Middle East Situation - Travel Insurance

timjim

OP do you get a refund of your house or contents insurance if you haven't claimed in the year?

Annemos

Looking at my policy as an example. This is going to get more "interesting", if destinations start suffering fuel shortages and hotel closures due to shortage of Energy.

If holidays still go ahead to such destinations, but the holidaymaker feels it will become "unsafe", where does that fit in?

For example, Philippines have just issued a state of emergency. And yesterday I met a lady in the Garden Centre who had just returned from South India: she said that several hotels and restaurants had already closed due to energy shortage.

So, for places like that, that are not directly affected by the Direct War, could we get to a stage where the FCDO eventually also advises against all but essential travel to such places?

And if that happens…. is it War that created the Fuel Shortage (so the general exclusion for war applies with no payout under this particular Policy for Cancellation.) Or is it Fuel Shortage that has created the problem, which, as far as I can see, does not seem to be a General Exclusion (so Cancellation cover would apply if we had already purchased the policy before the event etc etc)

Page 8 is what I am referring to:

https://help.insureandgo.com/hc/article_attachments/29130816078609

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81936939#Comment_81936939

Causal chain is a well established principle in insurance, you see it all the time in the likes of the US where earthquakes rupture gas pipes which result in a fire. So similarly is the cause of your home burning down fire or earthquake. That ones a fairly easy one and as a result for those that cannot afford earthquake cover you can buy "fire following" which is much cheaper.

Had a similar one a little while ago where a hurricane knocked out the power which meant the AC failed which meant a warehouse suffered significant mould damage due to the high humidity with no AC to keep it under control. The policy had an exclusion for mould damage but was the cause mould or really hurricane?

A person feeling unsafe in itself isnt going to be grounds for an insurance policy to pay out, they will look at the advices from the likes of the FCDO. In other countries you can get "change of mind" cover but it only pays out 50% of your loss. In principle there is no reason why such cover couldn't exist here but never seen it offered.

Worried_fool

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81936939#Comment_81936939

It has already happened… FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Cuba, because of the fuel shortage there. The reason for the fuel shortage is not war in the Middle East, but a combination of US tariffs and a naval blockage that are preventing oil imports.

Anhzob

My challenge with the Middle East is one of transit. I'm travelling to Indonesia by Qatar Airways, thus have to transit in Doha. FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Qatar. Is "transit" in Doha en route to Indonesia considered essential? I'm not unduly worried about minor additional costs, only really about a major medical issue.

user1977

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82001394#Comment_82001394

I can't see why it would be essential to travel to Indonesia via Qatar. It is of course more convenient if you've already bought the tickets, but the FCDO advice doesn't have any qualifications about transit passengers.

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82001426#Comment_82001426

Indeed, is it even essential to travel to Indonesia? If not, then, by extension, the transit cannot possibly be essential.