Will the airlines extend the cancellation/reschedule policy now in place beyond April 30?

Things are so fluid day to day, it’s impossible to say what airlines are going to beyond 4/30. We’re in the same situation but are sitting tight and waiting to see what happens next.

They surely will, as things move forward. That is, assuming there are still airlines in business come June.

The world economy is collapsing. Things are going to get worse (a lot worse) before they start getting better. Companies in the travel business are scrambling for their very existence. Things are changing every hour, dates and policies are being adjusted, and they will be continually for some time.

Keep things in perspective. Stop worrying about July. Right now, worry about this week and next. The situation in July will become clear some time in June. Be patient, focus on what's important right now (a trip in July ain't). Everybody is going to have a rough time, financially and otherwise, for a while. Count your blessings and hang in there.

Everybody is going to have a rough time, financially and otherwise,
for a while. Count your blessings and hang in there.

I've been reading a lot about Warsaw, 1939-1945. It makes me feel better about the present.

I've been thinking a lot about the 1930s. Buckle up, there's turbulence ahead.

Getting a refund for money spent on flights for a canceled trip will soon be prioritized appropriately.

To look for an answer to your question - look at RSE actions and those of the airlines (United currently allowing cancelling flights up till June 1 for example) - extending shutdowns one month at a time to handle the workload. Government limitations here and abroad (Italy may be years getting back on its feet fully) will continue until there is confidence that people will not trigger a "second wave"of virus transmission by traveling. Perhaps/probably until there is a proven successful vaccine in maybe 12-18 months.

Pretty compressive list.

https://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/50104455/covid-19-flight-waivers-and-refund-policies-by-airline/

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but as of today United does not appear to have a policy allowing cancellations through June, at least not with refunds. It looks like people can cancel and reschedule within a year of the purchase date, but might have to pay airfare difference. And some people purchased four months ago, so for them it would be travel by December 2020. Of course United could change or extend the policy any time.

My flight with Aer Lingus was the end of May. They already allowed me to submit my voucher request. Who knows how long it will take to process, but I will, of course, be patient. I can't imagine working in the travel industry right now on top of all the other stresses we encounter each day.

Thanks to all for taking time to comment. Yes, the economy will be in the tank for a while, but we will recover and it is not like being in Poland in 1939.

Gerri, I appreciate you link, it answered quite a lot.
Delta has extended its policy for International flights through the end of May:
International Travel Scheduled to Depart in March, April, or May
For international travel originally scheduled to depart through May 31, 2020, all change fees are waived

You can rebook your trip to the same destination for travel departing before May 31 with no difference in fare applied

For trips rebooked to the same destination for travel departing June 1 – December 31, 2020, there will be no change fees but a difference in fare will apply

We understand you might not know where you want to go. If you’d like to change your destination, or if you don’t know when you want to travel, you may cancel without a fee and use your eCredit to book a new flight at a later date

Travel to and from the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico will qualify for the international ticket flexibility policy

For the best experience, please go to  My Trips  to adjust your plans before your original travel date.  Your new travel should begin before December 31, 2020
All International Travel: No Change Fees for Customers Scheduled to Travel February 25, 2020 – May 31, 2020

Eligible Customers: All Tickets Originally Issued on or before March 17, 2020

Impacted Travel Date(s): February 25, 2020 – May 31, 2020

New Ticket Must Be Re-issued On/Before: December 31, 2020

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/03/will-the-coronavirus-outbreak-be-stopped-by-the-warm-spring-weather-heres-what-5-experts-say.html

Our airline of choice; WestJet is currently allowing cancellations until the end of April but so far it's been a liquid date and as the travel ban continues, it has been extending that date. Currently WestJet is offering a 24 month credit for cancelling so I'm feeling very good about that.

Delta has now extended its flexible reschedule policy through May 31:

Delta is waiving all change fees for travel impacted by coronavirus. This applies to all domestic and international travel departing in March, April or May 2020, as well as all tickets purchased in March 2020. 

If your travel is eligible for a waiver, you can move your travel dates and even select a new destination. You can cancel and/or change travel by December 31, 2020, or your ticket expiration date. Your unused ticket will be applied toward your new flight, and in some instances a fare difference will apply. If the new fare is lower, you will receive an eCredit for the difference. If the new fare is higher, the difference will be collected.

