Many airlines are adjusting or temporarily suspending flights to South Korea and offering free refunds for booked flights after the government on Monday announced new entry restrictions on travelers arriving from that country.
Passengers arriving from South Korean face a 14-day quarantine, the Central Epidemic Command Center said.
Tigerair Taiwan, a subsidiary of China Airlines, said that it would cancel all flights to South Korea starting from yesterday.
Photo: David Chang / EPA-EFE
However, its returning flights would operate as usual until tomorrow, with the exception of a flight today from Jeju Island to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which has been canceled, it said.
It plans to resume round-trip flights on April 1, although the Taoyuan-Incheon route would reopen a day later, Tigerair said.
Passengers whose flights have been canceled would be able to change or refund their tickets for free before 9pm on Sunday, it said.
EVA Airways said that a portion of its flights to Incheon would be canceled, and that information on specific flight changes would be available on the coronavirus information page on its Web site.
People whose flights are affected could change their tickets for free or get refunds before May, it said.
To ensure hygiene on trips to and from South Korea, EVA said it would offer disposable earphones, instead of reusable ones, and not provide newspapers or magazines.
Flight attendants would have their temperature checked before and after work, and they would wear masks and gloves throughout the flights, it said.
China Airlines said that it would also cancel some of its flights, but it had yet to release any details.
Travelers with tickets for South Korea on flights scheduled before May that were issued before Monday can change the tickets or have them refunded for free, it said.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines on Monday announced refund offers for unused tickets from Taiwan to any destination.
Korean Air’s offer covers tickets issued before Jan. 28 with a departure date between Jan. 20 and April 25, while Asiana’s covers tickets issued before Jan. 27 with a departure date between Monday and April 25.
Budget carrier Scoot said that people with tickets for flights between Jan. 23 and March 31 to Singapore, Japan and South Korea would be able to change their tickets for free, as long as their new departure date is before September.
Travelers who apply for a refund for their unused tickets would receive a voucher, it added.
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