While we’ve seen airlines around the world offer flexible travel coverage in light of coronavirus, Emirates is taking it to the next level, and is offering coronavirus related medical coverage.
In this post:
Emirates’ COVID-19 medical insurance
Emirates is the world’s first airline to provide free global coverage for your COVID-19 health expenses and quarantine costs. How does this work?
- If you book a flight on Emirates you’ll receive coverage for COVID-19 related costs
- You must travel between July 23 and October 31, 2020
- This is valid for 31 days from the moment you take your first flight, and it even covers you if you travel onwards to another city (whether by car, plane, train, or whatever else)
- There’s no registration required
- If you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during your travels while you’re away from home, the airline will cover your medical expenses
- This includes coverage for up to 150,000 EUR, plus 100 EUR per day for quarantine costs, up to 14 days
- If you get diagnosed with COVID-19, you can call +97142708825, or can send a WhatsApp message to +971563589937 to get support
You can find full FAQs for the policy here.
Emirates is the first major airline to offer coronavirus travel coverage
This could prove really valuable
A lot of medical policies specifically exclude coverage in the event that you get coronavirus. Understandably, this is a major concern for people, since you could find yourself in a foreign country without health insurance, on the hook for whatever your medical treatment costs are.
To see something like this from Emirates is fantastic, and could be a reason to book the Dubai-based airline over a competitor.
I would however approach a policy like this with caution. For example, the FAQs state that you need to obtain pre-approval from Emirates for any medical costs. In some situations that may not be all that practical, especially since we don’t know how long the response may take. Furthermore, note that the cost of coronavirus testing isn’t covered.
This is great, though I’d approach it with caution
Bottom line
Emirates is the first airline in the world to offer passengers complimentary coronavirus related medical coverage (Virgin Atlantic has since matched, and introduced a similar policy). This should give Emirates travelers peace of mind, given that many travel insurance policies otherwise don’t cover this. I’d still be skeptical, though, given the need to have medical expenses pre-authorized.
Would coverage for coronavirus-related medical expenses impact your airline choice?
So many conditions and exclusions this is worthless to me.
Another cheap publicity stunt from Emirates, trying to grab any attention to fill the seats in.
"Coincidentally ", that announcement about free insurance coverage was issued almost immediately after UAE government introduced a new law, making it mandatory for all passengers entering the country or transiting through any of the airports, to present negative Covid 19 test results BEFORE boarding the plane. The test must be done within 48 hours prior to departure.
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Another cheap publicity stunt from Emirates, trying to grab any attention to fill the seats in.
"Coincidentally ", that announcement about free insurance coverage was issued almost immediately after UAE government introduced a new law, making it mandatory for all passengers entering the country or transiting through any of the airports, to present negative Covid 19 test results BEFORE boarding the plane. The test must be done within 48 hours prior to departure.
With all accepted passengers being healthy, Emirates will never have to provide their insurance coverage to anyone and never will part with their dirhams.
Hence the song and dance about how charitable they are.
Can you explain why the EK site states this:
You must have travel insurance with COVID-19 cover or declare at check-in that you will bear the costs for treatment and isolation if necessary before you travel. Bring an insurance certificate stating COVID-19 coverage to present at check-in.
Wait a second here. One must first obtain medical expenses pre-authorized from Emirates before incurring the medical costs ?!. So if I am alone , no family and am in ICU fighting for my life , I must tell the doctors ..." no no no ventilator, no remdesivir, , nothing until I can call Emirates and gasp gasp try and speak to someone to get pre authorization for me to be treated in your hospital??.
Wait a second here. One must first obtain medical expenses pre-authorized from Emirates before incurring the medical costs ?!. So if I am alone , no family and am in ICU fighting for my life , I must tell the doctors ..." no no no ventilator, no remdesivir, , nothing until I can call Emirates and gasp gasp try and speak to someone to get pre authorization for me to be treated in your hospital??.
Typical marketing bull sh-t from EK and now Etihad and Qatar will also pull the same stunt soon I bet. Shame on them.
Does this get triggered by awards or only on paid tickets?
Considering Emirates is still operating flights to some of the countries with the worst outbreaks this might come in handy.
Do you think Alaska MP award tickets on EK will qualify for this insurence?
That's great for some countries! On the other hand in the country I live I have the obligated Health Insurance that covers al my health costs worldwide. So I don't see the benefit for our residents. So, if I book an EK flight I should get a discount because I don't need that service.
That won't work out I guess. Nothing is for free, it's just included in the Airline Ticket. For free only the sun rises and sets.