TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin AA waiving change fees

I guess it's to deal with Corona, but it's on new bookings only. I have no idea what they are doing on older reservations. AA is waiving change fees, with the following restrictions.

"Terms and conditions
If you purchased a ticket on American Airlines between March 1, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. CT and March 16, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CT, you may change your flight once without paying a change fee if the change is made at least 14 days in advance of your outbound travel date. Tickets must be purchased for travel between March 1, 2020 and January 26, 2021."

I have no idea whether other airlines are doing similar things, just was looking at the AA website for something else and noticed this.

Could be wrong, Carol, but I'm thinking with the way their stock tanked the other day they had to do something to promote some life in their brand, and since JB had already made what sounded to me like basically the same announcement, they're keeping up with the Jones' so to speak.

Just a guess, but I doubt they'll make any special arrangements for cancellations for those who already purchased tix, logic being if the government places a complete travel ban into being then, and only then, will they willingly make refunds. Until then, if you didn't purchase trip cancellation coverage, I'm thinking you're booked.

OK, I hadn't heard that Jet Blue was doing the same. Wasn't looking for that in particular, just happened to see it. I wouldn't want to be heavy into cruise ship stock these days!

JetBlu's temporary change fee waiver: purchase before March 11 covers travel through June 1, 2020. A credit will be given for future flight but read the fine print. Higher fares for new dates are added to credit. The waiver saves money but when you rebook something in my gut tells me fares will be higher and what was saved from the change fee waiver will equal the higher fare difference. Hope I am wrong!

Wow, that's a lot shorter period of travel that it covers than the AA one. And ANY change fee waiver is only going to be to waive the change fees. If the price goes up, that's your problem!

Doesn't make sense. It should be on tickets purchased before---not someone
who is purchasing now knowing about the virus.

Does insurance cover the tickets if the plane is still flying?

They want to encourage people to buy tickets now..

Exactly....and I agree, if they were doing something FOR the consumer they would have included tix bought BEFORE the crisis

Thanks for the latest link Carol. In it reads airlines are encouraging we bring disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. I've been doing that all the time because planes are filthy. and have had people laugh at me. They should amend 3 ounce liquids to include one can of lysol spray lol.

Yeah, I confess I have never brought anything to wipe down tray tables with. Probably should do that. I know that they are supposed to be just about as filthy as the bathrooms!!

We always bring one of those flat packages of wipes. A couple of years ago we where wiping down our trays and seat arms right after we boarded and someone complained it smelled. Oh well!

I never have either, but just picked up a couple of travel packs for our trip later this month. I had to go to three stores to get them too, here in the middle of nowhere things are selling out.

I think it's not just in the middle of nowhere that those kinds of things are selling out. Seems to be everywhere, from what I'm seeing.

It's not just the tray tables. A study (forgot who did it) found more germs on the seatbelts than anywhere else. Second was the armrests third was tray table.

GaKaye, don't fret about finding small packs. I just pull several sheets from one of those round Lysol Wipes containers and place them into a plastic baggy. TSA has never questioned.

Correct. Armrests and seatbelts are the worst. Just remember first thing you touch after returning from lavatory is the seatbelt.

That was my plan if I couldn't find the small packages, but I did find them today. I wouldn't expect TSA to question it, as they're not a liquid or gel.

I agree; I was surprised that there was a run on them here though. It's not like we're in a huge metropolitan area where people take mass transit and such.

We can't find anything here!
We are far from the middle of nowhere and have tried small out of the way places--no luck.

Same here, travel packs & sizes of sanitizer and wipes are not to be found.

I make my own... 70/30 isopropyl alcohol and pure aloe vera gel. Not sure what it kills but it is better than nothing.

I have read if you use the 99% alcohol that it's effective. We needed some for another purpose last week, and couldn't find it in local stores; had to order from Amazon. What's in the stores is a lower percentage, either 70% or 91%.

Alaska is waving fees too.

Going back to my pharmacy days, the standard was 70%. I did a little quick research and it appears 70% is sufficient but I am sure one can find something to contradict it. More is not always better.

"70% will kill 99.99% of everything on the skin. The only reason to go with 91% is if you are cleaning something that can't get wet. Actually 70% isopropyl is a better disinfectant. Alcohol works as a disinfectant by denaturing proteins, a small amount of water makes it more efficient."

From the CDC: CDC ALCOHOL
Lots to read if one is interested.

I have some alcohol swaps that are 70% and that is what is used prior to injections and by the health care industry.

That's exactly what the packaged wipes are made of. Smart person sxmmartini.

You won't believe this but I was just at Walmart and saw a new cleaner on the market---big display NEW! Read the label and it was just like Lysol EXCEPT where it read all it protected against like flu, HIV, etc it also read cov-19. Boy I guess it really is NEW to market!

I have a can of Lysol aerosol and SARS Coronavirus is listed. It is by no means a new can. I think it has been listed on Lysol for some time now. H1N1 (swine flu) is also listed.

A bottle of Absolut would work wonders too!

Total waste of vodka. Lol

There are many strains of coronavirus. This one is a new one.