UK Insurance Limited updates travel insurance policies
UK Insurance Limited, the owner of the Direct Line and Churchill brands, has updated its travel policies
The changes remove restrictions to cancellation cover put in place last year relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alongside this, the policy gives customers a choice of cancelling their trip or continuing to travel where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) change their advice to against ‘all but essential travel’ after a trip has been booked.
From Tuesday 5 October, Direct Line and Churchill travel policies will cover cancellations of a trip as a result of:
- A passenger being instructed to quarantine or self-isolate – this includes cases where an individual is contacted by NHS Test and Trace but has not been diagnosed with Covid-19
- A government lockdown as result of Covid-19 preventing travel
- Pre-booked accommodation no longer being available due to the local area being adversely affected by Covid-19
- The FCDO advising against all travel – or all but essential travel – to a destination within 28 days of departure due to Covid-19 restrictions, as long as the advice wasn’t in place at the point of purchase of either the trip or the travel insurance.
Alongside these policy updates, the policies will continue to cover:
- Any emergency medical costs relating to a new Covid-19 diagnosis once the trip has started, including additional accommodation and travel costs if you are unable to return home as planned due to being quarantined
- Cancellation where the policyholder, a close relative or travelling companion have received a positive Covid-19 diagnosis in the UK and are unable to commence their trip
- Cutting short a trip due to a change in FCDO advice, whilst on a trip
- Travel to any destination, as long as the FCDO aren’t advising against ‘all travel’.
Tom Bishop, Head of Travel Insurance at Direct Line and Churchill, commented: “As the world begins to reopen and the government relax Covid-19 travel restrictions, Direct Line and Churchill want to give customers back their freedom and allow greater choice when planning to travel. Our new approach aims to support the recovery of the travel industry and will give customers greater confidence to travel if they wish to, whilst offering the choice of cancelling or travelling where FCDO advice is against ‘all but essential’ travel.”