Airlines’ New Operating Mode: Flexible

Update With pandemic-related travel restrictions in place, airlines are showing a new generosity when it comes to rebooking. Here are the policies of the biggest U. S. carriers.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and government-imposed restrictions on travel, many airlines are relaxing their ticket-change policies and allowing travelers to rebook without a penalty anywhere from a few to 12 months out. The only domestic airline that doesn’t routinely charge fees for flight changes, Southwest Airlines, went a step beyond, extending the normal year that passengers have to use their credits to June 30, 2021. Whether they follow Southwest’s lead or not, American airlines are bending where normally they are rigid on fees, which can run into the hundreds of dollars. “We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Seth Kaplan, an airline expert and co-founder of the newsletter Airline Weekly.

“Airlines that are famously inflexible are being very flexible right now. ” Most of the allowances result in credits toward future flights, rather than direct refunds. According to the U. S.

Department of Transportation, passengers are entitled to a refund if the airline makes a significant schedule change, though some airlines, including JetBlue and United, are making it harder to get refunds on the flights they are canceling in the wake of the pandemic. “If you have a flight in a month that you know you’re not going to take, there’s no benefit to canceling early,” Mr. Kaplan said, who advises waiting until a few days out to see if any cancellation triggers a refund. To manage the call volumes, many carriers are asking passengers who seek to make changes to call only within 48 to 72 hours of their flight.

The following are the policies of the largest airlines in the United States with regard to nonrefundable fares. Links to many international carriers can be found at Google. com/travel’s new travel help page. Change policy: Broadly speaking, the airline is waiving cancellation fees for travel through May 31 and issuing credits for future travel.

When you booked the trip determines how long you have to use that credit. Change policy: Allegiant, which only flies domestically, is allowing one-time changes or cancellations without penalty in exchange for a voucher for future travel. It has not set limits on travel dates and is currently honoring all requests for changes without imposing fees. Change policy: For flights purchased before March 1 for travel through May 31, travelers can rebook without change fees.