Cathay Pacific has activated flexible ticketing for passengers booked on flights to and from Sapporo after blizzard conditions blanketed Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido late on 19 January. The carrier announced at 21:56 HKT that rebooking and rerouting charges would be waived for tickets issued on or before 19 January 2026 covering travel on 20 January.
Travellers may change their itinerary once without paying the usual HK$1 200 administrative fee, although any fare or tax difference still applies. New travel must be completed by 12 February 2026, giving passengers a three-week window to reroute through Tokyo or delay trips until weather stabilises. The policy applies to revenue and redemption tickets on Cathay-operated services; customers booked through agents must contact those agents directly.
![Cathay Pacific waives change fees for Hong Kong–Sapporo flights amid heavy snow]()
For corporate travellers who suddenly need to amend or reapply for entry documents as their schedules shift, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal can fast-track Japan visa processing and offer real-time status tracking for multiple employees; visit https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/ for details on how its specialists smooth last-minute paperwork.
The move underscores how winter weather on Japan routes can ripple through Hong Kong’s corporate-travel calendar. Sapporo is a major incentive-travel and tech-manufacturing hub, and January sees peak demand for the annual Snow Festival. Mobility managers with time-sensitive trips are advised to monitor flight status, secure hotel refunds under force-majeure clauses and ensure employees update company travel-tracking apps.
Cathay’s operations control centre is maintaining regular updates via its website and X (formerly Twitter). The Hong Kong Airport Authority has not issued slot-restriction guidance, but contingency plans include tow-back capacity and remote stands should onward connections mis-connect. Insurers caution that policy-holders must keep documentary proof of reissued tickets and boarding passes to claim disruption benefits.
Travellers may change their itinerary once without paying the usual HK$1 200 administrative fee, although any fare or tax difference still applies. New travel must be completed by 12 February 2026, giving passengers a three-week window to reroute through Tokyo or delay trips until weather stabilises. The policy applies to revenue and redemption tickets on Cathay-operated services; customers booked through agents must contact those agents directly.
For corporate travellers who suddenly need to amend or reapply for entry documents as their schedules shift, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal can fast-track Japan visa processing and offer real-time status tracking for multiple employees; visit https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/ for details on how its specialists smooth last-minute paperwork.
The move underscores how winter weather on Japan routes can ripple through Hong Kong’s corporate-travel calendar. Sapporo is a major incentive-travel and tech-manufacturing hub, and January sees peak demand for the annual Snow Festival. Mobility managers with time-sensitive trips are advised to monitor flight status, secure hotel refunds under force-majeure clauses and ensure employees update company travel-tracking apps.
Cathay’s operations control centre is maintaining regular updates via its website and X (formerly Twitter). The Hong Kong Airport Authority has not issued slot-restriction guidance, but contingency plans include tow-back capacity and remote stands should onward connections mis-connect. Insurers caution that policy-holders must keep documentary proof of reissued tickets and boarding passes to claim disruption benefits.
