The Foreign Office has extended a travel warning to all of Thailand, saying Britons should avoid all but essential travel to the country as violence spread to popular seaside resorts. ”The situation is volatile and we recommend that British nationals in Thailand or planning to travel to the country check the travel advice on the embassy website regularly for details of further developments.”

The Foreign Office had previously warned only to avoid the Thai capital, Bangkok, but it has now extended the caution to the entire country given the risk “that violence could break out without warning”. This advice reflects the increasing tension in Thailand and the concern that violent incidents of an unpredictable nature are occurring in many parts of Thailand.

However, some Britons are still pressing ahead with trips to Thailand despite Foreign Office advice to avoid all but essential travel to the country.  This has led to travel organisation, ABTA, to warn that travel insurance would not cover those who had gone to Thailand aware of the FO advice. Issuing a statement, ABTA emphasize that travellers “should realise that should they decide to go, get caught up in an incident and get injured and have travelled knowing the Foreign Office advice, they will not be covered by insurance.”

Should you become caught up in what is neatly termed, civil commotion or civil unrest, you need to be aware that most travel insurance providers include this as a general exclusion in their policies. The impact of this is that you may not be as well insured as you think you are. If in doubt, do check with your travel insurance company before you travel and look at your policy wording.

Generally, medical expenses and medical repatriation will be included but if you want to be covered for all eventualities then you will have to pay an increased premium for this. Thankfully the chances of being caught up in these types of incidents are still very slight, and even when they do strike, they tend to be away from the main tourist destinations.

So if you do plan to visit Thailand, do check with your tour operator beforehand who may be able to offer alternative destinations away from the troubled areas. For the independent traveller, be wise and avoid those areas where a heightened tension exists.

This article is brought to you by Travelandinsure.com – specialist in Ethical Travel Insurance.

Just buying a travel insurance policy does not mean you are certain to get a payout if something goes awry, as many people find to their cost each year. Here are just a few examples:

Tens of thousands of holidaymakers who battled the odds to get back into Britain following the volcano eruption in Iceland, may find themselves out of pocket when they come to make a claim on their insurance. Some insurance companies refused to pay out, saying travellers would not have been covered under their policies. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) have said that when it comes to insurance, you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, if you bought an off-the-peg insurance policy, it is not going to cover you for everything.

How about checking in for you flight? Many holidaymakers who find themselves unable to go on holiday for reasons beyond their control, such as severe weather at their destination, their accommodation going bust or even a volcanic ash cloud closing British airspace, may assume that they need not check-in for the flight they are not able to take. Most insurance policies make checking-in a requirement for claims under the Travel Delay section. Any other associated costs that cannot be cancelled without a charge, such as independently arranged accommodation or car hire, might be covered. However, customers must obtain a letter from the airline to confirm the flight was cancelled due to the extreme weather.

And then you leave your bag unattended. At the airport, ski slope or on a sun lounger; if you have not kept an eye on your possessions, you cannot claim for their theft. One of the most common examples of this is, if you are in a restaurant and your hire skis are stolen, then theinsurance company may contest replacement of them.

And don’t overdo it on the alcohol. For many people who go skiing, the après-ski is as important as what happens on the slopes. So it is crucial you remember that your travel insurance policy could be invalidated if you suffer an accident after drinking alcohol, even if you are not drunk, then make a claim for any medical bills on your travel insurance. As well as alcohol-related injuries on skiing holidays, insurers will refuse to pay out for medical bills incurred on drink-fuelled stag or hen weekends or boozy beach barbecues.

And don’t forget to tell the police if you are the victim of theft and report the incident to police within 24 hours. Insurers need a crime number as part of the claim process. Failure to obtain a number will cast doubt as to whether a theft has genuinely taken place, and a claim rejection.

And here’s one that can catch you unawares. Many holidaymakers from Britain wrongly assume that they do not need to take out travel insurance for trips to the Channel Islands. Anyone travelling to the Channel Islands will find travel insurance is essential as NHS medical aid provided on the UK mainland doesn’t apply when visiting the Channel Islands. The islands, which include Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Alderney and Herm, are outside the EU, which means that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid. So without adequate travel insurance, any emergency medical treatment needed would have to be paid for personally.

