Emirates has confirmed that it is quietly dropping its complimentary multi-risk travel insurance on all new bookings beginning December 1, 2020. The free insurance offer is being dropped exactly a year after Emirates automatically started adding the service to all Emirates tickets and many codeshare flights as well.
Described at the time as an “industry-first”, Emirates said that by offering complimentary travel insurance it hoped to boost people’s confidence in making travel plans and booking tickets amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic.
In recent weeks, many countries have lifted or significantly eased travel restrictions resulting in a resurgence in demand for travel. Emirates plans to operate 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic capacity by the end of the year as passengers come flocking back.
“Emirates can confirm that our existing multi-risk travel insurance offer for all Emirates customers will be suspended from December 1,” the airline told the Khaleej Times.
“Customers who have purchased tickets on or before November 30, 2021, will continue to be covered under the multi-risk insurance cover. This decision was made after a review of customer usage and feedback since Emirates first introduced its industry-first complimentary insurance cover.”
The insurance offered a number of benefits including emergency medical expenses up to US $500,000. Importantly, it was in addition to free COVID-19 medical insurance that Emirates introduced in July 2020 and plans to keep offering.
A spokesperson for the Dubai-based airline said, however, that the airline planned to announce some forthcoming changes to its COVID-19 complimentary cover in the coming weeks.
When it was launched, Emirates offered up to $174,000 in emergency medical expenses for any passenger who fell ill with COVID-19 after starting their journey.
The decision to offer free COVID-19 medical cover came directly from the ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Only a handful of other airline still offer a similar service.
