Virgin Australia customers have until 30 June 2026 to book and travel using eligible COVID travel credits, while Qantas customers can still request refunds.
Do you still have travel credits issued for cancelled Virgin Australia and Qantas flights during COVID-19? If so, you may have less than one month to book and travel before your unused credits expire for good.
Australians who still hold COVID travel credits from cancelled Virgin Australia, Qantas or Jetstar flights are being urged to check their balances with different rules now applying across the major airlines.
Virgin Australia customers have until 30 June 2026 to book and travel using eligible COVID travel credits, while Qantas customers can still request refunds.
What should Virgin Australia customers do before 30 June 2026?
Virgin Australia customers with eligible COVID travel credits have less than one month to book and travel before unused credits expire on 30 June 2026.
The airline has advised customers via its app that travel credits issued between 21 April 2020 and 31 July 2022 must be used for both booking and travel by the end of this financial year.
Virgin Australia previously extended eligible COVID credits by 12 months, giving customers until 30 June 2026 to book and fly.
According to ABC reports, more than 90 per cent of the airline’s COVID travel credits have been claimed, with around $93 million still held in unclaimed credits.
For travel advisors, clients who flew with Virgin Australia during the pandemic disruption period may need a timely reminder to check their Travel Bank details before the deadline passes.
How are Qantas COVID travel credits different?
Qantas COVID travel credits no longer expire, but the way customers can use them has changed.
For bookings made on or before 30 September 2021, Qantas customers can no longer use COVID credits to book flights and must instead request a refund by calling the airline on 1300 668 885 within Australia.
The airline says customers can request a refund of eligible COVID-19 flight credits at any time.
Qantas and Jetstar removed expiry dates on COVID travel credits in 2023 after the Qantas Group came under criticism over how credits were issued, restricted and extended.
The Group said at the time that Qantas customers with COVID credits could request cash refunds, while Jetstar customers could use COVID vouchers for flights indefinitely.
Where should customers check their credits?
Jetstar travellers can check their credit voucher balance online, while Virgin Australia customers can review their travel credit details through the Travel Bank portal or call 13 67 89.
For advisors, it’s a prompt for clients who still have unresolved pandemic-era credits. The key is to confirm which airline issued the credit, when the original booking was made and whether the customer is eligible to travel, redeem or request a refund.
Why are COVID travel credits still in the spotlight?
The reminder comes after Qantas reached a $105 million settlement earlier this year over allegations relating to COVID-era flight credits, subject to Federal Court approval. Qantas said the settlement involved no admission of liability.
When COVID-19 travel restrictions grounded flights across Australia and internationally from early 2020, Qantas cancelled hundreds of thousands of bookings. Rather than refunding passengers in cash, the airline issued travel credits, many of which came with restrictions on how and when they could be used.
Jetstar has also faced a class action over COVID credits and its alleged failure to refund cancelled flights during pandemic restrictions.
For travel advisors, COVID travel credits remain more than an admin issue. They continue to shape customer confidence, airline trust and expectations around clear communication when disruption hits.
KARRYON UNPACKS: COVID travel credits are a final piece of pandemic-era housekeeping, but for advisors, they are also a reminder that proactive service and clear refund guidance build long-term trust.
