Airlines take steps to ease coronavirus concerns for travelers
(FOX 9)
(FOX 9) - The threat of the coronavirus is starting to hit the travel industry. Airlines are getting nervous because travelers are getting nervous and that has airlines, including Delta, trying to offer customers peace of mind.
"I think everyone is kind of on a knife-edge at this point," explained Thrifty Traveler Editor-In-Chief Kyle Potter.
Airlines take steps to ease coronavirus concerns for travelers
The threat of the coronavirus is starting to hit the travel industry. Airlines are getting nervous because travelers are getting nervous and that has airlines, including Delta, trying to offer customers peace of mind.
At airports from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, airlines are bracing for turbulence. They're trying to ease passenger fears by offering travel waivers, the kind usually issued during snowstorms.
Delta is now the latest offering free changes on any ticket, domestic or international, booked during the entire month of March. Potter says it’s a significant move.
"I mean Delta usually charges $200 for a domestic ticket to change it," said Potter. "More than that on international. They’re trying to give some comfort to flyers to say we don’t know what’s going to happen to coronavirus, neither do you. But we’re going to offer you some comfort that you’re going to be able to take a trip."
So, let’s say you’re about ready to book a trip, but you’re worried about what may happen. There’s always travel insurance. You need to check to policy carefully, because they may not cover all of your trip.
"The key is to make sure that your insurance policy has a clause to cancel for any reason," explained Potter. "Those policies are normally quite a bit more expensive than your typical add on from the airline policy. And they’re not always going to refund 100 percent of your costs, but you need to read the fine print because, otherwise, you’re going to be left holding the bag."
The upside to the coronavirus threat is you could land some travel deals, especially on international or long haul flights.
Thrifty Traveler found roundtrip airfare from Minneapolis to Hawaii for $455.
"We found fares, Minneapolis to Tokyo round trip, for as low as $330," said Potter. "That’s normally a $900 to $1,000 ticket. So, they’re doing everything they can to get people on these planes."
Just part of the ways the airlines are trying to create smooth skies in turbulent times. Delta is also sanitizing the planes with misters on transpacific flights landing at MSP.
Sun Country says it has put hand sanitizers at all gates and made them available to crews on their planes.