When your award flight is cancelled, you'll usually be offered one of two things: a new flight, or a refund of your points and taxes back to your account. The catch is that in a big disruption (a typhoon, an airport closure, a conflict) the airlines are swamped, the next flights are full or not flying at all, and that refund can take a long time to land. The travellers who get home on time are the ones who've planned for it.
I've been using points for about 10 years. For nine of those years I didn't have a single drama. This year I had two award flights cancelled. Here's exactly what happened, what I did, and the three things I now do on every points trip so a cancellation never leaves me stranded.
I tell both stories in full in this video:
Story 1: a typhoon cancelled my flight from Shanghai to Tokyo
I was flying Bali to Shanghai, spending a day there, then continuing on to Tokyo for a week in Japan. The Shanghai to Tokyo leg was with China Eastern, booked with Qantas Points.
Why use points on a three-hour flight? That route is normally around A$300 in cash, but on my dates it was sitting at A$1,000 to A$1,200. When I ran the numbers, the points gave me great value, so I booked it as a reward.
Then a typhoon hit Japan (they've had around 25 this year). Tokyo's airport closed and my flight was cancelled.
Qantas or China Eastern: who's responsible?
This is where it got messy. China Eastern said it was a Qantas-issued ticket, so I had to speak to Qantas. Qantas said it was a China Eastern flight that China Eastern had cancelled, so I had to take it up with them. I called each airline about three times and got the same answer every time: go back to the other airline.
The best solution on offer was a refund of my points and the taxes (about A$100). That didn't help me get to Japan. With every flight cancelled, demand had banked up, China Eastern wasn't flying for days, and the only airline still flying the route wanted around A$1,500 for a three-hour flight. Waiting three days for China Eastern airlines to fly again would have wiped out most of my week in Japan, so that wasn't really an option...
In the end, paying cash for that flight and then taking it out with travel insurance was really my only option. I could have kept on disputing with Qantas and China Eastern Airlines, but the fact of the matter is that Qantas and China Eastern Airlines (or any of Qantas's airline partners) weren't flying to Tokyo. Meaning, even if I got one of the airlines to agree and take responsibility, it would have been days before I was rebooked on a flight. in these instances, as travel insurance does cover natural events such as a typhoon, it was better to take it up with them in order to keep my trip on track.
Story 2: disruption in Dubai cancelled my flights to Brazil
Earlier this year (late February into March) we were flying to Brazil with a few days in Dubai on the way. We were on one of the last planes into Dubai before the disruption began. The airport and airspace closed, and all of my onward flights were cancelled.
The original plan was Qatar Airways from Dubai to Doha, then Doha to Brazil, so I could try Qatar's Qsuites. That was cancelled too, and again my points were tied up in a booking with no quick refund in sight.
When the airline call centre won't even ring
Qatar's call centre was so overloaded the phone wouldn't even ring. I had to hit dial something like 100 times across the day before it connected, and then it took a couple of hours to reach a person. Live chat was down. That's understandable in a rare event like this, because airlines can't plan for it. But it meant I was on my own.
How a points buffer saved the trip
Because I always keep enough points for a Plan B, I could act straight away. Business Class Classic Reward seats from Dubai direct to Brazil appeared for a few days after my original date, bookable with Qantas Points, and I booked them. I was also lucky that flight actually left, because plenty didn't. Without the spare points, I'd have been stuck.
What actually happens when your award flight is cancelled
Every airline and program handles it a little differently, so always check your own booking and the program's terms. In my experience, this is what to expect:
- You'll usually be offered a new flight or a refund. In a perfect world you're moved to the next available flight. In a big disruption, those flights may be full or not operating at all.
- A refund means points and taxes back, not a new trip. You get your points and the taxes you paid returned, but you still need a way to get where you're going, often at last-minute cash prices.
- Partner bookings can bounce you between airlines. If you booked a partner flight with Qantas Points, both airlines may tell you to call the other. Be persistent, keep notes of every call, and ask for a reference number each time.
