Experience with SQ Covid-19-related cancellations?
Mar 24, 2020, 7:06 pm
#46
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 78
Just called SQ to see about cancelling a July award flight as my points are going to expire next month. Thought it would be safer to get the points back in my account and pay or use points to extend for 6 months to buy some time. They said it could take up to 4 months to refund the points back to my account. Does this sound right?!? They couldn't guarantee if the points posted after the expiration that they would be valid.
Any insights on this, thanks so much!
Any insights on this, thanks so much!
Mar 24, 2020, 10:26 pm
#48
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Programs: SQ,CX,LX
Posts: 343
Best laid plans an all that, it's all gone to sh*t again. After the very nice station manager at AKL changed our return (to UK) booking for Monday it's now been cancelled so we would like to re-arrange for May (providing anyone is flying by then), this is the 3rd time the reservation has been cancelled and the first time it was changed by calling reservations in NZ (number now disconnected), the second time by the station manager at AKL. Anyway, the original booking was made by a travel agent in UK who has now gone awol and all the 'phone lines are dead and no response to hundreds via social media or email so the assumption is that they are no longer trading. I tried to use the online rebooking option in the link provided by SQ but it just comes back with a message to contact my travel agent - no can do. In desperation I cut and pasted the form into word, completed it with my change request and emailed it to nz_reservations. I have tried to 'phone different numbers but all cut off after selecting to book/change a reservation. What are my chances that anyone at SQ will take notice of the email?
Mar 25, 2020, 1:08 am
#49
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: BRU, SIN, PEK
Programs: SQ TPP, LH SEN
Posts: 3,235
Find your own way home NOW and deal with the refund or credit later. Everything is in shambles across the globe I don't know how easily they can piece an itinerary back home for you that will not simply fail because another country along the way goes to lock-down. There is no way you can fly SQ anyway since they will only be connecting to SG and Changi is closed to non-residents.
Mar 25, 2020, 4:43 am
#50
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: USA
Programs: AS MVP; UA Gold; DL Gold; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 156
Our flight from Cairns to Singapore next month has been cancelled (Australia and Singapore have travel bans) and we requested a refund and have been told we are not entitled. Only allowed to rebook a later flight or keep an open ticket for 12 months. I have tried arguing against this without luck so far.
I'll accept the voucher credit and use at another time. I don't really want to round and round with SQ on a refund.
We are pretty confident we will use the credit! Good luck to you!
Mar 25, 2020, 11:33 pm
#51
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: London, Singapore
Programs: SQ *G, QR OWS
Posts: 21
Our flight from Cairns to Singapore next month has been cancelled (Australia and Singapore have travel bans) and we requested a refund and have been told we are not entitled. Only allowed to rebook a later flight or keep an open ticket for 12 months. I have tried arguing against this without luck so far.
Mar 25, 2020, 11:45 pm
#52
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: United 2P, AA Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 173
Hi all,
Another data point. Like some have reported here, I also called the SQ line to refund an upcoming booking (for my case, it was a nonrefundable business ticket that had a massive schedule change, so I used that as a reason to cancel the ticket altogether and request the refund). The music went silent about 1 hr 11 minutes in... but I held on and just 5 minutes later someone answered the phone (so don't give up if you music goes silent!)
The agent on the line said she couldn't process the refund herself but that she would forward my request to the "concerns" (couldn't hear her completely) department and something would be processed in 12-16 weeks (!!). I tried to get clarification on what the 'something' would be - and if she could guarantee the refund. The only clarification she gave was that my itinerary was now canceled and no longer retrievable, and that I should be hearing back from the "concerns" department in 12-16 weeks. So now I have no flight, but I don't know if I'm getting a refund? She said she couldn't send me any sort of email confirmation.
Should I try speaking with another agent for a more concrete answer? Or would this be expected given the circumstances the airlines are in?
Another data point. Like some have reported here, I also called the SQ line to refund an upcoming booking (for my case, it was a nonrefundable business ticket that had a massive schedule change, so I used that as a reason to cancel the ticket altogether and request the refund). The music went silent about 1 hr 11 minutes in... but I held on and just 5 minutes later someone answered the phone (so don't give up if you music goes silent!)
