Following this decision, Qantas customers with COVID credits can request a cash refund, and Jetstar customers can use their COVID vouchers for flights, indefinitely. This announcement makes Qantas’ COVID credit policy one of the most flexible of any airline in the world.
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GLOThe Qantas Group will remove the expiry date on COVID travel credits that were due to run out at the end of this year.
Following this decision, Qantas customers with COVID credits can request a cash refund, and Jetstar customers can use their COVID vouchers for flights, indefinitely.
The announcement makes Qantas’ COVID credit policy one of the most flexible of any airline in the world, and it follows three prior deadline extensions. Some airlines have already expired their travel credits and many more run out completely at the end of this year.
To encourage more people to reconnect with their credits, from 4 September 2023 Qantas is offering double the standard number of Frequent Flyer Points for any flights booked with a Qantas COVID credit before 31 December 2023. Due to system limitations, Qantas COVID credit can’t be converted into a travel booking after this date, but can be taken as a refund at any time.
The Qantas Group will continue its regular reminders to those customers who still hold COVID credits, including emails, text messages, phone calls and advertisements. Qantas is also working with travel agents to coordinate refunds for travel not booked directly through the airline.
TEXT OF VIDEO MESSAGE TO CUSTOMERS FROM ALAN JOYCE, QANTAS GROUP CEO
Hello, I’m Alan Joyce.
Today we’re scrapping the expiry dates on all travel credits that came out of COVID.
If you have a Qantas COVID credit, you can request a cash refund at any point in the future.
And if you have a Jetstar COVID voucher, you can use it for travel indefinitely.
These credits and vouchers will never expire.
We’re doing this because we’ve listened.
We know the credit system was not as smooth as it should have been.
And, while we’ve improved it recently, and extended the expiry date several times, people lost faith in the process.
We hope this helps change that.
We also hope that a lot of people still choose to put their credit towards their next journey.
That’s why we’re also announcing a double Frequent Flyer Point offer when you book a flight with your Qantas COVID credit before the end of the year.
All up, this is one of the most flexible approaches that any airline has taken to its COVID credits.
And it comes on top of the huge amount of work happening to improve how we serve you, every day.
We’ll keep reaching out directly to everyone with a COVID voucher or credit with information on how to redeem.
Please read the detail in the emails we’re sending you.
And, if you booked with a travel agent, please contact them directly.
On behalf of everyone at the Qantas Group…thank you.
FAQ
Can you automatically refund people’s credit card rather than following a process through Qantas?
Given bookings that have been converted into COVID credits date back to 2019, most credit cards used have expired by now, meaning the funds will bounce back if we attempt to refund onto them.
Why can’t Qantas post a cheque?
Aside from cheques being outmoded, people aren’t asked for their postal address when they book a flight. While we have postal addresses for some Frequent Flyers, these aren’t regularly updated.
Source: Qantas Group
