In a world-first, Emirates customers can now travel with confidence, as the airline announces it will cover COVID-19-related medical expenses and quarantine expenses of passengers.

Emirates will offer of up to €150,000 (US$175,800) in medical expenses and quarantine costs of €100 (US$117) per day for 14 days, should passengers be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel, while they are away from home.

This cover is provided by the airline, free of cost to its customers, regardless of class of travel or destination. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until October 31, 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.

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This means 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.

Customers do not need to register or fill in any forms before they travel, and they are not obligated to utilise the cover provided by Emirates. Any impacted customer who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel simply has to contact a dedicated hotline to avail of assistance and cover.

“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,” says HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive. “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.

“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,” he continues. “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.”

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With the gradual re-opening of borders over the summer, Emirates 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.

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