Virgin Atlantic has introduced a Covid-19 insurance coverage which applies automatically to all existing and new bookings, starting from 24 August 2020 until 31 March 2021.
The aim of the introduction of free COVID-19 insurance is to support customers and increase their confidence when booking a trip.
The insurance policy, which is fulfilled by Allianz Assistance, includes a comprehensive cover in the case that a Virgin Atlantic passenger gets Covid-19 while on a trip.
The Virgin Atlantic Covid-19 insurance has the highest value of policy offered by any airline to date, with no excess payment required.
The insurance covers emergency medical costs and associated expenses such as transport and accommodation, no matter how long the trip is or even if they’re visiting another destination on the same overseas trip. Repatriation costs up to £500,000 are also included.
The policy also covers expenses incurred up to £3,000 if a customer is denied boarding, at either departure or in destination, or is held in quarantine due to positive or suspected Covid-19 during a trip.
All customers who booked a trip from 24 August 2020 until 31 March 2021 will automatically receive the new Covid-19 Cover. Virgin Atlantic Holidays customers will also benefit if they travel to their holiday destination on a Virgin Atlantic ticket. The cover also applies if the flight is operated by a partner airline or a Joint Venture carrier (Delta Air Lines or Air France-KLM).
“Our priority is always the health and safety of our people and customers and this industry-leading Virgin Atlantic Covid-19 Cover ensures customers can continue to fly safe and fly well with us,” declared Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic.
As travel restrictions continue to ease, Virgin Atlantic is planning more services for the autumn, including London Heathrow to Montego Bay, Antigua, Lagos and Tel Aviv.
According to Jarvinen, this complimentary insurance cover will boost passengers’ confidence and provide some added reassurance for the customers as they start to plan trips further afield. “It applies in parallel to existing travel insurance policies which may now exclude Covid-19, and provides comprehensive cover for coronavirus, recognising the needs of our customers as we restart services,” he said.
In addition to the new Covid-19 cover, Virgin Atlantic also offers flexible booking policy to give customers a wide range of choices as they make their future travel plans. Customers can make up to two date changes to their flights, with rebooking available up until 30 September 2022. The date changes do not require the payment of any fee; however, potential fare differences may be incurred if the new travel dates are after 30 November 2020.
The main features of the Covid-19 insurance are:
- 24-hour emergency medical assistance;
- £500,000 of medical expenses (treatment, transport and accommodation costs) related to Covid-19 if customers have been infected during the journey;
- costs related to boarding denial or quarantine due to suspected/actual Covid-19 (accommodation, transport charges, refreshments, booking amendment fees and other travel expenses);
- repatriation home, including private air ambulance if necessary;
- no excess payable;
- cover for the whole trip, with no upper limit on the length of customer’s time away;
- cover for all passengers with no restrictions on travel class, age or length of journey;
- terms and conditions apply.
The insurance cover begins at the moment of booking and ends when the customers return in their home country. One-way trips are also covered; in this case, the insurance is valid until the end of the journey, which is defined as 12 hours after the arrival of the customer’s final flight.
For more information on Virgin Atlantic COVID-19 Insurance Cover and on the airline’s policy visit the Virgin Atlantic website.
