U2 back, with or without you

Fans with U2 tickets can get them refunded now if they know they will be unable to attend a concert later in the year.

The exact dates of the rescheduled U2 concerts are still to be set, as the promoters try to organise how the timetable across New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Hawaii will fit together.

Bono has said they will return in November, after postponing the remaining 10 concerts on the Vertigo Tour because a close family member of one of the band was ill.

Ticketing agent Ticketmaster head Mike Clarkin said nobody in New Zealand had requested a refund yet.

"Once the dates are announced, there will inevitably be people unable to attend and we will be happy to refund their tickets."

The ticket refunds would include all associated fees, such as transaction and booking costs.

However, with tickets selling for premium prices on on-line auction sites, it might pay to hold on to the little slips of gold, even though they are not selling at their previous heights.

Some buyers have been making the most of the uncertainty and getting tickets for about $400 for two tickets - well down from up to $1000 people were paying earlier.

Trade Me users also had general praise for airline companies' willingness to put flight bookings for the concert on hold until the new dates were set, with no penalties. Air New Zealand, Qantas and Virgin Blue have all agreed to hold the bookings over at no extra cost.

A spokesman for Air New Zealand said if the concerts were cancelled outright, or a customer could not make the new dates, non-refundable flights would be held in credit for 12 months.

Passengers might also have to pay extra if the same fare seat was not available on the new flight.

While numerous fans were frustrated at having their plans stymied, one at least was happier with the new timeframe.

One user on the website's forum was seven months pregnant at the moment, so November suited her better.

"But now I can leap about in the mosh pit with inner circle corporate tickets coz baby will be with grandma - Yay!"