The coronavirus outbreak continues to spread throughout the globe. While organizations are trying to figure out how best to fight the virus, more and more airlines are halting flights to China. Most infection cases are identified in this city and surrounding areas. Due to the Coronavirus situation, airlines decided to assist travelers which effected transportation in China/ Hong Kong.
Air travel is one of the fastest ways a virus can spread across continents. Airlines updates for accommodating passengers to reschedule China-related travel plans. The passengers and Skywards members who have already purchased the tickets for traveling to/from Mainland China & Hong Kong may be offered multiple options. Re-issuing, refund request, cancellation, re-routing, the extension of validity are some of the options provided by the airlines. Airlines will keep on updating the status to all the passengers in order to make the travel plan accordingly.
Coronavirus continues to rise rapidly as US travel bans start in China. This article is being updated when we find news of other cancellations of flights. For the most recent details please refresh or return later. Please contact TravelGuzs for any suspensions or cancellations related query. Here is a look at which airlines have canceled their country’s services and which options they have provided to handle the situation.
1. Emirates Airline-
Due to the difficult time of the Coronavirus outbreak, the following options have been given to Emirates passengers and Skywards members who have already purchased flight tickets to/from Mainland China & Hong Kong.
If you are not able to rebook as per the below guidelines, please email salessupport.usa@emirates.com for a waiver.
Rebooking of tickets
- Waiver permitted on:
- Travel into/out of Mainland China for both online & offline points.
- Travel into Hong Kong from the Network.
- Customers who have commenced the journey and returning from Hong Kong.
- Travel dates covered: January 28, 2020 – February 29, 2020.
- Where waiver was earlier committed to customers originally traveling from January 23, 2020, will be honored.
- Customers can change their flights within 14 days than originally booked.
Re-routing & Re-issue of tickets
- Reroute authorized customers listed under the Rebooking option (Bullet 1).
- Reroute allowed to select destinations FOC if the original travel date is on/before February 29, 2020.
- Destinations permitted for rerouting: DXB, DPS, HKT, MNL, CEB, CRK, BKK, SIN, KUL, HAN, PNH, MRU, SEZ, NBO, DAR, CMN, TUN, ADD, JNB, DUR, CPT.
- Offer reroute within 14 days than originally booked in the same RBD.
- The airline will not provide onward transportation or booking beyond the preferred destination.
General Guidance
- All reissue charges shall be waived.
- Only one FOC (free of charge) change shall be permitted per ticket.
- The Emirates portion should be booked in the original RBD. If the original RBD is not available on one of the EK flights, rebooking is allowed at one level higher RBD in the same cabin.
- Change of destination: The value of the existing ticket may be used towards the purchase of a new ticket. If the new fare is higher than the existing ticketed fare, then the fare difference plus any applicable taxes are payable by the passenger. If the new fare is lower, the difference is NOT refundable.
- The reissued ticket should be endorsed “INVOL REROUTE – XXXX”.
Cancellations & Refunds
- The following options may be offered to passengers who wish to cancel their trips:
- Refund permitted for customers listed under the Rebooking option (Bullet 1).
- Refund permitted only on unutilized portion of a ticket with travel dates January 23, 2020 – February 29, 2020 (both dates inclusive). Outside this period refund charges will be applicable as per fare terms and conditions.
2. Turkish Airline
Due to current conditions of Coronavirus in China/ Hong Kong, for individual and a group passenger who has a booking on Turkish Airline flights from/to China/Hong Kong between January 31, 2020- February 29, 2020, and tickets on/before will be handled with the below rules.
Re-routing & Re-issue of tickets
- Rebooking and rerouting will take place without any charge for different booking classes only if the new destination is in the same IATA area and in the same cabin providing that the tickets are revalidated until 11 march 2020 (including).
- When revalidation is carried out for tk flights operating until 31 May 2020 including) adjustments will be made without charge. Where changes affect passenger travel plans, rebooking and re-routing (up to the length of the journey) will be made without charge regardless of the available class only if the new destination is in the same IATA area.
- Returning and rebooking to tk operating flights no later than 31 May 2020 will take place in one year as from the original date of ticketing without charge in case of the same booking class. If the same booking class is not available in the same cabin, variations in price will be paid without penalties applying.
- Rebooking and re-routing are performed on interline flights according to the original ticket fare rules where tk is the marketing carrier.
Refund Request
Refund applications will be accepted under the following conditions, regardless of the relevant ticket rules, up to 11 March 2020 (including).
- Unused ticket: The refund shall be made without charge, provided that tickets are refunded (including) until 11 March 2020. Interline flights are included where tk is a marketing airline.
- Used ticket: The refund is called unintended. Interline flights are included where tk is a marketing carrier.
Extension of validity
- Ticket validity may be extended until 31 Can 2020, without any difference in fare or charge.
- The rebooking/routing of community reservations for which payment or guarantee is provided by MCO shall be made without regard to the penalties imposed by existing tariff laws.
- The above changes shall be limited to one time only. Any changes should be dealt with with with new fees and fare differences within the tariff rules. For your information and for the action needed
3. United Airlines
Due to the impact of Coronavirus, travel demand to China is continuously declining and the US Decision of the State Department to lift its travel advisory for China to level 4. United Airlines has suspended the services between our hub cities and Beijing (PEK), Chengdu (CTU) and Shanghai (PVG) from February 6 to March 28.
- The last flight eastbound (from China to the United States) will be Feb 5.
- The first day without any operations begins Feb. 6 (from China to the United States).
- The last flight from the United States to China will be Feb. 4; the first day of no flights will be Feb 5.
We will continue operating one flight daily between San Francisco and Hong Kong. As always our highest priority is the health of our customers and employees, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.
