Should travel insurance cover urgent return flight at start of Covid

Deejthemouse

My brother was in Australia when the FCO announced that Brits should return home immediately at the beginning of April.
His Emirates flight had been cancelled.
Qatar airlines had set up a flight, and he duly booked it and returned home. He felt secure that his insurance would cover this 'new' flight. Cost approx £1100.
As i am his Power of Attorney I have been trying to make the appropriate claim. The insurance company have delayed and delayed (busy busy) and now say that they do not cover such eventualities.
Does anyone know if this is correct?

epm-84

Presumably a refund has been requested/obtained for the Emirates flight meaning the amount he could claim, if his policy covers it, is the difference between the cost of the two flights.

Does the policy wording mention curtailment due to FCO advice?

One sticking point might be you mention April but the foreign office advised Brits abroad to contact their travel company on 23rd March to attempt to get home before routes closed down.  Did he take action in the last week of March or did he wait until Emirates informed him that his flight was cancelled?

Thrugelmir

Deejthemouse said:

My brother was in Australia when the FCO announced that Brits should return home immediately at the beginning of April.

Australia closed it's borders much earlier. 

Caz3121

It will depend on his policy,
Emirates should be refunding the cancelled leg so any claim from insurers (if covered) would have been for the difference between the refund and the extra amount. eg new flight £1,100, Emirates refund £500 = claim £600
It was actually 23rd March that the FCO advised all Brits to return home (as flights were still available)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-advises-all-british-travellers-to-return-to-the-uk-now

• all British travellers abroad who are usually based in the UK advised to return now 
• international travel is becoming highly limited with the further closure of air routes, land borders and domestic restrictions introduced daily 
• British travellers should contact their tour operator or airline now. Commercial flight options are still available at present 

Thrugelmir

Australia closed it's borders to non-residents on the 20th March.  

Deejthemouse

Thanks EPM and Caz
The policy does NOT mention FCO. Does that then mean he is not covered? Upsetting if so.

Deejthemouse

The dates comments are less helpful. He was already over in Oz before any closures. There was no flights available earlier from the state he was in at the time. His inter-state travel was not allowed. His return (cancelled later anyway) was from another state.

I'm just trying to check if the insurers are trying to stiff him for the £850 difference between his refund and the emergency flight.

Thrugelmir

Deejthemouse said:

The dates comments are less helpful. He was already over in Oz before any closures. There was no flights available earlier from the state he was in at the time. His inter-state travel was not allowed. His return (cancelled later anyway) was from another state.

I'm just trying to check if the insurers are trying to stiff him for the £850 difference between his refund and the emergency flight.

When did he actually return to the UK ?  You mentioned April in your OP. 

Penelopa.Pitstop

What does curtailment section of insurance policy says?

Nebulous2

We're in a position where everyone; insurer, travel agent and credit card companies are trying to play pass-the-parcel, and blame each other. You're unlikely to get anywhere without a fight. 

I'm in a similar position except from New Zealand. My flight was cancelled and I also returned with Qatar. My insurer accepted very quickly that I had a curtailment claim, but we are still arguing over the amounts. 

Insurance covers you for specific events, and policies are not all the same. Like car insurance, buying on price often gets you a cut-down policy. You need to look at the policy and work out what section you are claiming under. My policy under curtailment (as said above) says that I am covered if the FCO advises against 'all travel' or 'all but essential travel' which is what I'm claiming under. 

epm-84

Nebulous2 said:

My policy under curtailment (as said above) says that I am covered if the FCO advises against 'all travel' or 'all but essential travel' which is what I'm claiming under. 

Mine (AXA underwritten) says it covers the Foreign Office recommending evacuation, provided the advice wasn't in place when the trip started and that contact is made with their Emergency Assistance Service before any new travel arrangements are made. So that implies while they'll cover the cost of emergency flights, if I just booked a new flight without first trying to contact their Emergency Assistance Service then I shouldn't expect them to just pay up.