Since the 9/11 bombings in America and the situation overseas becoming more and more volatile, many travellers panic about whether or not their insurance will cover them if such an event happens to them. The sad thing is, that many companies will not insure against acts of terrorism or war, but one thing to remember is that recently many insurers have expanded their policy to help aid those who are affects by the changes it causes.
If there is a bomb scare, or threat of attack, many airports will close down instantly and cancel all flights out. This can be a real blow to your holiday plans, but if your flight is cancelled because of terrorism the airport is liable to pay you a refund, however, a lot of insurers won’t compensate you for this and only a few insurers will cover the costs of overnight accommodation whilst you wait for another flight to either take you home, or continue you on your journey. However, if you become stranded in a country due to terrorist attack you may be able to claim back emergency transport home on your policy, though you should always check before hand to make sure you are covered for this. Some will even cover the medical expenses for you if you become injured because of a terrorist attack, and if you are advised to leave a country by the foreign office a lot of insurers will help you with the costs of getting home.
However, very few will insure you for loss of possessions or personal property due to acts of terrorism.
You should always check with your travel company about what you will be entitled to, and some do offer policies specific to terrorism attacks at a higher price. What you do need to remember though, is that a lot of compensation will come from the airlines rather than the insurance companies, and some basic rules do apply, including:
- If your flight is delayed for more than 8 hours due to terrorism scares, you may be entitled to meal expenses and accommodation.
- If your flight is delayed for more than 5 hours because of a security threat you may get a full refund of your trip.
- If you cancel your trip due to concerns about terrorism you’ll get no refund
- If you travel to a country when the foreign office has advised against it, you’ll probably not be covered by the insurers.