Virgin Atlantic, which is returning to India from September 2020 after an extended hiatus due to the CoVid-19 related grounding, has just announced that they will be giving more assurance to customers to travel on Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Atlantic has introduced free COVID-19 insurance cover on all new and existing bookings. The policy applies automatically to all flights booked with Virgin Atlantic, complements existing travel insurance, as per Virgin Atlantic.

If they or anyone else on their booking becomes ill with COVID-19 while travelling, Virgin Atlantic CoVid-19 Cover ensures related costs are covered, no matter how long the trip is or even if they’re visiting another destination on the same overseas trip. The insurance policy is fulfilled by Allianz Assistance and covers emergency medical and associated expenses while abroad totalling GBP 500,000 per customer – the highest value of policy offered by any airline to date, with no excess payment required.

The policy also covers expenses incurred up to GBP 3,000 if a customer is denied boarding, at either departure or in destination, or has to quarantine due to definite or suspected CoVid-19 during a trip.

Customers booked to travel from August 24, 2020, up to March 31, 2021, will automatically receive the new COVID-19 Cover and Virgin Atlantic Holidays customers will also benefit, where the flights on their holiday booking are with Virgin Atlantic. Providing the customer is travelling on a Virgin Atlantic ticket if the flight is operated by a partner airline or a Joint Venture carrier – Delta Air Lines or Air France-KLM – the cover will also apply. Coverage includes reward tickets on Virgin Atlantic flights.

Virgin Atlantic CoVid-19 Cover joins the airline’s flexible booking policy to give as much choice as possible to customers as they make their future travel plans. Customers booking with the airline have the option to make two date changes to their flights, with rebooking available up until September 30, 2022. These date changes have the associated change fee waived, though potential fare differences may be incurred if the new travel dates are after November 30, 2020.

Key features of the COVID-19 cover include:

• 24-hour emergency medical assistance
• GBP 500,000 of emergency medical expenses if you are taken ill due to Coronavirus during your journey, including treatment, transport and accommodation costs
• Additional costs should a customer be denied boarding due to suspected or actual CoVid-19, or if they are held in quarantine, including accommodation, transport charges, refreshments, booking amendment fees and other travel expenses
• Repatriation home, including private air ambulance where 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 age, travel class or duration of the journey
• Terms and conditions apply.

The cover starts from the point of booking and ends when the customer returns home or to a hospital or nursing home in their home country. One-way trips are also included, with the insurance cover valid until the end of the journey, which is defined as 12 hours after the arrival of the customer’s final flight.

Bottomline

Virgin Atlantic has become one of a handful of airlines who are offering insurance to people who book with them, the other being Emirates as of now. However, it remains to be seen if insurance is a good pull to get people to sign up and travel again.

What do you think of Virgin Atlantic’s new policy and would you fly again because of this added reassurance?

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