The coronavirus outbreak has instilled the fear of travelling amongst passengers, especially when it comes to covering long distances. In a first, Dubai’s Emirates airline will now bear the medical expenses of up to 150,000 euros (Dh638,363) and quarantine costs of 100 euros (Dh425.5) per day for 14 days for passengers should they be infected with Covid-19 during their travel while they are away from home. This service is free of cost to the customers. “Emirates becomes the world’s first airline to provide free, global cover to customers from COVID-19 medical expenses. Launched under @hhshkmohd’s directive, this industry-leading initiative aims to boost travel confidence,” read a post on its official Twitter handle.
Emirates becomes the world’s first airline to provide free, global cover to customers from COVID-19 medical expenses. Launched under @hhshkmohd’s directive, this industry-leading initiative aims to boost travel confidence. https://t.co/gwjVNhubiP#FlySaferWithEmirates #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/OahtuyhRTN
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) July 23, 2020
This applies to all travelers irrespective of class, travel or destination. It is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until October 31, 2020 (first flight to be completed on or before October 31, 2020). It is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. Customers do not need to register or fill in any forms before they departure from origin. If a passenger contracts corona during their travel, they will be required to contact a dedicated hotline to avail of assistance and cover.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive said: “Under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE 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 added, “Emirates has worked hard to put in place measures at every step of the customer journey to mitigate 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.”
