Brexit. The word that’s at the forefront of everyone’s mind. With Britain set to leave the EU in March 2019 negotiations are well and truly underway, but it is not yet clear how Brexit will affect the aviation industry, and in turn your holiday flights.
At this moment in time, EU citizens are entitled to claim for compensation from their airline should their flight be cancelled or delayed, but if laws change after Brexit those customers who are travelling by air could lose this right, and be turning to their travel insurance to reimburse any associated losses.
So, what cover can you expect from your travel insurance now?
If you’re delayed at your international departure point, most policies will offer set amounts of compensation for every stated period you are delayed up to a total amount. For example; you may receive £20 for every 12-hour period you are delayed up to a total of £200, to put towards the cost of purchasing food and refreshments at the airport. Some policies will pay higher amounts and a few travel insurance policies will pay out after a 6-hour delay, so it is worth checking your policy.
In addition, if you choose to cancel your holiday after a 24-hour delay your travel insurance will be able to reimburse any unused, non-refundable, expenses (accommodation, flights, car hire, etc.). The level of cancellation cover will differ between policies so it is important to ensure you purchase a policy that has a suitable cover level for your trip.
It is important to note that if the airline cancels your flight, or it is delayed for six hours or more it is up to them to offer you an alternative flight or refund your original ticket cost and possibly also provide you with additional compensation.
Remember, if you decide to cancel your trip because there has been a lengthy delay, or the airline cancels your flight, you can only claim on your travel insurance policy for pre-paid travel costs (e.g. accommodation and car hire) that you cannot get back from anywhere else.