United Airlines and American Airlines Offer Refunds on Zika Virus-Infested Countries
In light of the Zika virus outbreak in several countries, two U.S. airline giants -- United Airlines and American Airlines -- have announced their offer of refunds for traveling pregnant women going to Zika virus-infested countries, Fox News Latino reports.
The virus, which has widely spread in 25 countries, has been an alarming issue for travelers especially pregnant women who are usually the common people infected by the virus. The virus will be passed on to their unborn children, who will have head deformities and possible brain damage, the publication reports.
That is why two of the biggest airlines in the U.S. have both offered pregnant women refund if they are going to certain Latin American countries or the Carribean, the news agency reports.
Furthermore, the two airlines have both cited the countries that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has included in their list of countries to temporarily avoid traveling to. These include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela for the Central and South American. Meanwhile, the Caribbean list includes Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Martin and Puerto Rico.
Meanwhile, CNN revealed that United Airlines is also offering travelers "who are traveling to the affected regions the opportunity to rebook at a later date or receive a full refund," the company said as quoted by the publication.
On the other hand, in order to get a refund from American Airlines, the company requires a doctor's note from pregnant passengers as proof that they are unable to fly to the countries or cities.
In the meantime, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines are all still mum on their latest actions regarding the matter as they are still monitoring the situation, per Fox News Latino.
Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines has given travelers the option to reuse the value of their tickets when they cancel their flights in advance.
In light of the current outbreak, President Barack Obama has already urged immediate action. "The president emphasised the need to accelerate research efforts to make available better diagnostic tests, to develop vaccines and therapeutics, and to ensure that all Americans have information about the Zika virus," a White House statement reads, per BBC.
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