Aviva Offers New Travel Insurance Add-on For Volcanic Ash Disruption

With so much disruption caused by the Icelandic volcanic ash and many insurers not covering this on their travel insurance, Aviva have a new add-on for their policy to cover such situations.

From 1 June Aviva, the UK’s largest insurer, will be providing a new optional add-on to their standard travel insurance designed to offer their customers new protection should their holiday travel be affected by UK airspace, port or airport closure.

The add-on cover will be a fixed cost of £5 per insured person for single trip or £10 per insured person for annual insurance¹

From 1 June customers with annual or single trip policies will be able to purchase a new add-on travel cover which will be available to all customers who are renewing their insurance or buying it for the first time.

Existing customers may also wish to benefit from this new cover so from 1 June for 30 days annual or single trip policyholders will also be able to purchase this add-on direct from Aviva.

This add-on insurance cover will only be available to existing or new travel insurance customers who have purchased their policy direct from Aviva and as an optional extension to their existing travel policy. It cannot be purchased as a stand alone insurance.

The effect of the volcanic ash on flights has not been a specific peril in the Aviva travel policy, however, as a goodwill gesture, they have provided delayed departure benefit to customers who were stranded abroad as a result of the volcanic ash situation².  This position remains the same until 1 July, after which no further ex gratia payments for volcanic ash activity will be made.

Jerry Finch, travel manager, at Aviva said: “The key benefit normally associated with a standard travel policy has historically been medical emergency cover and this still remains the top reason for any claim.

“However, we appreciate the need to provide protection for additional risks that have not been previously covered by insurance. So we have broadened our insurance cover beyond the impact of volcanic ash on flights to include any reason for airspace, port or airport closure. This would include examples such as: terrorism, prevention of terrorism or even a pandemic situation, such as bird flu.

Whichever policy you take for your travel insurance, make sure you check and understand what it covers.

You can get more details on the Aviva travel insurance policy on the Aviva website.

¹This add-on will only be available to purchase if your holiday and insurance have not been bought on a date where UK airspace has been closed. The charge is per person, however, where more than 2 children are named on the policy, the most a customer will pay is limited to the adult travellers and 2 children, with no charge for additional children (e.g. a couple taking a single trip policy, travelling with 4 children would pay £20).

² This benefit is: £25 per insured person for every full 12 hour period of delay, up to £250, between the scheduled departure of their original flight and the time they eventually depart.