While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends postponing or cancelling any travel, we highly recommend that you stay abreast of the latest updates.

We suggest that you consider postponing your trip to a later date. Please contact us by email help@travelstart.ae and we will be happy to assist.

Depending on each airline's policy regarding refunds, suspensions and date changes, you most likely have three options available:

1. Suspend your ticket. You can decide at a later date when you’d like to travel, as long you use your ticket within 12 months of the original date of issue.

2. Change your travel date. Most domestic and international airlines are offering a free date change.

3. Cancel your flight. This should be a last resort as you will still be liable for a cancellation penalty and admin fees.

Please note that the above is subject to airline policies.

If you choose to cancel your booking, you will be liable for the airline’s penalty fee and all taxes.

Alternatively, if you opt for a date change within the airline’s time frame and conditions, you won’t lose your money.

If the airline cancels your ticket, they will communicate what options are available to you. Most airlines will offer to rebook your ticket or send you a flight voucher.

Refund process and timelines

1) The Travelstart team will check terms & conditions of your ticket inline with the latest update of your airlines' Covid-19 policy. We will Calculate refundable amount applicable and send you a quotation. Please not that in most cases partially used tickets (i.e onward journey of a return ticket commenced but return flight still pending) are classified as non-refundable.

2) After receiving your confirmation to go ahead with the quotation of the refundable amount we will initiate the refund application on your behalf.

3) Once the airline approves the refund application and the refundable amount reflects in our account we will refund the amount to the original form of payment . Eg if you purchased your ticket with a credit card you will be refunded to the same card.

IMPORTANT! The normal refund process takes about 8 weeks however you can expect delays with refunds being processing due to the volumes the airlines are experiencing .

*** Please note that travel agencies are not holding payments for ticket fare, airport taxes and other ancillary services offered by airlines. As an agent we book your seat, collect payment on behalf of the airline, issue your ticket and then pass payment to the airline through BSP (Billing Settlement System). All these transactions and protocols are regulated, monitored and administered by IATA and BSP (Billing Settlement System).

Travel agencies have no control and or influence on airlines' refund policies, approval process and timelines.

Disclaimer : Travelstart will quote your refund amount applicable to the airlines policy at the time the airline reserves the right to change their policies at any given time.

With most countries, going into national lockdown, use this time to get inspired about planning your next trip.

Please visit https://flightaware.com/ or the latest updates on global flight cancellations, border closures and flight updates.