TRAVEL TIPS | How hotels and airlines are helping during COVID-19
While traveling may be far from the forefront of your thoughts, there are a lot of people who were unable to make it back home before countries began shutting their borders. In these situation your options are crucial to understand what most hotels are doing when it comes to adjusting their policies to offer their guests peace of mind and flexibility should their plans change. They are also making it easier to modify or cancel existing direct bookings by waiving cancellation fees. If you had booked your hotel through a third party website, you will need to check with that travel agency what options you have.
Marriott
Marriott International is now implementing the following changes to their cancellation policies:
For guests with existing reservations for any future arrival date, including reservations with pre-paid rates that are typically more restrictive, Marriott will allow full changes or cancellation without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival, as long as the change or cancellation is made by June 30, 2020.
For guests making new reservations for any future arrival date, including reservations with pre-paid rates, between today and June 30, 2020, Marriott will allow the reservation to be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival date.
Important Information:
Some exclusions may apply. May exclude periods with special event restrictions or peak demand weeks. Please refer to individual property rate rules for details.
Marriott Vacations Worldwide is included in this policy for transient reservations only. For owner occupancy reservations, please visit http://hub.vacationclub.com.
Design Hotels and Homes & Villas by Marriott International (HVMI) are excluded from this policy.
For individual reservations booked into a pre-existing group block, please refer to cancellation terms quoted at the time of reservation. For more information, please contact the group organizer or the hotel.
For group organizer questions on terms and conditions of group contracts, please contact the hotel.
Guests who booked via online travel agents or other third-party travel professionals are advised to contact their booking provider for information on their policies.
See Marriott’s Coronavirus Update page for full details
Hilton
For all Hilton hotels worldwide, Hilton is offering more flexible booking options and cancellation policies:
Existing Reservations: All reservations–even those described as non-cancellable (“Advanced Purchase”–that are scheduled for arrival before June 30, 2020 can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival.
New Reservations: Any reservation you make–even those described as “non-cancellable” (“Advanced Purchase”)–that are booked between today and June 30, 2020 for any future arrival date, can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival.
Important Information:
If you need to adjust reservations made via the Hilton website, app or call center, you can change your reservation here or contact the Hilton Guest Assistance team.
If you need to adjust reservations made through another travel site, please contact them for assistance.
See Hilton’s Coronavirus Statement page for full details.
IHG
For all IHG hotels globally, IHG is implementing the following policies:
Existing bookings made before April 6, 2020 can be changed or cancelled for stays up to June 30, 2020. If you cancel a rate which required a deposit or payment in advance, be aware that refunds may take up to 90 days from the date of cancellation for the hotels to process. Reservations may be changed without a fee but may result in different pricing. To change or cancel a reservation, visit Manage Your Stay or call their Reservations and Customer Care team.
For new bookings, IHG has changed the types of rates they offer to allow for more flexibility upon cancellation. They have removed any type of pre-paid/non-refundable rates from sale until later in the year and replaced them with the following rate options:
Book Now, Pay Later: This new rate offers flexibility and savings. With no deposit required and cancellations possible up to 24 hours before your stay for direct bookings, travel planning is commitment free.
Best Flexible Rate: This rate offers maximum flexibility to change or cancel your reservation. For direct bookings, this rate can be fully changeable or refundable up to 6pm on the day of arrival.
IHG Rewards Club members will receive additional savings for both of the above rates.
Important Information:
For bookings made through a travel agent or online booking platform (e.g. Booking.com, Expedia) please contact them directly.
Groups & Meetings Bookings: We will work with customers to manage any changes needed to Group & Meeting bookings on a case by case basis. Our hotels are actively supporting groups and meetings organizers to address the needs of each group, including moving event dates to another time, in line with terms and conditions of that booking. Please contact the hotel the booking was made with to discuss further.
See IHG’s Travel Advisory page for full details.
Wyndham
Wyndham is already very flexible in their cancellation policies for direct bookings with thousands of hotels honoring no-fee cancellations up to 6 p.m. on the day of arrival, but they have further enhanced their policies as follows:
New or existing direct bookings through June 30, 2020 will have their cancellation or change penalties waived if the request is received at least 24 hours (or less if permitted by the hotel’s policy) prior to arrival.
Guests who are prohibited from traveling to their booked hotel under applicable law will have their cancellation or change penalties waived on direct bookings.
For new or existing direct bookings with arrivals after June 30, all of their properties are required to accommodate non-cancellable rate reservation changes if the request is received at least 48 hours prior to the arrival and the same number of nights or more are booked for a future stay.
Important Information:
For bookings made by a travel agent or online booking platform, contact the agent or booking platform directly.