- Refunds can take a long time in mass disruptions. Airlines get flooded with requests, so your points can be tied up for weeks. Don't count on them for your Plan B.
What to do if your award flight is cancelled: step by step
- Check the airline app or website first. You may be offered a rebooking automatically, and it's often faster than waiting on the phone.
- Contact the program you booked through (for example Qantas, if you used Qantas Points) and ask about rebooking onto another flight before accepting a refund.
- Try every channel at once: phone, live chat, the app, social media and the airport desk if you're there. In a big event, one of them may get through when the others don't.
- Search for a Plan B yourself. Look for reward seats with your own points on any airline flying the route.
- Keep every receipt for replacement flights, hotels and meals, plus written proof of the cancellation, for your travel insurance claim.
- Follow up the refund until your points and taxes are back in your account.
3 lessons I now apply to every points trip
1. Keep enough points for a Plan B
Your points from a cancelled booking can be locked up for weeks. Having a separate buffer means you can book a backup flight the moment one appears, instead of waiting for a refund or paying a fortune in cash. Our complete Qantas Points guide covers the fastest ways to build that balance.
2. Hold points you can transfer to lots of airlines
If I'd been stuck in Dubai holding only Qantas Points, I'd have been relying on one program's reward seats showing up. Flexible points (like American Express Membership Rewards, Rove Miles or pay.com.au points) can be moved into several airline programs, such as Qatar Airways Privilege Club or Emirates Skywards, so you can check availability across four or five programs instead of one. See our guide to how Aussies can earn points across 40+ airline programs in this video.
3. Always have travel insurance (and know what it covers)
Travel insurance doesn't cover everything. My policy wouldn't cover the Dubai situation, because policies commonly exclude war and conflict. Natural disasters like typhoons are often covered, so I'm claiming the cost of the replacement Shanghai to Tokyo flight.
- Always take out travel insurance on points trips, not just cash ones.
- If you rely on credit card travel insurance, check exactly what you need to do to activate it, and ideally confirm with your card provider that you've met the conditions.
- Read the exclusions. A handy trick: run the policy document through an AI tool and ask it what you are and aren't covered for.
- Top up with a separate policy if your card cover falls short.
This is general information only, not financial or insurance advice. Always check your own policy.
The bottom line
Most of the time, award flights go to plan. When they don't, the airline will do its best, but in a big disruption you can't rely on it alone. A strong points balance, points that transfer to many airlines, and the right travel insurance turn a cancelled award flight from a disaster into an inconvenience.
FAQs
Do I get my points back if my award flight is cancelled?
Yes. When the airline cancels, you're normally offered either a new flight or a refund of your points and taxes back to your account. In a large disruption the refund can take a long time to come through.
Who do I contact if a partner airline cancels my Qantas reward flight?
Start with the program you booked through (Qantas, if you used Qantas Points), because it issued the ticket. Be prepared to be sent back and forth between the two airlines, and keep a record of every call and reference number.
Does travel insurance cover a cancelled reward flight?
It depends on your policy and the reason for the cancellation. Natural disasters like typhoons are often covered, while war and conflict are commonly excluded. Check your policy wording, and if you use credit card insurance, make sure you've met its activation conditions.
Should I book a backup flight straight away?
If the airline can't get you on a flight in time, booking a backup quickly is often the only way to save the trip, especially when seats are disappearing. That's why it pays to keep spare points, and receipts for your insurance claim.
Can I use different points to rebook?
Yes, if you have them. Flexible points like Amex Membership Rewards can be transferred to several airline programs, which gives you far more chances to find a Plan B reward seat than holding one airline's points.
Need help with your points trips?
In The Points Hub we find Business Class reward seats bookable with Qantas Points every day and share the best ones, with the points and taxes for each, so finding a Plan B is a lot easier. Want hands-on help planning a trip? Check out our 1-on-1 booking service.