The agent on the line said she couldn't process the refund herself but that she would forward my request to the "concerns" (couldn't hear her completely) department and something would be processed in 12-16 weeks (!!). I tried to get clarification on what the 'something' would be - and if she could guarantee the refund. The only clarification she gave was that my itinerary was now canceled and no longer retrievable, and that I should be hearing back from the "concerns" department in 12-16 weeks. So now I have no flight, but I don't know if I'm getting a refund? She said she couldn't send me any sort of email confirmation.
Should I try speaking with another agent for a more concrete answer? Or would this be expected given the circumstances the airlines are in?
Mar 26, 2020, 11:38 am
#53
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 78
Just called SQ to see about cancelling a July award flight as my points are going to expire next month. Thought it would be safer to get the points back in my account and pay or use points to extend for 6 months to buy some time. They said it could take up to 4 months to refund the points back to my account. Does this sound right?!? They couldn't guarantee if the points posted after the expiration that they would be valid.
Any insights on this, thanks so much!
Any insights on this, thanks so much!
Thank you all for your help!
Mar 26, 2020, 2:42 pm
#54
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,652
This is outrageous.... I filled out the form and asked for a refund of my miles and taxes six days ago. Now I get to fill out the form a second time with the exact same request. My flights were canceled.
I got a reply saying:
We have noted your request for a refund for your booked travel.
To be able to make use of the value of your ticket when the global travel landscape improves, you may wish to keep your ticket open-dated and rebook your travel at a later time, when you are ready to make new travel plans. Rebooking fees will be waived.
Please note that your new travel should be completed by 31 March 2021, and a fare difference may apply if there is a change in destination or availability of a fare type.
We encourage you to consider this option.
*Please submit your request through our online Assistance Request form via the following link: https://www.singaporeair.com/request.form
I got a reply saying:
We have noted your request for a refund for your booked travel.
To be able to make use of the value of your ticket when the global travel landscape improves, you may wish to keep your ticket open-dated and rebook your travel at a later time, when you are ready to make new travel plans. Rebooking fees will be waived.
Please note that your new travel should be completed by 31 March 2021, and a fare difference may apply if there is a change in destination or availability of a fare type.
We encourage you to consider this option.
*Please submit your request through our online Assistance Request form via the following link: https://www.singaporeair.com/request.form
Mar 26, 2020, 3:18 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Posts: 2,851
To follow up on this and I just want to make sure i heard what SQ told me and see if others received this. I've decided to keep my award ticket in open status and they said I can book a trip by January, 31 2021. I don't need to fly by this date but will have until January 31 2022 to complete travel. Does this sound right? I had a bad connection and I was having a little trouble understanding the representative so hope to confirm here or will call back and hopefully have a better connection.
Thank you all for your help!
Thank you all for your help!
Everything I read seems to have a deadline of travel BY March 2021.
What form or email address did you use?
I redeemed points for a flight from JFK to FRA cancelled for May 2020. I would love to have until Jan 2021 to book a new flight as I plan to travel in June or July 2021.
My points already expired so I would have no points back if I cancel now. Think expiration was like August 2019 when I booked the May 2020 trip
Mar 26, 2020, 3:58 pm
#56
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
I'm gob-smacked that people are acting as if this decline in air travel will be over in a few months and then we're back to normal. Until there's a vaccine - which on best estimates is 12+ months away - international travel will be severely limited. Do you imagine that NZ - which has a total lockdown domestically and internationally for four weeks - will simply open up to business as usual once the lockdown is over? Their borders will have to remain, if not closed then severely restricted, until they can guarantee that new arrivals are not bringing the virus back into the country. I can foresee the Thailand situation being enforced by many countries - no travel without a certificate that you've been tested or, in 12+ months' time, been vaccinated. At least it'll keep the mad anti-vaxxers at home
Mar 26, 2020, 5:10 pm
#57
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 78
This is outrageous.... I filled out the form and asked for a refund of my miles and taxes six days ago. Now I get to fill out the form a second time with the exact same request. My flights were canceled.
I got a reply saying:
We have noted your request for a refund for your booked travel.
To be able to make use of the value of your ticket when the global travel landscape improves, you may wish to keep your ticket open-dated and rebook your travel at a later time, when you are ready to make new travel plans. Rebooking fees will be waived.
