Update on Swine Flu and Travel Insurance
Monday, July 20th, 2009
If you have concerns regarding Swine Flu and travel, then please read the following information about Swine Flu and Travel Insurance.
Before you travel, you should firstly make sure that you are aware of the most up-to-date Swine Flu travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the World Health Organisation. Both of these organisations give the very latest, official and most reliable information available.
It is also important to remember that Travel Insurance policies do not cover any individual for travel to countries which the FCO and/or WHO advises against all but essential travel. For your own safety, you should always check the status of the country to which you are travelling by visiting that country information page on the FCO website.
Some of our policies will provide cover for cancellation of your trip if you have been diagnosed by a medical practitioner with having contracted Swine Flu, or if you have been quarantined by a medical practitioner and develop Swine Flu.
If you have travel insurance, which includes Cancellation or Curtailment cover, and have booked your trip, but then contract Swine Flu and are consequently unable to travel, you will be covered for the cancellation of your holiday, subject to you providing proof that you were ill and unfit to travel at the time of your scheduled departure date. A certificate should be obtained from your medical practitioner to confirm this. Where a diagnosis has been made by the National Pandemic Flu service we will need the unique number from the service together with the original copy of the label from the prescribed anti-flu drugs.
However, please be aware that there is no cover for cancellation of your holiday if you have not been diagnosed with Swine Flu and simply do not wish to travel to your holiday destination for fear of contracting Swine Flu.
Our policy will provide cover under the medical section, this will extend to cover if you are quarantined and develop Swine Flu, e.g. you can’t fly home for fear of passing on to others and are confined to your accommodation. The costs of this will be met, as will the cost of the return flight but this will only be upon prior approval from the assistance company.
If you contract Swine Flu while you are away and need medical assistance your policy will cover you within its limits. In addition, the costs of any quarantine or alternative return flight as recommended by your doctor and the assistance company will be covered.
Emergency Assistance:
AXA Insurance +44 (0) 845 223 5568
Towergate AUL +44 (0) 845 218 1642
Elect +44 (0) 844 811 0929