Emirates refunds Dh1.9 billion to passengers in two months

The Dubai airline says it has processed 650,000 requests since April

Emirates resumes flights today to nine destinations. The Dubai airline has announced a range of upgraded health and safety procedures for flights to protect travellers during the pandemic. Courtesy Dirk Grothe

Protective barriers have been installed at Dubai International Airport at each check-in desk and immigration counter to provide additional safety reassurance to passengers and employees during interaction over the counter. Courtesy Emirates 

Emirates has introduced complimentary hygiene kits to be given to every passenger upon check in at Dubai International Airport and on flights to Dubai. These kits comprise of masks, gloves, antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser. Courtesy Emirates

The gloves and face masks must be worn throughout the airport and face masks are compulsory on all Emirates flights.

Emirates has added a cabin service assistant to flights with a journey time of more than 90 minutes. This crew member will ensure lavatories are cleaned at frequent intervals of  45 mins. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates has said it is "making good" on its promise to expedite refunds, and has returned Dh1.9 billion to its customers in two months.

The Dubai airline announced the amount on Thursday and said it had cleared nearly 650,000 refund requests in the past eight weeks.

In April, Emirates said it would increase its refund capabilities and was committed to clearing its backlog by August, which at that time stood at nearly half a million requests, after flights were grounded around the world amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the airline said it crossed that target two months early, in June, by increasing from an average of 35,000 requests a month, to nearly 200,000.

The average processing time for refunds had also decreased from 90 days to 60.

Emirates's chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said the airline had "ring-fenced cash to honour refunds, and invested resources to expedite processing" to achieve its goal.

"We still have over half a million refund requests to manage, and expect to clear these within the next two months," he said.

Emirates updates booking policies

Alongside the refunds, the airline announced it has also updated its booking policies.

With the airline increasing capacity and introducing new flight routes as borders around the world reopen, it has introduced new policies to offer customers more "flexibility and confidence".

Customers who purchase a Flex or Flex Plus fare by July 31 for travel before November 30 will get the following benefits:

- Free date change for travel in the same class to the booked destination

- Free rebooking to any alternate Emirates destination in the same region

- Extended ticket validity for two years from the purchase date

- The ability to convert the ticket value to a travel voucher that can be used as credit towards future Emirates purchases

Emirates currently offers flights to more than 50 cities across the world, with more routes being added each week.

On Wednesday, UAE authorities said travel for tourism or leisure is not yet permitted from the Emirates. However, residents are able visit their home country and return to the UAE.

Emirates customers whose travel plans have been disrupted by Covid-19 can request travel vouchers or refunds on the airline's website, or contact their travel booking agent for assistance.