Does Travel Insurance Cover Coronavirus?

Does Towergate travel insurance cover me for coronavirus?

• For David Oliver Associates policies sold up to and including 16 March 2020, yes. 
• For all new policies sold or existing policies amended from 17 March 2020, there is no cover for Covid-19 coronavirus.

Coronavirus circumstances covered (policies up to 16 March)

Any existing policies purchased up to and including 16 March 2020 are unaffected and full cover remains in place for claims caused by the COVID-19 Coronavirus, including but not limited to: 

• Cancellation due to you or a family member being diagnosed as having COVID-19
• Placing yourself into self-isolation suspecting that you or a family member have contracted COVID-19
• FCO travel restrictions
• Flights being cancelled

Coronavirus circumstances not covered (policies from 17 March)

Any policy purchased from 17 March 2020 will not cover any cancellation claims in relation to the COVID-19 Coronavirus, such as:

• Cancellation due to you or a family member being diagnosed as having COVID-19
• Placing yourself into self-isolation suspecting that you or a family member have contracted COVID-19
• FCO travel restrictions
• Flights being cancelled

This includes any trips booked under an annual multi-trip policy taken out since 17 March 2020, for any trips with a start date on or before 17 April 2020, as the FCO has advised against all but essential travel until that date.

You will continue to benefit from all the remaining policies within your policy including:

• Emergency medical costs cover
• Cancellation cover(excluding the COVID-19 Coronavirus);
• Baggage and personal money cover
• Disruption to travel

Does travel insurance cover treatment if I contract coronavirus?

If you bought your Towergate travel policy on or before 16 March 2020 and haven’t amended it in anyway, please contact your insurer for their approval that your travel plans are essential. If they are, you will be covered.

if you bought a new or amended an existing Towergate travel insurance policy on or after 17 March 2020 you are not covered.

Do Towergate annual multi-trip policies cover coronavirus?

Trips booked before 11 March

Any annual multi-trip policies renewals from Friday 16 March 2020 on a Towergate annual multi-trip policy will continue to include cover for the COVID-19 coronavirus for any pre-booked holidays or trips booked before 11 March 2020.

Holidays booked on or after 12 March

All other holidays or trips booked on 12 March 2020 or later on a Towergate annual multi-trip policy do not cover cancellation caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus.

However, they will continue to cover medical expenses claims caused by coronavirus, as long as you are travelling to an area or country where no UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel restrictions exist.

If the FCO applies travel restrictions during your holiday or trip, your cover will remain in place.

What if I have Towergate travel insurance through Sykes Cottages?

If you want to change your trip dates

If you wish to change your holidaydates instead of cancelling, please visit the Sykes Cottages website and login to your account, as this enables you to request a change to these.

See Sykes' FAQs.

If you want to cancel your trip

If you need to cancel your trip and want to submit a claim for your travel insurance policy policy, please download and complete our claims form and email it to towergatetravelclaims@directgroup.co.uk. 

What if I have Towergate travel cover through Holiday Cottages?

If you want to change your trip dates

If you wish to change your holidaydates instead of cancelling, please visit the Holiday Cottages website, as this enables you to request a change to these.

See Holiday Cottages' FAQs.

If you want to cancel your trip

If you need to cancel your trip and want to submit a claim for your travel insurance policy policy, please download and complete our claims form and email it to towergatetravelclaims@directgroup.co.uk. 

What if I am advised to leave a region and return to the UK?

If you are advised by the UK government to return early from a trip abroad as the region becomes a risk, and you are unable to get other official assistance in doing so, your travel insurance is designed to help. It should cover any costs required to leave the area and return to the UK.

What if my package holiday is cancelled due to coronavirus?

Under the July 2018 Package Travel Directive, travel firms offering package holidays are legally responsible to provide either an alternative holiday / destination, defer or change travel dates or offer a 100% refund if they have to cancel or cannot provide travel service due to UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice / travel restrictions.

You will therefore should not suffer any financial loss if you have purchased a package holiday to somewhere which has been placed under UK government restrictions due to coronavirus, and should contact your tour operator / travel agent in the first instance. 

Do ATOL compensation arrangements cover me for coronavirus?

No. ATOL compensation arrangements are designed to assist holidaymakers if a provider of package holidays fails, and not for medical outbreaks like coronavirus.