A UK student has spoken out after being charged £673 to change or cancel her summer trip to Lebanon, following a change in Foreign Office (FCDO) travel advice. The FCDO now warns British nationals not to travel to Lebanon due to the ongoing Iran war, which has left many travel insurance policies void.
Lottie Cornwall, a student from the Midlands, told the Guardian she was excited to introduce her boyfriend to her Lebanese extended family. "My mum's whole side of the family live there. I last saw my grandmother and cousins in 2022," she said. "My heritage means everything to me, and this was a chance for my boyfriend to meet my family, and to show him where I come from and why I'm so in love with it."
However, the changing FCDO advice meant her insurer declared her policy void if she travelled. "The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is warning British nationals not to travel to Lebanon, and my insurer says my policy is void if I do travel," Lottie fumed. "This exclusion is not made clear at point of sale. I believe consumers are being misled into purchasing premium policies."
She added: "I assumed if your government is telling you not to go somewhere, the airline would give you a credit or change the booking. We will not make the trip if the advice stays the same and will lose the money."
Expert Advice on Travel Insurance
Stephen Kennedy, director at Defaqto, says: "Travellers should treat insurance as something to check before they book, not after. Availability can change quickly when a destination is affected by conflict, airspace closures or FCDO advice, and some insurers may pause quoting while they reassess the risk."
He added: "Most standard travel policies are not designed to cover losses arising directly from war or armed conflict. That means travellers should not assume they can cancel because they are worried about travelling, or claim for disruption linked to the conflict, unless their policy clearly says so."
Gary Murphy, head of travel at insurance provider Gigasure, explains: "Travel insurance is designed to cover the risk to the individual, such as having to cancel due to illness or being made redundant. War is a mass risk and it's really difficult to price for that … so generally those type of risks are excluded."
He advises: "If you haven't booked, the best advice is to book a package trip. Then, if something happens, the travel provider is liable to refund, replace or reorganise it. If you don't want to book a package, then book flexible arrangements."
