Cathay passengers bemoan refund policies as US, Israel exchange strikes with Iran

AdvertisementHong Kong transportHong KongTransportCathay passengers bemoan refund policies as US, Israel exchange strikes with IranPassengers stranded at Hong Kong airport after flights to Riyadh, Dubai and other destinations in Middle East cancelledReading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Theodora YuPublished: 7:37pm, 1 Mar 2026Passengers flying with Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways have criticised the flag carrier over its compensation and rebooking policies after flights to the Middle East were cancelled due to the joint United States-Israeli attack on Iran.Cathay Pacific said on Sunday that it was “waiving rebooking and re-routing charges for the affected customers” to give them “greater flexibility”, but did not clarify whether the measures included financial compensation for conflict-related cancellations or delays.A reporter from the South China Morning Post spoke with stranded travellers at Hong Kong International Airport as they dealt with disrupted journeys. Many of the affected flights were to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).AdvertisementAmong them was a 36-year-old man who gave his name as Yan. The traveller from Wuhan was left bargaining with staff at Cathay’s service counters.Yan, who has worked in Riyadh for five years, said he had been stranded since Saturday after his flight to the Saudi capital was cancelled.AdvertisementHe said his repeated calls to the airline’s customer service hotline had gone unanswered.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x