Airlines extend free rebooking option
Lufthansa Group and Virgin Atlantic airlines extend free rebooking scheme in light of ongoing pandemic and lockdowns
All fares for Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings can be rebooked without a rebooking fee. Originally, this fare offer was valid for (re-) bookings until the end of February. Now the offer is being extended again: all airline fares can now be rebooked free of charge as often as desired up to 31 May 2021, if the rebooking is also made before that date. After that, another rebooking is possible free of charge.
Lufthansa Group Airlines had already made it possible for its customers to rebook their tickets without a fee last year. The waiver of the rebooking fee applies worldwide for all new bookings in all fares on short, medium and long-haul routes. This enables flexible travel planning for all Lufthansa Group Airlines customers.
However, additional costs may arise for rebookings if, for example, the original booking class is no longer available when rebooking to a different date or to a different destination. Also, rebooking of tickets issued up to and including 31 August 2020, can now be done until 31 May 2021.
Virgin Atlantic extends free flight changes
Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic has introduced unlimited date and flight changes for new bookings as part of changes to its terms offering more flexibility. Aimed at helping customers make future travel plans, changes also include an extension of the rebooking horizon for all customers to 30 April 2023.
The updated commercial policy enables Virgin Atlantic customers to make as many free-of-charge changes as necessary to their travel dates, origin or destination until 30 April 2023, and one free name change. The cost of fare difference will be waived if the new travel date takes place on or before 31 May 2021 – a two-month extension on the previous policy.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We understand the difficulties that Covid-19 and ongoing travel restrictions may pose to our customers, so, in order to support them, we have revised and simplified our policies.
“By further increasing flexibility, customers making new travel plans will enjoy unlimited opportunities to make free changes, all the way until 30 April 2023, offering greater peace of mind and enabling them to book future travel with confidence.”
Airlines across the world are adapting to the ongoing pandemic situation, with Emirates re-instating flights from the UK while trialling a Covid-19 testing app; US airline executives preparing to push back against Covid-19 testing for domestic flights; and Canadian airlines suspending flights.