Yes. Your CoverForYou travel insurance may reimburse eligible costs if you need to cancel your trip for a reason covered by your policy.
Cancellation cover can help you recover your share of unused, non-refundable travel and accommodation costs, along with eligible prepaid expenses that you cannot recover from your travel providers.
Your policy includes cancellation protection as standard, with additional benefits available if you've purchased the optional Travel Disruption Cover (TDC) upgrade.
Important: Not every reason for cancelling a holiday is covered. Your cancellation must meet one of the insured circumstances listed in your policy wording, and all claims are subject to the applicable conditions, exclusions, limits and excess.
Your standard CoverForYou travel insurance may provide cancellation cover for the following circumstances.
You may be able to claim if you cannot travel because of the unexpected:
Death.
Serious illness or disease.
Serious injury.
Sudden pregnancy complication.
These events may qualify when they affect:
You, as an insured traveller.
Your travel companion, even if they're not insured under your policy.
A close relative, including one living overseas.
A colleague, where the circumstances meet the policy conditions.
The event must meet the relevant medical and cancellation requirements in your policy.
Yes. Close relatives do not need to live in the United Kingdom for cancellation cover to apply.
For example, if your grandparent lives in Australia and unexpectedly becomes seriously ill or passes away after you've purchased your policy, you may be eligible to claim for cancellation.
The circumstances must meet the relevant policy conditions.
No. Your travel companion does not need to be insured under your CoverForYou policy.
For cancellation purposes, a travel companion can include someone you:
Are travelling with.
Have arranged to stay with during your trip.
If an eligible medical emergency affects that person and prevents you from travelling, cancellation cover may apply.
Your policy may provide cancellation cover if an unexpected legal or professional obligation prevents you from travelling.
You may be covered if you're:
Called for jury service.
Summoned to appear as a witness in a court of law.
Please note: Cover does not apply to professional or advisory court appearances.
You may be covered if you're placed under compulsory personal quarantine by medical authorities and this prevents you from travelling.
The quarantine must meet the relevant conditions in your policy.
Cancellation cover may apply if the police or another relevant local authority requires you to remain at home or return home because of a serious incident affecting your property.
You may be eligible to claim if you or your travel companion experience qualifying involuntary redundancy.
The redundancy must meet the eligibility requirements and exclusions set out in your policy.
You may be covered if previously authorised leave is withdrawn and you or your travel companion are employed in an eligible role, including:
Armed Forces personnel.
Emergency Services personnel.
Public sector medical or nursing professionals.
Senior government employees.
The withdrawal of leave must meet the policy's conditions.
Your standard policy may provide cancellation cover if:
Your public transport is delayed or cancelled at the final departure point from the UK.
No suitable alternative transport is provided within 12 hours of your scheduled departure time.
You decide to cancel your trip because of the qualifying disruption.
You may be able to claim eligible non-refundable travel and accommodation costs, subject to the policy conditions.
Important: Disruptions arising from excluded events, such as war or terrorism, may not be covered.
You may be able to claim if the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or another relevant regulatory authority advises against travel to your destination within 21 days of your scheduled departure.
However, the reason for the change in advice is important.
Cancellation cover does not apply where the FCDO advice change is caused by:
War.
Terrorism.
Pandemics.
Regional quarantine.
Other policy terms and exclusions also apply.
You can check the latest guidance through the FCDO travel advice website.
If you've purchased the optional Travel Disruption Cover (TDC) upgrade, you may be eligible to claim for additional circumstances not covered under the standard cancellation benefits.
The upgrade must be shown on your policy schedule.
You may be covered if a natural catastrophe affects your destination and prevents your trip from going ahead.
Examples may include:
Earthquakes.
Wildfires.
Hurricanes.
Other events meeting your policy's definition of a catastrophe.
The event must meet the relevant policy conditions.
You may be able to claim if your accommodation provider or its booking agent becomes insolvent, preventing your planned accommodation arrangements from going ahead.
Any claim will depend on the circumstances and whether the costs can be recovered through another provider or protection arrangement.
You may be covered if you miss your outward international departure because of:
A road traffic accident.
Vehicle breakdown.
A sudden or severe traffic incident.
Severe weather.
Failure of another public transport service.
To qualify under this benefit, the disruption must prevent suitable alternative arrangements and cause you to miss 50% or more of your total trip.
You may be able to claim if your public transport provider rearranges your departure or return journey:
Within 7 days of the original scheduled date, and
The change causes you to miss 50% or more of your holiday.
The change must meet the relevant terms and conditions of the Travel Disruption upgrade.
You may be covered if:
Your passport or travel visa is stolen within 72 hours of your scheduled departure.
The theft prevents you from taking your planned trip.
You must meet the policy's evidence and eligibility requirements.
You may be able to claim if:
You're involuntarily denied boarding because your booked flight or public transport is overbooked.
No suitable alternative transport is provided within the timeframe specified in your policy.
The relevant policy conditions and exclusions apply.
Where your cancellation is covered, you may be able to claim your proportion of eligible:
Unused travel costs, such as non-refundable flights, trains or other booked transport.
Unused accommodation costs, including non-refundable hotel or other accommodation bookings.
Prepaid travel expenses, where covered under the relevant policy section.
You cannot claim costs that have already been refunded or that you're entitled to recover from your airline, accommodation provider, tour operator or another provider.
The amount payable is subject to your policy's cancellation benefit limit and any applicable excess.
If you need to cancel your trip because of an insured event, we recommend the following steps:
Check your reason for cancellation against the benefits and exclusions in your policy.
Contact your airline, tour operator or accommodation provider to establish what refunds or alternative arrangements are available.
Avoid unnecessary additional cancellation charges by taking appropriate action once cancellation becomes necessary.
Keep your booking documents, including invoices, confirmation emails and payment receipts.
Obtain supporting evidence, such as medical reports, official notices or confirmation of transport disruption.
Submit your claim with the relevant documents and details of any refunds you've received or are entitled to receive.
Find out how to make a travel insurance claim
You can check your policy schedule through your Customer Zone.
Sign in to your Customer Zone.
Select the policy you wish to review.
Open your policy schedule.
Check whether Travel Disruption Cover is listed among your purchased upgrades.
If the upgrade isn't shown on your policy schedule, you should not assume that the additional TDC cancellation benefits apply.
Your standard cancellation benefits may still apply, depending on the reason for cancellation.
If you're uncertain whether your circumstances meet the policy requirements, please contact our team for guidance.
For information about submitting a claim, visit our travel insurance claims page.
Please note: This article provides an overview of cancellation cover and does not include every condition or exclusion. All claims are subject to the policy wording, including the applicable cancellation limits, eligibility requirements, exclusions and any excess.
