For those who had to cancel a trip because of COVID, listen up. Not long ago, the expiry date on our Qantas and Jetstar COVID flight credits was extended until December 2024. This applied to anyone who had their travel plans cancelled due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
Well, we have even better news today. Turns out Qantas is scrapping the deadline altogether, thanks to a little public backlash.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Jetstar’s Stephanie Tully, and corporate affairs head, Andrew McGinnes revealed the airline was holding $100 million in unused Jetstar flight credits. It’s safe to say, the public was not happy, and neither were some of the attendees.
Earlier this year, a recent analysis showed that 76% of COVID credits are worth less than $500, 24% are worth between $500 and $5,000, and only 1% are worth more than $5,000. The airline has been accused of inflexible refund policies and poor customer service by some travellers.
Customers with Qantas flight credits will be able to claim a cash refund at any time, but there’s a catch. Anyone looking to use credits to book flights will need to do so by the end of the year, “due to a system limitation,” according to Qantas.
And Jetstar customers can’t claim a cash refund, but they can be used to book flights indefinitely.
Despite some conditions, this new credit policy makes it one of the most flexible of any airline in the world.
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