Flybe has become the first airline to offer its passengers the opportunity to purchase ‘Snow and Ice’ travel insurance. The cover includes a passenger not being able to leave home because their vehicle is prevented from making the journey due to snow and ice, or resultant road closures that could stop or delay them from reaching their departure point. The policy is underwritten by Chartis.
Standard travel insurance provides cover for travel delay, missed departure and abandoning a trip if public transport fails due to poor weather and prevents someone from travelling – but not if a private vehicle being used to travel from home is prevented from making the journey due to snow and ice or if road closures due to snow and ice prevent a traveller from reaching their departure point to start their journey.
Flybe’s new Snow and Ice insurance product provides the following additional cover:
* Cancellation due to snow and ice (up to £3,000 per person). If the vehicle in which a passenger is travelling is prevented from making the journey; or if road closures prevent them from reaching the departure point or their departure by aircraft, sea vessel, coach or train is delayed for more than 12 hours
* Additional expenses if a passenger is stranded at the point of departure in the UK (up to £100 per person
* Additional costs to reach a passenger’s destination if they decide to continue on their trip (up to £200 per person)
* Additional expenses if they are stranded on their return journey home (up to £750 per person)
* Additional travel expenses to return home (up to £2,000 per person)
* Additional car parking, kennel and cattery fees (up to £250)
Flybe’s Snow and Ice policy is available at the time of booking as a standalone product or in conjunction with any other existing travel insurance offerings, on all online bookings made for travel from now until the end of March 2012. The policy is available to UK residents and those in the Channel Islands.
Simon Lilley, Flybe’s Director of Marketing, said: “Adverse winter weather conditions in recent years have undoubtedly dented people’s confidence for travelling during the winter because of the possibility of snow and ice disrupting their journey. With no other travel insurance providing this level of protection, we want to make sure that Flybe passengers booking online have the opportunity to choose a travel insurance option that will safeguard them at times when snow and ice conditions have the potential to severely impact their travel plans.
“We are proud to be the first airline to offer this opportunity to our passengers and have worked hard with our chosen travel insurance partner, Chartis, to ensure that, should we experience again a winter freeze like last year, Flybe’s passengers will be best prepared and can book with confidence.”
