Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines are changing their
ticket structure to make all fares and ticket types rebookable, including the cheapest
no-baggage price points.
The change, introduced to give passengers more flexibility
during the coronavirus pandemic, applies worldwide for new bookings on short,
medium and long-haul routes. For tickets purchased in the US and Canada, the
update will go into effect from 8 April. Brussels Airlines will also apply the new fare structure on
routes to and from North America only.
The group said that passengers whose flights have been
cancelled with a booking date up to and including 19 April can keep their
reservations irrespective of the new fare structure. Customers also do not have
to commit to a new flight date at this point, with the ticket value valid for a
new booking up to and including 30 April 2021.
In addition, Lufthansa said passengers who choose a new
travel date before the end of 2020 will receive a €50 discount on each
rebooking. However, if the rebooked fare is more expensive than the original,
such as if a short-haul ticket value is applied to a long-haul flight or there
is a change of class, customers will have to pay the difference regardless of
the discount.
Customers can rebook their flights via the airlines’
websites or through travel agencies, and the carriers have added the ability to
convert a ticket value into a voucher, with the ability to redeem that voucher
at a later date being developed.