Volcanic ash- are your travellers convered?

T
HE threat of another
Icelandic volcanic eruption
has raised concerns
that flights in Europe may be
disrupted by an ash cloud, as
they were in 2010. The good
news is, if this should happen,
travellers will be covered for
delays and cancellations if they
have taken out the right travel
insurance.
Airlines were put on red
alert late last month after an
eruption from a fissure in the
Bardarbunga volcano system.
Uriah Jansen, md of Oojah
Travel Protection, says although
some travel insurance
providers won’t cover volcanic
ash delays and classify it as
an ‘Act of God’, Oojah does
offer protection. “We define
the volcanic ash as ‘Adverse
Weather Conditions’, and
therefore the client will be
covered for travel delays,
missed connection benefits as
well as ‘Cancel for Any Reason’
benefits,” she says.
Simmy Micheli, sales and
marketing manager of TIC,
warns that cover is often
limited and does not always
cover all losses. “Some
products will include cover for
costs incurred when flights
are cancelled by the provider
due to the weather conditions.
Travellers will be reimbursed
for the non refundable portions
of travel or accommodation
arrangements for which
traveller is legally liable. For
travellers that are stranded, a
‘Travel Delay’ benefit will apply.”
The EU has also tightened
compensation rules as a result
of the travel disruptions in
2010. If travellers are booked
to fly with a European airline,
and their flight is cancelled for
any reason, that airline must
offer them the choice re-routing
as soon as possible, or at a
later date, or offer a full refund.
Airlines also have a duty of
care to passengers and need
to provide accommodation and
food in certain situations.
Airlines are better prepared
to deal with the situation
should there be an eruption
that produces an ash cloud.
Dr Nicolas Bellouin, an expert
on atmospheric dust clouds
at the University of Reading
in the UK, says: “The UK is
much better prepared now to
monitor and predict where the
plume is going to go, thanks
to the collaborative efforts of
scientists here in the UK and
in Iceland.