As a result of the coronavirus outbreak,the U.S.Department issued its most severe travel advisory– Level 4: do not travel – for the central Chinese province of Hubei, home to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
Though the country maintains its Level 2 advisory exercising increased caution, the State Department issued a special warning for the Wuhan region and noted that it had evacuated all non-essential personnel from China, limiting its ability to aid U.S. citizens in Hubei province.
Now travelers scheduled to fly to China in the coming weeks will be able to alter their flights without fees thanks to some airlines in the United States issuing travel advisories.
The top carriers in the U.S like American, Delta and United have all issued travel waivers for flying to airports in Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai. None of the carriers fly nonstop to Wuhan, but they offer connecting service, with their Asian carrier partners operating the intra-China flights.
The dates and destinations of travel covered by the waivers vary by airline.
For trips to Wuhan scheduled through March 31,American travellers can request a refund even if they are holding nonrefundable tickets. For Beijing and Shanghai, travelers with tickets through Jan. 31 can change or postpone their trip without the usual penalties.
The waiver by United covers travelers with tickets through March 29 and allows refunds.
On Friday Delta issued a waiver that covers two major destinations in China, Shanghai and Beijing. Travelers booked on flights to or from those cities through Jan. 31 can change their flights to as late as February without the usual penalties. Travelers those want to cancel their trip are eligible for a voucher in the amount of their ticket, though a change fee will apply when using it.
