Singapore — The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we approach travel. With much more to consider and weigh—different countries’ restrictions and health and safety measures, for starters—the decision of whether or not to travel is a big one.
Some of us may have even booked flights that have since been cancelled because of the virus. What to do? those suffering from information overload need not fear—we have put together a tidy list of the COVID-19 change and cancellation policies of major airlines that fly in and out of Singapore, based on a broader list first published by Forbes.
Asian Airlines
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Customers can make as many changes as they like to flights departing on or before March 31, 2021.
- Customers may change their current flight schedules to a flight departing on or after April 1, 2021, but they can change it only once.
- From June 26, 2020, customers booking Japan domestic flights between the dates of July 1 and March 31, 2021 will be able to make changes to their flight up to 355 days later. No handling fees—refund charges and cancellation charges—will be charged.
For more information, read ANA’s full policy.
Asiana Airlines
- Flights booked before March 31, 2021 are eligible for two rebookings. While no fees will be charged, customers will need to shoulder the fare difference.
For more information, read Asiana Airlines’ full policy.
Cathay Pacific
- Customers can change flights booked before March 31, 2021 and can rebook them for free for departure before December 31, 2021.
EVA Airways
- Taiwan has cancelled all transit fights, shutting down all international EVA Airways flights. These cancelled flights are eligible for refund.
- Passengers holding EVA(695)/UNI(525) Air tickets (flights affected by the cancellation) with confirmed bookings on or after January 1, 2021 can change their flight dates within 14 days (before or after the flight date) without fees (reissue fees and additional charges of the booking service) one time, as long as routing city and booking class remain the same.
For more information, read Eva Airways’ full policy.
Japan Airlines (JAL)
- All tickets with flights to, from and within Japan, booked from June 11, 2020 onwards with flight dates in the period of February 28 to April 16, 2021 are eligible for rebooking, while cancelled flights are eligible for refund.
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Customers may change their flight date once, free of charge, to a flight dated on or before July 10, 2021.
For more information, read JAL’s full policy.
Korean Air
- Tickets for travel during the period of March 4, 2020 to March 31, 2021 are eligible for rebooking to a new flight date until June 30, 2021, but customers will have to shoulder fare differences.
- Cancelled flights are eligible for refund.
For more information, read Korean Air’s full policy.
Malaysia Airlines
- Tickets bought on or before June 30, 2020, for travel during 2020 and 2021, will eligible for rebooking by June 30, 2021 and travel by December 31, 2021.
For more information, read Malaysia Airlines’ full policy.
Philippine Airlines
- Flights affected by cancellations or travel ban (from February 2 to March 31, 2021) are eligible to convert to travel vouchers (equivalent to the unused net value and unused taxes of your ticket plus 10 per cent of the unused net value). Travel is subject to fare rules of the redeemed ticket. Requests must be made until March 31, 2021.
- Flights affected by cancellations or travel ban (from February 2 to March 31, 2021) are eligible to be rebooked (no rebooking fees and no fare differences for completed travels within the same cabin class on or before March 31, 2021 or ticket validity, whichever comes first). Requests must be made until March 31, 2021.
- No rebooking fee for completed travels within the same cabin class from April 1 to June 30, 2021 and within ticket validity. Fare difference and taxes may be collected. Cancel at least 24 hours before your flight to avoid no show fee.
- For rerouting affected flights, fare difference, taxes, and no show fee may be collected.
For more information, read Philippine Airlines’ full policy.
Singapore Airlines
- Customers can make unlimited changes to tickets booked before February 28, 2021 and and make one change after the same date.
For more information, read Singapore Airlines’ full policy.
North American Airlines
American Airlines
- All flights cancelled due to COVID-19 are eligible for refund.
- Change fees for all domestic and international flying on Premium Cabin fares and most Main Cabin fares have been eliminated.
- Customers are allowed to change their origin and destination cities as part of this offer but will shoulder any fare differences.
- From October 1, 2020, all customers will have the ability to fly standby on earlier flights for the same destination on the same day, at no charge.
For more information, read American Airlines’ full policy.
Hawaiian Airlines
- All flights cancelled because of COVID-19 will be refunded.
- If you were unable to contact the airline to cancel or rebook your trip before your flight departure time, your ticket number automatically becomes credit for future travel if you do not take your scheduled flight.
- Tickets purchased before March 1, 2020 with travel dates between March 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021 are valid through May 31, 2022.
- Tickets purchased between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 are valid for two years from the date of original ticket purchase.
- Tickets purchased on or after January 1, 2021 are valid for one year from the original ticket purchase date.
- COVID-19 testing protocols are in place before boarding is allowed.
For more information, read Hawaiian Airlines’ full policy.
