Emirates has become the world’s first airline to offer its passengers a free cover for COVID-19 medical expenses and quarantine costs, regardless of the class of travel or destination. The initiative was taken from the airline in order to boost the travel confidence of its passengers.
According to a statement, the airline stated that it will cover medical expenses of up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs of EUR 100 per day for 14 days if the traveler is diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel, and the cover is provided by the airline, free of cost to its customers.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman, and Chief Executive said: “Under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Emirates is proud to lead the way in boosting confidence for international travel. We know people are yearning to fly as borders around the world gradually re-open, but they are seeking flexibility and assurances should something unforeseen happen during their travel.”
He further added. “Emirates has worked hard to put in place measures at every step of the customer journey to mitigate the risk of infection, and we have also revamped our booking policies to offer flexibility. We are now taking it to the next level, by being the first in the industry to offer our customers free global cover for COVID-19 medical expenses and quarantine costs should they incur these costs during their travel. It is an investment on our part, but we are putting our customers first, and we believe they will welcome this initiative.”
The cover is effective immediately for customers flying on Emirates until 31 October 2020 (first flight to be completed on or before 31 October 2020). It is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey, meaning that Emirates customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination.
Passengers are not required to register for the service prior to their travel, nor they are obligated to utilize the cover provided by the airline. Passengers only simply have to contact a dedicated hotline to avail of assistance and cover, once they are diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel.
The hotline number, and details of what COVID-19 related expenses are covered, is available on www.emirates.com/COVID19assistance.
The airline has also revised its booking policies to offer customers more flexibility and confidence to plan their travel. Customers whose travel plans are disrupted by COVID-19 related flight or travel restrictions can simply hold on to their ticket which will be valid for 24 months and rebook to fly at a later time; request travel vouchers to offset against future Emirates purchases or request refunds via an online form on Emirates’ website or via their travel booking agent.
Emirates currently serves over 60 destinations in its network, facilitating travel between the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific through a convenient connection in Dubai for customers across the world.
