Vacationers stand in queues, sometimes several hundred meters long. Pieces of luggage never reach their destination: At some airports, chaotic conditions are more the rule than the exception. Travel insurers are feeling the same. Because the airport chaos is accompanied by the increasing corona numbers.
Allianz Travel and Ergo travel insurance report increasing claims, particularly in travel cancellation, travel health and baggage insurance. Flights that are canceled or severely delayed do not constitute insurance damage in the EU. Because passengers can be compensated, ask for a refund of the ticket price or book another flight. However, the airlines are liable for this and not the insurers.
However, Allianz travel cancellation insurance, for example, does take effect if the passenger has to go into quarantine before the start of the journey. “Due to Covid-19 and indirect consequences, we are seeing both an increase in sales of travel insurance and in the claims area,” says a spokeswoman. Ergo travel insurance also reports more damage. “Unfortunately, this year we have seen a very significant increase in damage reports due to Corona,” says a spokesman. Many customers cancel their trips at short notice because they have contracted Covid-19. That is why Ergo has raised the price of supplementary protection against Covid-19.
Allianz Travel has not yet increased its premiums, but does not rule out such a step. “Should we determine any lasting changes in the damage and risk situation, we will adapt our products accordingly.” Even when travelers arrive at their vacation destination after hours of waiting, they often find themselves without luggage. Losses at Allianz Travel are also increasing in this area. Although more customers in this segment also mean more sales, the insurer has to deal with significantly higher case numbers. A similar development can be seen in Ergo’s travel health insurance. However, both insurers do not want to comment on specific claims figures.
If you don’t want to go on a trip out of caution, you usually won’t get any money back
Travelers should not only protect themselves against airport chaos and corona waves, advise consumer advocates. Travel cancellation insurance, a travel cancellation policy and travel health insurance are recommended, says Madlen Müller, an insurance specialist at the Saxony consumer advice center. Customers should insure themselves as early as possible against a possible cancellation or termination of a holiday. This is especially true for expensive trips.
Consumers should definitely get travel health insurance. It covers services that health insurance companies and private health insurers do not cover in the regular tariffs abroad. This applies in particular to trips outside the EU. With Covid-19, the offers for travel cancellation policies are very different. Protection often only applies if the consumer himself is ill and is therefore unable to travel.
If he or she is only supposed to isolate himself or herself because they have had contact with infected people, this is usually not insured. The same applies when holiday destinations are declared high-risk areas. “Fear of a possible infection cannot be insured,” emphasizes Michael Wortberg from the Rhineland-Palatinate consumer center. Nevertheless, he advises in the current situation to protect yourself. His colleague Müller recommends checking baggage insurance carefully. Valuables such as laptops are often excluded.
Müller and Wortberg advise against all-round packages. Insurers often hide benefits that are actually superfluous. “Most of the time, these include other policies that consumers don’t even need, but for which they have to pay a lot,” says Wortberg. Colleague Müller sees it similarly. “It is better to opt for suitable individual solutions that suit the individual needs of the consumer.”