I was wondering the same thing because we have a flight to Frankfurt, Germany on May 12th; booked through Alaska Airlines with their partner Condor Air. I called Alaska Air a couple of days ago and told them that we wanted to cancel our trip and the customer Rep that I went through was very obliging and it took him less than 5 minutes to cancel it. My miles, that I used to book the trip, were immediately returned to my account . The $300+ taxes that I paid will be credited back to my account within 5 days. Now, I'm just waiting to see what Lufthansa does with my flight from Frankfurt to Venice; as well as Alitalia with my flight from Rome to Frankfurt.

We have a flight on United, RT from SFO to London in mid-May return Mid-June. Bought the AIG insurance, but AIG stated on March 11, 2020 that the...." World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a "pandemic", therefore any losses for trip cancellation, trip interruption and/or trip delay caused by or resulting from quarantine due to COVID-19 is NOT considered "Unforseen and will NOT be covered under the terms and conditions of this insurance policy". So...at this point, while we have sheltered in place and all UK/US flights are banned... AIG's policy is BS in our opinion...and we will reconsider AIG travel insurance or others in future trips. So...we are contemplating cancelling w/United now, or just holding out til a couple weeks before departure to see if United will cancel our flight. Hoping for the latter, as per their policy, we purchased our tickets in December 2019, and there is no way we can travel to the UK by December 2020. If all goes well, 2021 is more realistic. Stay safe, stay healthy! Thanks for your input!

I think Airline companies should extend their 'ask for refund' date or return people’s money because (COVID-19) is an international disease that is damaging the people's lives as well as economies.

If the Airline companies are going to return the amount this will create a positive reputation for their airline in-front of the people.

I know this is going to hurt their revenue but in the long run, this will help them in generating more revenue.

No One wants to visit an area three months after a hurricane or earthquake. They are mild in comparison to a pandemic. What airline companies should do, and what they will do may be very different things. July is a long way away given what the IMHE projections are now. Breathe. Relax. On June 1 we (airlines) will have a better concept of the world in which they are living. And the airlines are the least of potential traveler's problems.

nickB,
We live in a hurricane target area and have evacuated twice in 3 1/2 years. Damage was extensive in our area, we had a neighbor that had $30000 in damages. Ours was minor compared to that. Still, some hurricanes have destroyed whole communities, like Mexico Beach, Florida not that long ago.

To compare a hurricane to this pandemic is a bit distorted, since hurricanes normally don't usually cause huge loss of life, but do a lot of property damage. Yes, a pandemic is terrible if you are a victim. The death rate for the coronavirus is more than the flu, but not like the Plague or Ebola. Fortunately, science has already experienced those deadly diseases, but not the new coronavirus.

I expect you were trying to put the virus into perspective. Fair enough, but for a travel website were my specific question was important for myself and others, because of a substantial financial loss. Doesn't compare to dying from the virus. However, I didn't ask about dying from the virus, or hurricanes. I asked about the cancellation/reschedule policy. Fortunately, I had posts that provided a more focus answer.

I wish you well. Life is good and I will enjoy it while I can. I love to travel and will do so when it is safe.

I bought my plane tickets from American Airline. My trip to Spain is in October. The consensus from others on this forum seems to be approximately this: don’t travel for the rest of this year, and travel in 2021 might not be advisable either.

Should I figure out how to cancel my trip immediately, or should I wait to the last minute?

Irregardless of other factors, if the sights will be closed or if I can’t get tickets to the Alhambra in advance, I need to cancel my trip. Sometime in July is when I would have to search for tickets to the Alhambra.

I don’t want to travel while feeling totally weird, like I am doing something wrong, if my mother and other older people think I am nuts for traveling given the pandemic.

Mike, our trip is scheduled for September for the 4 of us. We’ve paid our air, only thing that was not refundable.

I am not canceling anything yet, not because I think we will go, but because I’m hoping Delta says it’s a no-go and refunds my money. No need to cancel yet.

I think there will be another surge late summer/early fall. Even if things are open, I don’t want to catch it away from home and be stuck.

Lulu348: What if Delta doesn't cancel your flights? If you can't or "can't" take a trip you have tickets for, then wouldn't you just not take your trip no matter what the airline decides, and then getting a refund or credit for future travel is secondary?

Mike L.,
If Delta doesn't cancel our flights in July and doesn't allow us to reschedule or get a credit for another flight, that will not govern our decision on making the trip.

