The Coronavirus has infected thousands of people since the outbreak in Wuhan, China on the 31st December 2019. Major events are being postponed and travelling abroad has become a major concern. This blog explores travel insurance and the impact Coronavirus could have.
It is important to note that not all travel insurance policies are the same and therefore we urge you to check with your insurer for advice on this aspect. For example, some may not cover cancelling a trip if a regulatory authority has advised against travel to a particular area, whilst others may consider it.
We spoke to AXA, who have answered some typical questions that you may have regards your trip:
Q) I am no longer travelling, can I have a refund on my travel insurance?
A) If you have purchased a single trip policy and are no longer travelling and have not made a claim and not intending to make a claim, e.g you have had a full refund, then AXA will give a 65% refund on your policy.
Q) I am now travelling to an alternative country am I still covered by my insurance?
A) It is best to check with your insurance provider.
‘Axa will give consideration to you if…’
• You are due to travel to an area where a regulatory body has advised against travel to and you have costs that will not be recovered by your tour operator.
• You are unable to commence your trip due to a compulsory quarantine or a regulatory authority advising you not to leave your home.
• If the area that you are due to travel to is ‘locked down’ due to quarantine.
• If you have a pre-existing medical condition and a medical practitioner has advised you not to travel due to a risk to your health.
• You are due to travel to an area where you will need to self-isolate upon return.
All claims are subject to validation. Any trip purchased to an area where they are already suffering an outbreak and has advice in place at the time of purchasing of the policy then a claims will not be considered.
If you are unsure as to how your insurance with us may respond to this event, contact your local office to find out more.