Qantas and Jetstar customers can now cancel flights and receive a travel credit refund. Available both for domestic and international flights, the offer is available until 31 March 2020 for travel up to 31 May 2020, for customers with existing bookings and those making new ones.
Qantas and Jetstar have made this change to give their Australian and international customers greater flexibility following travel restrictions being implemented around the world due to the evolving Coronavirus situation.
These changes apply to all domestic and international flights for Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar (including Jetstar domestic services in New Zealand and Jetstar Asia’s flights between Darwin and Singapore).
Focussing on existing bookings for a second, Qantas yesterday announced in a press release, “Customers with existing bookings on any domestic or international flight until 31 May 2020, who no longer wish to travel, can cancel their flight and retain the value of the booking as a travel credit voucher. This needs to be processed by 31 March 2020.”
“Travel credit vouchers can be used for travel on any domestic or international flights. Qantas and Jetstar will waive the change fee once customers are ready to rebook.”
For Qantas customers, travel credit can be redeemed for travel for up to 12 months from the original booking. Jetstar customers, however, will have six months fo redeem their travel vouchers (in one booking), for up to 12 months from the original booking.
“Qantas Frequent Flyers who have booked classic redemption flights on Qantas, Jetstar and all partner airlines, and no longer wish to travel, will have change fees waived.”
As for new bookings, to provide customers with greater flexibility and confidence, customers who “make a new domestic or international booking and later decide they no longer wish to travel,” Qantas says, “can cancel their flight and retain the value of the booking as a Qantas travel credit or Jetstar travel voucher.”
“This applies to bookings made from 10 March 2020 until 31 March 2020 for travel before 31 May 2020. This policy supersedes the previous policy to waive change fees announced on 10 March.”
Qantas also advises customers not to call its contact centres (“due to high demand, we are experiencing long call wait times”). Instead, to access this offer, Qantas customers should visit ‘Manage Booking’ on Qantas.com, select ‘Cancel’ and then ‘Voucher’.
From 9am today Monday 16 March 2020, Jetstar customers should go to ‘Manage My Booking’ on Jetstar.com, with Qantas urging “please do not call the Jetstar contact centre before that time should you need further assistance”).
However, if flights were booked through a travel agency or third-party website (eg. Webjet, Booking.com), customers will need to contact them directly to make changes to their booking.
Of these changes, Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer Stephanie Tully has said: “Following the introduction of increased travel restrictions from governments around the world, Qantas and Jetstar are introducing greater flexibility for customers booked on all domestic and international flights.”
“We understand that some customers would prefer not to travel at the moment,” Stephanie said. “We have removed the standard change fees, where it applies, and are giving customers the option to cancel their flight and receive a travel voucher that can be used anywhere on our network at a later date.”
“Travel restrictions are being introduced by governments to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, not because of the risk of contracting the virus on a flight.”
“Medical experts, including Australia’s Chief Medical Officer and the World Health Organisation, continue to advise that it continues to be safe to fly and the risk of contracting the Coronavirus on an aircraft remains low,” she added.