Hundreds of families have had a half-term holiday to remember - but for all of the wrong reasons.
For instead of relaxing on the beach, holidaymakers spent part of their break sleeping on airport floors as flight after flight was cancelled amid continuing staff shortages.
Airports across the UK have seen lengthy queues in the last week as half-term travel coincided with flight cancellations. Newcastle has not been badly affected by the recent disruption, although a handful of Easyjet flights were delayed earlier this week due to air traffic control restrictions on the previous flight.
Read more: Ryanair passenger's warning after discovering parking at airport was 'non-existent'
Experts have warned the disruption will hit family holidays this summer and could continue for 18 months. Critics say that airlines were too quick to axe workers at the start of the Covid crisis and have been selling too many tickets, gambling that they would hire enough new crew in time, which they couldn't.
To add to the storm, some of the workers are revolting, with thousands of BA staff being balloted for industrial action because a 10% pay cut imposed during the pandemic has not been reinstated. and Unite the Union warning Ryanair flights from Stansted could face “serious disruption” this summer amid a pay dispute with a ground handling firm.
Heathrow chief John Holland-Kaye said airlines and airports needed to “plan much better” to avoid further cancellations and delays this summer. He added: “I think it will take 12 to 18 months for the aviation sector to fully recover capacity.” And recruiters reported problems filling vacant posts, with some companies were offering signing-on bonuses of up to £2,000 to encourage people back into the industry.
The continuing chaos shows how badly holidays can go wrong and how important it is for holidaymakers to have good travel insurance and know their rights before jetting off this summer.
Families are paying almost a third more for travel cover than they did before the pandemic, due to wanting greater cover as well as rising premium prices, but almost a third of people will still travel completely uninsured this year, according to Compare The Market. The devil is often in the detail when choosing the right cover for your trip. You need to make sure that in the event that something happens, you will be able to claim from your insurance to cover costs, or to get compensation.
Here is our guide to help you find the best cover for your holiday.
1. Make sure your insurance is in place as soon as you book your holiday
It's easy to think you don't need to be insured until you leave the country but the past week shows how important is is to be covered as soon as you fork out for your break.
But don’t just buy it as an add-on from the airline or tour operator without checking for other quotes, as this is likely yo be an expensive option. Your cover can be in the form of either an annual policy (but see below) or a one-off policy just covering your holiday. You can check on price comparison sites such as comparethemarket for the best deal, but remember cheapest isn't always best.
Some policies will allow you to claim for issues such as missing your coach to the airport, cancelled flights, or losing your luggage, as long as they are in place when those problems occur.
It might sound obvious, but when your policy arrives, double check your personal details, as even spelling your name wrong or putting in the wrong date of birth can invalidate your insurance. If you spot a mistake, contact your insurer straight away.
2. Know your rights
While having insurance in place gives you peace of mind, you need to know your rights before making a claim. If you’ve booked a package holiday and it gets cancelled then you are entitled to a refund or replacement from the travel operator. If your flight home is cancelled, your accommodation, food and transfer costs should be covered by the tour operator.
If you’ve booked a DIY holiday and, for example, your flight is cancelled, your claim is with the airline, but this will only cover your actual flights and expenses incurred because of the cancellation of the flights. You may then be able to claim on your insurance for a refund on your hotel or accommodation.
3. Check what you're getting for the money
A standard policy should cover cancellation for redundancy, bereavement or serious illness, any medical treatment needed while you’re away, having to cut your trip short in an emergency and losing your belongings. It's wise to check the Covid cover, as most will pay out if you or a family member cannot travel due to testing Covid-positive or if you catch it on holiday.
You also need to check the excess you will have to pay in the event of a claim and make sure you can afford it. Be aware some policies have separate excesses for different sections of the policy, so you'd have to pay twice, for example, if your suitcase containing your laptop and cash was stolen.
4. Check the small print
Make sure you know what your insurance company is expecting of you, or you will risk invalidating your cover. Some insurers, for instance, says families who need to do airport Covid tests before flying must turn up to the airport four hours before their departure time
Look up what vaccines your travel insurer requires you to have and how it expects you to prove this, as well as the Foreign Office’s travel advice and your destination country’s own rules. A number of destinations (such as the US) still require a negative Covid test to gain entry which could result in a cancellation claim if you test positive before travelling.
5. Be honest
If you're not honest about your medical history, it could invalidate your policy. When insurers calculate how much you pay for insurance, it's based on your risk and the likelihood that you're going to claim. If you already have an illness or condition, the insurers will charge you more because there is a higher chance that they will have to pay out.
It might seem worth hiding these conditions in order to save money when you are taking out an insurance policy, but doing that risks serious consequences in the event that you do need to claim on your insurance when you are abroad.
Apply for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to get treatment in state hospitals at the same price as residents of the country you are visiting. Remember it doesn’t necessarily mean treatment is free and it’s no replacement for travel insurance. Apply at nhs.uk.
6. Check your multi-trip policy
Single-trip policies tend to work out cheaper if you are taking just one or two trips in the next 12 months, but take three or more and annual cover is your best bet, says Which?
With an annual policy, you can usually do more than one trip over the course of the year, but there is often a limit on how long your trips can last, usually capped at 28 or 31 days. This won't affect the usual two weeks in the sun, but if you plan to have an extended stay somewhere, you may not be covered for the whole trip.
Read the terms and conditions of a policy carefully before you commit, and make sure that it covers the entire length of time that you will be away. If you are planning to take a long trip, it is worth investigating whether a specific policy would be better.
7. Be prepared
Once you’ve got your insurance papers in place, don’t just thrown them to the bottom of your suitcase. Save your policy number and contact number for your insurer in your phone. You might also consider sharing your policy details with someone before you go. so the details are at hand if you lose your paperwork.
If you need to make a claim, keep every receipt and note of doctors’ names and police badges.
8. Plan ahead
Check your insurer’s rules about drinking. Some are vague but others are specific, warning for example against having four pints. In any event, don't drink to the point where your judgement is impaired.
If you plan sports activities, like water-skiing, bungee-jumping or white-water rafting, check they are covered in your policy. If they are not and you end up being in an accident, you you could end up having to cover the cost of medical treatment, which could be huge. Most policies offer cover for this kind of activity as an add on, for an extra cost.
Leaving your items unattended will invalidate your policy, so leave someone on the beach to look after your phone and wallet while swimming and don't leave bags unattended on coaches or at airports..
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