MSE News: Stranded abroad or travel disrupted due to the Middle East conflict? Your rights explained

MSE_Abby

If you've been stranded abroad or had your travel plans disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, here's what you need to know about your rights – including flight delays and cancellations, compensation and more…

Read the full story:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2026/03/middle-east-conflict-travel-rights/

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

TELLIT01

Many insurance policies specifically exclude acts of war and/or civil unrest and it seems, what what I've been reading, that not all insurers are in the least sympathetic.

brucieb0y

Hi. We are currently in Maldives on an ABTA package holiday. We were supposed to return tommorow but have now been advised that the flight through Dubai is cancelled and nothing else available until 15th. The tour company say they will only pay for 3 more nights at the hotel leaving us with the bill aftre the 10th.

There are lengthy and expensive flights back through Asia.

Can ayone advise why they are only offering 3 more nights as their responsibility.

Its hard ot get answers from them as they are busy but i woudl like to be knowledgable on this before i start pushing for them to continue accomodation

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81911371#Comment_81911371

My understanding is that, as you are on a package holiday, the tour provider should "sort" everything. Maybe there is some detail in the rules that the provision of additional hotel can be restricted because of "exceptional" circumstances. Maybe the tour operator is simply trying it on - in some ways, the tour operator may not even incur additional cost as they need to pay for those rooms for the next batch of guests that cannot make it.

Have you checked whether your travel insurance will meet the costs? While insurance usually excludes "acts of war", you are not actually directly in a location affected by the current hostilities and the insurance might, therefore, cover the costs.

What is your new, proposed, flight routing back from Maldives (I assume the re-scheduled flights are not via a Middle-Eastern hub)?

This might be one of the situations where the best thing to do is tolerate the costs (assuming your CC can bear it), enjoy the extra holiday as much as possible, and be thankful that your disruption and re-route / re-schedule of the return flight is far less than it might have been had you been travelling home a fortnight earlier and got stuck at the transit airport. Then seek recovery via the tour company / ABTA / travel insurance once you are home.

Westin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81911371#Comment_81911371

They are correct. The limit is 3 extra nights accommodation under the PTR’s. You will however find some tour operators will extend this further but it is discretionary.

The situation with flights is changing constantly. Even airlines with Middle East hubs are starting to put on more flights each day to major hubs. Regularly check airline websites for information.

I would suggest in your case to see if more reasonable accommodation can be found if indeed you are delayed for the period of time mentioned. Insurance ‘may’ cover things but I would try to minimise expenses (as best you can in the Maldives).

Also look at other options yourselves ex Male. Flights that don’t operate via DXB/AUH. Consider some of the charters that run back to Italy, Switzerland or other European countries.

luckylisam

we have a package holiday booked to Dubai with Emirates on 3rd April, our understanding is that under ABTA regs we should be entitled to a full refund currently as FCDO is not to travel. Emirates have told us on the phone they won’t do anything until 72hrs before the holiday which we think is unreasonable given we want to book another holiday with another company/destination and will need the money and time to make other plans. We understand they need to prioritise getting people home however we were expecting better protection for a package holiday and would expect a more reasonable timeframe than 72hrs. It seems you can get a refund for flight bookings up to 31st March but we’re reluctant to fill any forms in on their website requesting a refund in case they treat that as us cancelling and we lose our money. We have emailed them with our request but so far no response at all in writing. Is anyone else in a similar position?

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81911957#Comment_81911957

The situation is changing rapidly.

FCDO advice may change between now and 3rd April. I think Emirates are reasonable that you need to wait until much nearer the date for them to confirm the impact of the current circumstances by the time you are scheduled to travel. I acknowledge that is unsettling.

If, however, you are decided that you no longer wish to travel regardless of how the situation may evolve, then that is your decision to cancel / your disinclination to travel. In that case, you can either cancel now or wait and see if the holiday company cancel first and you can still cancel late at the last minute if you choose to do so. The benefit of waiting for the holiday company to cancel (if they do) is that you get a full refund, the penalty is if you cancel very late, your refund will probably be reduced or no refund at all - you may still be eligible for a partial refund if you cancel now. What are the refund policies in place?