We will make the trip decision based on a number of factors. The main factor is health and safety.

Other factors complicating our ability to travel would be if a country that we are traveling through or to has still banned flights from the USA or a 14 day quarantine is required. Those matters would largely parallel the health and safety factor, since it would indicate that travel is not safe. Also, I would expect Delta to have the flexible reschedule policy as a minimum if the health and safety issue is problematic.

If at the end of September, one week before my trip, I still have my plane tickets, I have bought tickets to the Alhambra, there are no travel restrictions, American Airline has not cancelled my trip, and the sights in Spain were open the day before, but international air travel in the last week has been much less than at the same time of the year in previous years, and my mother still insists that I need to stay home - she has had a lifelong phobia of travel, should I stay home or continue with my trip?

Secondary question: Under this supposed scenario, if I am going to continue with my trip, should I tell my family, leading to the expected argument with my horrified mother, or should I travel without ever having told my parents or family members in the generation older than me about my trip before traveling?

Yeah, I know you can't answer but what is your best guess anyway? Yeah of course your best guess is allowed to be wrong.

Mike, I personally think your hypothetical will be a moot point so there's no need to worry (ahead of time) about the secondary question. You agonized over the same questions on your prior trips even under normal times, but these are not normal times. Whatever happens, if you decide to go or can go (in the future TBD), I wouldn't hide it from your family.

Delta extended their ability to REbook to May 31, 2022 for most of the flights. Smart move I think. My husband wants the vaccine before he travels.

Mike,
Don't hide your trip from family.

Mike, do you make your travel plans based on your mother's concerns, knowing that she has a "lifelong phobia of travel"? Or do you base your decisions on knowledgeable, informed input from worldwide news sources? I agree that you shouldn't hide your travel plans from your family. What if something goes wrong and they don't know where you are?

This is a very very different and difficult situation we find ourselves in now, and you are asking questions that we all have. I think a lot of us, myself included, are balancing our possible financial losses against what is going to be safe and allowable in several months. I'm not cancelling anything from my trip to Iceland in August, but I know that at some point Icelandair may cancel my flight for good reasons and I'll just have to postpone this year's trip until 2021. At least all of my accommodations are cancellable.

I told my parents about my last trip 4 weeks in advance. I had bought the plane tickets half a year in advance. In theory if I didn't tell my parents about a trip I was taking, I would still tell my brother and possibly also an aunt. Obviously safety comes first. I probably tell my parents about any future travel two to four weeks before I leave.

But how can you be so sure that in October, travel will still be microbiologically unsafe even if travel becomes legal again? If travel becomes legal by October but some older people still think travel is still unsafe, should I continue with my trip, or should I cancel my trip to avoid feeling too guilty due to the possibility of doing something I am "not supposed to do"?

My vote is that you should cancel your trip since you are relying too much on other people to answer those questions for you. I mean really, how are we to decide how guilty you should feel?

Mike,
The last poster made some good observations.
You must make the choice.

To predict the future in six months would be very difficult. This virus is new and while not as deadly as some, it is extremely virile.

I believe that in the next 2-3 months the world wide infection numbers will likely be down, but there will probably not be a vaccine. Travel overseas will still be somewhat risky. It is possible that you many still be barred from travel.

I understand that the UK may be shut down until October.

I suggest that you research to determine as much as possible the risks involved, particularly in the countries that you many visit.
Also, research your travel risks. What if you are caught in a country that locks down travelers? There will likely be a second wave of this virus and it may come in the Fall. It probably won't be as strong as the first wave, but still problematic.

Personally, we probably won't be traveling until Summer of 2021.

Mike, Dr. Fauci, and others who know more than most of us, think that there will be another outbreak in the fall. I personally don't plan to take any more trips to Europe until there's a vaccine. I know that many people on this forum will differ, but I trust my local hospitals more than I do the National Health Services in Europe. Of course, that's because I have good insurance. And yes I know that insurance is worthless if the health care system is overwhelmed.

Mike, the standard for future travel is not a "legal" standard, it's a public health standard, ethical standard, and a risk-reward tradeoff. I would find no joy traveling somewhere that is totally shuttered or if I expose myself or my family to too great of a risk. You don't need to make any decision right now, so just sit tight for the time being. No sense in stressing over things out of your control. Things on the ground may look very different in a few months, so stay tuned.