Do You Have Questions Around Your Upcoming Travel Plans? We’ve Pulled Together What You Should Know If You’re Changing or Cancelling a Trip Due to COVID-19

As new information emerges every day around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we understand that this can be a confusing and challenging time for everyone around the world. The entire travel industry is experiencing an unprecedented increase in service requests as travellers look to adjust their trips. Our teams are working around the clock and doing our best to address all changes and cancellations for travellers as quickly and efficiently as possible. While we are adjusting our operations and policies, we do ask for your patience. Right now we are focused on customers with travel before or on June 30, 2020. If your travel is not immediate, please visit our Customer Service Portal that includes online self-service tools to help you change or cancel your travel plans.

Latest Updates

• We will keep this page regularly updated to ensure we are providing the latest guidance, travel suggestions, and links to pertinent coronavirus information so you can rest easy when making your travel plans.

May 27, 2020

Customers with June travel dates:

• Customers with international lodging bookings, as well as those with lodging bookings at select domestic properties, who are scheduled to begin their stay on or before June 30, 2020 and booked prior to March 19, 2020, will be eligible for a full refund or, in some cases, a voucher allowing them to rebook the original property at later dates. You can manage your itinerary here: https://www.expedia.ca/trips
• Customers who booked a non-refundable rate for a stay scheduled to begin after June 30, 2020, should continue to check our site for updates. As the situation evolves, we will continue working with travel partners as necessary to implement flexible policies.

April 24, 2020

Customers with May travel dates:

We are working closely with our partners to advocate for our valued customers. While our policies for May remain similar to those in April, there are some key changes customers should be aware of:  

• If you are travelling between now and May 31, 2020, and wish to cancel or change your booking, please visit expedia.ca/trips or you can submit our cancellation form at Expedia.ca/travel-alert-refunds. If these options haven’t worked for you, and your trip begins in the next 10 days, please connect with one of our agents. Please know we are working to answer all calls made to our call centers. Our call volumes have been 5-7x higher than the average, amounting to hundreds of thousands of calls more than what is normal even in our busiest of times. In addition to high call volume, recent government work-from-home mandates have made it difficult for some of our agents to answer calls.  
• Now that the impacts of COVID-19 on travel plans are more widely known, and our teams have worked hard to ensure customers are able to manage their bookings via robust self-service tools, we are putting some of our previous cancellation policies back into place. For example, if a lodging booking has a cancellation window in May, we expect travellers to abide by that cancellation window to avoid cancellation penalties.
• We are notifying customers as cancellation windows approach, and encouraging travellers to review their plans and let us know if they intend to travel or not. 

April 20, 2020

• According to new rules set by the federal government, those flying in Canada are required to wear masks at all Canadian screening checkpoints whenever maintaining two metres’ separation from others is not possible. If travellers do not have a non-medical mask or face-covering with them during the boarding process, they can be prevented from continuing their journey. The only exceptions are for children under the age of two and those with disabilities.
  • Air Canada’s preventative measures
  • CBC News

April 16, 2020

If I booked a non-refundable ticket, am I still eligible for a refund?

• Policies will vary by carrier. Many airlines are issuing flex policies that offer flight credits for non-refundable travel through the end of May and eliminate cancellation and change fees. The easiest way to find out what your travel is eligible for is to check the airline’s website.
• If you believe you’re eligible for a refund and you received a flight credit instead, you can get in touch with us and we’ll work with you and the airline to determine your eligibility.

When will I get my refund?

• For hotel bookings, please note that refunds may take up to 30 days to process due to the unprecedented volume of travel disruptions. If the hotel processed the charge, they’ll determine the refund timeline. With the significant increase in flight cancellations across the travel industry, most refunds will be issued within 8 weeks, but some refunds could take longer, depending on the airline.

Important message for customers with an upcoming trip

Here’s what you need to know if you booked a hotel on Expedia (non-package/bundle):

• For customers who booked and paid for a non-refundable rate prior to March 19, 2020 for stays between March 20, 2020, and June 30, 2020, you should have received an email from us to ask if you wish to keep or cancel your existing booking. If you decide to cancel, you will be eligible for a full refund or, full value-voucher in the form of a coupon for future travel. There is no need to call us, however you must cancel your booking at least 24-hours before check-in to be eligible for this offer.
• For customers who booked a non-refundable rate for stays after June 30, 2020, with the evolving situation, we will continue to work with travel partners as necessary to implement flexible policies.
• For customers whose accommodation plans have already been impaired by COVID-19 and whose travel date has passed, we want to assure you that we are working to attend to your needs as well with our partners and provide credit where possible. We’ve already begun to reach out to some travellers directly and will continue to do so, but this will take some time. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate through these unprecedented scenarios.
• For customers who have booked a refundable rate, please visit our Customer Service Portal  to change or cancel using the self-service tools on our site. Have your itinerary number ready or login to your account to locate your trip.
• TIP: Make sure you’re referencing the Expedia Itinerary Number, and not the airline or hotel confirmation code.
• Due to the unprecedented volume of travel disruptions, refunds and credits may take up to 30 days to process. We apologize for the inconvenience and if after 30 days you have not seen your refund or credit processed, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Here’s what you need to know if you booked a flight on Expedia (non-package/bundle):

