Delta Air Lines will allow customers to re-book travel affected by COVID-19 for up to 2 years

LOS ANGELES - Delta Air Lines has announced that the company is extending customers’ ability to re-book travel impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for up to two years. 

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While tickets normally expire one year after purchase, the company said it is waiving change fees and providing greater flexibility to travel through May 31, 2022. 

New tickets purchased between March 1 and May 31, 2020 can be changed without any fees applied for up to a year. 

FILE - A Delta Air Lines jet taxis passed Southwest Airlines jets to be parked with a growing number of jets at Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) on March 24, 2020 in Victorville, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

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“Taking care of customers is at the center of everything we do. In these times of rapid change, we know our customers want the value of their tickets to be secure and redeemable for a longer period,” the company said in a statement.

The news comes as airlines have worked desperately to stay afloat amid the financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

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Major airlines have slashed prices and fee waivers along with implementing hiring freezes to combat the sharp decline in bookings. 

The International Air Transport Association, an airline trade group, estimates that the outbreak could reduce carriers’ revenue by between $63 billion and $113 billion, depending on how far it spreads. 

The same group said the terror attacks in 2001, which devastated the U.S. airline industry but had less impact overseas, cut revenue by about $20 billion.