This article is brought to you by travelandinsure.com – specialist in ethical travel insurance.

The latest travel news on travel disruption caused by the icelandic volcano is as follows:

Airlines and airports

Mainland Scottish airports are expected to be open from 7am.

BAA, which runs Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports, said passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.

Newcastle International Airport said the first flight was expected to arrive at 9.20am from Aberdeen.

Manchester Airport was expected to be open from 9am on Tuesday, but said, due to the latest advice from Nats, it was not planning to open before 1pm.

British Airways was able to operate its first flight since Saturday, with a Boeing 777 taking off today from Beijing. It hoped the plane could land at Heathrow if flight restrictions for southern England were lifted later. If not, the aircraft will land in Scotland or at a European destination. The airline had aimed to resume short-haul flights from 19:00 Tuesday but these have now been cancelled. It still hopes to operate longhaul flights scheduled to depart after 16:00, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Ryanair has extended the cancellation of all flights from the UK until Wednesday 13.00. Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said he hoped to clear the backlog of flights “within a day or two”.

easyJet said all its flights to and from northern Europe including the UK were cancelled until 5pm.

Both easyJet and Ryanair continue to run some flights in southern Europe.

Virgin Atlantic Airways said it planned to operate “a number of flights” on Tuesday once airspace has re-opened. It said: “Our priority will be to get as many passengers back their country of residence as quickly as possible. In the meantime all flights in and out of the UK remain cancelled.”

Flybe has cancelled flights for Tuesday but will start operating services again from Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Newcastle on Tuesday from 10:05. Information on the company’s website has not been updated since the news of the latest ash cloud.

Thomson Airways has cancelled all flights for Tuesday and Wednesday. Thomson said passengers can rebook their holidays without paying the usual administration fee.

Thomas Cook Airlines has cancelled all flights for Tuesday.

Aer Lingus was expecting to operate a number of flights on Tuesday.

Monarch cancelled all flights on Tuesday morning.

Jet2 cancelled all flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. A Jet2 plane left Newcastle International Airport at 11am on a rescue mission to pick up stranded passengers in Sharm el Sheikh.

Bmi British Midland plans to resume flights from UK domestic airports from 13:00 on Tuesday and from London Heathrow at 19:00 Tuesday. This information was issued prior to news of the new ash cloud on Monday night.

Ferries and ports

Ferry companies have increased capacity to cope with a flood of grounded airline passengers scrabbling for alternative methods of getting home.

Brittany Ferries has car and foot passenger spaces on routes between France and the UK, including routes from Caen-Portsmouth, St Malo-Portsmouth and Roscoff-Plymouth. There is no availability on services to or from Spain (Plymouth/Portsmouth-Santander) until April 29.

Norfolkline has cancelled online reservations due to exceptional demand, and will only take bookings by phone. It has space on coaches on each of its Dover-Dunkirk sailings, which depart every two hours in each direction. It has space for cars on almost every crossing in the coming days.

P&O (0871 6645 645) has plenty of availability over the next few days for both foot passengers and cars on its Dover-Calais service, in both directions. Its Portsmouth-Bilbao, Hull-Rotterdam and Hull-Zebrugge services are full both ways although they are experiencing last-minute calcellations so it is worth checking for updates.

LD Lines (0844 576 8836) has very limited availability for both cars and foot passengers on its inbound services from Le Havre to Portsmouth and from Dieppe to Newhaven on Tuesday, but more spaces in the coming days.

There is availability for cars, and possibly foot passengers on its Dover-Boulogne service and cars only on Ramsgate-Ostend services.

Sea France (0871 2222 500) is offering a full schedule on its Dover-Calais services, with availability in both directions, and a foot passenger service on a first come, first served basis. Spaces are still available on Hull to Zeebrugge/Rotterdam routes, but others from Portsmouth to Spain are cancelled until Thursday.