Due to the current situation with coronavirus and to protect the safety of guests and team members, there may be a reduction in certain services and amenities that are normally available. Contact the hotel directly with questions or concerns.
Those traveling to hotels located in areas that are allowing only “essential travelers,” are required to comply with all guidelines and restrictions and may be required to provide identification establishing that they are “essential travelers.” If guests have questions or concerns, contact the hotel directly.
See Wyndham’s COVID-19 Statement page for full details
Choice Hotels
Reservations booked directly through Choice Hotels can be canceled or modified online.
For guests with existing individual reservations, including reservations with non-cancellable, pre-paid rates made directly with Choice Hotels, change or cancellation fees are waived up to 24 hours prior to arrival as long as the change or cancellation is made by June 30, 2020. You can cancel or modify your reservation here. If you’re experiencing difficulties cancelling your reservation, you can fill out this online form.
For a limited time, guests making new individual reservations directly with Choice Hotels may change or cancel their reservations at no charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled arrival date. Modifications can be made here.
Guests who booked via online travel agents or other third parties are advised to contact their booking provider for information on their policies and for assistance.
See Choice’s Travel Alerts page for full details
Hyatt
Hyatt is also waiving change and cancellation fees:
Existing reservations for upcoming travel before June 30, 2020:
All existing reservations made before April 1, 2020 that are for arrivals through June 30, 2020 can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations. Manage your reservation here.
New reservations for any future travel:
With some exceptions, reservations you make by June 30, 2020 – for any future arrival date – can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations. The only exceptions are reservations booked after April 1, 2020 at Destination Residences and Special Events Rate reservations booked after April 1, 2020.
Existing Advance Purchase Rate non-refundable reservations for travel through June 2020:
Special exceptions are in place for all Advance Purchase Rate non-refundable reservations made directly with Hyatt on or before March 8, 2020 for arrivals before June 30, 2020. Guests holding these fully prepaid reservations who have decided not to travel may still opt, at least 24 hours before their stay, to receive 10,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points compensation in lieu of their stay. World of Hyatt points may be used toward future travel at any of their 900+ hotels across 17 brands globally.
Guests who booked via online travel agents or other third parties are advised to contact their booking provider for information on their policies and for assistance.
See Hyatt’s Coronavirus Statement page for full details.
Airlines have been hit harder during this time than hotels. Be patient with them when calling to change your reservations.
Delta
Delta Airlines is broadly waiving change fees for travel impacted by coronavirus:
Change fees are waived for all travel from March through September 30, 2020 and can be rebooked to commence after September 30, 2020.
If your travel is eligible for a waiver, you can move your travel dates and even select a new destination. Your unused ticket will be applied toward your new flight, and in some instances a fare difference will apply.
·If the new fare is lower, you will receive an eCredit for the difference. If the new fare is higher, the difference will be collected. The fare difference will be waived for changes to existing travel between March – Sept 2020 if originally purchased before April 17th and traveling to the same destination before September 30, 2020.
The new ticket must be re-issued on or before September 30, 2022. Final travel must be completed by September 30, 2022.
Tickets originally purchased between March 1 and Mar 31, 2020 can be changed without a fee for up to a year from the date you purchased it.
The change fee will be waived as a result of COVID-19, however fare difference will apply for new travel dates and will be collected at the time of booking the new ticket.
See Delta’s Coronavirus Travel Update page for full details.
United
United Airlines is waiving cancellation fees for tickets issued on or before March 2, 2020 with travel dates through December 31, 2020 and booking new flights:
For tickets issued on or before March 2, 2020, United is waiving change fees for travel on all flights to all destinations.
For original travel dates from March 3, 2020 – May 31, 2020, new tickets must be reissued within 24 months from original ticket date and rebooked travel must commence within 24 months from the original ticket issue date.
For original travel dates of June 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 changes or cancellations must be made on/before April 30, 2020 and rebooked travel must commence within 24 months from the original ticket issue date.
· For tickets issued up to March 31, 2020, customers will be permitted to change free of charge to a flight of equal or lesser value for travel up to 24 months from the original ticket issue date.
For tickets issued between April 1, 2020, and April 30, 2020, customers will be permitted to change free of charge to a flight of equal or lesser value for travel up to 12 months from the original ticket issue date.
Important Information:
If the new flight is priced higher, the customer may change for no fee but must pay the fare difference. If the new flight is priced lower, the customer may change for free but no residual value will be given.
If the customer decides to cancel their flight, they can retain the value of the ticket to be applied to a new ticket without fee for travel up to 12 months from the original ticket issue date.
