Travel News

With Government warnings that we may not be able to travel abroad this summer, few will take the risk of booking a holiday at the moment, but for many consumers who have had 2020 holidays rebooked to 2021, they may be concerned about what will happen if their holiday this year gets cancelled as well.

For those who have a 2021 summer holiday booking, we’ve looked at what happens if the holiday is cancelled.

Although all regions of the UK are currently under much tighter travel restrictions, many people will be hoping that the vaccine rollout means they will be able to head abroad for a holiday this summer.

For those thinking about travelling to Europe, the UK leaving the EU means that for the first time holidaymakers will have to ensure they are covered in case they get ill or require medical treatment.

Prior to leaving the EU , UK citizens were entitled to free medical care in all EU countries, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein if they became ill or had an accident through their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Although the EHIC cards are currently being phased out, those with a card should still be entitled to free medical care if they travel to Europe this summer. The Government has announced that it is planning to replace the cards with a new version that will be called the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

While those with an EHIC should still be able to receive treatment while abroad, the Government has advised travellers to buy travel insurance with healthcare cover before they go on holiday to ensure that they are protected.

With travel restrictions being lifted and the school summer holidays starting, many will be planning a foreign or UK-based holiday, but some consumers could find themselves losing out on money if their flights or accommodation are cancelled due to Coronavirus.

To help consumers decide whether to book a holiday this summer, we’ve looked at what consumer rights are in place if holidays are affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Post Office has joined several other large insurers in suspending selling new travel insurance policies in the face of the current coronavirus pandemic.

The Post Office said it had taken this difficult decision as it is unfair to sell travel insurance products to new customers who may not be able to claim due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Post Office travel insurance products will therefore be unavailable to new customers for the foreseeable future.

Since LV= became the first major name to withdraw from the travel insurance market on 11 March 2020, several household names have followed suit in no longer offering travel insurance to any new customers. These include Aviva, Churchill, Direct Line, Virgin Money, Admiral and More Than.

Some insurers, such as InsureandGo, AA, Axa and M&S are still offering travel insurance but are no longer providing cover for claims related to the Corvid-19 virus or any mutations.