If your flight is delayed, cancelled or affected by air traffic control problems, your CoverForYou travel insurance may provide cover for certain additional expenses, missed departures and unused travel costs.
The cover available depends on your policy type, the cause of the disruption and whether you have purchased the optional Travel Disruption upgrade.
Important: Cyber Attack Exclusion
No cover applies under any section of your policy for the failure of air traffic control, airport computer systems or travel booking systems, including loss of access, use, data or system failure, where that failure is directly caused by a cyber attack.
Standard operational problems, technical failures and other non-cyber-related disruptions are not excluded by this specific condition. Cover for these events remains subject to your normal policy terms.
Which policy do you have?
The standard and optional benefits described below apply to Single Trip and Annual Multi-Trip policies.
If you have a Backpacker policy, different benefits apply. Please refer to the Backpacker Policies section further down this page.
Your standard CoverForYou travel insurance may provide cover if your journey is disrupted by a delay, cancellation or failure of public transport.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to claim for missed departures, delayed arrivals or cancellation of your trip.
All benefits are subject to your policy's terms, conditions, exclusions and cover limits.
If you miss your booked flight or other public transport because another public transport service fails, you may be able to claim for:
Additional accommodation: Reasonable room-only accommodation costs.
Alternative transport: Reasonable economy-class public transport costs to help you continue your journey.
Cover is subject to the circumstances specified in your policy and the applicable benefit limits.
If your public transport is delayed by more than 12 hours at the final departure point to or from the UK, you may be entitled to:
A benefit for each qualifying completed period of delay, helping towards telephone calls, meals and refreshments.
Reimbursement of a proportion of unused travel and accommodation costs, where covered under your policy.
The amount payable depends on the duration of the delay and the limits shown in your policy's Table of Benefits.
If your public transport is delayed or cancelled and no suitable alternative is provided within 12 hours of your scheduled departure time, you may be able to cancel your trip and claim under the applicable cancellation section.
Any reimbursement is subject to the relevant policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limits.
Yes. Your policy will automatically extend at no additional cost if your return to the UK is delayed because of an event covered under your policy.
To qualify, you must:
Accept the first suitable alternative transport offered by your airline or tour operator.
Not deliberately delay your return or choose to remain abroad longer than necessary.
Your policy will continue under its existing terms and conditions until you are reasonably able to complete your journey home.
Your rights as an airline passenger are separate from your travel insurance.
Depending on your flight and circumstances, UK261 or EU261 passenger rights regulations may entitle you to:
Food and refreshments appropriate to the length of your delay.
Hotel accommodation and transport if an overnight stay is necessary.
Alternative flights or a refund where the relevant conditions are met.
Air traffic control disruptions may be classified as extraordinary circumstances under UK261 and EU261.
Where the airline can demonstrate that extraordinary circumstances caused the disruption and that it took all reasonable measures, additional cash compensation may not be payable.
However, your rights to care, assistance and applicable alternative transport or refunds may still apply.
You should contact your airline first to establish what assistance or reimbursement it can provide.
If you've booked a package holiday, you may have additional rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.
Depending on the circumstances, your tour operator may be responsible for:
Arranging alternative transport.
Providing assistance if your holiday is disrupted.
Offering suitable alternative arrangements or a refund where legally required.
We recommend contacting your tour operator before paying for alternative arrangements yourself.
If you've purchased the optional Travel Disruption upgrade, you may be entitled to additional benefits where your journey is affected by certain unexpected events.
This cover is provided in addition to your standard policy benefits and remains subject to the specific conditions and limits of the upgrade.
You may be able to claim if:
Delay or cancellation: Your public transport is delayed or cancelled and no suitable alternative is provided within 12 hours of your scheduled departure.
Involuntary denied boarding: You're denied boarding against your wishes and no suitable alternative is provided within the timeframe specified in your policy.
