Does my travel insurance protect against airline strikes?

Printed:
2:08 PM July 5, 2022

Holidaymakers have endured large delays at airports and flight cancellations in what has been a turbulent few months for the journey business.

So as to add to the holiday woes, greater than 700 British Airways workers may go on strike in the course of the faculty summer time holidays and EasyJet and Ryanair workers throughout European locations have additionally threatened industrial motion.

Whereas many would suppose journey insurance coverage would cowl them for these delays and cancellations, passengers are in actual fact liable to being caught out and should fork out for brand spanking new flights themselves.

Which? has warned vacation makers to verify their journey insurance coverage insurance policies forward of deliberate strike motion this summer time
– Credit score: Press Affiliation Photos

Analysis by Which? has proven 4 in 10 journey insurance policies don’t cowl travellers for strikes by airport or airline workers.

The buyer rights watchdog has urged clients to take further care when shopping for insurance coverage forward of the summer time’s predicted disruptions.

Which? assessed 199 insurance policies supplied by 71 suppliers and rated them depending on the extent of safety supplied in 61 key areas for its annual evaluation of journey insurance coverage. 

It discovered simply 60pc of the insurance policies coated travellers if a visit needs to be cancelled as a consequence of strikes.

This implies many may discover themselves unprotected.

Covid cowl is one other space the place Which? discovered large disparities between insurance policies.

With rising case numbers attributable to the unfold of the Omicron variant, that is one other space of concern and travellers must be cautious to make sure they’ve the proper safety for his or her vacation. 

British Airways workers are threatening strike motion in the course of the summer time faculty holidays
– Credit score: PA

What ought to holidaymakers do?

Jenny Ross, Which? cash editor, mentioned: “With many airways warning of widespread disruption this summer time and Covid circumstances on the rise, travellers ought to guarantee they’ve taken out enough insurance coverage to cowl any losses or surprising prices they may face.

“Which? evaluation of 199 insurance policies exhibits that ranges of canopy can range wildly in vital areas like disruption attributable to strike motion or Covid. 

“We advise travellers to at all times verify insurance policies fastidiously to make sure they provide the quilt that will probably be most applicable to their journey, and to make sure they’ve cowl in place from the time of reserving.”

Which? additionally advises that wherever doable holidays must be bought through bank card, as your bank card supplier is legally certain to reimburse you for any buy over £100 if providers supplied will not be as marketed, and the corporate accountable received’t refund you.

Ideas for guaranteeing your journey insurance coverage offers the quilt you want

Earlier than taking out insurance coverage, at all times verify the coverage wording to make sure you perceive what it gives and any limitations.  

If there are particular causes you’re shopping for the quilt, verify these sections to verify they align together with your expectations.

Some insurance policies specify – and so restrict cowl to – sure causes of delay or cancellation reminiscent of strike, mechanical failure or hostile climate.  

Although airways need to refund you the price of a cancelled flight or reroute you and pay compensation if the flight was cancelled lower than 14 days earlier than departure, extra prices incurred reminiscent of emergency lodging and meals received’t at all times be met by your service.

You will need to verify declare limits to make sure they meet your particular person necessities, as these can range considerably. For instance, within the case of cancellation as a consequence of critical delays or disruption to move, Which? discovered that the typical declare restrict was £4110.22, with essentially the most beneficiant insurance policies providing as much as £15,000.