Please note that your new travel should be completed by 31 March 2021, and a fare difference may apply if there is a change in destination or availability of a fare type.
We encourage you to consider this option.
*Please submit your request through our online Assistance Request form via the following link: https://www.singaporeair.com/request.form
I got a reply saying:
We have noted your request for a refund for your booked travel.
To be able to make use of the value of your ticket when the global travel landscape improves, you may wish to keep your ticket open-dated and rebook your travel at a later time, when you are ready to make new travel plans. Rebooking fees will be waived.
Please note that your new travel should be completed by 31 March 2021, and a fare difference may apply if there is a change in destination or availability of a fare type.
We encourage you to consider this option.
*Please submit your request through our online Assistance Request form via the following link: https://www.singaporeair.com/request.form
Something fishy is going on... The CSR's are pushing open tickets/vouchers HARD. What I don't understand though in my situation is if I cancel my award flight I owe them $75 and I would need to spend another ~$100 if a few weeks to extend my miles as they're expiring next month.
Mar 26, 2020, 5:23 pm
#58
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 78
Did you have to pay a fee for your points to go back to your account?
Everything I read seems to have a deadline of travel BY March 2021.
What form or email address did you use?
I redeemed points for a flight from JFK to FRA cancelled for May 2020. I would love to have until Jan 2021 to book a new flight as I plan to travel in June or July 2021.
My points already expired so I would have no points back if I cancel now. Think expiration was like August 2019 when I booked the May 2020 trip
Everything I read seems to have a deadline of travel BY March 2021.
What form or email address did you use?
I redeemed points for a flight from JFK to FRA cancelled for May 2020. I would love to have until Jan 2021 to book a new flight as I plan to travel in June or July 2021.
My points already expired so I would have no points back if I cancel now. Think expiration was like August 2019 when I booked the May 2020 trip
This is what I was told by the latest representative and it's probably wrong. My open ticket must be booked by Jan 30, 2021 and travel completed by March 2021 to not incur a $25 change fee. I can still book past March 2021 but would incur a $25 change fee. If this is in fact correct (I doubt it is) I'd be happy with that.
Mar 27, 2020, 5:40 am
#59
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Posts: 2,851
See my post above please but something fishy is going on... They're pushing open tickets/vouchers hard and wouldn't let me cancel as my points expire next month and it could take up to 4 months for points to be redeposited and they couldn't guarantee if they posted after expiration that they would be valid.
This is what I was told by the latest representative and it's probably wrong. My open ticket must be booked by Jan 30, 2021 and travel completed by March 2021 to not incur a $25 change fee. I can still book past March 2021 but would incur a $25 change fee. If this is in fact correct (I doubt it is) I'd be happy with that.
This is what I was told by the latest representative and it's probably wrong. My open ticket must be booked by Jan 30, 2021 and travel completed by March 2021 to not incur a $25 change fee. I can still book past March 2021 but would incur a $25 change fee. If this is in fact correct (I doubt it is) I'd be happy with that.
Mar 27, 2020, 6:03 am
#60
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,188
This is outrageous.... I filled out the form and asked for a refund of my miles and taxes six days ago. Now I get to fill out the form a second time with the exact same request. My flights were canceled.
I got a reply saying:
We have noted your request for a refund for your booked travel.
To be able to make use of the value of your ticket when the global travel landscape improves, you may wish to keep your ticket open-dated and rebook your travel at a later time, when you are ready to make new travel plans. Rebooking fees will be waived.
Please note that your new travel should be completed by 31 March 2021, and a fare difference may apply if there is a change in destination or availability of a fare type.
We encourage you to consider this option.
*Please submit your request through our online Assistance Request form via the following link: https://www.singaporeair.com/request.form
I got a reply saying:
We have noted your request for a refund for your booked travel.
To be able to make use of the value of your ticket when the global travel landscape improves, you may wish to keep your ticket open-dated and rebook your travel at a later time, when you are ready to make new travel plans. Rebooking fees will be waived.
Please note that your new travel should be completed by 31 March 2021, and a fare difference may apply if there is a change in destination or availability of a fare type.
We encourage you to consider this option.
*Please submit your request through our online Assistance Request form via the following link: https://www.singaporeair.com/request.form