I do not want to travel to a destination due to the CDC travel advisory, are my flights refundable?

​I have been getting this question a lot, and if it were last week when I was answering it, I would have a different answer.   Before Covid19, if you were scheduled to fly and the airline canceled your flight due to a schedule change or if you had a nonstop flight and the airline changed the flight to a connection, those two instances would qualify you for a refund.   

​Well now, with Covid19, some of the airlines in the last week have changed that policy and are only issuing refunds for canceled flights.  As of today, American Airlines is one that still has this policy in effect, but I do not know how long it will last.  
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All of the airlines have travel waivers in effect, which means they are waiving the change and cancellation fees that would usually be charged.  You can cancel your flight and use the credit towards a new flight for travel for a departure of up to one year from the date of purchase.   For the clients who were proactive and planned early, this rule is a significant disadvantage since many April school vacation tickets were purchased in 2019, the window for travel may only be 60 to 90 days from now.  Some airlines are allowing travelers to pay the fee and extend this window up until 90 days after the tickets expire, but I have not had this scenario used yet, so I will have to let you know how this option works.  The airlines, unfortunately, area changing the policies often to keep themselves in business.  As this changes, I will do my best to keep you up to date.