Emirates airline adds more free travel insurance on top of COVID-19 cover from December 1

Dubai: Emirates, which was the first airline to offer free COVID-19 medical cover, is expanding its multi-risk travel insurance coverage. This will automatically apply to all tickets purchased from December 1, and also extends to Emirates codeshare flights operated by partner airlines, as long as the ticket number starts with 176.

“Emirates was the first airline to offer complimentary global COVID-19 cover for travelers back in July, and the response from our customers has been tremendously encouraging,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “We see a strong appetite for travel around the world, especially heading into the winter holidays as people seek warmer climates and family destinations like Dubai.” 

The travel insurance package – in tandem with AIG – is the first of its kind in the airline industry, and is “designed to provide all Emirates passengers a truly unique offer for stress-free and hassle-free travel,” the carrier said.

Multiple add-ons

Emirates customers will be covered when they fly to any destination, in any class of travel. Highlights of the coverage include:

• Out-of-country emergency medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation up to $500,000, valid for COVID-19 (contracted during the trip) and other medical emergencies while traveling abroad;

• Trip cancellation up to $7,500 for non-refundable costs if the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) is unable to travel because they are diagnosed with COVID-19 before the scheduled trip departure date, or for other named reasons – similar to other comprehensive travel cover products;

• Trip cancellation or curtailment up to $7,500 if the school year is extended due to COVID-19 beyond the departure date, and the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) is a full-time teacher, full-time employee, or a student at a primary or secondary school;

• Trip curtailment up to $7,500 for non-refundable trip costs and additional costs to return to their country of residence if the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) falls critically ill, for instance, contracts COVID-19 while traveling abroad;

• Travel abandonment up to $7,500 if the traveler fails a COVID-19-related test or medical screening at the airport and is required to abandon the trip; and

• $150 per day per person, for up to 14 consecutive days if, while outside of their country of residence, the traveler tests positive for COVID-19, and if they are unexpectedly placed into a mandatory quarantine outside their country of residence by a governmental body.