Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian unicorn Traveloka's chief marketing officer, Dionisius Nathaniel, revealed there has been a significant increase in travel cancellations on the startup’s booking platform on account of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

"Currently, we are facing a very significant surge in requests for travel cancellations and refunds as a result of the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak," Nathaniel told ANTARA here on Wednesday.

In view of the rise in requests for cancelling and rescheduling travel, the company said it has improved its customer service.

Customer service employees at the company are prioritizing requests from users with the closest departure and booking dates. The aim of the exercise is to accommodate user requests in wake of COVID-19, according to the company.

Users wishing to cancel their trip can seek a refund through several channels provided by Traveloka, or even directly contact the company. However, due to a spike in refund and reschedule requests due to the coronavirus outbreak, Traveloka has urged users to submit applications online so their requests can be processed easily.

Refunds can be requested through the ‘My Booking’ or ‘Orders’ options on the website. After selecting the ‘Refund’ option, users will be asked to fill out some data. Using the website will make it easier for users and Traveloka to process requests, the company stated.

"We also want to inform users who want to get a refund to pay attention to their orders, especially for bookings for destinations that are still receiving tourists, because in such cases, our partners will enforce policies according to the provisions applicable under normal situations, " Nathaniel stated.

Traveloka provides several options for bookings — refundable, non-refundable, reschedulable, and non-reschedulable. Bookings for accommodations have the option of free cancellation.

In accordance with the terms and conditions in force, users who have a refundable or free cancellation ticket can apply for a refund.

Meanwhile, refund requests of users who have a non-refundable booking would not be processed unless a Traveloka partner grants an exception, according to the company.

Given the current situation, Traveloka is encouraging users to plan their trip well and follow the latest information and developments announced by the government and also trusted international institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We are constantly monitoring the situation and coordinating intensively with relevant parties, including the government and partners, to ensure the safety and comfort of users, especially while traveling," Nathaniel said. (INE)

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Translator: Arindra Meodia, Yuni Arisandy
Editor: Suharto
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