Emirates has updated its Covid-19 travel waiver policies into one simplified approach for rebooking and refunds on tickets issued in all its global markets.

The airline said the move eases concerns about pre-booked summer travel by extending waiver policy to tickets issued before 31 May 2020, for travel before 31 August 2020.

The policy consists of three options: keeping the ticket for 760 days, exchanging ticket for travel vouchers valid for up to two years or full refunds on unused vouchers or ticket

Chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said: “The travel and airline industry have complicated rulebooks for how fares, re-bookings or refunds are applied, which also differ depending on market regulation.

“We understand that explaining and unravelling all of that is confusing and frustrating for customers. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented for everyone, and we’d like to thank our customers and trade partners for their patience, understanding and support as we worked through this period to ensure our policies are not only customer-friendly but also in line with regulatory requirements.

“We sincerely hope that our customers will choose to rebook and fly with us again at a later time, and that is why we’re offering up to two years validity on their current tickets, or travel vouchers which can be redeemed for any Emirates product or service.

“Any fees for making a change to the tickets will be waived for tickets issued till May 31 2020 for travel up to August 31 2020. However, if they would still like to opt for a refund, we will process that. We would just like to seek our customers’ understanding that refunds will take time as we have a significant backlog to manage.”

The three options in more detail are:

Keep your ticket booked before May 31 for travel up to August 31 and it will automatically be extended for 760 days. Travel to another region is also permitted, without reissuance fees, although applicable fare difference will be charged.

Request a travel voucher: Travel vouchers are valid for one year from date the voucher was issued, and can be extended for a second year. The voucher can be used for any Emirates product or service, which means customers can use it to offset charges for flights to any destination in any cabin class, or other services. No change fees apply to this voucher, so customers will have more flexibility to reschedule when they are ready to travel again.

Refunds: Customers who have opted to keep their ticket or opted for a travel voucher can still apply for a refund, if they are unable to travel. There will be no refund penalties.