United Airlines
- Customers can change tickets for basic economy or international travel that are issued by December 31, 2020, without any change fees.
- Customers can opt for future flight credits (retain the value of your ticket to be applied to a new ticket without a fee, although a difference in fare may apply). Future flight credit can be used for travel on United, United Express®, and partner-operated flights and must be used within 12 months of the original ticket issue date. For tickets issued between May 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020, the travel credits will be valid for two years after the original issue date.
- Electronic certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued. This includes all currently valid electronic certificates and all new ones issued on or after April 1, 2020.
For more information, read United Airlines’ full policy.
Air Canada
- All cancelled flights are eligible for refund.
- Customers can make a one-time change for all new or existing bookings made through February 28, 2021 for original travel between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021, with fees waived.
- Customers who booked directly with Air Canada can convert their tickets to an Air Canada Travel Voucher without an expiry date.
For more information, read Air Canada’s full policy.
European Airlines
Aegean Air
- For Flex or Business tickets, unlimited ticket changes with no rebooking fees are allowed, with possible fare and tax differences applied.
- For all tickets booked before March 28, 2021 with travel date from June 11, 2020 to July 1, 2021, customers may modify their bookings with no rebooking fees and no fare differences.
For more information, read Aegean Air’s full policy.
Air Europa
- Customers with tickets dated after July 31, 2021 may rebook until August 31, 2021 with no rebooking fees (though customers have to shoulder any fare differences.
- Customers may also choose to receive a travel voucher. If redeemed before February 28, 2021, customers will receive a 25 per cent discount on flight prices.
- If, after the date of ticket purchase, during the dates of the trip, the destination or origin is in an area with mobility restrictions (such as mandatory quarantine on arrival), customers can change trip dates to fly until October 31, 2021 completely free of charge (no penalty or fare difference in the same cabin). For those who want to change the trip origin or destination, no change penalties will apply but a fare difference must be shouldered.
For more information, read Air Europa’s full policy.
Air France/KLM
- For all flights until March 31, 2021, dates and destinations can be changed, regardless of the fare conditions, up to the day of departure of your first flight. If the price of the new ticket is higher, customers will have to pay the fare difference.
- Tickets can also be refunded up to the day of departure of the first flight. If the fare conditions of the ticket do not allow a refund, customers will be given a travel voucher valid for one year, which can also be refunded at any time.
For more information, read Air France/KLM’s full policy.
Alitalia
- Tickets purchased by April 30, 2020 and with travel dates between October 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021 are eligible for one free change (route, fate or detonation city), with no extra fees except for fare differences.
- Tickets bought between August 1, 2020 and March 21, 2021, with travel dates between October 1, 2020 and October 21, 2021 are eligible for one free change (route, fate or detonation city), with no extra fees except for fare differences.
For more information, read Alitalia’s full policy.
British Airways
- For bookings made from March 3, 2020 onwards for trips that are due to have been completed by August 31, 2021, customers can change the dates and destination without change fees, although fare difference will be applied.
- Customers can also choose to receive travel vouchers instead. Travel vouchers are now valid until April 30, 2022 (this includes previously issued vouchers).
For more information, read British Airways’s full policy.
Brussels Airlines
- Note the Lufthansa Group info below for rebooking options for upcoming flights.
For more information, read Brussels Airlines’ full policy.
Finnair
- Flights booked between April 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021 are eligible to date changes with no change fee (fare differences apply).
For more information, read Finnair’s full policy.
Iberia
- Customers affected by any of the following circumstances less than 15 days before departure can change the date of their flight free of charge or get a refund in the form of a voucher to swap for tickets and services in the Booking Management section of our website:
- New entry restrictions have been established at the destination
- Customers affected by the sudden introduction of compulsory lockdown or quarantine measures at the destination that cannot be avoided by testing negative for COVID-19 just before traveling
- Customers are suddenly subject to lockdown or quarantine measures in their place of origin (lockdown imposed for your region, province, town or hospital zone; a household member tests positive for COVID-19, etc.)
- Customers test positive for COVID-19
- LEVEL, Iberia’s affiliate airline, has declared new, relaxed rebooking policies—for every new booking made since March 12, 2020, customers can change flight dates at no additional cost, but fare difference will apply.
For more information, read Iberia’s full policy.
LOT Polish Airlines
- Free rebooking for all individual tickets purchased before March 31, 2021, valid for travel to December 31, 2021.
- Changing departure dates for any flight dated before December, 31 2021 is free of charge (the return date counts), provided that the new flight is on the same route and in the same booking class.
For more information, read LOT’s Full Policy.
Lufthansa Group
- Tickets booked between April 20 and May 15, 2020 and with travel dates up to and including April 30, 2021 can be extended one time to a new departure date up to and including December 31, 2021.
