Hurricane proves costly to travellers without insurance

Flight cancellations in the wake of hurricane Irene have underlined the benefit of taking out natural disaster insurance when travelling abroad.

The tropical storm raged along the East Coast of the United States with furious winds and torrential rain that forced the cancellation of 6,000 flights.

Although New York escaped with less damage than had been feared, the power packed by Irene was enough to bring chaos and confusion to airline schedules.

Even after the danger passed, some passengers faced a wait of several days before their carrier was able to find them a seat.

Stranded Britons who had been on holiday or a business trip in the U.S. had to pay for extra hotel and food bills as they awaited a flight home.

While airlines based in the EU are legally bound to refund customers for meals and accommodation if flights are delayed or cancelled, the rules do not apply to carriers from outside the EU.

Passengers on non-EU airlines were advised by ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents) to check with their insurer to see whether they were covered for problems caused by the hurricane.

Travel insurance may include cover for natural disasters as standard or as a bolt-on option. Travellers caught up in hurricanes, floods or earthquakes without adequate insurance can face hefty bills for additional expenses incurred while waiting or trying to get home.

Customers could also make sure they extend their travel insurance so that it continues to cover them for loss or damage to personal possessions and medical emergencies for as long as they are stuck away.

ABTA estimated that up to 10,000 British travellers were affected by the devastation and delays wrought by hurricane Irene, which left at least 40 people dead across 11 U.S. states.

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