I suspect, if you cancel now, in anticipation of FCDO advice remaining unchanged until 3rd April, any travel insurance would not provide any remedy. If you cancel right at the end because FCDO advice remains not to travel but holiday company have not cancelled, you may be covered under your travel insurance. The detail of any clauses about "acts of war" may be relevant.

silvercar

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81911371#Comment_81911371

Is your travel agent offering you a re-route home? If they, then I think that is the end of their responsibility. In these uncertain times, you can’t expect the travel agent to foot the bill until a time that your exact original routing is available.

Jbomber26

We were due to fly home from our UK tour operator package on Sunday 1st.

I’m not going to list the whole saga but suffice it to say communication has been appalling and we’ve had to fend for ourselves a bit, even during those first 3 nights which inconveniently coincided exactly with the end of our package.

Our tour operator rebooked us to travel, on our original airline Emirates, this morning to travel to LHR via DXB. Given that FCDO. guidance is still:

“FCDO advises against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates.” We made the decision yesterday to inform our tour operator that we weren’t prepared to fly home through DXB.

Given that our tour operator’s position stated on their website is:

“We always align with FCDO advice and airline policies, to ensure all customers are safe. We’re also working together with partners to ensure their welfare and to make sure they can return home safely and as quickly as possible.”

My questions are:
Were we correct in doing so?
Have we now effectively released them from their duty of care and any obligation to financially contribute to our safe travel home?

L00king4ad3al

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81911957#Comment_81911957

I’m due to fly to Dubai on the 10th March 2026 with Emirates Airline.Although the moneysavingexpert refers to Emirates policy re:refund, I’m concerned that the refund form asks you to check boxes
“ I understand the fare conditions for my Emirates ticket or the service as advised at the time of purchase. “ 
“ I understand that by requesting a refund my entire booking will be cancelled “
Also says, the fare condition PDF that was sent to me at purchase says…Charges in the event of cancellation:-Cancellation charge as a % of total holiday cost Between 0 - 14 days 100%
Therefore suggesting I would lose all my money!

Why would Emirates force you to check these boxes if they actually intend to refund customers the full amount?

Westin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81912870#Comment_81912870

It’s not clear (to me at least) where you currently are? You are returning from holiday but was that in the UAE or elsewhere?

Emirates, Virgin and other airlines are flying from DXB again but in the case of Emirates with reduced services, but on key routes.

The general advice for those in UAE is not to travel to DXB airport unless you have a confirmed reservation. For those connecting through Dubai this of course understandable as they don’t want passengers landing into DXB and not having a means of departure again. Linking connecting flights with limited departures must be an operational nightmare for airlines and travel organisers- and hence many having to wait for rescheduled travel.

At the end of the day only you can determine what risks to return home to the U.K. are tolerable. However this is when it might push more on your acceptance of extra costs and sorting out your own return vs. what repatriation is offered to you. Travel organisers will be dealing with thousands of misrouted and delayed passengers and I expect they will only have so much time to sort each booking out. This might not be the time to be too selective.

My questions are:


1. Were we correct in doing so? 

2. 
Have we now effectively released them from their duty of care and any obligation to financially contribute to our safe travel home?

To your questions, this would be my take,

1. With above in mind, only you can really determine this, however you have to be aware and accepting of your actions.
2. The travel organiser may indeed view this as your one chance they are to sort out to get you home. As you fear, I could see a situation that they will say you are now on your own. What I would add here is don’t just let that DXB LHR reservation go. If it remains valid and you are a no-show then the revenue on that ticket is gone and the travel organiser can do no more in making alternatives without you paying more. By all means call them again, voice concerns about DXB but be prepared to then be on your own if they won’t budge. Certainly call them with your decision before the EK LHR DXB flight is scheduled to depart.

good luck