One student was charged £673 to change or cancel a trip to Lebanon after FCDO travel advice changed
British holidaymakers have raised concerns about how the Iran conflict has rendered their insurance cover invalid. A student who had arranged a summer visit to Lebanon has highlighted the impact of evolving Foreign Office guidance.
In conversation with the Guardian, Lottie Cornwall described her enthusiasm about bringing her boyfriend to meet her Lebanese relatives. She said: "My mum's whole side of the family live there. I last saw my grandmother and cousins in 2022.
"My heritage means everything to me, and this was a chance for my boyfriend to meet my family, and to show him where I come from and why I'm so in love with it. " Revised FCDO guidance has resulted in the Midlands student facing a £673 fee to amend or cancel her journey.
"The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is warning British nationals not to travel to Lebanon, and my insurer says my policy is void if I do travel," Lottie expressed her frustration. This exclusion is not made clear at point of sale. I believe consumers are being misled into purchasing premium policies.
" "I assumed if your government is telling you not to go somewhere, the airline would give you a credit or change the booking. We will not make the trip if the advice stays the same and will lose the money.
" Stephen Kennedy, director at Defaqto, advises: "Travellers should treat insurance as something to check before they book, not after. Availability can change quickly when a destination is affected by conflict, airspace closures or FCDO advice, and some insurers may pause quoting while they reassess the risk.
"Most standard travel policies are not designed to cover losses arising directly from war or armed conflict. That means travellers should not assume they can cancel because they are worried about travelling, or claim for disruption linked to the conflict, unless their policy clearly says so.
" Gary Murphy, head of travel at insurance provider Gigasure, explains: "Travel insurance is designed to cover the risk to the individual, such as having to cancel due to illness or being made redundant. War is a mass risk and it's really difficult to price for that ... so generally those type of risks are excluded.
"If you haven't booked, the best advice is to book a package trip," he suggests. "Then, if something happens, the travel provider is liable to refund, replace or reorganise it. If you don't want to book a package, then book flexible arrangements. "
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