The Port of Dover in Kent said it is busy but all sailings were running on time, with some space available.

DFDS Seaways has added an extra sailing on its Esbjerg in Denmark to Harwich route, sailing daily from Tuesday.

Eurostar

The majority of Eurostar trains are sold out until Friday, especially going to the UK, but the operator is regularly adding extra trains. Passengers are advised to check the website regularly for details of new services. It has announced that between April 20 and April 25 all 30,000 of the available standard-class seats on its trains will be on offer at a price of £89 (one-way). It is planning to run at least 28 additional trains this week and has already carried an extra 50,000 passengers since flights were grounded last Thursday. Passengers have been urged to book online rather than turn up at rail stations.

Coaches

Eurolines UK said it added around 100 extra coaches on its services to and from the UK across Europe. Eurolines in France and Germany have also increased the amount of coaches available.

Tour Operators

Thomson and First Choice are using coaches and cruise ships to bring back British holidaymakers who are stranded abroad. Customers in Alicante and Malaga will travel via coach to northern France, before catching ferries to Britain and being transported to their respective domestic airports. The operator, which has 40,000 British customers stranded aboard, is also using its cruise ships, Island Escape and Thomson Dream, to bring back passengers. Island Escape, which is currently in Madeira, will bring its passengers home by sea instead of by air. It is also picking up 300 non-cruise passengers from Madeira whose flights have cancelled. Thomson Dream will also be used to ferry passengers from Majorca to Barcelona, where further transport has been organised.

Jet2 has deployed over 90 coaches and is transferring people by land from Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Canary Islands, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel and Italy.

Foreign Office

British consular staff overseas are assisting stranded Britons at airports, working with the local authorities to resolve visa problems and advising British nationals who have run out of funds. Regarding Britons stranded in Spain, a Foreign Office spokesman said: “British consular staff across Spain are urgently exploring ways in which they can help British nationals who are stranded in the country and have no other means of returning home, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable groups. “Consuls are visiting major airports and ports to offer advice and update passengers with the latest travel information.”

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said anyone in Britain who is concerned about someone stranded overseas can call its advice line on 020 7008 0000.  The FCO website is also being updated regularly with information and advice about passengers’ rights and the responsibilities of travel companies.

Emergency plans

London and Madrid are working on ideas to fly Britons stranded by the volcanic ash cloud to a Spanish hub and then sailing them back home, officials said. The Government is using three Royal Navy warships to ferry passengers back to Britain. HMS Albion came alongside at Santander in northern Spain this morning and started loading about 250 troops and 200 civilians to take them back to the UK. Another two Navy vessels, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and commando helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, have also been deployed to rescue Britons stuck in Europe.

This information is brought to you by Travelandinsure.com – specialist in ethical travel insurance.

Q – How can I find out what my travel insurance covers me for?

Check your policy, and speak to your insurer to understand what your individual policy covers you for in this situation. There is a very wide range of travel insurance in the market and the closure of UK airspace for over five days is completely unprecedented.

Q – Are insurance companies paying out for claims on this issue and is there a limit to how much they’ll pay?

Although a volcanic eruption is not a specific insured event, covered in policies, depending on how comprehensive the cover is and the terms and conditions, delay and abandonment may be covered by your insurer. Where this event is not specifically covered by your insurer some are offering ex-gratia payments for customers stranded abroad.

Q – This is being described as an ‘Act of God’ but I can’t see any term like that in my policy. Does that mean I’m not covered?

There is no ‘Act of God’ exclusion in insurance policies. The term ‘Act of God’ is a legal defence on the grounds that damage for which you are held liable was caused by circumstances beyond your control. Insurance policies do not contain such exclusions. The policy will set out what is insured and what the main exclusions are. If loss occurs from an event covered, then the insurer will pay out, in accordance with the terms and conditions.

Q – My flight has been cancelled. What is the position regarding my travel insurance?