Significant changes to your journey: Your public transport provider rearranges your departure or return within seven days of the original date, causing you to miss 50% or more of your total trip.
Any claim remains subject to the applicable policy terms and exclusions.
If you're involuntarily denied boarding and no suitable alternative public transport is provided within the specified timeframe, you may be able to claim for:
Reasonable additional accommodation costs (room only).
Economy-class public transport costs needed to continue your journey.
These expenses are covered up to the applicable policy limit.
Important for package holidays
This Travel Disruption benefit does not cover the cost of continuing your trip where your package tour operator is legally responsible for making the necessary alternative arrangements.
The Travel Disruption upgrade may also cover reasonable additional accommodation and public transport costs, up to the standard of your original booking, if your trip is disrupted by:
A catastrophe, as defined in your policy.
Insolvency of your accommodation provider or booking agent.
Public transport delays or cancellations where no suitable alternative is provided within 12 hours.
Involuntary denied boarding where no suitable alternative is provided within the specified timeframe.
All expenses must meet the relevant policy conditions and are subject to the applicable cover limits.
The rules depend on your policy type.
No. You cannot add Travel Disruption cover to a Single Trip policy while you're already abroad.
You can add the Travel Disruption upgrade while abroad, but it will not cover your current trip.
The additional cover will only take effect from your next trip departing from the UK, subject to your policy terms.
CoverForYou Backpacker policies have different flight disruption benefits from Single Trip and Annual Multi-Trip policies.
The following benefits apply to eligible claims under a Backpacker policy.
There is no trip cancellation cover for the flight disruption circumstances described in this article under Backpacker policies.
If you miss your booked public transport because another public transport service fails, you may be able to claim reasonable additional costs to:
Continue your journey to your intended destination.
Join your cruise ship at its next possible port of call.
This may apply if you fail to arrive in time at:
The final departure point to or from the UK to board your booked public transport.
A departure point for onward connecting public transport required to reach your overseas destination.
Eligible expenses may include:
Additional accommodation: Reasonable room-only accommodation costs.
Alternative transport: Reasonable economy-class public transport costs.
The maximum amount payable is shown in your policy's Table of Benefits.
If you arrive at your destination more than 12 hours later than planned because of a public transport delay at the final departure point to or from the UK, you may be entitled to a delay benefit.
This benefit helps towards expenses such as:
Telephone calls.
Meals and refreshments purchased during the delay.
Payment is based on the qualifying periods of delay, up to the maximum shown in your policy's Table of Benefits.
Important: This delayed arrival benefit does not apply if the delay results from terrorism, war, a pandemic or regional quarantine, as specified in your policy.
All benefits described in this article are subject to your policy's terms, conditions, exclusions and cover limits.
Restrictions or exclusions may apply to:
Cyber attacks: Failures of the specified systems directly caused by a cyber attack, as explained at the beginning of this article.
War and terrorism: Disruption directly or indirectly caused by war or terrorism, as specified in your policy.
FCDO travel warnings: Travelling to countries or regions where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all travel or all but essential travel.
Pandemics and regional quarantine: Where excluded under the relevant section of your policy.
Not every flight delay or cancellation will result in an eligible insurance claim. Cover depends on the cause of the disruption, the benefits included in your policy and the circumstances of your claim.
If your flight is delayed, cancelled or affected by air traffic control problems:
Contact your airline or travel provider to confirm the reason for the disruption and what alternative arrangements are available.
Request written confirmation of the delay or cancellation, including its cause and duration.
Keep your booking documents and receipts for any additional accommodation, transport or other expenses.
Check your policy documents to understand which benefits and limits apply.
Contact our claims team if you need to make a claim or have questions about the evidence required.
Find out how to make a travel insurance claim
For questions about your policy or the Travel Disruption upgrade, please contact CoverForYou.
Please note: This article provides general guidance about flight disruption cover. Your policy wording, including its Table of Benefits, terms, conditions and exclusions, determines the cover available.