- For those holdings tickets to canceled Lufthansa Group flights, tickets can be kept without having to commit to a new flight date right away. Existing bookings will initially be cancelled, but the ticket and ticket value will remain unchanged and can be extended to a new departure date up to and including December 31, 2021. Customers can also rebook to another destination or get a refund if the flight is canceled.
- For flights booked on or after August 25, 2020, all fares of the Lufthansa Group airlines worldwide can be rebooked free of charge (except for travel originating in Japan). The departure and destination airports can also be changed. If the rebooked fare is more expensive due to a change of route or a necessary change of travel or booking class, an additional charge may be necessary.
For more information, read Lufthansa Group’s full policy.
TAP Air Portugal
- Tickets issued between September 25, 2020 and February 28, 2021, with an original travel date from September 25 to December 14, 2020 or from January 16 to May 31, 2021 also have access to more flexibility and can take advantage of one free change.
- For flights cancelled as of September 1, 2020, customers can claim travel vouchers amounting to an additional 10 per cent to the cost of the flight.
For more information, read TAP Air Portugal’s full policy.
Turkish Airlines
- Tickets purchased by March 31, 2021 are eligible to unlimited changes until December 31, 2021.
- Canceled flights are eligible for refund, refunds may take up to 60 days or more to process.
For more information, read Turkish Airlines’ full policy.
Virgin Atlantic
- For bookings made before December 31, 2022, for travel up to and including Dec 31, 2022, change fees will be waived for up to two changes one name change). Tickets can be rebooked anytime before December 31, 2022.
- Customers also have the option to keep their travel credits open, to rebook all the way up to December 31, 2022. There’s no change fee, and the fare difference can be reduced providing travel is in the same cabin class and to the same destination.
- Virgin Atlantic is also offering industry-leading COVID-19 insurance at no additional cost.
For more information, read Virgin Atlantic’s full policy.
Middle Eastern Airlines
Emirates
- Emirates is providing free COVID-19 insurance to all passengers flying between July 23, 2020 and December 31, 2020.
- For tickets issued on or before September 30, 2020—customers can keep it for later use (valid for 24 months from the date of original booking, provided that the destination is the same or within the same region).
- For tickets issued on or after October 1, 2020—customers can keep it for later use (valid for 24 months from the date of original booking, provided that the destination is the same or within the same region).
For more information, read Emirates’ full policy.
Etihad
- For flights before June 30, 2021, customers can change flight dates to a later date for free.
- Tickets booked directly with Etihad can be cancelled at any time and saved later with Etihad Credit. Customers will receive up to US$400 and up to 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles. This will be valid for travel any time before October 31, 2021.
For more information, read Etihad’s full policy.
Qatar Airways
- For flights booked before April 31, 2021, customers may keep the unused ticket and use it when you are ready with Qatar’s extended ticket validity, now valid for two years from the original issue date.
- Customers may also choose to change their travel date, free of charge and valid for unlimited changes, until December 31, 2021.
For more information, read Qatar Airways’ full policy.
Pacific Airlines
Qantas
- Cancelled flights are eligible for refund.
- Customers with existing bookings on any flight until March 31, 2021 can cancel the flight and retain the value of their booking as a flight credit, valid for use until December 31, 2022.
- For customers will travel credits, the validity date is automatically extended to December 31, 2022.
For more information, read Qantas’ full policy.
Air New Zealand
- Cancelled flights that touch the US or EU are eligible for refund.
- All tickets up to March 31, 2021 are eligible for rebooking or for a travel voucher. For canceled flights, a refund can be issued.
For more information, read Air New Zealand’s full policy.
Virgin Australia
- Canceled flights are eligible for refund.
For more information, read Virgin Australia’s full policy.
African Airlines
EGYPTAIR
- Cancelled tickets that touch the USA or EU are eligible for a full cash refund. However, EGYPTAIR’s website mentions that refunds may take up to three years to process!
- Customers who wish to change their travel dates can do so for free for one time only—the amount paid for the original ticket will be accepted on any date to the same destination, even if this ticket had been expired within the suspension period.
For more information, read EGYPTAIR’s full policy.
Ethiopian Airlines
- Tickets issued on or before March 31, 2021 and tickets with travel dates falling between March 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021 are eligible for one free change for Ethiopian operational flights.
- The same tickets are also eligible for unlimited changes, free of charge if flight has not started operation or if the flight resumption date is rescheduled by Ethiopian Airlines. If flight has started operation, free change will be allowed only once.
- Unused tickets from the same period can be kept for travel until December 31, 2021. New travel dates can be any date on or before December 31, 2021.
For more information, read Ethiopian Airlines’ full policy.
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