If your flight is cancelled, most airlines will offer you either a full refund or an alternative flight. You can find more information on the Air Transport Users’ Council website: www.auc.org.uk

Q – The airline has rearranged my flight for a later date. Do I need to get new travel insurance?

If you accept an alternative flight at a later date, most travel insurers will amend your policy to cover your new travel arrangements and dates, typically up to three months after the original dates. Customers should contact their travel insurance provider to arrange this.

Q – My flight has been cancelled and I’m not going to travel at all now. Where does that leave my travel insurance?

If your flight is cancelled and you do not travel, most travel insurers will refund your premium if you took out a single trip policy.

Q – I’m going on a trip next week and am about to buy my travel insurance. Will it cover me for this?

Insurance only covers unknown events that happen after the policy is taken out so customers taking out travel insurance from today onwards will not be covered for this event. This underlines the importance of purchasing insurance close to when booking your trip, not just before the departure date.

Q – I was due to go away but after all that’s happened I’m not going to bother. Will my insurance cover this?
Deciding that you no longer wish to travel as opposed to being unable to travel will not be covered by your travel insurance policy.

Q – I’ve tried calling my insurer to get some advice on my policy but can’t get through. What should I do?

Please keep trying, we appreciate the difficulties you may be facing. Many insurers have laid on extra staff to help deal with this situation. Insurance companies are experiencing extremely high volumes of calls at present. Your call will be answered but they are placing a priority on medical emergencies you would expect. It does not assist your claim to use your insurer’s medical emergency numbers.  It is important these lines are kept clear for genuine medical emergencies.

Q – I can’t get a flight home so am having to stay in my hotel. Is there a limit on how much my policy will pay for accommodation?

Your airline or tour operator may provide hotel accommodation so check with them in the first instance. Some insurance policies will cover for delay at your destination. This is typically a set amount per day up to a maximum of 36 hours and while this payment could help pay towards the cost of hotel accommodation there is no cover specially to pay for the full cost.

Q – I’ve been paying for extra food, accommodation and travel costs on my credit card. When will my insurer pay?

You must speak to your insurer before you incur any costs for which you may claim.

Q – I’m stranded abroad and my single trip policy is due to expire soon. What will happen if I get ill before I return?

Your insurance company will automatically extend the cover until you arrive back in the UK up to a period typically of one month.

Q – My insurer seems to be doing all they can not to pay anything. Who can I complain to about their behaviour?

In the first instance complain to your insurance company. If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction then you have the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Q – Where can I get more information on the issues connected with this incident?

The following websites should be able to provide you with the latest information on travel issues connected with this incident:

Air Transport Users Council – www.auc.org.uk
Association of British Travel Agents – www.abta.com/home
Foreign & Commonwealth office – www.fco.gov.uk
Civil Aviation Authority – www.caa.co.uk

This information is brought to you by Travelandinsure.com – specialist in ethical travel insurance

It has been confirmed that British flight restrictions are to remain in place until at least 01.00 on Tuesday 20th April.

Airlines and airports:

BAA, which runs Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports, said passengers should not travel to these airports until further notice and should remain in touch with their airlines.

Ryanair has extended the cancellation of all flights from the UK until Wednesday 13.00.

Flybe and Thomson Airways have cancelled all flights for Monday and Tuesday. Thomson said passengers can rebook their holidays without paying the usual administration fee.

British Airways, Aer Lingus and easyJet cancelled all Monday flights.

Monarch cancelled all flights on Monday and sent a rescue flight from Majorca to Madrid on Monday morning to collect passengers who had been stranded there the longest.

Bmi British Midland has cancelled flights taking off from Heathrow on Monday.

KLM, the Dutch airline, says it wants to resume passenger flights in Europe as soon as possible after inspections revealed no damage following test flights.

Ferries and ports:

Ferry companies have increased capacity to cope with a flood of grounded airline passengers scrabbling for alternative methods of getting home. The P&O ferry company says they carried 11,000 foot passengers across the Channel on Friday and Saturday, most of whom were returning to the UK. At this time of year, they normally carry only a few hundred. The Port of Dover in Kent said it is busy but all sailings were running on time, with some space available. DFDS Seaways has added an extra sailing on its Esbjerg in Denmark to Harwich route, sailing daily from Tuesday.

