As Hawaii emergency is declared over volcano eruption, GoCompare urges people to check their travel insurance.
The Icelandic volcano eruptions in the past few years have brought to attention the importance of good travel insurance cover, after millions of air passengers were stranded after grounding flights all around the world.
Now, as Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts, prompting a local state of emergency and the evacuation of thousands of residents, GoCompare Travel Insurance is warning people to check their travel insurance before they head off.
Georgie Frost, consumer advocate at GoCompare, said: “This state of emergency in Hawaii really demonstrates the importance of getting good travel insurance that covers you for most eventualities.
"After volcanic disturbances affected travel to Iceland in 2010 and 2014, a number of insurers have added a travel disruption element of cover, which can either be bought as a standalone policy, or as an optional extra, so we strongly advise people to carefully read their policy documents.
It would also be advisable to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) travel restrictions, which may detail no-go travel destinations, if the area is declared an international emergency due to natural disaster. If they have listed your destination country as no travel before you buy your policy, an insurer won't pay out.
Georgie added: “What people must remember is that if they have already been affected and are not covered by their insurance, they cannot then purchase a new policy to claim, as this is deemed as travel disruption you are already aware of.
“If you’ve booked your journey through a tour operator, it’s crucial you’re speaking to them to get the best assistance on your options, as well as checking with your insurer directly what you are and are not covered for. If you should get stranded, make sure you inform your insurer of this too, so they’re aware and you’re covered for the duration of the disruption.”
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For further information please contact:
Anders Nilsson or Martyn John at GoCompare on 01633 654 054 / 01633 654 725
Gordon, Jason or Liz at MAW Communications on 01603 505 845
Keep up-to-date with GoCompare on Twitter: @GoCompare
About GoCompare
GoCompare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
GoCompare does not charge people to use its services, and it does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. GoCompare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
GoCompare does not sell its customers’ data.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. GoCompare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest, and has teamed up with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
GoCompare is the only comparison website to be invited to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
For more information visit www.gocompare.com and www.gocomparegroup.com