DUBAI: Seeking to quell concerns among travellers, Emirates has updated its Covid-19 travel waiver policies.
The airline hopes to now present one simplified approach for rebooking and refunds on tickets issued in all its global markets.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates chief commercial officer, said: “The travel and airline industry have complicated rulebooks for how fares, re-bookings or refunds are applied, which also differ depending on market regulation.
“We understand that explaining and unravelling all of that is confusing and frustrating for customers.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is unprecedented for everyone, and we’d like to thank our customers and trade partners for their patience, understanding and support as we worked through this period to ensure our policies are not only customer-friendly but also in line with regulatory requirements.”
Emirates is now offering three options to its customers affected by flight cancellations and travel restrictions:
Keep your ticket: All Emirates tickets booked before May 31st for travel up to August 31st will be automatically extended for 760 days. Customers holding such tickets can be assured their tickets will be honoured, and they can rebook when they decide to travel.
Request a travel voucher: Travel vouchers are valid for one year from date the voucher was issued, and can be extended for a second year. The voucher can be used for any Emirates product or service, which means customers can use it to offset charges for flights to any destination in any cabin class, or other services. No change fees apply to this voucher, so customers will have more flexibility to reschedule when they are ready to travel again.
Refunds: Customers who have opted to keep their ticket or opted for a travel voucher can still apply for a refund, if they are unable to travel. There will be no refund penalties.
Emirates has also sought to make it easy for customers to request these options online through a simple form.
Kazim added: “We sincerely hope that our customers will choose to rebook and fly with us again at a later time, and that is why we’re offering up to two years validity on their current tickets, or travel vouchers which can be redeemed for any Emirates product or service.”