Eurostar:

Eurostar has increased capacity after all its trains were fully booked for days by passengers whose flights have been cancelled. Passengers have been urged to book online rather than turn up at rail stations. Eurostar ran an extra 10 trains at the weekend and is planning to run six more than normal on Monday 19th April. Between last Thursday and Sunday, an estimated 50,000 people travelled by Eurostar, up 30 per cent on normal passenger numbers.

Coaches:

Eurolines UK said it added around 100 extra coaches on its services to and from the UK across Europe. Eurolines in France and Germany have also increased the amount of coaches available.

Tour Operators:

Thomson and First Choice are using coaches and cruise ships to bring back British holidaymakers who are stranded abroad. Customers in Alicante and Malaga will travel via coach to northern France, before catching ferries to Britain and being transported to their respective domestic airports. The operator, which has 40,000 British customers stranded aboard, is also using its cruise ships, Island Escape and Thomson Dream, to bring back passengers. Island Escape, which is currently in Madeira, will bring its passengers home by sea instead of by air. It is also picking up 300 non-cruise passengers from Madeira whose flights have cancelled. Thomson Dream will also be used to ferry passengers from Majorca to Barcelona, where further transport has been organised. Monarch has arranged a flight between Palma and Madrid with coaches waiting in Madrid to take passengers home via Calais.

European flight restrictions:

Air traffic control services are unavailable in most parts of Europe. This includes Belgium, parts of Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, parts of France, most of Germany, Hungary, Ireland, northern Italy, the Netherlands, parts of Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and Britain. You can check for updates on European flight restrictions here or consult our list of countries below.:

Austria: reopened its airspace on Monday morning at 4.00.

Belgium: has extended closure of its airspace until 6.00 on Monday.

Bosnia: partially opened its airspace from 18.00 Sunday.

Bulgaria: partially reopened its airspace from 11.00 on Sunday.

Croatia: nearly all airports, including in the capital Zagreb, reopened on Sunday.

Czech Republic: airspace closed until at least 10.00 on Monday.

Denmark: airspace open for flights above 10,800 metres (35,500 feet). Airspace below this height closed all of Monday.

Estonia: airspace closed until at least 12.00 on Monday.

Finland: airspace over two airports to open for six hours on Monday due to gaps in the ash cloud. Flights to operate from Turku and Tampere between 09.00-15.00. Other airports remain shut.

France: Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and several other airports in the south-west will remain open until at least 13.00. Airports north of the Nice-Bordeaux line will remain closed until at least Tuesday morning.

Germany: airspace closed until midday on Monday.

Hungary: airspace closed until 10.00 on Monday.

Iceland: airports remain open.

Ireland: airspace closed until at least midday on Monday.

Italy: airspace across northern Italy opened from 5.00 on Monday.

Latvia: airspace above 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) now open for transit flights, but flights to and from Riga airport not expected to resume on Monday.

Lithuania: reopened its airspace at 14.30 on Sunday.

Netherlands: airspace will remain closed until at least 12.00 on Monday.

Norway: Oslo Gardermoen Airport open for some air traffic. Other parts of the country, such as northern Norway, remain closed to traffic.

Poland: airports closed on Monday. Transit flights in airspace permitted, but not landings and take-offs.

Romania: airspace closed until at least 09.00 on Monday.

Russia: airports remain open.

Serbia: airspace reopened from 18.00 on Sunday.

Slovakia: airspace closed.

Slovenia: airspace closed.

Spain: 17 airports open.

Sweden: some airspace is open but few commercial flights are allowed to fly.

Switzerland: extended a ban on commercial flights at its airports until Monday at 18.00. Overflights at altitudes over 36,000 feet (11,000 meters) are allowed.

Turkey: all airports open.

Ukraine: Kiev airport reopened and operating normally.

