[Expired] Qantas Removing Expiration Date on COVID Travel Credits

Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

Australia’s Qantas said today, August 31, 2023, that any traveler who had their bookings canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic would be able to request a refund.

Let’s take a look at the news.

Qantas Offering 2x Points When Booking With a COVID Travel Credit

Qantas is removing the expiration dates for COVID-19 travel credits, which were set to expire at the end of the year.

A “COVID Credit” refers to travel credits for bookings up to and including September 30, 2021, for Qantas customers and all Jetstar Airways vouchers with an expiration date of December 31, 2023, the airline says.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce addressed customers directly in a statement on August 31.

“Today we’re scrapping the expiry dates on all travel credits that came out of COVID. If you have a Qantas COVID credit, you can request a cash refund at any point in the future. And if you have a Jetstar COVID voucher, you can use it for travel indefinitely.”

Joyce went on to say that the credits and vouchers would never expire and acknowledged that the system “was not as smooth as it should have been.”

Qantas also said it would not automatically refund travelers’ credits back to their credit cards, claiming that “most credit cards used have expired by now, meaning the funds will bounce back if we attempt to refund onto them.”

This news comes amid the airline being sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for selling tickets on canceled flights and not informing customers. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Qantas canceled several flights — including those bound for the U.S. — weeks in advance, but they were still listed for sale.

According to the report, each breach of the law could cost Qantas as much as $6.5 million ($10 million AUD).

To remedy the situation, Qantas also announced that it would offer 2x Frequent Flyer Points for any flights booked with a Qantas COVID credit between September 4, 2023, through December 31, 2023.

Final Thoughts

Many airlines have sunset their COVID refund and voucher policies, so Qantas is removing expiration dates on COVID travel credits, which is good news for travelers. But the news comes amid Qantas being sued for selling canceled tickets — a move that we’ll be keeping our eye on.