[BF] Change Fees Waived for Existing Bookings Affected by The Bushfire @ Virgin Australia & Etihad

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Taegukgi on 09/01/2020 - 20:03 newsroom.virginaustralia.com (320 clicks)
Last edited 09/01/2020 - 23:32 by 1 other user

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Virgin Blue Guest support

Virgin Australia is offering assistance to any guests affected by the bushfires who require changes to existing bookings. Guests that need to amend their travel plans due to the bushfires will have any change fees waived or are able to choose a Travel Bank credit if they prefer.

Any affected passengers are able to contact Virgin Australia’s Guest Contact Centre on 13 67 89 for assistance.

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Etihad

UAE-based Etihad Airways has also announced that it will waive flight change fees for Australian residents affected by wildfires in Australia. The waivers will apply to passengers traveling to or from Australia.

It added that UAE-based Australians or those in Australia seeking changes to their Etihad flights because of the fire emergency can contact Etihad Guests Services in the UAE (+971 600 555 666) or in Australia (+61 1300 532 215).

The UAE flag carrier operates daily flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

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Mod: Deal title is tagged [BF] which is a tag for all deals related to Bushfire Victims/Volunteers etc. You may choose to deprioritise this tag by using the new front page. Please click 'new' on the OzBargain home page, then 'personalise', then add bf in 'add a title tag', drag the slider to less, then save preference. You may also choose to add other tags to see more/less of those deals (eg your state, other states) or see more/less from particular stores.

For those affected or involved, see the Bushfire Relief event page. You can also use the new front page to prioritise the [BF] tag.

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• miq on 09/01/2020 - 20:25 Comment score below threshold.
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  hotdish on 09/01/2020 - 20:54

  Will Qantas match?

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  papagoose on 09/01/2020 - 22:10

  Jetstar has been doing this for a while too

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  AussieZed on 09/01/2020 - 23:05

  -2

  Does going from economy to first class count as a change?

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  Talby23 on 09/01/2020 - 23:10

  -1

  One would think that any person forced to change their airline ticket due to fire or flood would be spared the cost of the change, unfortunately this isn’t the case.
  Personally I find this sort of “charitable marketing” only makes me question the ethics of the company.

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    bobbified on 10/01/2020 - 00:18

    +1

    Personally I find this sort of “charitable marketing” only makes me question the ethics of the company.

    You agree to pay these fees when you accept the Terms and Conditions of the ticket when you book the flights. There are many situations out of passengers' control that causes them to require changes. You can't expect the airline to automatically waive the fees for each case. If they did, there would be no such thing as travel insurance. Ultimately, the airlines exist to make money, not act as a charity.

    Why do you think you're entitled to free changes if you booked a ticket that clearly requires the payment of a fee to make changes if the airline hasn't done anything to cause you to require that change?

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      Talby23 on 11/01/2020 - 11:53

      -1

      You’re either Richard Branson or an idiot.
      Of course I accept to pay the fees in normal circumstances but in what world would you think a person wouldn’t be entitled for a free change due to fire or flood? Your comment about travel insurance is absurd, do you think travel insurance only exists for those 2 acts of God and would cease to exist if airlines provided those changes for free?

      If you think being caught in a bushfire or having your house burn down doesn’t entitle you to a free change then you’ve missed the point on ethics entirely.

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        bobbified on 11/01/2020 - 14:45

        You agree to the terms and conditions, yet when something happens you expect the airline (or any other company) to suffer that loss? Changes to tickets and empty seats on flights cost money.

        If you think being caught in a bushfire or having your house burn down doesn’t entitle you to a free change then you’ve missed the point on ethics entirely.

        If you're caught in a bushfire or flood, you are entitled to absolutely nothing. Who do you think you are? If you haven't bought insurance or have sufficient cover, it's your own fault. Do you expect the petrol stations to hand out free fuel so that you can evacuate the area in your car?

        But luckily, there are many people who are willing to help others in a time of need. Don't ever mistaken the kindness and compassion of others as your entitlement! They owe you nothing!

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          Talby23 on 12/01/2020 - 01:28

          @bobbified: Coming from a bloke that works for a superannuation fund I find your thoughts on this matter hardly surprising.

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            bobbified on 12/01/2020 - 01:54

            -1

            @Talby23: Fair's fair - you knowingly pay a lower price for an airline ticket with stricter conditions so you accept the risks that come with it.

            If not you, who would you suggest take the loss?

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    markathome on 10/01/2020 - 01:31

    Curious if you booked a visit to a town affected by the bushfires if you'll be allowed to travel bank your trip?

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  sauce2k6 on 10/01/2020 - 10:03

  I wonder what the true admin cost/fees are of changing a plane ticket that they charge more to change a flight then it is to rebook a whole new flight