• For customers with a flight booking through the end of April, you should have received an email from us or will receive one closer to your departure date to ask if you wish to keep or cancel your existing booking. Terms and conditions for credits of each specific carrier will apply.
• To make a flight change or cancellation between now and June 30, you can also use our new self-service tools to make it easier for you to manage your trip. Visit our Customer Service Portal to manage your travel plans now.
• If your airline has canceled your flight, we are working through those bookings with our airline partners to issue credits where applicable and will be in touch —there is no need to call.
• For customers whose flights have already been impaired by COVID-19 and whose travel date has passed, we want to assure you that we are working with our partners to attend to your needs.
• For customers with a flight booking on a low cost airline, such as Sunwing, Swoop or Flair Airlines, we are unable to facilitate any changes or cancellations. The quickest way you can adjust your travel plans is to reach out to them directly.
• We understand that many of you are looking for details as to why you are receiving a credit with an airline vs. a full refund. We’ve worked incredibly hard to push our partners to provide travellers with as much flexibility as possible due to COVID-19, particularly for flights that are ordinarily non-refundable or limit any changes. We recognize that an airline credit may not be what you were looking for, but know that these are extraordinary circumstances that travel partners are trying to work through. Once your credit has been processed, we’ll send you an email that outlines how you can use it for future travel.
• If you purchased a fully refundable fare, unfortunately we’re unable to process those at this time and our partners have requested we only provide airline credit. We ask that you contact your airline directly to receive more details on this matter.

Here’s what you need to know if you booked a package/bundle on Expedia:

• We’ve worked closely with our travel partners to provide options to cancel package bookings. For customers who have booked a package, each component of that holiday package needs to be cancelled separately and our Customer Service Portal has the latest travel information and instructions on how to service each part of their holiday package. We are also contacting customers who are due to travel imminently to give them information on options to cancel their upcoming package bookings.

Here’s what you need to know if you booked a vacation rental on Expedia:

• If you booked a vacation rental on Expedia and your travel plans have been affected by COVID-19, we want to share an important policy update. For several of you, changes or cancellations will need to be managed by visiting our sister site Vrbo. Full refunds for stays between March 13 and June 30 are subject to each individual property’s policy, but we are encouraging properties to be compassionate in these unprecedented times. We’ll be reaching out to you directly if your itinerary has been impacted.

Changing or cancelling your trip online or through the Expedia app

In these critical moments, we ask that travellers who do not have trips starting within the next 3 days use the self-service tools in our Customer Support Portal and wait to call us. Here’s how to manage your own itinerary online or through the app:

• Login to your account online or through the Expedia mobile app to cancel or change travel plans. Use the “Change” or “Cancel” buttons in your itinerary for details. Upcoming trips can be found under “My Trips.”
• Chat with a virtual agent for direct assistance. This feature can be found on the resource page for Expedia by clicking on the blue chat bubble in the bottom right hand corner. It’s recommended travellers login before chatting for quicker service. Note: At this time, volumes are still incredibly high, so travellers may need to check back several times to get through to a live agent via chat.
• If your hotel or airline is eligible for refunds or free cancellations, fill out an online form. Travellers with tickets on eligible airlines or reservations at eligible hotels can submit online cancellation forms to receive credit for a future flight or a full hotel refund. Check the Expedia  Customer Support Portal or latest guidance before submitting. Note: If you have already submitted a request, you do not need to call us for a status update.
• Due to the unprecedented volume of travel disruptions, refunds may take up to 30 days to process.

We understand you might have questions, but this will help us focus on customers with more imminent travel. Please know that policies are changing rapidly and are at the discretion of cruise, hotel and airline partners. If you aren’t seeing a flex policy for your specific booking, sit tight because updates are frequently posted on Expedia.

General tips for travellers who still need or want to get away despite COVID-19

Travellers should try to adhere to the guidance from government and public health officials to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The government has also warned Canadians to no longer travel abroad. Of course, traveller safety is the most important thing so ultimately, it’s up to you to determine what’s best for you and your family. If you still need or want to travel, consider the following:

• Stay informed. As a first step in planning any trip, check the Global Health and Travel Advisories for your intended destination. As the situation continues to evolve, airlines may change or reschedule flights.
• Check your local airport to find out if there is specific travel advice for passengers. Depending on your departure or arrival airport, there may be additional security checks so allow yourself plenty of time to get checked in and to your gate.
• Many airlines are offering flexible change policies. For a limited time due to COVID-19, many trusted airline partners including Air Canada and WestJet that are waiving change fees on eligible new bookings. Consider filtering for these air carriers and providers when searching on sites like Expedia.
• Book refundable hotels for any trips you are planning. Many hotels on Expedia offer free cancellation, and we’ve made it easy to find refundable hotels vs. non-refundable options. Use the “free cancellation” payment type filter to easily find options within your travel window and price point. Prices can vary, but right now we believe that flexibility matters.
• Check your travel insurance policy to see if changes and cancellations due to unforeseen events like coronavirus are covered. If you purchased travel protection through Expedia, you can learn more about your coverage here.
• If you’re travelling for an event, double check to see if it’s been postponed or canceled.

More Customer Resources

For the most up-to-date traveller advisories and information on cancellations and refunds from Expedia, visit the customer service portal.

• Customer Service Portals: Expedia

For answers to some of the most asked COVID-19 traveller questions including steps you should take to plan future trips, visit the Expedia FAQ page.

• FAQ Page: Expedia