Foreign Office:

British consular staff overseas are assisting stranded Britons at airports, working with the local authorities to resolve visa problems and advising British nationals who have run out of funds. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said anyone in Britain who is concerned about someone stranded overseas can call its advice line on 0207 008 0000/0207008 0000. The FCO website is also being updated regularly with information and advice about passengers’ rights and the responsibilities of travel companies. The Government is planning to use the Royal Navy to ferry passengers back to Britain.

This information is brought to you by Travelandinsure.com – specialist in ethical travel insurance.

A cloud of volcanic ash has forced the closure of all UK air space and the cancellation of hundreds of flights, leaving passengers to choose between a refund or waiting for airports to reopen. All UK airspace has been closed. All airlines have been hit by the massive disruption, with most advising customers not to head to terminals at all because of the volume of disrupted passengers.

What are your rights? Most airlines, including British airways, Bmi and easyJet, are offering customers a choice of a refund or a free transfer onto another flight when air services resume. According to the Trading Standards Institute, passengers whose flights have been delayed or cancelled due to the volcanic dust blown over to the UK from Iceland have the some rights under the Regulation 261/2004 Air Passenger Rights. They are entitled to a refund or re-routing if the flight is cancelled or delayed by more than five hours; if re-routing is offered from an alternative location, the airline must cover the cost of transfers.

Passengers on flights delayed by more than two hours are also entitled to meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation if necessary, transport between airport and accommodation, two free telephone calls, faxes or emails. In cases of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ like this, which are beyond the airlines’ control, consumers are not entitled to further compensation, the TSI said. The TSI said consumers should also check their own travel insurance as they may be entitled to more under their individual policies, or they could get further information from the government website Consumer Direct or by phoning 0845 4040506/   0845 4040506.

Although the regulations apply in all cases, not all travel insurance policies will pay out additional sums in the event of a volcanic ash cloud. With most flights today being cancelled into and out of the UK, there will be widespread disruption to travellers’ plans as airlines and airports work out how they get schedules back to normal. With regard to claiming for delay or cancellation through a travel insurance policy, the advice is to contact your insurer and clarify what options are available to you. The advice from insurers is especially important for those who are currently abroad and unable to get home due to the air travel conditions around the UK.

If insurance polices do cover this scenario then it is likely that the typical rules for making a claim for delayed departure apply. Travellers would be able to claim after they are delayed for 12 hours or more and to ensure their claim has the best chance of being processed successfully should obtain written confirmation from the airline of why the flight was cancelled. Travellers with insurance policies should read the wording carefully to see what they are and aren’t covered for and also look at the procedures for making a claim as they differ from insurer to insurer.

This article is brought to you by Travelandinsure.com – specialist in ethical travel insurance.

Researchers have found that the average British traveller wastes more than £870 over 50 years of travel of holiday time waiting in airports. As a nation, Britons spend a total of 15,773 years in delays and queues at airport check-in desks and gates. Additional security measures introduced in recent years have added to the delays and the frustration and more recently, British travellers have been forced to endure delays due to the bad weather and strikes. It is hardly surprising that more people are choosing to holiday in the UK, with one of the key reasons being to avoid the hassle of the airport.

Airport delays are what most holidaymakers dislike most about travelling. Unfortunately, they are becoming more common, particularly where charter flights are concerned. Statistics recently published by the CAA show that there was a sharp rise in charter delays in 2009, with the average flight operating more than 30 minutes behind schedule, a 14 per cent increase in delay length from the previous year.

In the meantime, what can you expect in the way of provision if your charter flight is badly delayed? EU regulations apply to charter flights in the same way as they do to scheduled airlines. These rules depend on how far you’re flying. If you are delayed more than two hours and are flying less than 932 miles (1,500km), which includes destinations in the south of France or to northern parts of Spain and Italy, you’re entitled to meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to waiting time. If you’re flying between 932 miles and 2,175 miles (3,500km), Greece, Turkey and southern Portugal, for example, you have to be delayed more than three hours to qualify for food and drink.

This article was brought to you by Travelandinsure.com – specialist in ethical travel insurance.