Dubai-based airline Emirates has promised to cover medical and repatriation expenses of up to €150,000 (£137,000).
Good news for wary travellers: luxury airline Emirates have promised to cover the costs of passengers who contract coronavirus while away from home.
Emirates will pay the medical bills of travellers who become symptomatic with coronavirus while at their destination, at least until October.
Additionally, the airline has said it will pay quarantine costs of €100 (around £91.00) a day for a period of up to two weeks for the traveller and a companion.
Coronavirus testing fees, however, are not covered by the airline.
“If you have tested positive for Covid-19 while you are abroad, you will benefit from repatriation assistance, assistance with medical and hospital costs and assistance with quarantine accommodation costs in an approved designated facility,” said the airline.
Crucially, Emirates have said they will not cover passengers who travel to destinations against “your home country’s government advice or against local authority advice at your trip destination”. This means travellers will not be covered if travelling to Dubai itself, as the Foreign Office is currently advising against travel to the UAE.
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
Separately, however, the airline is resuming flights to the Seychelles from 1 August in tandem with the country’s re-opening to international tourists. Emirates will also increase flights to the Maldives from 4 August to six per week to “meet customer demand”.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the airline’s chief executive, said of the announcement, “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.
“It is an investment on our part, but we are putting our customers first, and we believe they will welcome this initiative.”
While many UK holiday makers have opted for a staycation, the introduction of ‘air bridges’ have meant that a holiday might be on the cards for some Britons after all.
Emirates will resume flights to Seychelles with their new policy in place (Credit: Getty)
Quarantine-free countries for UK holiday-makers include the popular destinations Greece, Spain, France and Turkey.
Meanwhile, online searches for a certain type of at-home holiday have surged since lockdown. Google statistics revealed that in the last week of June, searches for ‘Cornwall caravan holidays’ shot up by a staggering 400 per cent. Coming in close behind it, however, was the search term ‘holiday insurance coronavirus’, which shot up 350 per cent that week.
