Like you, I also had travel plans for early to mid-2020. I booked a sister trip to Seattle for her graduation. But alas, here we are. Everything is cancelled. Don't get me wrong; I think we should do everything we can to minimize our affected numbers and flatten the curve. However, as people, we are allowed to have emotions and feel sad when things do not pan out according to plan.
So what now?
Image source here.
Many airlines are making accommodations for people that booked flight during "quarantine" time. Here is the latest travel information to keep you updated and adjust your vacation plans:
TSA: Liquid hand santiizer up to 12 oz is allowed in carry-on bags. Allow extra time at security, just in case.
Airbnb: Currently, Airbnb has a couple options from their e-mail sent out on March 13th, 2020. Airbnb first asks that you read your cancellation policy, which is set by the host. They would like you to talk to the host to clear things up before escalating your claim. If this does not resolve your rescheduling issue, then Airbnb secondly state that you may be able to get a full refund if you are traveling to a location with strict travel restrictions. In the last case scenario, Airbnb says you can call them if you're hoping to cancel plans scheduled in the next 72 hours, but warns that they have a high number of calls at the moment. All in all, Airbnb will do the bare minimum to help you out.
tl;dr: See if the host will give a refund. Otherwise, stay on the line for a while with Airbnb to attempt a refund.
Alaska: Flights have been decreased by 70% in March and April, 2020. If you want to cancel your flight, Alaska Airlines has set up an online procedure so you don't have to be on hold on the phone for a while. If your flight was "non-refundable," then you will receive Alaska Airline credit instead of a refund.
How to Change or Cancel Flight: https://blog.alaskaair.com/coronavirus/how-to-change-or-cancel-your-trip-online/
tl;dr: Get credit for a flight change, but no refund.
Delta: All rebooking fees are waived. If you're traveling through May 31st and have the same flight destination, then you can rebook without paying the ticket price difference. If you're traveling after May 31st, then the fare difference must be paid when travel plans are rebooked. You can cancel your flight and receive Delta Air Line credit.
tl;dr: Refunds given for flights before June. After June, can get credit for a flight change, but no refund.
Frontier: If you change your flight, the change fee will be waived, but ticket price differences must be paid. Flights booked between March 10 and April 15, 2020 are allowed a one-time change to travel plans without paying the change fee, but the difference in ticket price must be paid. Cancelled flights must be booked within 90 days of cancellation. Changed flights must be completed by November 9, 2020.
tl;dr: Get credit for a flight change, but no refund.
Norwegian: Similar to other airlines, Norwegian states that their aircraft is very clean with filters that can capture bacteria and viruses. If you have a flight scheduled with Norwegian, you will be notified by SMS or email if your flight is affected. If the flight is cancelled and/or you choose to not travel, then Norwegian is allowing a refund or CashPoints with an extra 20% than can be used for a future trip. If you want to change a booking, the rebooking fee is waived, the flight must be completed by November 30, 2020, you must book the same ticket type, and you must pay the price difference. All in all, you save the rebooking fee, but that's about it.
However, claims are taking a while to process due to the large amount of calls.
tl;dr: Get credit for a flight change, but no refund.
Southwest: If you booked a flight with Southwest that has been cancelled, you will receive an e-mail from the Southwest team with information about how to rebook. If your flight is scheduled by April 30, you can change your travel online to the next 60 days from the original booking date without paying a ticket price difference only if you book from the same origin and destination. If you decide to cancel your flight, funds will expire on June 30, 2021 and must be spent prior to that date, and you can cancel your flight up to 10 minutes before your departure. If you are on board, snacks and beverages are temporarily shut down.
tl;dr: Get credit for a flight change, but no refund.
Spirit: If you would like to change or cancel your flight, you can put your flight information in their website and gain reservation credit. The amount of credit will be shown once your information is entered. If you would like to reschedule a flight, the change fees will be waived, but you must pay the difference in ticket price. Your next flight must be rescheduled six to nine months in the future. If your booked flight already passed and you did not cancel the trip, you can still put in a request for a reservation credit here. The credit will be put in your account within 7 days.
tl;dr: Get credit for a flight change, but no refund.
United: This airline also requests that if you're interested in changing your flight, you should contact them 72 hours before your scheduled flight. If you want to reschedule your flight, the rebooking fee is waived, but the price difference for flights must be paid. You can book a new flight and change it for free over the next year, but the same restrictions apply (no rebooking fee, but must pay the ticket difference).
tl;dr: Get credit for a flight change, but no refund.
Items to Keep in Mind: Some locations (both departure and arrival destinations) do not allow any travel. Check individual airlines regarding specific travel locations. Most airlines are not issuing a refund, but allowing credit for future travel. If you booked with a travel credit card, check with your credit card company to see if you can get a refund. All information was obtained from the official company websites. See websites for updated information that post-date this blog's published date.
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