Breaking down Etihad’s impressive crew vaccine claim
"Etihad Airways is the first airline in the world with 100% of crew on board vaccinated," a subject line read in my inbox Wednesday morning.
It's a very impressive claim, and sure to boost confidence among passengers looking to minimize their risk — if you have to fly right now, why not choose an airline that promises you'll fly with a fully vaccinated crew?
I had questions, so I dove into the details. The carrier didn’t specifically mention that pilots and flight attendants had received both required doses, so I wanted to start there.
The airline’s statement included a timeline that technically made the claim possible — saying “Since December 2020, we have been offering in-house vaccination appointments to our employees…” — but getting two doses into every single crew member by now felt as though that would’ve been tough to accomplish.
So, I followed up with the airline for clarification. As it turns out, 100% of flight attendants and pilots have received the Sinopharm vaccine, which is said to be 79% effective. But some crew members have only gotten one shot so far — not the two required to achieve that rate.
While the airline employs a relatively small number of crew members, with some 5,000 on the books, getting both shots to everyone won’t happen overnight. Additionally, it takes some time to build up immunity after the second shot — which can be administered three weeks after the first.
So, back to Etihad’s claim: While the carrier has apparently given all of its crew members at least a first shot, it seems that the crew won’t be fully vaccinated for at least a few more weeks.
Related: Half of Americans say travel affects their decision to get vaccinated
Other airlines also remain in the race to inoculate all crew — Singapore Airlines will provide employees with Pfizer's vaccine, while Emirates is working to roll out the Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines among its staff.
U.S. airlines are also hoping to have employees inoculated quickly — United's CEO is even considering making the vaccination mandatory, though with states handling the rollout, it isn't even available to all airline employees yet.
It's also worth nothing that the Sinopharm vaccine is less effective than the 94% and above rate expected with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines offered in the U.S., and it's not yet clear whether or not vaccinated people can transmit the disease to someone else. In other words, crew vaccination claims shouldn't have much bearing on which airline you choose to fly — at least not yet.
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10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
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Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023