The healthcare professionals who received one of the 100,000 "thank you" giveaway tickets from Qatar Airways but couldn't travel due to the pandemic can still use the ticket, the airline has announced.

"To all the healthcare professionals who received our medics campaign giveaway, we have more good news for you! If you haven’t been able to book your ticket or travel to date due to the pandemic, fret not as the booking date will be extended to 30 September 2021 with travel valid until 31 March 2022, subject to availability. Details will be emailed to you. Thank you for your heroic efforts," it said in a tweet on Sunday.

Qatar Airways (QA) gave away 100,000 free tickets to frontline healthcare professionals to say thank you for their heroic work looking after people during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The giveaway opened at 00.01 AM on May 12 and closed at 23:59 on May 18 (Doha time). The tickets were given away to healthcare professionals who registered at qatarairways.com/ThankYouHeroes by submitting a form, on a first come, first served basis  

Healthcare professionals from every country in the world were be eligible for tickets. To ensure the application process is fair and transparent, each country will receive a daily allocation of tickets, depending on its population size, staggered over a seven day period from 12 to 18 May. 

The 100,000 healthcare professionals that received the promotion code were able to book up to two complimentary Economy Class return tickets on Qatar Airways operated flights – one for themselves and one for a companion – to anywhere on the airline’s global network. The earlier deadline to book was November 26, with travel valid until December 10, 2020.