Cancellations:
If the customer decides to cancel the flight they booked before March 31, 2020, they can retain the value of the ticket to be applied to a new ticket without fee for travel up to 24 months from the original ticket issue date.
If the customer decides to cancel the flight they booked between April 1, 2020, and April 30, 2020, they can retain the value of the ticket to be applied to a new ticket without fee for travel up to 12 months from the original ticket issue date.
United is constantly evaluating their schedule as the coronavirus outbreak evolves. See United’s Travel Notices page for full details.
American
American Airlines has also waived change fees for many dates of travel:
If you bought your ticket before May 31, 2020 for travel between March 1 and September 30, 2020, you can rebook without change fees.
If you buy a new trip March 1 – May 31, 2020, for all future travel, you can also change it at a later date without change fees.
If you have a ticket that is expiring between March 1 and September 30, 2020, the value of your unused ticket can be used for travel through December 31, 2021.
You may owe any difference in ticket price.
See American’s Coronavirus Update page for full details.
Southwest
Southwest Airlines already has a flexible cancellation plan:
Rescheduling a trip: If you are scheduled to travel between today and April 30, you can change your travel to a date 60 days from the original date of travel without paying any difference in fare if you are traveling between the same origin and destination. You can do this online by visiting www.southwest.com/rebook. You may have to pay a fare difference.
Cancelling your flight: If you decide not to travel, as long as you cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before its scheduled departure, the funds used to pay for a nonrefundable ticket are normally valid for one year from the date of purchase. However, in recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:
Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1 and September 7, 2020, will now expire September 7, 2022.
Any travel funds created because you cancel a flight between March 1 – September 7, 2020, will now expire September 7, 2022.
While these unused travel funds will be available until September 7, 2022, once the funds are used to make a purchase, the expiration date of the travel funds will then follow our normal ticketing rules and will expire 12 months from the date of purchase.
Here is a list of the many Southwest destinations currently experiencing travel disruptions.
See Southwest’s Coronavirus page for full details.
JetBlue
JetBlue Airways has suspended change and cancellation fees for all JetBlue fares.
If you need to cancel your travel plans, they’ll credit the amount in the form of a travel credit that’s valid for two years. For changes, fare differences may apply. Terms and conditions vary based on booking dates.
Additionally, there are no change or cancel fees on new flights booked through April 30th for travel until January 4, 2021. Terms and conditions apply.
Call them only if you are scheduled to travel within the next 72 hours. Learn more at www.jetblue.com/travel-alerts.
See JetBlue’s Coronavirus Information page for full details.
Frontier
Frontier Airlines has increased flexibility and waived change and cancellation fees:
You can now change or cancel your flight through our online change/cancel tool without incurring a change fee.
For tickets issued prior to March 10, 2020 with original travel dates:
Between March 10 and April 30, 2020, customers may make a one-time change to their itinerary without a change/cancel fee.
For tickets issued March 10 through April 15, 2020, customers may make a one-time change to their itinerary without a change/cancel fee.
Important Information
Customers can complete a one-time change free of charge as below:
Change to new flight of equal or lesser value: change fee waived, no residual value retained by customer.
Change to new flight at higher price: change fee waived, customer pays fare difference.
Cancel flight: cancel fee waived, customer retains the value of the ticket to be applied toward the purchase of a future ticket to be booked, but not traveled, within 90 days of cancellation.
To change your reservation for travel before April 30, the change fee will automatically be waived.
To cancel your reservation and retain the value of your ticket to be applied towards the purchase of a future ticket within 90 days of cancellation, the fee will be automatically waived.
For changed flights, travel must be completed by April 11, 2021.
All tickets are nonrefundable unless otherwise specified in the Contract of Carriage.
See Frontier’s New Change Policy page for full details.
While this is a fluid situation during an unprecedented time, it is very hard to predict any outcome while the crisis is continuing to unfold.
We are seeing airlines reducing their prices and even offering every other row and every other seat to answer to health concerns, and also a way to get passengers to be enticed to want to travel, what we do know is travel will look different than what we know it.
“A lot of airlines have issued vouchers so all these people have to be carried as well.” Says Rico Merkert, professor of transport and supply-chain management at the University of Sydney’s business school. “There will be some base demand,” Merkert said. More broadly, passengers should brace for a new order in airlines and aircraft.
With overall capacity down, carriers will favor smaller and more manageable jets like Boeing Co.’s Dreamliner and Airbus SE’s A330 over behemoths like the A380, said Molenaar at BCG. Unheard-of alliances might crop up among national airlines as smaller rivals wither, he said.
“The industry could look very different,” he said. “It could be that you go back in time, almost.”
Let us know your thoughts about what the future may look like for travel below.
Stay Safe
The Luxe and Lavish Travels Team