Ash Cloud Travel Insurance
The latest information from the Icelandic Meteorological Office indicate that the Eyjafjallajökull volcano is currently in a ‘paused’ phase ie. no longer emitting ash but only steam. However, volcanoes are only regarded as being dormant if they are ‘paused’ for three months.
With the massive disruption to UK travellers recently, Your Travel Planner has researched and called travel insurance companies to see which policies are offering specific cover for volcanic ash clouds.
Here’s what we found. Look out for the policies that will cover you to make alternative travel arrangements home:
Remember: You’re covered for cancellation from the date that you take out your policy, not the date that your holiday starts. So whatever the volcano news in the months to come, you’re covered for cancellation. BUT,you won’t be covered if you take out a policy during an airspace ban.
Aviva Travel Insurance
Cancellation and Enforced Stay Abroad (alternative travel arrangements home)
Aviva recently launched an optional add-on to their standard travel insurance policies, to provide cover for any future event causing a closure of airspace, airports or ports. This optional upgrade is £10 per person on an annual policy and £5 per person on a single trip policy.
This cover means you will be able to claim for cancellation of your trip if airspace, airport/port is closed for more than 24 hours from the time stated on your travel ticket.
A section called Enforced Stay Abroad has also been added which covers you if you can’t return home due to the closure of airspace or an airport/port. The cover provides £100 per person for each 24 hour period (to a maximum of £1500) that you are unable to return home OR if you need to make your own way home after a 24 hour delay (and the carrier or handling agent has been unable to offer you suitable alternative travel arrangements), Aviva will pay you up to £1,000 per person for reasonable and necessary additional travel expenses that you incur.
Columbus Direct
Travel delay, abandonment and Emergency Travel Upgrade (alternative travel arrangements home)
Columbus Direct will cover to travel delay and abandonment if the policy was taken out when there was no airspace ban.
They have also added a new “Emergency Travel Upgrade” as an option on its gold and silver policy ranges. This helps passengers pay for alternative ways home in case of being stranded overseas. The upgrade costs £20 per policy and reimburses up to £4,000 of expense.
More details can be found here.
M&S Travel Insurance
Independent Traveller option (accommodation only for getting home)
M&S travel insurance policies are underwritten by AXA, who are only providing cover under the optional Independent Traveller section. If you’re stuck abroad, this section covers you for accommodation only, with the assumption that the airlines will cover the flights. Independent Traveller cover is optional, but included in M&S’s annual policies. Other expenses incurred such as food and beverage will not be covered.
Direct Travel Insurance
Delayed departure or abandonment
A company that honoured claims for ash cloud, Direct Travel say they are continuing to consider the ash cloud as “adverse weather”. missed or delayed departure or abandonment, to cover accommodation and transport that cannot be recovered from another source.
Depending on your policy, the benefit of cover is upto £350 for delayed departure, upto £6,000 for abandonment and upto £1000 for missed departure. If you are stranded abroad due to travel disruption, Direct Travel will automatically extend your policy period until you return home, at no extra cost.
However, Direct Travel are not covering additional repatriation costs ie. alternative travel arrangements to get home.
World First
Travel delay and abandonment
World First are covering the ash cloud under travel delay and abandonment. Travel delay provides £25 for the first 12 hours and then £10 thereafter, to a maximum of £100 per person. After 24 hours you can then claim under abandonment. Policyholders who become stuck abroad due to any new event will have their policies automatically extended until the next available flight is offered.
To keep up-to-date with this changing travel insurance situation, Your Travel Planner recommends moneymaxim who is keeping their site updated with the latest situation.
