Ryanair refusing free f lights to those caught in wild fire region
Bungee in Bali, surf ing in Oz, cruising the Med… no matter what your plans check that your insurer has got your back
RYANAIR is refusing to offer Irish holiday makers free alternative arrangements in the wake of the Greek wildfire disaster.
Other airlines – including Aer Lingus, EasyJet and British Airways – have all offered free flights to tourists who wish to change holiday plans and come home early.
Normally, holiday cover kicks in for those who cancel holidays only if the Department of Foreign Affairs has advised against travel to the region. The department hasn’t issued any such warning on this occasion.
‘Given the recent wildfires in Greece, Aer Lingus will facilitate any guests in the Athens region wishing to return early. Guests can change their return Aer Lingus flight from Athens free of charge,’ a spokeswoman for the airline said.
When asked about facilitating passengers who want to change flights, a Ryanair spokesman said: ‘Flights are changeable but they cannot be cancelled. If you do not travel on your booked flight, the air fare, fees and charges are non-refundable but you may apply within one month for a refund of the government tax.’
Changing flights on Ryanair costs at least €35. It also charges a €20 administration fee for getting back government tax, which normally wipes out the refund.
Travel chaos across Europe and the tragic wildfires in Greece have put the spotlight on travel insurance, with many distressed holidaymakers wondering what exactly their insurance covers. Simply put, travel insurance covers you if you have to cancel your holiday but, like all insurance, it’s not always that straightforward.
Holiday policies generally offer fair – if sometimes meagre – cover depending on how much you pay.
However, there are a host of often surprising complications, both good and bad.
Some policies, for instance, extend the borders of Europe well beyond, eh… Europe. And so you may get covered for travel to Egypt and Morocco under a European policy.
Others are not so generous, having bizarre exclusions for things such as cruises, insisting you need specialist cover for an activity that’s about as high risk as sitting on the couch watching TV.
Also check which activities are covered by your policy. Many insurers would have no problem with a single bungee jump but, if there’s a limit and you go jumping off every platform in sight exceeding that limit, then you could be on your own.
And while you might be covered for an afternoon of white-water rafting, doing it for a few weeks could put your cover at risk.
Insurance policies offer graded cover based on the activity, your experience doing that activity and the precautions you take, so be in the know before you go.
With that in mind, here’s a quick Q&A to answer the most important questions, with help from some of Ireland’s leading insurers and, as you’ll certainly know by now, policy terms vary, so always check your details!
1 What if I cancel my break in Greece because of wildfires or, God forbid, something like that happens while I am away?
Wildfires are covered under catastrophe clauses, which can be more limited than general cancellation cover.
The catastrophe limit is €800€1,000, for example, with Blue Insurance, which is less than a third what you get for general cancellations, although you can increase this by buying extra travel disruption cover (see next question).
If you had cover with insuremyholiday.ie and were caught up in wildfires while away, you’d get up to €1,000 if your tour company was unable to assist you and you were forced to move from pre-booked accommodation, says Deirdre McCarthy, insurance expert with the company.
‘The insurance covers you for irrecoverable travel or accommodation costs necessarily incurred to con- tinue your trip or if your trip cannot be continued, for your return home,’ she adds.
2 Are airline strikes and other types of disruption covered?
Most policies offer limited cover as standard and the cheaper the policy the lower your cover will be. But terms differ.
‘Airline strikes are covered under your policy if you have included the additional benefit of flight cancellation,’ says Ms McCarthy.
‘The insurer will pay for reasonable additional travel expenses to get you to your destination or home if the alternative transport offered by the airline is not within 24 hours.
‘The amount paid will be calculated after the deduction of the amount refunded on your ticket, together with any compensation from the airline.’
Over at Blue Insurance, the multitrip.com policy (for example) includes the likes of delayed departure and strike cover as standard but ‘for the more comprehensive cover, people should purchase our travel disruption add-on’, says managing director Ciaran Mulligan. This costs €11 and increases the amount and range of cover.
