Emirates customers can now travel with confidence and without any worries of unexpected costs due to the coronavirus pandemic!

The airline will cover medical expenses of up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs of EUR 100 per day for 14 days, should they 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.

“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,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive, was quoted in a statement, as saying.

“We know people are yearning to fly as borders around the world gradually reopen, but they are seeking flexibility and assurances should something unforeseen happen during their travel.”

First in the world

This cover for Covid-19 related medical expenses and quarantine costs is offered by Emirates 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 (first flight to be completed on or before October 31). It is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey.

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 this 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.

“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,” Al Maktoum said.

“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.”

Flexibility and assurance

With the gradual reopening of borders over the summer, Emirates has 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.

Customers from Emirates’ network can now travel to Dubai as the city has reopened for business and leisure visitors with new air travel protocols that safeguard the health and safety of visitors and communities.

Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air. These include the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers.

Maldives service increased

The Dubai-based airline said Wednesday it would increase its services to the Maldives from the current five a week, to six times a week from August 4 to meet customer demand.

Emirates, which runs the world’s biggest airline by international traffic, resumed services to the Maldives on July 16 after a three-month hiatus in the wake of border closures by the Maldivian authorities to control the coronavirus outbreak.

The Maldives reopened its borders on July 15.

According to guidelines released by the Maldives tourism ministry, resorts and hotels on uninhabited islands as well as liveaboard vessels are now allowed to host tourists (please see a rolling list of resort reopenings here).

Guesthouses and hotels located on inhabited islands will be allowed to reopen on August 1. Passengers on cruise ships and yachts will be barred from disembarking at inhabited islands until then.

Thirty-day free on-arrival visa will be issued to all tourists with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country. The entire holiday has to be booked at a single facility except for transit arrangements.

There will be no mandatory quarantine or testing on arrival. Tourists will only have to complete an online health declaration form.

But visitors with symptoms of the Covid-19 respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or those travelling with someone who has similar symptoms will be tested at their expense.