ITAA travel partners offer free of charge changes in order to restore consumer confidence
A number of ITAA partner suppliers are offering free of charge changes for customers affected by travel disruptions.
The ITAA are reassuring consumers that they can still securely book holidays despite the ongoing Coronavirus situation, thanks to a number of travel partners such as airlines and cruise companies who are liberalising costs and offering changes to travel arrangements free of charge for bookings made this month.
Many travel providers are waiving change fees on flights and cruises for the foreseeable future as the situation with Coronavirus remains fluid, in the hopes that this will boost consumer confidence and increase bookings. It is important to note that each supplier has slightly different rules, but most offer changes valid for ticketed/issued bookings for the month of March.
The ITAA is aware that a number of partner airlines which currently have policies for free of charge changes, including the following: Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Air France, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, AirCanada and WestJet. Other suppliers offering flexibility with bookings include The Travel Corporation, MSC Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
John Spollen, ITAA President, said, “The ITAA understands that this is an unsettling time for consumers, however we hope that with these concessions made by our travel partners, people will start to regain a sense of confidence when booking holidays through travel agents. By offering changes free of charge, consumers are given a sense of flexibility during the constantly evolving Coronavirus situation, which we hope will put consumers’ minds at ease.”
He continued, “We really appreciate the assistance of these travel partners, and would call on our other partners to follow suit as we try to navigate our way through this issue.”
