WestJet has become the next airline to offer no-charge COVID-19 travel insurance for select customers. The cover will go into effect for reservations made on or after September 18th and will be available for international travel. Here are the details.
WestJet offering free COVID-19 cover
For guests making reservations on or after September 18th for air travel or vacation packages through WestJet, This is valid for travel to or from Mexico, the Caribbean (minus the US), Europe and the United Kingdom, and inbound travelers to Canada. Passengers will receive no-charge COVID-19 travel insurance through WestJet’s new partner TuGo.
Coverage will be applied automatically to purchases. The COVID-19 cover is for travel until August 31st, 2021, for up to 21 days for roundtrip flights. If you are flying one-way, those reservations will be eligible for coverage up to seven days. Do note, however, that the offer is not valid for domestic itineraries.
Speaking on it, Arved con zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer at WestJet, stated the following:
“We know Canadians are seeking reassurance and our guests can now have confidence knowing they are protected against unforeseen medical costs related to the pandemic when choosing to book with WestJet. Safety measures have been implemented across our entire travel journey and providing our guests peace of mind during their travels is worth the investment we are making to ensure the safest travel experience for our guests.”
What does the COVID-19 cover include?
The travel insurance specifically for COVID-19 includes:
- Coverage for emergency medical and hospital costs for outbound travelers if diagnosed with COVID-19 outside of Canada (minus the US) for a maximum of C$100,000 (~US$75,800) per insured person
- Emergency medical and hospital coverage for inbound travelers that are diagnosed with the virus while in Canada for a maximum of C$100,000 per insured person (~US$75,800)
- Quarantine accommodation costs for when a traveler tests positive for COVID-19 on the trip, up to C$150 (~US$114) per day for a maximum of 14 days on both inbound and outbound reservations
- Transportation via ambulance or air evacuation costs related to COVID-19, up to C$100,000 (~US$75,800) per insured person on inbound and outbound passengers
- COVID-19 repatriation costs in case of death up to C$5,000 (~US$3794) per insured person for inbound and outbound guests
- One-way airfare in economy for a traveling companion and dependent children when air evacuated back home for treatment
Joining a host of other airlines offering plans
Plenty of major international airlines are offering free COVID-19 medical cover for customers. For example, Emirates announced it back in July, Virgin Atlantic began offering it at the end of August, and Etihad joined in just a few days ago.
Airlines are ultimately hoping to stimulate some booking action by providing complimentary COVID-19 cover for passengers. One of the biggest concerns for a lot of passengers looking to fly internationally is what to do in the case of a COVID-related medical incident. This insurance will help cover that.
If you are planning on booking a vacation, make sure you take a good look at the terms and conditions of the travel insurance. If necessary, you can also go ahead and purchase your own additional coverage, but some external insurances do not cover COVID-19.
Are you planning on taking advantage of WestJet’s COVID-19 cover and book a vacation? Let us know in the comments!