Travel Plans Affected By Jetstar Asia’s Closure? Travel Insurance May Be Able To Cover Travel Expenses Like Accommodation & Tours
Jetstar Asia will cease operations from Jul 31, affecting 16 routes within Asia and almost 200 services weekly. However, flight schedules have already been affected with the low-cost carrier operating a “progressively reduced schedule” in the weeks leading up to its closure.
Note that this closure only affects Jetstar Asia’s intra-Asia flight services (airline code 3K). Jetstar Airways’ services in Australia and New Zealand (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) will continue operating as usual.
If you're a customer affected by the closure, it may not just be about getting refunded for your Jetstar Asia flights, but also potentially a change or cancellation in your travel bookings such as accommodation, activities and tours you've booked. The good news: If you've already bought a travel insurance policy with Income Insurance, you could be 100 per cent covered for travel expenses (yes, this is why it's important to buy travel insurance early, not just before you fly off).
What happens to your Jetstar Asia flight booking now?
If your flight is before Jul 31:
- Reduced flight schedules may affect some flight bookings. Jetstar will directly communicate flight changes to you or your travel agent
If your flight is after Jul 31:
- Entitled to full cash refund
- Passengers travelling to/from Australia, between Singapore and Bali, Manila or Osaka may be offered option of alternative Qantas Group flight
If you have vouchers or Jetstar memberships:
- Can convert voucher balances into monetary refund
- Annual fee for Singapore-based Club Jetstar memberships will be refunded
- No refunds for vouchers or memberships expired before Jun 11
- Customers and members will be contacted in August, refunds will also begin to be processed from August
Does travel insurance cover this?
Yes, at least one travel insurer will cover expenses that arise from Jetstar Asia’s closure.
Income Insurance announced that it will cover affected policyholders who have purchased Income Travel Insurance with pre-trip cancellation cover and are forced to cancel or alter their trips due to the operational cessation of Jetstar Asia.
Who can make claims, and what can you claim?
Affected eligible customers who have Jetstar Asia flights booked after Jul 31, and who have purchased Income Travel Insurance with pre-trip cancellation cover will be able to claim for unused and prepaid expenses such as accommodation, travel packages, local tours, amusement park tickets and transport expenses (outside of Jetstar air ticket expenses), which include land transfers.
This applies to eligible single trip and annual travel insurance plans purchased before 11 June 2025, 8am.
Customers who fail to obtain refunds from their accommodation, transport or service providers will be able to claim a full refund, within their travel insurance stipulated policy limit.
In a statement, the company said that although the cessation of Jetstar Asia’s operations does not fall within Income Travel Insurance’s insured events for trip cancellations which include natural disasters, riots, airport closure due to poor weather conditions, family bereavement, among others, the company will cover affected customers out of goodwill.
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