 if the following applies:

  • Guests residing in Greater China, South Korea, Japan and Italy with reservations at Hyatt hotels globally.
  • Guests with reservations at Hyatt hotels in Greater China, South Korea, Japan and Italy.

 

IHG

– If you’re staying in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan between January 23 and March 31, 2020 will be able to change or cancel a valid booking reservation made directly with IHG without financial penalty. If you made your booking with an agency, contact that agency for assistance.

Marriott

– Waiving cancellation fees for hotel stays through March 15, 2020 if you have a reservations at their hotels in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. In addition, if you’re traveling from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan traveling outbound to other Marriott destinations globally.

Radisson Hotels

– If you have a reservation in any of the following cities in China until March 31, 2020, you can cancel without a penalty: Beijing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Kashgar, Xinjiang, Liuzhou, Guangxi, Ningbo, Shanghai, Suzhou, Tianjin, Wuxi and Zhengzhou.

– Or if your travel starts in China and you’ve booked a Radisson hotel worldwide, you can cancel for free for stays up to March 31, 2020.

Wyndham Hotels

– Cancellation and/or change penalties will be waived for guests traveling to/from China with direct bookings for stays in any of their hotels from January 22 – February 29. For bookings made by a travel agent or online booking platform, please contact the agent or booking platform directly.

 

Cruise Lines Waivers

Carnival Cruise Lines

 

MSC Cruises USA

– No mention of waivers.

-Restrictions are in effect for guests who have traveled to or are from different countries infected by the virus; Hong Kong, Iran, Northern Italy, Japan, Macau, People’s Republic of China and South Korea.

– Enhanced boarding and ship cleaning procedures have been implemented.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

– Guests and crew who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, Hong Kong, Macau or South Korea within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our vessels. Travel companions of these guests who share the same stateroom will also be denied boarding. Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel.

– There’s no mention of what happens if your cruise is cancelled or if you choose not to sail.

– Enhanced boarding and ship cleaning procedures have been implemented.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

– Cancelled or modified most sailings in Asia through mid-March, with no sailings departing from mainland China or Hong Kong. U.S. guests on cruises in Asia departing before March 23, 2020 who want to change their plans will be allowed to rebook without penalty at a later date.

– Enhanced boarding and ship cleaning procedures have been implemented.

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