Emirates becomes the world’s first airline to provide free, global cover to customers for COVID-19 medical expenses & quarantine costs

Emirates will pay medical bills for travellers who become symptomatic with coronavirus while at their destination, at least until 31 October 2020.

If a passenger is diagnosed with Covid-19 while they are away from home, the Dubai-based airline says it will cover medical and repatriation expenses of up to €150,000 (£137,000). In addition, it will pay quarantine costs of €100 (£91) per day to a maximum of two weeks, for the traveller and a companion. The carrier will also contribute up to €1,500 (£1,370) towards the cost of a funeral. Coronavirus testing fees are not included.
Emirates says: “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.”
This cover is provided free by the airline for all passengers in all classes, and does not require any registration or form-filling.
The airline’s chief executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said: “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.”
But the Emirates guarantee does not apply if “your travel against your home country’s government advice or against local authority advice at your trip destination”.
As the Foreign Office advises against travel to Dubai itself, British passengers will be ineligible for cover in the UAE.
Separately, Emirates is resuming flights to the Seychelles from 1 August, coinciding with the country's re-opening to international tourists, and increasing flights to the Maldives from 4 August from five to six weekly, “to meet customer demand”.

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We are pleased to be the world’s first airline to provide free, global cover to our customers for COVID-19 medical expenses and quarantine costs. Launched under the directive of @hhshkmohd, this unique industry-leading initiative aims to boost travel confidence. Our customers can now travel with added peace of mind, as we will cover medical expenses up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs of EUR 100 per day for 14 days, should they be diagnosed with COVID-19 while they are away from home. This cover for COVID-19 related medical expenses and quarantine costs is offered by us free of cost to customers regardless of class of travel or destination. Emirates is proud to lead the way in boosting confidence for international travel. We have put in place multi-layered hygiene and safety measures at every step of the customer journey to minimise risk, in addition to flexible booking policies. We are now taking it to the next level with free, global cover for COVID-19 related costs. Click on the link in our bio for more details.

A post shared by Emirates (@emirates) on Jul 23, 2020 at 8:02am PDT