The following advice has been issued by AXA, our insurer, on Adverse Weather Conditions

In the case of your travel plans being impacted, please contact your airline/transport provider or the airport/transport terminal you are due to be flying/travelling from to check the latest information about your travel arrangements.

In the event of travel disruption caused by the weather, the airlines should offer you either a full refund of your unused ticket or an alternative flight. EU-based airlines are required to offer you accommodation and meals if you are delayed getting home.

Holidaymakers who experience delays, cancellations and costs will need to contact the airline/transport provider in the first instance. They will offer alternative flights/transport and, where cancellations have occurred, alternative dates for your trip. Passengers should keep a watchful eye on these situations as they may change rapidly.

If you are currently in an affected area, please exercise extreme caution and follow the advice of local authorities.

Additional Information:

If an affected areas airport/transport terminal shuts it will mean that there will be many travellers stranded abroad beyond their original return date. This may lead to many policyholders contacting us with regards to extending their travel insurance policy, until they can return to the country of residence.

AXA will automatically extend the period of insurance, until such time as a customer can return to their country of residence, for no additional insurance premium providing they return on the earliest possible flight (subject to availability).

A summary of the cover provided by our policies:

Cancellation and Curtailment - There is no cover for customers wishing to cancel or curtail their trip due to adverse weather conditions. If you have booked your holiday through a tour operator you should check with your tour operator/travel agent for their advice. Normal cover will apply if you need to cancel or curtail your trip for other specified reasons under this section i.e. death, bodily injury/illness of you or a close relative (please see your policy for full details).

For Silver, Gold and Platinum Policyholders

Delayed departure/abandonment – Cover does apply under the policy for delays to public transport as a result of adverse weather conditions. Policyholders may claim for the delayed departure benefit providing they eventually travel and purchased their policy or booked their trip (for annual policies) prior to the event being publicly known.

Abandonment Cover – The 3 main scenarios policyholders will experience are:

a) Delayed flights/departure, flight subsequently departs: Policyholders wishing to abandon their trip must exceed the minimum amount of time stated in their policy wording.

b) Delayed flight/departure, flight subsequently cancelled: Providing that the minimum time frame has elapsed from the original departure time then cover for abandonment of the trip will be provided.

c) Cancelled flights from the outset (without any delay): Providing that the minimum time frame has elapsed from the original departure time then cover for abandonment of the trip will be covered. Where the policyholder has been advised that their flight has been cancelled before departing for the airport, we will of course waive the requirement for the policyholder to check in.

A note about Short Trips – The same cover applies as per the above for all short trips. However, please note that cover is not provided for disinclination to travel if the delay means you decide there is little point in taking the trip due to the lost time.

Missed departure – Cover does apply for policyholders who miss their initial international flight out of, or returning to, the country of residence as a result of disruption of public transport. This will assist with additional accommodation (room only) and travel expenses incurred in reaching their international destination, providing the policy was purchased or the trip booked (for annual policies) prior to the event being publicly known.

For Gold and Platinum Policyholders

Catastrophe Benefit – Cover will be provided up to the amounts shown in the Policy Wording in the event that a customer is forced to move from their pre-booked accommodation as a result of fire, lightening, explosion, earthquake, storm, tempest, hurricane, flood, medical epidemic or local Government directive which is confirmed in writing by local or national authority, for irrecoverable travel or accommodation costs necessarily incurred to continue with the trip or, if the trip cannot be continued, for return home.

For all Policyholders

For all other sections of the policy – Normal cover applies for those customers currently travelling or who are about to travel in line with their policy terms and conditions.