By Alexis Tiacoh, on March 16, 2020

Got questions about your travel plans? Here’s what you should know if you’re changing or canceling a trip due to COVID-19

We’re here to help answer your questions about making changes to your existing travel plans due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Please read the latest updates below and visit our Customer Service Portal for online tools to help you change or cancel travel plans.

Latest Updates

We will keep this page regularly updated to ensure we are providing the latest guidance, travel suggestions, and links to pertinent coronavirus information.

June 26, 2020

Interstate Travel Quarantines:

  • Some states have issued mandatory quarantine periods for travelers returning home/visiting from other states.
    • The travel quarantine announced on June 24, 2020 by the Governor of New York means travelers returning to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut from 8 U.S. states will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Those states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Texas.
    • Governor of Hawaii announced on June 24, 2020 that all travelers arriving in Hawaii from out-of-state will be required to get a valid COVID-19 test prior to their arrival, and to show proof of a negative test result, to avoid the 14-day quarantine. The pre-travel testing program begins August 1.
  • Customers who wish to change or modify travel plans due to these travel quarantines should review the terms and conditions of their air and/or hotel bookings to see what they are eligible for.
  • Many airlines are allowing customers to cancel without penalty one time per ticket and receive a flight credit or change the date of their travel. Customers can cancel and view their airline’s policies by heading to their My Trips page and using self-service links in their itineraries.
  • In some cases, customers with non-refundable hotel bookings may be eligible for a voucher (based on the property’s policies). Refundable bookings can be canceled in My Trips.

July Travel Dates:

  • Customers with air travel booked for the month of July who wish to cancel may be eligible to cancel without penalty and receive a flight credit. Most customers with July travel would have received an email allowing them to cancel for a credit. Travelers can also cancel themselves using self-service tools in My Trips.
  • For hotels, many of our travel partners continue to review and update their policies. Check My Trips to see if your reservation qualifies for free cancellation. If your reservation does not qualify, you can still cancel your reservation, but standard cancellation policies will apply.

May 27, 2020

June Travel Dates:

  • Customers with international lodging bookings, as well as those with lodging bookings at select domestic properties, who are scheduled to begin their stay on or before June 30, 2020 and booked prior to March 19, 2020, will be eligible for a full refund or, in some cases, a voucher allowing them to rebook the original property at later dates. For options on how to manage your itinerary, head here: https://www.expedia.com/service
  • Customers who booked a non-refundable rate for a stay scheduled to begin after June 30, 2020, should continue to check our site for updates. As the situation evolves, we will continue working with travel partners as necessary to implement flexible policies.

May 8, 2020

Information for travelers that purchased travel insurance:

 

If I intend to file a claim, do I still need to cancel my travel booking?

  • Yes, if you are not planning to travel due to COVID-19, you should cancel your travel before your travel start date to ensure that you do not forfeit any refunds, vouchers, or credits offered by the travel suppliers. You can initiate cancellations and check booking status by logging in to your online itinerary at  My Trips.
  • If your travel is not immediate, please note that you may want to check back closer to your travel date as cancellation policies continue to evolve.

 

How do I submit a claim?

  • Please visit the AIG website to submit a claim directly. Be sure to have your policy or itinerary number handy, as well as the last name the booking is under. Please note that AIG is currently processing insurance claims in order of trip date.

 

If you have any additional questions regarding your insurance policy, please connect with AIG.

 

Information for travelers that purchased Vacation Waiver:

  • If you purchased Vacation Waiver we’ll reimburse you for any change or cancellation fees you are charged by a travel provider. If there are no change or cancellation fees involved in changing or cancelling your travel plans, then there is nothing additional for Vacation Waiver to provide.

April 24, 2020

May Travel Dates:

  • If you are traveling between now and May 31, 2020, we have new options to cancel your trip online at Expedia.com/trips or you can submit our cancellation form at Expedia.com/travel-alert-refunds. If none of the above solutions worked, and your trip begins within the next 10 days, use the “Contact Us” button at the top of expedia.com/service to speak directly with an agent. There are still currently extremely high hold times, so please do not call if you are not departing in the next 10 days so that we can better support travelers with more imminent needs.
  • Now that the impacts of COVID-19 on travel plans are more widely known, and our teams have worked hard to ensure customers are able to manage their bookings via robust self-service tools, we are putting some of our previous cancellation policies back into place. For example, if a lodging booking has a cancellation window in May, we expect travelers to abide by that cancellation window to avoid penalties.
  • We will continue to notify customers as their cancellation window approaches. We encourage travelers to review their plans and let us know if they intend to travel or not.

