A few days after Singapore Airlines extended its Covid-19 travel waiver and refund policy to cover all travel up till 31 July 2020, Scoot has now followed suit.
Eligible Scoot passengers who issued tickets on or before 15 March 2020 with travel dates up to 31 July 2020 can receive a 100% cash refund, or a 120% refund in Scoot vouchers, valid for 12 months.
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⚠️ Do take note that Scoot has updated its Covid-19 Travel Waiver Policy page to reflect the new 31 July 2020 extension, but not its Update on Covid-19 page, which still shows the old 30 June 2020 date.
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Read on for more details.
If your flight was cancelled by Scoot
If the cancellation was initiated by Scoot, the equation is very simple. Regardless of when you bought your ticket, you’re entitled to:
- A 100% cash refund or
- A 120% refund in Scoot vouchers
Scoot vouchers are valid for travel up to 12 months from the date of issuance. Do note that cash refunds may take up to 14 weeks to process.
Remember that it’s possible to request refunds online– there’s no need to call up Scoot. Scoot’s main call center in the Philippines has had to suspend operations since 17 March, so you can expect extremely long wait times if you call up now.
If your flight was not cancelled by Scoot
If your flight has not been cancelled by Scoot, but you’re not comfortable with travelling now, you’re entitled to the following:
- A 100% cash refund or
- A 120% refund in Scoot vouchers
This is provided your ticket was issued on or before 15 March 2020, with a travel date up to 31 July 2020.
| ❓ Why the 15 March 2020 cutoff? This is the date that MOH issued an advisory against all non-essential travel abroad. The argument is that anyone who bought a ticket after this date knew what they were getting themselves into. |
Once again, remember that there’s no need to call up Scoot for a refund. You will be able to request this via their online portal under Manage My Booking.
If your ticket was issued between 10 March- 30 June 2020 (regardless of travel date), you’re entitled to a free one-time date change, which can be done online via the Manage My Booking portal. Any fare differences must be borne by the customer.
When will I know if my flight is cancelled?
Scoot has currently published its flight schedules for up till 30 June 2020. We can expect them to publish July’s schedule within the next couple of weeks, so sit tight.
There’s no benefit to cancelling early. If you cancel your flight before an updated waiver policy is announced, you’ll bear the related costs. This is the case even if your flight is subsequently cancelled anyway!
What if I’m flying from 1 August onwards?
If your travel dates are from 1 August 2020, I’d sit tight for now. Scoot reviews its Covid-19 travel waiver policy on a month-by-month basis, and if the government’s travel advisories have not been lifted, you can rest assured the policy will be extended as required.
The important thing is that you booked your ticket on/before 15 March 2020- this is the cutoff date that Scoot is using to determine eligibility for a refund.
What do I need to know about Scoot vouchers?
If you opt for Scoot vouchers, you’ll need to use them within 12 months of issuance. These can be used to pay for a new booking for any travel period available on the Scoot website.
Multiple vouchers can be used, and if you previously received a 100% refund in the form of a Scoot voucher (the previous waiver policy), you’ll automatically be sent an additional 20%.
Conclusion
Scoot has followed Singapore Airlines’ lead in extending its Covid-19 travel waiver policy to all flights up till 31 July 2020.
If your plans are affected, consider carefully whether a cash refund or bonus Scoot vouchers work better for you. Keep in mind that no one can say for certain what the future prices of air tickets will be, and the bonus vouchers may not be enough to cover the full difference.
For further information on Scoot’s Covid-19 travel waiver policy, be sure to refer to the official page here.
I have an existing Scoot Voucher to be utilised, these are supposed to be expired by Aug 2020. Do you happen to know if this can be extended?