UAE-based carrier Emirates has announced it is expecting more than 400,000 passengers to travel through Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport during the busy Christmas period, as customers travel home or abroad for the holiday season.
The carrier has said it expects around 200,000 outgoing passengers through the terminal, based on the airline’s latest booking figures, as travel confidence increases following the news of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Emirates is anticipating that its busiest day will be on Friday, 11 December, although high passenger traffic is expected to run through 21 December.
Emirates customers may have also found confidence in the airline’s recent announcement to expand its insurance offering to include “multi-risk” travel cover, which is automatically applied for no extra charge on every ticket purchased with the airline from 1 December.
The new expanded insurance offering is provided by AIG Travel, and covers any emergency medical expenses up to US$500,000, trip cancellation and curtailment expenses, as well as loss of baggage or belongings.
Cover also includes provisions for personal accidents that occurred during travel, winter sports cover, and trip disruptions due to unexpected air space closure, travel recommendations or advisories.
Some specifics of the cover include:
- Out-of-Country Emergency Medical Expenses & Emergency Medical Evacuation up to US$500,000, valid for COVID-19 (contracted during the trip) and other medical emergencies while travelling abroad;
- Trip Cancellation up to US$7,500 for non-refundable costs if the traveller or a relative (as defined in the policy) is unable to travel because they are diagnosed with COVID-19 before the scheduled trip departure date, or for other named reasons – similar to other comprehensive travel cover products;
- Trip Cancellation or Curtailment up to US$7,500 if the school year is extended due to COVID-19 beyond the departure date, and the traveller or a relative (as defined in the policy) is a full-time teacher, full-time employee, or a student at a primary or secondary school;
- Trip Curtailment up to US$7,500 for non-refundable trip costs and additional costs to return to their country of residence if the traveller or a relative (as defined in the policy) falls critically ill, for instance, contracts COVID-19 while traveling abroad;
- Travel Abandonment up to US$7,500 if the traveller fails a COVID-19-related test or medical screening at the airport and is required to abandon the trip; and
- US$150 per day per person, for up to 14 consecutive days if, while outside of their country of residence, the traveller tests positive for COVID-19, and if they are unexpectedly placed into a mandatory quarantine outside their country of residence by a governmental body
Additional reporting by Airlinerwatch.
