Can I expect an airline to cancel the route after FCO advice / lockdown?

GarciaLorca

Hi
I am supposed to be flying Malaysia Airlines London to Kuala Lumpur and on to Bali on 4 April. 
I've managed to get full refunds on some of the accommodation.  I have spoken to the airline and they have said that because the lockdown in Malaysia is only until 31 March, they can't offer a cancellation / refund.  I also pointed out the UK FCO advice and they said they still can't offer a cancellation at this time.
With Malaysia in lockdown and UK travel advice advising against any international travel for 30 days, can I reasonably expect the airline to eventually pull the plug on these flights in the coming days? I'm fine to wait, I just don't get why they are continuing to run the flights, unless they are hub and spoke flights where passengers are not disembarking in Kuala Lumpur and so not entering the country, but still, most countries are the same at the moment.  It's making getting a refund impossible, and I must say that the logic that the restrictions are only in place in Malaysia until 31 March is artificial.
Thanks

bagand96

The trouble is that FCO advide is just advice for travelers.  It is not a ruling or instruction to airlines to stop flights.  Governments can instruct airlines to stop flights, but the FCO advice is not the mechanism for it.

Best thing you can do is wait.  If they cancel then you should get a refund from them.  If the flight goes ahead, then you should be able to claim from travel insurance.

bradders1983

Flights will be continuing in order for people to get home.

benjus

bagand96 said:

Best thing you can do is wait.  If they cancel then you should get a refund from them.  If the flight goes ahead, then you should be able to claim from travel insurance.

Whether or not you can claim from travel insurance depends very much on what policy you have. I have two, one provided through work which contains an exclusion for cancellation due to an epidemic or pandemic, the other from my bank account which does not cover cancellation due to FCO advice (it does cover cancellation due to mandatory quarantine, so it might be possible on those grounds). I'll certainly be looking more carefully at my coverage in future, but too late to do anything about the current situation now.

misterspoon

We have a flight with Thai air next week that is still running. Airlines have to keep running to keep their slot at the airport, even if the plane flies empty. The only thing that would stop flights is if the airport closes. We have been offered a voucher and not even a refund. My insurance company covers for covid and fco advice but say I have to apply for a refund first. It's a mess.

Caz3121

misterspoon said:

Airlines have to keep running to keep their slot at the airport, even if the plane flies empty.

they need to run a % of their flights, not every flight. I expect there will be some discretion in the coming weeks re losing slots
I would expect the current flights have Thai passengers that are returning home so won't be empty and will bring back Brits who also want to get home. I would not make any decision re cancelling/insurance till closer to departure in case of cancellations....I expect there will be a large number to come for next week as many of the citizens abroad should be back in their own countries by then
Requiring refund first is not unusual. Insurance will reimburse elements that you cannot claim elsewhere. The airline will need to refund taxes if you cancel so the insurance will use the remaining amount
Voucher or date change seems to be a common offer for flights that are not cancelled