COVID-19 crisis: Italy in lockdown and BA cancels all flights to the region until April – what to look for in your travel insurance

The COVID-19 outbreak has now caused a nationwide lockdown in Italy, with the government advising all those in the badly hit cities to stay indoors. Empty streets and supermarket shelves have followed, further increasing the panic in the country. This has led airline British Airways (BA) to cancel all flights in and out of the region until April 4, following thousands of flight cancellations from other airlines such as Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised against ‘all but essential travel’ to Italy, but what does this mean and will you be covered for cancellation if you booked a trip before the chaos ensued?

 Rebecca Kingsley, brand manager of Travel Insurance Explained, explains what you need to know if you had a trip booked to this popular destination:

 I had a trip to Italy booked, am I covered for the costs of cancellation?

Some travel insurance policies include cancellation if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against ‘all but essential travel’ to the destination. This situation may also be covered by policies that cover for ‘cancellation due to any cause beyond your reasonable control’. It is important to note that there must be no travel restrictions in place at the time the policy was purchased.

 In my travel policy, there’s no mention about changes to the FCO advice in my policy. So am I covered?

Certain policies do offer cover for any changes in FCO advice. Unfortunately, if there is no specific wording which says you are covered for changes in FCO advice it is likely you will not be covered. However, it’s always worth contacting your travel insurer to check.

 My flights been cancelled due to coronavirus and the Italy lockdown, will I be compensated?

If your flight is delayed or cancelled due to coronavirus then you may be eligible for a refund. The airline is the first port of call when trying to get a refund or discussing options to re-book your travel dates following a cancellation or delay. As cancellations due to the coronavirus are outside of the airlines control, this is not something you would be able to claim compensation for in this circumstance.

 If you have to stay longer in your holiday destination due to quarantine will your travel insurance policy continue to cover you?

You should contact your travel insurance provider and advise them of the situation, some insurers will extend the cover free of charge. Some travel insurers will also contribute towards the cost of food and additional accommodation, while others may also include the additional cost of getting home.