Am I Covered for Travel Delays and Missed Connections?

For information relating to policies purchased prior to 27 June 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased from 27 June 2024 please see below.

Only the Explorer Plan may cover reasonable additional expenses you incur after leaving home should your travel plans be delayed or if you miss your connecting flight through no fault of your own and due to an insured event.

If you’re delayed or miss your connection for an insured event, you may have cover for additional expenses.

Missed Departure:

If you are delayed reaching your departure point in the UK due to specific insured events, there is cover for additional travel and accommodation expenses to get you to your destination. Benefit limits and sub-limits apply.

Alternatively, if the  only reasonable alternative transport results in you losing more than 50% of your trip, you can claim under the Cutting Short Your Trip section.

  • Delay: If your booked public transport is cancelled or delayed, and you’re delayed in reaching your overseas destination or your home for more than 12 hours, you can make a claim for additional expenses incurred during the delay for meals and refreshments or additional accommodation. Benefit limits will apply. However, no policy excess is applied to Travel Delay claims.

OR

  • Additional Costs: Alternatively, if you are delayed by at least 24 hours beyond your original return date, there is cover for additional transport costs you incur to return home (not paid by your travel provider).
  • Abandonment: On the outward leg of your journey from the UK and you are delayed more than 12 hours, you can claim for unused travel and accommodation costs. Alternatively, if the alternative transport provided by carrier means you lose more than 50% of your trip, you can claim for unused travel and accommodation under Cutting Short your Trip.

Missed Departure and connection cover outside the UK

Travellers with the Explorer Plan may also be covered for reasonable additional accommodation (room only) and public transport expenses (Economy class) incurred if they don’t make it in time to board any onward connecting public transport on which they are booked to travel, as a result of:

  • the failure of other carriers;
  • strike or industrial action;
  • shortage of crew;
  • adverse and unforeseeable weather conditions;
  • the vehicle in which you are travelling being involved in an accident or breakdown, or you being delayed as a result of a major accident on a motorway. (If you missed your flight because of a vehicle breakdown ora road accident, a police or roadside assistance report must be obtained.)
  • Diverted flight
  • A natural catastrophe or terrorism event.

Cover for missed connections is not available to travellers on the Standard Plan.

What you must do to be eligible to make a claim for delayed and missed connections

  • You must check in according to your itinerary unless your public transport provider has requested you not to travel to the airport/port/depot/destination.
  • You must take all practicable steps to seek compensation or offers to rearrange or reschedule your plans and, where applicable, exercise your rights under consumer protection legislation before deciding to incur additional expenses, change your travel plans or make a claim with us.
  • You must accept any alternative transport options offered by the carrier.
  • Obtain written confirmation of the cancellation from the public transport provider (or their handling agents), which outlines the number of hours of delay or denied boarding and the reason for these, together with details of any alternative transport offered.

What's not covered

Here are just some situations where no cover is applicable:

  • If sufficient time has not been allowed for your journey in order to meet the check-in time(s) specified by the transport providers or agent;
  • Any costs incurred by you which are recoverable from the public transport operator;
  • Denial of boarding due to your drug use, alcohol or solvent misuse or your inability to provide a valid passport, visa or other documentation required by the public transport operator or their handling agents;

Only the Explorer Plan can cover additional expenses should your travel plans be delayed through no fault of your own or if you miss your flight due to an insured event.

The policy isn’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details, so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered get in touch.


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