Following the foreign-ministry advisory against travel to Japan, China’s six state-owned and major private carriers have rolled out comprehensive waiver policies covering tickets issued before 12:00 hrs on 17 November 2025 for travel to or from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Hiroshima and Okinawa up to 31 December.
Passengers may obtain full refunds, change travel dates or reroute via alternative destinations without service charges or fare-difference penalties. Mileage-redemption tickets and codeshare flights on partner airlines are included, provided at least one sector is operated by the Chinese carrier.
![Chinese Airlines Offer No-Fee Refunds and Rebooking on All Japan Routes Through Year-End]()
The refunds are already hitting load factors: flight-analytics firm VariFlight recorded a 38 percent drop in average seat occupancy on China–Japan routes on 18 November compared with the previous week. Japanese tourism boards fear the sudden contraction could wipe out US$1 billion in spending by year-end and derail regional recovery plans.
For employers, the flexibility eases duty-of-care decisions; non-essential trips can be postponed without financial loss. Mobility teams should, however, verify that reissued tickets retain their eligibility for the waiver window and confirm any downstream impact on connecting itineraries.
Industry observers say the scale of the policy—unprecedented since the 2022 pandemic waivers—signals carriers’ expectation that political headwinds may persist. Should tensions ease, airlines retain the option to restore normal fare rules with 24 hours’ notice, underscoring the need for continued monitoring.
Passengers may obtain full refunds, change travel dates or reroute via alternative destinations without service charges or fare-difference penalties. Mileage-redemption tickets and codeshare flights on partner airlines are included, provided at least one sector is operated by the Chinese carrier.
The refunds are already hitting load factors: flight-analytics firm VariFlight recorded a 38 percent drop in average seat occupancy on China–Japan routes on 18 November compared with the previous week. Japanese tourism boards fear the sudden contraction could wipe out US$1 billion in spending by year-end and derail regional recovery plans.
For employers, the flexibility eases duty-of-care decisions; non-essential trips can be postponed without financial loss. Mobility teams should, however, verify that reissued tickets retain their eligibility for the waiver window and confirm any downstream impact on connecting itineraries.
Industry observers say the scale of the policy—unprecedented since the 2022 pandemic waivers—signals carriers’ expectation that political headwinds may persist. Should tensions ease, airlines retain the option to restore normal fare rules with 24 hours’ notice, underscoring the need for continued monitoring.
