Travel insurance during corona virus

LynneBate

Hi, 
Hoping someone can help. My elderly mom (82) and my sister are due to fly to Australia on 26/3 for a family wedding, flying home on 9/4. With today’s announcement about new arrivals to Australia having to self isolate for 14 days (they’re only there for 14 days) does anyone know if they would be able to claim the cost of the flights back on their travel insurance please. It’s obviously ridiculous for them to spend all that time travelling there, going into isolation just to spend all the time flying back again-especially as Mom is probably going to be asked to go into self-isolation here soon for months (?) because of her age. 

Any advice anyone can give would be hugely appreciated, thank you xx

The_Fat_Controller

Ask your insurer, only they will be able to give you the definitive answer.

However, read their Terms and Conditions first !

phatbear

You want us to tell you whats on your mums travel insurance?

LynneBate

phatbear

No, just wondering if anyone else has any experience of the same situation. As it’s pretty unusual to have a pandemic it’s obviously not written in the policy. At 82 she can’t afford to jump too soon and ask her insurers thereby losing her money- she was going to meet her first great grandchild and attend her other granddaughter’s wedding, As I’m sure you can imagine she’s really upset as she won’t be able to see them, or afford to go at a later time.
Thank you for your obvious concern for my elderly mom  x

LynneBate

The_Fat_Controller said:

Ask your insurer, only they will be able to give you the definitive answer.

However, read their Terms and Conditions first !

Thank you. It’s a pretty unusual situation so it’s hard to be sure from the T&C ☹️ We’re holding fire at the moment to see what the airline do 🤞🏻Thanks for taking the time to try and help x

Fastfurious806

Hi
I have annual travel insurance policy with ALL Clear (Gold Plus Cover) and i am now unable to travel to both of the destinations i have booked to travel to this year due to them both being cancelled by the travel agencies due to Coronovirus. 
I called up yesterday asking for a cancellation and refund as i will not be able to use the cover as i'am unable to leave the country. The company stated i can cancel the cover but i will only be entitled to 5% of each remaining calendar month left on the policy.
I feel this is very unfair as it is not my choice that i cannot travel and if the policy is left running i will be wasting the total annual fee.
Do you have any suggestions on how i can get a full refund for the remaining months? 

Thank you 

LynneBate

Fastfurious806 said:

Hi
I have annual travel insurance policy with ALL Clear (Gold Plus Cover) and i am now unable to travel to both of the destinations i have booked to travel to this year due to them both being cancelled by the travel agencies due to Coronovirus. 
I called up yesterday asking for a cancellation and refund as i will not be able to use the cover as i'am unable to leave the country. The company stated i can cancel the cover but i will only be entitled to 5% of each remaining calendar month left on the policy.
I feel this is very unfair as it is not my choice that i cannot travel and if the policy is left running i will be wasting the total annual fee.
Do you have any suggestions on how i can get a full refund for the remaining months? 

Thank you 

Mom’s is a single trip policy so I can’t help I’m afraid but if you paid by credit card can you do anything through them? Good luck 🤞🏻X

Birseh_

Mrs Bate. You are covered. Here is the text from page 16 of your policy "the death or disablement by bodily injury, illness, pregnancy or being subject to quarantine of a) you, b) any person you are intending to travel or stay with, c) an immediate relative or yours or of any person you are intending to travel with or d) a close business associate of yours;

Please note the words "being subject to quarantine". I post below from the Ombudsman which is guidance for the insurance firms. 
 financial-ombudsman.org.uk/businesses/complaints-deal/complaints/coronavirus-covid-19-information-businesses

They state "We’ll consider foreign and domestic government information about travel restrictions in the same way as the FCO advice, taking account of policy terms. We’ll consider self-isolation and cancellations due to sickness in the same way as we do with ‘travelling against medical advice’.

You would be endangering yourselves which would qualify as against medical as the Ombudsman describe. Also the same is true at the Australian end. Of course, your mother is in the high-risk category so get a note from her doctor to such effect.
Hope this helps. 

LynneBate

Thank you Birseh, from me and my Mom.
hope you and your loved ones are ok xx