Virgin customers have one month to use COVID travel credits

Virgin customers have one month to use COVID travel credits Mon 1 Jun 2026 at 4:51am Did you have tickets for a flight that was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic? You may have been issued with a travel credit, but you might not have claimed it yet. And if your credit was from a cancelled Virgin Australia flight, you only have a month to use it. When do Virgin's COVID flight credits expire? Credits issued between 21 April, 2020 and 31 July, 2022 expire on June 30. It's not enough to use the credit for booking before the deadline. The airline is insisting that customers must also fly by June 30. "Any unused credit can still be used on future flights up until 30 June, with Virgin Australia or our partners, either for the named individual or for a family member or friend," a spokesperson for the airline said. Virgin says most credits have been claimed The airline said more than 90 per cent of credits issued during the pandemic had been claimed, when approached by the ABC in May. "Despite extensive efforts and regular reminders to our customers, the remaining credit balances are seeing almost no usage," a Virgin Australia spokesperson said. "Over 90 per cent of remaining accounts with COVID credits have had no activity for over three years." According to a financial outlook published in late February, the airline held about $93 million in unclaimed credits. What about Qantas credits? After coming under fire for putting expiry dates on credits for flights cancelled during the pandemic, Qantas eventually said they wouldn't expire. However, people with Qantas flight credits can no longer use them to book flights. Instead, credits for bookings made on or before September 30, 2021 can only be redeemed as refunds. But those refunds aren't processed automatically. Qantas says on its website that customers have to call the airline to request a refund. The ABC understands Qantas sends reminders to customers who have unclaimed travel credits via emails, text messages and phone calls. What about Jetstar credits? Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas, also updated its terms to ensure its COVID flight credits did not expire. The airline says it emailed customers with updates about their vouchers. Virgin urged to offer refunds Choice communications and campaigns director Andy Kelly says Virgin should offer refunds to customers who didn't use their credits by June 30. "Many consumers book flights for a specific purpose," he said. "If the flight is cancelled, they may no longer have a reason to fly. "We heard from many consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic who were no longer well enough to travel, or who were travelling for a funeral or other specific event. "The price of flights may also increase dramatically, meaning consumers may need to chip in more money in order to be able to use the credit, which they may not be in a position to do." Why isn't Virgin offering refunds? "Under the Australian Consumer Law, you're generally entitled to a remedy like a refund if an airline cancels your flight, unless it's due to the actions of a third party, like during the COVID-19 pandemic when governments imposed travel restrictions," Mr Kelly said. "In that scenario, remedies depend on the terms and conditions of the airline. "We don't think this is fair. Consumers should be able to get a refund if they want one, rather than having to jump through hoops to re-book onto another flight or to use a credit." The ABC asked Virgin Australia why it wasn't offering refunds. "From the outset, Virgin Australia has made COVID credits very easy to use, offering customers the ability to use their credits on all flights operated by Virgin Australia, as well as flights on its partner airlines," a spokesperson for the airline said. "Additionally, these credits could be used for passengers not on the original booking, such as friends and family members." Why aren't Qantas refunds automatic? According to the airline's website, the responsibility is on the customer to call the airline to request their refund. "Given bookings that have been converted into COVID credits date back to 2019, most credit cards used have expired by now, meaning the funds will bounce back if we attempt to refund onto them," a Qantas spokesperson said. COVID credits were offered for bookings made on or before September 30, 2021. Advocates wary of 'added friction' "Airlines benefit when consumers don't use their credits or request refunds, as they get to simply keep that money without having to actually deliver the service," Mr Kelly said. "This may incentivise airlines to add friction to the process when consumers try to use a credit or request a refund, such as by placing restrictions on credits, or requiring consumers to call and wait on hold in order to re-book a flight, use a credit or request a refund." How do I claim my travel credits? That depends on what airline the credits are with. Tap a box below for details. Jetstar Read moreYou should have been sent an email with your Jetstar Airways COVID voucher, the airline says. It says customers can claim their voucher by booking through the airline's website, selecting the "use a voucher or a gift card" option at a payment method. Then you'll need to enter your voucher number. You can also claim your credits by booking over the phone and quoting the voucher number as a payment method. Jetstar points customers to an online portal that allows them to check how much they have in flight credits. You can contact Qantas, of which Jetstar is a subsidiary, to check if you have any outstanding COVID credits with either airline. But the Qantas website says customers will need to provide details about the original flight booking to complete the search. You can call Qantas on 13 13 13 with you're in Australia, or +61 2 9123 6000 from outside Australia. Qantas Read moreYou'll only be able to claim these credits as a refund. The airline's website says customers who booked via Qantas directly have to call 1300 668 885 to request their refund if they're in Australia. People outside Australia should call +61 2 9123 7495. However, if you booked your flight through a travel agency, you'll have to go through them. You can contact Qantas to check if you have any outstanding COVID credits with either Qantas or its subsidiary Jetstar. But the airline's website says customers will need to provide details about the original flight booking to complete the search. You can call Qantas on 13 13 13 if you're in Australia, or +61 2 9123 6000 from outside Australia. Virgin Australia Read moreVirgin Australia says all travel credits should be available via what it calls the "travel bank". This is an account set up by the company to store travel credits. Virgin says people who have credits in their travel bank should have received an email with an account number and login details so customers can access the portal. They can use those travel credits by booking flights directly through the Virgin Australia website and selecting the "travel bank" option on the payment page. They can also claim credits by booking over the phone. People who think they have a travel credit but don't know what their travel bank details are should visit the website dedicated to retrieving their details. "Virgin Australia encourages any of our guests who think they may have an unused flight credit to get in touch with us," a spokesperson for the airline said. Customers can contact the airline at its guest contact centre by calling 13 67 89.