Trip.com today will expand its Safeguard Cancellation Guarantee initiative which offers cancellation waivers to customers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Cancellation provisions are for bookings on Trip.com made before 11.59 PM on 23 February 2020, for use before 11.59 PM on 31 March 2020.
“Trip.com recognises that the volatility of the situation is causing anxiety for our customers across the globe. We believe that it is our duty at this key moment in the fight to contain the virus to support those who have been unable to travel due to unavoidable circumstances, and to recognise the admirable sacrifices made by healthcare workers to contain the epidemic,” said Trip.com group chairman James Liang.
Provisions include:
• Customers who are unable to travel as a result of diagnosis of the virus will be eligible for a guaranteed full refund for all products.
• Trip.com will also provide a guaranteed full refund for all products to healthcare workers devoted to efforts directly related to the COVID-19 public health emergency, whose travel plans have been cancelled in order to remain on the frontlines of the fight against the virus, it said.
• Where scheduled travel becomes impossible due to published travel restrictions or mandatory 14-day quarantine requirements by destination authorities, customers from affected origins including South Korea, Japan, Italy may receive a full refund for any hotel, train ticket, airport transfer, car rental, tour and attraction pass booking.
• All bookings for hotels that have joined the Safeguard Cancellation Guarantee initiative may be cancelled free of charge. “Trip.com will do its utmost to co-ordinate with hotels not covered by the initiative to secure a refund for customers”, it said.
• Air ticketing cancellation policies will be continually updated and synchronised with airlines, and Trip.com will assist customers in processing refunds in accordance with the latest policies as they become available.
It also referred customers to the latest entry restriction policies for individual countries and regions.
Featured image credit: Getty Images
