If you chose Natural Disaster cover and meet the policy conditions, your policy may cover disruptions caused by wildfires.
What this article covers
This article explains what cover you may have if wildfires affect your overseas holiday, either before you leave or while you are away.
Policies and trips covered
Natural Disaster cover is an optional benefit for Gold, Gold Plus and Platinum policies. The cover must appear on your policy schedule.
The Natural Disaster cover:
- This cover is available for overseas trips only.
- It does not apply to trips that are only within your home country.
- Silver policies do not include this cover as an addon.
Checks to make before taking action
- Check your policy schedule for Natural Disaster cover and cancellation cover.
- Get in touch with your transport and accommodation providers to ask about alternatives, refunds, or compensation.
- Keep any written confirmation of the disruption and decisions from your providers.
- Hold on to receipts for any extra travel or accommodation costs.
Preparing for an upcoming holiday
For Natural Disaster cover to apply, the wildfire must occur after you bought the insurance and meet the policy’s other conditions.
The wildfire must affect the area where you booked to stay and cause damage to your accommodation or local transport. You must not be able to access or use them as planned.
Check the latest travel advice from the FCDO or WHO. If the advice changes before you leave and you meet the policy conditions, cancellation cover may apply.
Please note that choosing not to travel is not enough by itself to make a claim.
Support while you are abroad
Start by contacting your accommodation and transport providers.
Natural Disaster cover may help with costs for unused accommodation you cannot recover, or for reasonable alternative accommodation and transport. For example, if a wildfire damages the hotel you had booked and you are unable to stay there, the policy may reimburse you for prepaid expenses you cannot recover and also cover the cost of booking a hotel of a similar standard nearby. Any alternative accommodation must be similar in standard to your original booking.
You must contact Zurich Assist and obtain approval before arranging your early return.
Call the 24-hour emergency assistance line on +44 (0) 203 467 4122.
Do not make your own return arrangements before receiving approval, as this may affect whether the costs can be considered under the policy.
Dealing with flight disruption
Contact your airline to ask about alternative transport, help, compensation, or a refund.
Ask for written confirmation giving the reason for the disruption, the delay, and any alternative transport offered.
If your schedule includes Natural Disaster cover, you may be able to claim for certain delayed or missed departures. Any refunds or compensation from your transport provider will be considered, and you cannot claim the same costs under more than one part of your policy.
For more information on Natural Disaster cover, see here