2 days Ago
Following power outages across Spain, Portugal and other European countries, travel insurance experts have issued a warning for holiday makers this summer. The outages have caused major disruption to travel, safety, and the economy, as well as disturbance to thousands of British travellers. Alicia Hempsted, travel insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket says: “With multiple countries affected, passengers should prepare for ongoing disruption.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to mean compensation as the cause is outside the control of airlines and holiday providers. “That said, it is still worth talking to your airline representative as some airlines may be able to provide vouchers for things like food and drink at their discretion. “You may also be covered under your travel insurance, so if your travel plans are affected, check your policy documents to understand what could be covered.
It’s likely your insurers’ phone lines will be extremely busy however, so in the meantime be sure to save all receipts for any costs incurred as you may need these to make a claim.” Am I entitled to compensation from my airline for flight delays due to the power outages? Generally speaking, you are only entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed for more than 3 hours and if it was the airline’s fault. This does not include things that are outside of the airline’s control though - for example, a security risk or bad weather conditions, or in this case, a power issue.
While travellers can challenge the airline’s definition of extraordinary circumstances through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), it’s highly likely that an unprecedented power outage would qualify. This means affected travellers should turn to their travel insurance rather than their airline. Will my travel insurance cover me for flight delays or cancellations due to the power outages? Potentially.
If your policy includes travel disruption cover then it may be possible to claim for disruption or losses incurred as a result of your trip being delayed or cancelled. However, it’s worth noting that not all policies cover this as standard, and cover levels, conditions and exclusions can vary between providers, making it important to check with your insurer as your first port of call. Three in ten holidaymakers have travelled abroad without travel insurance This follows new research that shows three in ten holidaymakers have travelled abroad without travel insurance.
This increases to half of Gen Z (18 – 28) holidaymakers. The research, for specialist travel insurance provider, Multitrip.com, also found a fifth of holidaymakers have travelled abroad without travel insurance, because they thought it was unnecessary.
Nearly one in five (17%) think travel insurance isn’t needed for short trips abroad, rising to 32% among Gen Z, while one in ten (9%) have travelled without insurance because they are healthy, rising to 22% of Gen Z. Christian Bennett at Multitrip.com says: “It’s worrying that so many people think they don’t need travel insurance, particularly as we have seen a significant rise in overseas medical costs in recent years.
" Travellers also place undue reliance on the GHIC card and the UK government to cover them financially should something go wrong abroad. Almost one in five say travel insurance isn’t needed in Europe if you have a GHIC card, rising to 31% of Gen Z, and 17% think that the UK Government will get them home if they are seriously ill abroad. Recommended reading: HMRC urging parents to claim £2,000 tax-free childcare HMRC Child Benefit changes with opt-in campaign for parents More than half a million more savers to benefit from HMRC cash - apply today "A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) only provides basic state medical care in some countries including the EU and Switzerland," says Christian.
"It won’t cover the expense of getting you home or the costs of an extended stay due to a medical emergency.” Almost one in five (18%) also say the UK Government will pay their medical bills if they are seriously ill abroad, rising to 32% of Gen Z..