 

Update for travelers with tickets booked on Qantas (travel before July 31):

  • For those of you with bookings on Qantas, they have extended and simplified their flight credits for customers with impacted travel plans. If you’re due to travel on a Qantas flight before July 31, 2020 and wish to change your plans, you can cancel your booking and retain the full value as a flight credit. Change fees will also be waived when you are ready to re-book. Flight credits must be requested by April 30, 2020.
  • Customers traveling beyond May 31, 2020 who are unable to self-service online—we will reach out to round-trip ticket holders directly via email to give you the option to cancel your flight for credit. Please be sure to keep an eye out and to check your spam/junk mail.

April 17, 2020

Update for travelers with tickets booked on United (June travel and beyond):

  • For tickets issued on or before March 2, 2020 with travel scheduled for June 1-Dec 31, 2020, travelers must change or cancel by April 30, 2020 to ensure your change fees are waived and to receive two years to use the airline credit we will issue to you on their behalf. If you aren’t ready to re-book, no worries! Just make sure you cancel the flight for the credit. We’ll be sending out an email to you in the next few days to make it easy for you to do this, so please keep an eye out and check your junk mail. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your request to our Travel Alert Refund form, there’s nothing else you need to do as we’ll process that for you.
  • If you booked a round-trip ticket but only one of your flights is with United, you will still need to cancel that individual leg of the flight separately even if the other leg doesn’t currently have a policy in place. Once your other flight qualifies for a flex policy, you’ll be able to cancel that one without a penalty. You can directly cancel that segment of your flight here: expedia.com/trips
  • Please note that should you choose to cancel your flight for an airline credit, you waive your right to any potential refund that might have been offered in the event your flight is canceled by the airline later. However, if you wait you may not be able to change your ticket without penalty unless United issues further flex policies.

April 16, 2020

If I booked a non-refundable ticket, am I still eligible for a refund?

  • Policies will vary by carrier. Many airlines are issuing flex policies that offer flight credits for non-refundable travel through the end of May and eliminate cancellation and change fees. The easiest way to find out what your travel is eligible for is to check the airline’s website.
  • In some cases airlines are required to provide a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly delayed by the airline and no alternate flight is provided. For this to apply, a traveler usually must have an active ticket on that flight at the time it’s canceled by the carrier. If the flights are still operating and the traveler elects to cancel a non-refundable ticket, any refund, credit or voucher will be at the airline’s discretion based on their policies.
  • Unfortunately, travelers who are under ‘stay at home’ orders or otherwise prevented from traveling are not entitled to a refund.
  • If an airline cancels a flight, our customer service team will reach out to impacted travelers directly to provide an update.
  • If you believe you’re eligible for a refund and you received a flight credit instead, you can get in touch with us and we’ll work with you and the airline to determine your eligibility.

 

When will I get my refund?

  • For hotel bookings, please note that refunds may take up to 30 days to process due to the unprecedented volume of travel disruptions. If the hotel processed the charge, they’ll determine the refund timeline. With the significant increase in flight cancellations across the travel industry, most refunds will be issued within 8 weeks. Some refunds could take longer depending on the airline.

General tips for travelers who still need or want to get away despite COVID-19

Travelers should try to adhere to the guidance from government and public health officials to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. State Department has also warned Americans to no longer travel abroad. Of course, traveler safety is the most important thing so ultimately, it’s up to you to determine what’s best for you and your family. If you still need or want to travel, consider the following:

  • Stay informed. As a first step in planning any trip, check the Global Health and Travel Advisories for your intended destination. As the situation continues to evolve, airlines may change or reschedule flights.
  • Check your local airport to find out if there is specific travel advice for passengers. Depending on your departure or arrival airport, there may be additional security checks so allow yourself plenty of time to get checked in and to your gate.
  • Many airlines are offering flexible change policies for new travel booked. For a limited time due to COVID-19, many trusted airline partners including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and United Airlines are waiving change fees on eligible new bookings. Consider filtering for these air carriers and providers when searching on sites like Expedia.
  • Book refundable hotels for any trips you are planning. Many hotels on Expedia offer free cancellation, and we’ve made it easy to find refundable hotels vs. non-refundable options. Use the “free cancellation” payment type filter to easily find options within your travel window and price point. Prices can vary, but right now we believe that flexibility matters.
  • Check your travel insurance policy to see if changes and cancellations due to unforeseen events like coronavirus are covered. If you purchased travel protection through Expedia, you can learn more about your coverage here.
  • If you’re traveling for an event, double check to see if it’s been postponed or canceled.

More Customer Resources

For the most up-to-date traveler advisories and information on cancellations and refunds from Expedia, visit the customer service portal.

For answers to some of the most asked COVID-19 traveler questions including steps you should take to plan future trips, visit the Expedia FAQ page.