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Travel Insurance » Information for policyholders – Mexico earthquake (7th – 8th Sept 2017)

Information for policyholders – Mexico earthquake (7th – 8th Sept 2017)

Written by: Russell Wallace | Travel Insurance Expert
Last updated: 11 September 2017 | Created: 11 September 2017

The following terms apply to customers who bought their policy before 8th September 2017. If you have bought your policy from the evening of 8th September 2017 onwards, the earthquake would be deemed to be a known event –  so no cover is in place.

For AllClear Gold and Gold Plus policyholders – and AllClear Traveller policyholders (policy bought after 1st November 2016)

In the event of a claim please check the specific terms used in your policy wording, however, for the above policies the cover provided is outlined below.

  • Delay to your travel/abandonment of your trip

This is only covered if you have paid for Travel disruption cover to be added to your policy.

If the delay in departing from the UK exceeds 12 hours/24 hours (as specified in the policy wording), then unused travel and accommodation costs – which cannot be reimbursed from other sources –  will be refunded.  Please note, while you need Travel disruption cover to claim for Abandonment, flights should not be affected.

  • Cancellation/Curtailment

There is no specific cover for cancellation or curtailment, as your claims would fall under the Abandonment section – as long as Travel disruption cover has been included.

For this reason, please also refer to your travel company, the FCO or the local British Embassy for help

  • Accommodation 

This is only covered if you have paid for Travel disruption cover to be added to your policy.

If you’re already in your accommodation but need to move  – or cannot get to your intended destination –  then we will provide cover for Accommodation.

  • Baggage

If you’ve been caught in the disaster zone and, as a result, your belongings  have been destroyed, we will not require an official loss report. However, we will require evidence of the accommodation you held – and therefore evidence of where your belongings were kept at the time of the incident.

  • Medical

Please refer to your 24 hour emergency assistance company for immediate help, or if you have only suffered minor injuries and are happy to claim on your return, follow the usual process of contacting the Claims Department.

  • Missed departure

This is only covered if you have paid for Travel disruption cover to be added to your policy.

If you are already in your accommodation and cannot reach your intended international departure point (as a result of the earthquake damage), then claims for Missed departure can be considered. We will require evidence of where you were staying and the route to their international departure point, to show you could not make it for this reason.

  • Avalanche cover

This cover is provided when the optional extra of Winter sports has been included. You are entitled to benefits for each 12 hours your outward or return journey has been delayed as a result of an avalanche.

Travelling to international departure points

While your policy wording wording may state the need to check in to claim for Travel delay or Abandonment, we would generally waiver this requirement; whilst the Press and TV confirm no planes are travelling in the affected areas.

If you’re stuck overseas and unable to return to the UK,  your existing policy will automatically extend cover – until such time as you are reasonably able to return home.  We will not, however, cover the cost of any additional accommodation or travel costs incurred to get home, unless they fall under the cover above.

For customers who are still in the UK and have not yet travelled

  • Where possible, a full refund should be sought from your travel provider. Only non-refundable expenses will be considered on your travel insurance policy.  You may still be able to re-book / alter your travel plans – any cost associated with this would not be covered.
  • If you wish to rearrange your trip dates, providing you’re not making any claim under Abandonment or Travel disruption, we can allow the cover dates to be transferred to a new trip – as long as the new trip is within 3 months of the original departure date; is for the same (or no longer) duration; and is to the same geographical area.

If you have any requests which fall outside of the guidelines above, please contact our Customer Care Team on 01708 339029, where we will be happy to refer your circumstances to the Underwriter for consideration.