Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines are changing their ticket structure to make all fares and ticket types rebookable, including the cheapest no-baggage price points.

The change, introduced to give passengers more flexibility during the coronavirus pandemic, applies worldwide for new bookings on short, medium and long-haul routes. For tickets purchased in the US and Canada, the update will go into effect from 8 April. Brussels Airlines will also apply the new fare structure on routes to and from North America only.

The group said that passengers whose flights have been cancelled with a booking date up to and including 19 April can keep their reservations irrespective of the new fare structure. Customers also do not have to commit to a new flight date at this point, with the ticket value valid for a new booking up to and including 30 April 2021.

In addition, Lufthansa said passengers who choose a new travel date before the end of 2020 will receive a €50 discount on each rebooking. However, if the rebooked fare is more expensive than the original, such as if a short-haul ticket value is applied to a long-haul flight or there is a change of class, customers will have to pay the difference regardless of the discount.

Customers can rebook their flights via the airlines¡¯ websites or through travel agencies, and the carriers have added the ability to convert a ticket value into a voucher, with the ability to redeem that voucher at a later date being developed.