Unless you were blissfully unaware, the New Zealand travel bubble is officially “kaput.” At least for the next 8 weeks. This means a LOT of people will A) be scrambling to get home or B) trying to change or cancel flights.
Tip: If you’re a Kiwi looking to get to NZ asap, make sure to get your PCR test! Our full guide on where to find the 1h test sites + discount can be found here.
If you’ve been a Flight Hacks reader for a while, you’re probably aware that we love using points to book flights. Not only does it allow you to enjoy some luxury for less, but it also gives you ultimate flexibility when it comes to canceling or changing flights.
Here are my tips for you if your flights to New Zealand have been impacted:
- If you booked with points, don’t panic! You’ll get all your points back, but if you play it smart, you can also avoid a cancellation fee. If you wait until the last minute, there’s a good chance there will either be a flight change or cancellation on the airline’s behalf. When this happens, you don’t pay any penalty fees! Of course, the exception is Qantas, who are currently offering free cancellations on Class Reward bookings.
- If you booked with Air New Zealand, you will either be entitled to a flight credit OR if you booked within 7 days and your flight is canceled, you can also change the date of your flight at no additional cost. This means that you can potentially change your flight to a more expensive one at a later date and not have to pay the fare difference. Note that it’s apples for apples, so the route, flight, and class will need to be the same.
- If you booked a cash fare with Qantas, wait until the last possible moment to cancel. While Qantas does give full refunds, this only applies when the airline cancels or changes your flight; otherwise, you’re only entitled to a flight credit. So waiting can pay off since there’s a good chance they will cancel or change the flight timings.
- Travel insurance? Forget about it! I’m yet to find a policy that will cover you for flight cancellations due to government-imposed restrictions.
If the NZ-AU bubble closure is news to you, check out the latest update on ABC News.
