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- Government advice on Swine Flu

With the swine flu epidemic spreading and Britons finding themselves quarantined by foreign authorities, more questions are arising regarding travel insurance policies and whether or not holidaymakers will be covered for trip cancellations.

It has become apparent that policy terms and conditions vary from one provider to the next but you need to follow advice before travelling.

When the outbreak first appeared in Mexico, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) warned British citizens against non-necessary travel to Mexico – subsequently leaving many tourists confused as to whether their travel insurance policies would cover them if they cancelled their trip or encountered any emergencies associated with swine flu.

However, as a general rule, if the Foreign Office advises against travel to any high-risk destination, then cancellation is not in your control – which means your insurance policy should pay out. But if you continue on with travel plans against official advice and become ill, your policy is not likely to cover you – which means you would eventually have to pay for all treatments and repatriation costs.

James Harrison of Insurancewide.com, the insurance comparison site, said:

“You should contact your travel insurer for advice and to see what cover you have. They will always direct you back to the airline and tour operator to claim compensation first.”

So – what if you don't want to go and you want to claim? At present the government is advising against all non-essential travel to heavily affected areas. You can check on the status of currently heavily affected areas at the FCO website.

You also need to call your insurer and ask what cover you have or check your policy terms and conditions carefully. The majority of travel insurance policies will cover if you need to cancel a trip because of government advice. They will ask you to claim compensation from your tour operator or airline first.

Maxine Baker, a travel insurance manager, told the Telegraph:

“People who have their holidays, flights and travel arrangements cancelled can now claim compensation for any money lost. I would advise those affected to contact their tour operator, airline and travel insurance provider to clarify exactly where they stand and who is liable to pay out compensation.”

Malcolm Tarling at the Association of British Insurers also advised taking one of two courses of action. He said:

"First, holidaymakers should talk to their tour operator, or air carrier if they’re travelling with them direct, for possible alternative arrangements. If they make these, they should usually be able to transfer their travel insurance. Second, they should listen to the Government’s travel advice – at the moment it’s advising against all non-essential travel – and check whether their policies cover them for cancellations in these circumstances.”

Lastly, if you are arranging a holiday it is worth buying travel insurance but before you do, check with the insurer that in case the swine flu spreads to your destination and you can no longer travel that you would be covered