Okinawa flights cancelled: fee waiver for confirmed seats at HK Airlines

On 21 October 2026, the search term "琵 眼" appeared on Google Trends in Hong Kong, with roughly 1,000+ searches. Related news pointed to one event: Hong Kong Airlines cancelled its flights to and from Okinawa the next day.

According to RTHK's report the same day, Hong Kong Airlines cancelled flights HX658 and HX659 between Hong Kong and Okinawa on 22 October, because of Typhoon Chaba. The typhoon's official name, signals and track should always be taken from the Hong Kong Observatory.

The same report said the typhoon was approaching Taipei. When the report was published, flights between Hong Kong and Taipei were operating normally, but delays or cancellations were expected to be possible for three consecutive days from 22 October.

After a cancellation, the order in which you act can affect rebooking, refunds and any later claim. The steps are set out below in order.

What Hong Kong Airlines is offering

According to RTHK (as of October 2026), Hong Kong Airlines is waiving the following fees for affected passengers, subject to a condition:

• Scope of waiver: fees for changes, rebooking and refunds.
• Condition: only tickets with confirmed seats.
• How to apply: submit a request through the "special ticketing arrangements" page on the Hong Kong Airlines website.

We could not verify from the airline's official page which flight dates the waiver covers, the deadline for rebooking, any limits on new travel dates, or how passengers who booked through a travel agent are handled. Read the latest terms on that page before applying. We also could not verify other airlines' typhoon arrangements at the time of writing, so passengers should ask their own airline directly.

Rebooking or refund depends on how much flexibility you have

Neither option is clearly better. If hotels or activities at your destination are already paid for and hard to postpone, rebooking affects the whole trip. If the trip can be dropped, a refund may be worth considering.

Note that we could not find the original terms from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department or the airlines on general refund and rebooking rights after a cancellation. Handling may differ by airline and fare type, so rely on the terms of the ticket you bought.

Travel insurance: four items to check in your policy

We could not obtain the original terms of any insurer, nor verify any regulator's claim cases. What follows is not policy wording but questions worth checking when you open your own policy:

1. Definition of unforeseen events: how the policy treats events such as typhoons, and which point in time applies.
2. Purchase timing: whether a policy bought after the typhoon was announced still gives cover.
3. Delay benefit conditions: how long a flight must be delayed to qualify, and whether cancellation and delay are counted separately.
4. Claim procedure: the time limit for claiming and which documents the airline must provide.

Policies are worded differently, and this article does not recommend any insurance product. If in doubt, ask the insurer or a licensed insurance intermediary directly.

Checklist in order

1. Check your flight before leaving home: confirm the flight status on the airline's website before heading to the airport, as RTHK's report advises.
2. Register for flight alerts: receive notices by SMS or email. RTHK's report mentions registering four hours before departure; the exact arrangement is as announced by the airline.
3. Confirm your ticket status: first check whether the ticket has a confirmed seat, then decide on rebooking or a refund, and apply through the "special ticketing arrangements" page.
4. Keep all records: airline notices, screenshots of your application and receipts for extra expenses, for any later claim.
5. Check your policy: go through the four items above, then contact the insurer.
6. Keep following the Observatory: if your trip involves Taipei, also watch flight arrangements for the three days from 22 October.

Check the flight first, deal with the ticket next, and review the policy last: that is a more orderly sequence.

Prices and details correct as of October 2026

Compiled by the F50 Editorial Team from public sources, for general reference only and not professional advice. Details are correct as of the publication date and may change.