With travel restrictions slowly relaxing around the world, Virgin Atlantic has just raised the stakes for airlines hoping to coax back passengers. The airline has announced that all its passengers will receive complimentary COVID-19 insurance from now until March 31, 2021. This covers both new and existing flights operated by Virgin Atlantic or any of its partners, including Delta and Air France-KLM. It also applies to Virgin Holiday bookings.
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Virgin Atlantic Announces Free COVID-19 Insurance for Passengers, Starting Now
Virgin Atlantic is calling its insurance plan “the most comprehensive COVID-19 cover provided by any major airline,” according to a statement reported by Lonely Planet. Through Allianz Assistance, the policy covers up to $656,000 per customer and includes not only travel expenses like accommodations and transportation but also quarantine costs, repatriation, coronavirus-related medical expenses, and more.
Earlier this month, Virgin Atlantic restarted flights to 17 destinations from London Heathrow, including New York, Los Angeles, Barbados, and Tel Aviv. More flights are expected to resume in the coming months, including Las Vegas and Mumbai in September and a handful of Caribbean islands in October.
Of the decision to include COVID-19 insurance with these flights, the airline’s chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said, “Whether it’s to visit friends and relatives or take a well-deserved break, we believe this complimentary cover will provide some added reassurance for our customers as they start to plan trips further afield.” 