No one could forget the nightmare that followed when the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in Iceland decided to erupt almost exactly a year ago with many wishing they had booked coach holidays instead of flights! Who would believe that we would be experiencing the same thing practically 12 months later? Now another volcano, one called Grimsvotn, has decided to have a coughing fit causing no end of troubles for those people wishing to get away. With this is mind, we thought we’d take a look at where you stand should your travel plans be disrupted by the volcanic eruption…
As you know, not only has the thick ash cloud caused chaos in Iceland by plunging the country into darkness and covering everything in its path from houses to cars
in thick ash, the plume has since been blown across the UK putting Half Term holiday plans at risk. The five day forecast from the Met Office yesterday shows that the ash plume will cover giant swathes of Britain by Friday lunchtime. Almost all flights to and from Scotland were cancelled this week. Airlines such as British Airways and Ryannair have carried out verification flights to see whether the ash cloud has any affect on their planes. As a result, many were grounded until further notice.
Now it would appear that the ash cloud has headed over to Germany causing no
end of trouble for passengers there with many expecting severe delays. Germany has closed its northern airspace and Bremen and Hamburg airports shut early this morning. British airlines have cancelled flights and passengers are advised to check with their airlines before travelling. Yesterday 1,600 services in and out of Northern England and Scotland were severely disrupted. The Met Office is now predicting that the entire UK could be in the ash cloud red zone on Saturday with thick ash circulating at 35,000 feet. Meanwhile an ongoing debate as to whether it is safe to fly in the ash cloud is continuing between airlines, the Government and the CAA. But hang on a minute, where does this leave you if you’re stranded because the ash cloud has affected your travel plans? Check out our step-by-step guide from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to see what they advise if your flight has been cancelled:
• Contact your airline for the latest information about travel arrangements. If your flight is cancelled airlines should offer you either a full refund or an alternative flight. EU-based airlines are required to offer you accommodation and meals if you are delayed in getting home to the UK.
• If your flight is cancelled and you do not travel, insurers will refund your premium if you took out single trip travel insurance. If you arrange an alternative flight at a later date, your travel insurer should be able to change your policy to cover this.
• Following the ash cloud disruption in April 2010, it has been possible to buy travel insurance which specifically covers cancellation, delay and curtailment due to ash cloud disruption. Check your policy for the terms and conditions.
• Check your travel insurance policy for any cover that may be available. While volcanic ash is not a specific risk in most policies, some may cover delay and any subsequent abandonment. Your travel insurer can advise.
• Payment for any delay, whether outward or return, is usually a fixed sum for a specified period up to a maximum amount. Some policies may pay a lump sum if the delay is over a certain time (typically 24 hours), and you are forced to abandon your trip.
• Where your travel policy covers ash disruption then you will be covered for this latest eruption, provided you took the policy out before this latest eruption could have been reasonably foreseen. Check with your insurer on this and any initial periods when cover may be limited.
• ABI member travel insurers will provide information for customers on their websites wherever possible.
Hopefully it will soon blow over but in the meantime, have your holidays been grounded by the latest volcanic eruption? Let us know your experiences and above all, if you’d prefer to stay on the ground for your holidays this year, you should definitely check out the website!