The Companies Offering Free and Discounted Travel for Essential Workers During COVID-19 Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the travel industry but through it all healthcare professionals and other essential workers have been hard at work to save lives and minimize the impact. In response, many travel suppliers are giving back by offering frontline heroes with free trips, discounted travel and much more. Here's a roundup of some of the complimentary vacations and other perks available to essential personnel.

Playa Hotels & Resorts launched the "Heroes Service from the Heart" campaign last month allowing a select group of travel advisors to gift 31 free trips to their community heroes. Winners, which will be announced starting May 15, will receive four-night stays for two at a Playa property in Mexico and the Caribbean between August 1, 2020, and December 15, 2021. The prizes also include private transfers and a $25 excursion credit.

Qatar Airways is giving away 100,000 free roundtrip tickets to healthcare professionals around the world. Eligible workers can apply on the airline's website from 5:01 p.m. ET on May 11 to 4:59 p.m. ET on May 18. If chosen, winners can book up to two complimentary Economy Class roundtrip tickets for anywhere on the airline's global network. Plus, healthcare professionals can take advantage of a 35 percent discount at Qatar Duty-Free retail outlets at Hamad International Airport in Doha.

Through its Holidays for Your Heroes initiative, Karisma Hotels & Resorts is donating 150 luxury all-inclusive resort stays to essential workers and their families. Winners will receive a complimentary four-night, five-day stay for up to five family members at a Karisma property of their choice in Latin America or the Caribbean. Anyone can nominate an essential worker now until June 30, 2020, with winners selected in July 2020.

American Airlines and Hyatt Hotels Corporation are joining forces to send more than 4,000 healthcare professionals from NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst on three-night complimentary vacations across the U.S. and Caribbean. What's more, Hyatt is extending a Hyatt Friends & Family Rate to healthcare workers through June 30, 2021.

AmaWaterways is offering medical professionals, first responders and employees of essential services a complimentary Future Cruise Certificate to be used on any Europe or Asia sailing through December 31, 2021, with one paying guest staying in the same stateroom. A valid ID is required and reservations must be made within 90 days of sailing.

Signature Travel Network is partnering with Villas of Distinction to send four lucky healthcare heroes on a villa vacation in Los Cabos, Costa Rica, Utah or Florida. Visit HonorAHealthcareHero.com to nominate a healthcare professional now through July 31, 2020, for travel through December 15, 2021. Winners will be announced the week of August 17, 2020.

Under its Rides for Responders program, Greyhound is offering two free one-way Road Rewards tickets to doctors, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, medical technicians, firefighters, members of law enforcement and morticians needing to travel to reach their volunteer site. Tickets must be issued and travel completed by May 31, 2020.

Choice Hotels is offering a "Choice Cares" special rate to essential critical infrastructure workers such as nurses, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, food/agriculture workers and transit employees for up to nine rooms at participating hotels.

For those essential workers heading to the frontlines, Airbnb is waiving all of its fees for the first 100,000 responders booking frontline stays through the home-sharing platform now until May 31, 2020.

Red Lion Hotels Corporation is offering essential workers 50 percent off of their stay at its branded properties, including Red Lion, Hotel RL and Americas Best Value Inn now through June 30. Bookings must be made by May 15.

Motel 6 is rewarding medical professionals, first responders, firefighters, police, military and other emergency personnel with a 20 percent discount on their next stay when they book by May 31 for travel through June 30.