Donald Trump’s travel ban to spark payouts from UK insurers

Britain’s biggest travel insurers have widened the scope of their policies for customers hit by President Donald Trump’s “unprecedented” travel ban.

The top three providers, Aviva, Axa and Direct Line, said they will consider paying claims to travellers caught out by the sudden visa application changes if customers are forced to change or cancel their flights.

Trump’s executive order has temporarily banned people travelling to the United States from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.

It applies to nationals of those countries for the next three months.

The order does not apply to UK nationals unless they are dual nationals from one of the seven countries travelling from one of them into the US.

Aviva, the UK’s biggest travel insurance provider, said it had extended its standard travel insurance “in recognition of the uncertainty caused by President Trump’s executive order and to help our customers during this time”.

Although the number of people likely to be affected is thought to be small, the policies may be extended to cover costs of delays or cancellations to flights.

Axa said: “Although not technically covered, we view the current situation as unprecedented and unforeseen and as such we are extending the cover under our policies.”

Direct Line also said that it would consider claims on a case-by-case basis for customers who have been affected by the increased security measures “due to the unprecedented nature of the current situation” if policies were bought before January 27.

The insurers’ trade body, the Association of British Insurers, said: “Where people run up additional costs because of delays, for example for accommodation, they may be able to get some money back via their travel insurance, depending on the terms of their policy.”