Natasha Shadeanna
Image credit: Marco Verch
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, there are many travel waivers offered by major airline and hotel chains to offset cancellation and rescheduling fees.
Currently, if you are travelling to Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, most travel waiver policies cover the flights to these places.
For Taiwan, you are required to verify with your airline or hotel as only some is included. If you are not travelling to an affected area but are worried about travelling around now, the best point of action is to contact the customer service hotline to make an appeal.
These waivers are only covering travel until the end of March or early April, and while travel waiver extensions are likely to happen, it truly depends on the evolution of the virus.
Image credit: Adam Clark
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Even if your ticket had been purchased with miles, you will be able to benefit from the waivers. Unless the ticket is a non-refundable ticket to a destination outside the travel waiver policy, the only other way is to appeal for a refund through contacting the airline’s customer service hotline.
If all else fails, file a claim under your travel insurance policy under Chubb, Sompo or Aviva as they are the only ones who are able to recompense for the loss of flyer miles.
At the moment, there aren’t any travel bans for Singapore passport holders, but if there are restrictions on entry to any destination, travellers should be able to be refunded or re-route their journeys.
If you have to travel during this time, take precautions to fight against the risk of exposure. Of course, maintaining good personal hygiene is of the utmost importance. In addition to that, make sure to register yourself with the MFA’s eRegister system, which will allow the MFA to contact you and provide assistance should you need it during your travels.
Also Read: Is It Safe To Travel To Japan Amidst the Novel Coronavirus?
As the virus continues to spread, the best way to protect yourself against the risk of infection is to limit your travels as far as you can. However, if you have to, make sure to always be up to date on travel news and to check on your airlines’ websites for any changes.
