SIA, Cathay customers who actually no longer desire to fly after Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble deferment can demand full refunds
22 November, 2020
Customers who no more wish to travel between Singapore and Hong Kong because of the deferment of the flights bubble can request a full refund of the "unutilized part" of their ticket and also have the cancellation fees waived, a good Singapore Airlines (SIA) spokesperson said on Saturday (Nov 21).
The start of the flights bubble, which was said to be on Sunday, has been deferred for 14 days after a spike in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong.
The deferment was announced by Singapore Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung in a Facebook post on Saturday, after he held discussions with Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Advancement Edward Yau.
“Singapore Airlines supports your choice by the Singapore and Hong Kong authorities to defer the release of the air travel bubble,” the SIA spokesperson added.
“Medical and safety of our customers remain our top priority. Affected customers are being contacted by Singapore Airlines."
Flights under the flights bubble were dedicated flights operated by SIA and Cathay Pacific.
SIA said on its website on Saturday that its flights between Singapore and Hong Kong (SQ890 and SQ891) from Nov 22 to Dec 6, both dates inclusive, will right now operate as non-air travel bubble flights.
"Customers will have to ensure that they meet the respective access requirements and stick to quarantine measures after arrival," the airline added.
In response to CNA's queries, Cathay Pacific stated that its inaugural flights bubble flight (CX759) on Sunday has been canceled. Passengers can change their booking, demand a full refund or exchange their ticket for airline credits without charge.
For travellers booked on Cathay Pacific flights bubble flights between Nov 24 and Dec 5, they have automatically been positioned on new, non-air travelling bubble flights departing at the same day and period as their original booking.
"Normal quarantine guidelines will apply" for these flights, the airline stated. Passengers can also change or cancel their booking without charge. The airline said it'll be achieving out to damaged customers.
LAUNCH Time TO BE REVIEWED
"Given the evolving circumstances found in Hong Kong, (Mr) Yau and I discussed further today and decided that it might be easier to defer the release of the flights bubble by fourteen days," Mr Ong said in his Facebook post.
"We will analysis inside a fortnight on the new launch time and update again.”
Mr Yau added: "Found in the light of the new surge of local conditions, we have decided, alongside the Singapore federal government, to defer the air travel bubble's launch by fourteen days."
On Saturday, Hong Kong reported 43 innovative COVID-19 cases, which 36 were locally transmitted. Thirteen of Saturday's conditions were from unidentified transmission sources.
The town had reported 26 new COVID-19 infections on Friday.
A good spokesperson for Hong Kong's Food and Wellbeing Bureau added: "The quantity of confirmed local instances with unknown resources of infection has been on a soaring style recently, indicating the living of silent transmission chains in the community."
Hong Kong has seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 conditions, a predicament the city's Secretary for Foodstuff and Overall health Sophia Chan defined on Friday as "severe".
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