FCO reinstate advice against travel to mainland Spain

Which I think will now mean that tour operator will now cancel booked holidays, and hopefully refund too. And that the airlines will at least now let you change your booking to a later date FOC, and failing that you can claim on insurance.

So, in the light of yesterdays announcement, I think this is a good thing.

I think. Let's face it, nowadays, no one really knows who to interrupt the ever changing regs!

Hi WDG,

A small glimmer of positivity for a few in what is otherwise a tragedy on all levels.

Stay safe everyone,

Kim

Morning Kimmy. I know, just where do things go from here? It's not good that's for sure.

We cancelled our July and Sept trips to view property as we accepted that to continue with them was just being selfish. Our next booked trip now is Nov, then monthly for most of next year, god knows if we'll get to use those flights though. God knows if we'll even by buying in Spain now, far too many variables to make that call just now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vf-HJ7qxv8

My understanding is that if the Foreign Office advises no travel to Spain then all existing travel insurance becomes invalidated! Quite a bonanza for the insurance lads! So why bother with insurance?? My view is that England is being ruled by morons and this is just another example. What a joke when England has the highest death rate in the world after Cowboty Country!

Watching that video and doing a bit of reading, I think issue of insurance for claims related to CV go back to a blanket statement made by most of the insurance providers: Any insurance purchased after mid-March had a blanket exclusion for all trips booked after the same date saying anything related to CV, no matter what the FCO says.

So, if my understanding is correct... If you purchased your travel insurance in April and booked a holiday at the same time, no matter what happens in terms of quarantine or FCO advice, you have no cover if your claim relates to CV. So say you booked your flight when the government announced the "air-bridge" to Spain and you now can't go due the quarantine your insurance is useless, as the claim would be related to CV. 

If the government hadn't closed the "air-bridge" and you took the holiday, had a fall, needed medical treatment and needed to claim, your insurance would be valid, as the claim isn't related to CV. But now, with the change of advice from the FCO you couln't claim, as related to CV or not, as far as your insurance is concerned, you wouldn't be there, so any cover. 

As the guy in the video says it's a very complex situation, but I'd say the best approach to take is assume you can not get any cover for anything, then decide if the trip is worth the risk.

As he says, a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money. 

My thinking was related to those who are currently on holiday in Spain, who bought travel insurance - often at considerable cost if there were pre-existing medical conditions - and with the change in FCO advice, leaves them on the wrong side ot the advice in spite of setting out in good faith.and having their cover made worthless. A totally unfair situation from an incompetent goverment who will not consider printing a bit more money to help these victims out if they suffer an accident here or if they lose their jobs on return to England. Thank the Lord I have been out of that wet and miserable country for half my life!

Ancient printer......agree with everything you said

My friend's son and wife, who arrived from the UK on Friday for 2 weeks have been trying all day to get a flight home again. 

BoJo and the other incompetent clowns can delay mandating the wearing of masks in shops for 2 weeks, but couldn't delay suspension of the air bridge for the same period, in order to allow holiday makers in Spain to get home?  Perhaps if they'd managed to roll out the Covid-19 health checks, piloted at Heathrow earlier this month, to other UK airports before September at the earliest, they wouldn't have to apply yet further, poorly thought through, panic measures 🤨