‘We have seen more and more people purchase this in recent times due to the rise in disruptions ruining people’s holiday plans,’ he said.
‘Over the last 12 months, we had the snow, strikes, hurricanes and the Ryanair situation.’
3 I ’m over 75. Can I get cover?
Yes, but it may cost you. Some specialist insurers offer to insure over65s with no upper age limit.
Insuremyholiday.ie says it will cover over-65s, starting from €12.29 for a single trip and €31.09 for multi-trip cover.
However, the price goes up a lot depending on your age and the duration of cover. A 65-year-old would pay €42.98 for standard cover and €57.24 for platinum.
A 75-year-old with health insurance would pay €96.25 for annual cover, for example – three times the rate for younger people, albeit for a platinum level of cover.
That sounds like a lot. But advancing age does bring a higher risk of claims and I’ve seen much higher quotes – and even outright refusal of cover – for older people.
Goodtogoinsurance.eu, for example, prides itself on catering for the older market. And it believes its quotes of €112-€189 for year-round cover for older customers are quite competitive.
4 What about hospitals? Can I rely on my health insurance? And am I covered in a private clinic when abroad?
Do not rely on your health insurance! Most health insurance policies include €55,000-€100,000 for emergency cover while abroad.
‘But if your medical costs exceed these limits, then you are personally liable for the difference,’ warns health insurance expert Dermot Goode of totalhealthcover.ie. ‘This could be tens and even hundreds of thousands.’
5 I am (wisely) holidaying in Ireland this year. Am I covered on my annual policy?
Some policies may offer limited cover and stipulate that your trip must be a certain length. Policies vary but Blue Insurance, for example, states: ‘The cover does not cover trips within Ireland with the exception of Section A cancellation or curtailment where you have prebooked at least two nights’ accommodation.’
Insuremyholiday.ie would cover you for holidaying around Ireland, says Ms McCarthy. So if, for example, your luggage was stolen or lost,
or if you had to cancel your trip because you or a travelling partner became ill you would be fine. You would also be covered if you had to cut your trip short. However, unless you’re abroad, medical expenses are not covered under this policy.
Blue Insurance also warns that ‘private medical treatment is not covered unless authorised specifically by the emergency assistance services’.
6 Am I covered if I have a drink or two on holidays?
Generally yes – within reason. ‘Underwriters expect some people to drink while on holidays and for that reason they would not decline a claim on this reason alone,’ says Mr Mulligan. ‘The exclusion on our multitrip. com policy states that claims will be declined relating to alcohol where a person in authority such as an officer of the law, a medical practitioner or our senior medical officer confirms that your intoxication was significant to the claim occurring, so the advice, as always, is to drink sensibly.’
7 W hen should I buy cover?
As soon as you book the holiday – not only when you travel. That way you’re covered for cancellations.
Incredibly, almost half of holidaymakers don’t buy insurance when booking a holiday, 24% buy it shortly before they go and 23% don’t bother buying it at all.
8 Should I auto-renew my annual insurance policy?
No. Renew it just before you book a holiday to get the maximum value in terms of the period covered.
What’s the point of insuring yourself if you’ve no holidays planned?
9 What countries are regarded as dangerous?
With the Department of Foreign Affairs advising a ‘high degree of caution’ for travellers going to countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, it’s somewhat surprising that ‘these destinations are covered under our European Insurance policy’, says insuremyholiday.ie Full marks for value, guys, but, eh, nul points for geography. Similarly, Blue Insurance includes non-European countries bordering the Mediterranean (except Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Albania and Syria).
10 Should I tell my insurer about a pre-existing medical condition and will it exclude me from cover?
Yes – and not necessarily. The cover specifically related to the condition may be refused. ‘However, the rest of your travel insurance cover will not be affected by this exclusion,’ says insuremyholiday.ie