junismum

So, I understand (from all the travel insurance information here in NZ) that if you took out your travel insurance after 12 June, then disruptions due to ash clouds from Chile are not covered as this is no longer considered an unexpected event.

My question is, if you booked well before the volcano started erupting,and paid your money - or you are booking now for flights later in the year, what happens if the volcano is still causing issues?

How long is this exclusion for? No-one knows how long to anticipate the eruptions to continue for. For that matter - what if another volcano starts to erupt - is this also excluded?

I expect the airlines will re-book your flights etc. but if you loose accomodation deposits and all that sort of thing, where do you stand?

satman40

Could it be weather related.

junismum

Well, i guess in part it is. The whole southern hemisphere seems to be effected by ash coming around the world from chile. The ash cloud took 7 days to arrive in New Zealand after the volcano first started erupting, and flowed around the upper atmosphere all around the globe. it went over Australia before it got to NZ, but lots of flights domestically in aus and Nz have been effected, and many trans-tasman flights cancelled. It is an ongoing issue, depending on how low the ash cloud hovers above and whether the flights can fly under it. The volcano is still erupting, and they say it could potentially keep going for a couple of months.

Ancien Maestro

Welcome to FT!

Call and ask your airline what will happen..

They may not compensate you.. but they should rebook you to where you're going.. maybe.

celle

Well, we fly AKL-SYD-DXB next Monday. Hoping the ash cloud is well on its second circuit of the world by then! We booked 6 months ago.

Last year, our flights were disrupted by the Iceland volcano. Maybe we should stay at home and the volcanoes would remain dormant?