(Bloomberg) --
Qatar Airways has paid more than $1.2 billion in refunds to 600,000 people since March after the coronavirus pandemic forced passengers to scrap their travel plans.
“The amount we have paid out in refunds has undoubtedly had an impact on our bottom line,” Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of the state-owned carrier, said in a Tuesday statement, adding that the airline's finances are strong enough to withstand the impact.
Qatar Airways said customers have these alternate options:
- Use tickets for up to two years from the date of issue
- Exchange the ticket for a future travel voucher worth 110% of the original value
- Swap tickets for air miles -- 36% of passengers chose this option
Emirates said last month that it had processed about 650,000 refund requests, reimbursing 1.9 billion dirhams ($517 million).
Read More: Airlines Get Pushed to Brink Again With Virus Decimating Demand
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