Searches for premium travel insurance increases

As airlines attempt to tackle the backlog of passengers stranded abroad, and try and restore some normality to their fight schedules, research by comparison site moneysupermarket.com found traffic to its travel insurance site increased by 27 per cent since air travel disruption started.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at moneysupermarket.com said: "The effects of the volcanic dust cloud on global travel has been an unprecedented incident in aviation history, and as we start to see flight schedules slowly returning to normal, the ramifications on thousands of travellers has been widespread.

"Travel insurance is now firmly on the agenda for British holidaymakers, although sadly for many not for the right reasons. Recent experiences highlight the importance of choosing the right policy for your needs and although we have seen a 27 per cent increase in visitors looking for travel insurance through our site, we have seen a significant shift in the number of Brits looking for ‘premium' policies too - quality policies that offer more comprehensive levels of cover, and insure for trip delay and scheduled airline failure and end supplier failure for example; it's certainly not just about price anymore for travellers.

"We still firmly believe the reaction from many travel insurers was extremely disappointing, with the majority not covering their policy holders for flight cancellation - just advising them to contact their airline. I just hope this is the wake up call the industry needs - to have comprehensive contingencies in place for such events, no matter how unexpected. It is clear that insurance is always a must when travelling, whether abroad or closer to home and this kind of situation is exactly the reason customers buy insurance and they should be able to claim for the cost of their lost holidays and other expenses incurred.

"I implore travellers not be put off taking out travel insurance as a result of their recent bad experience or stories of others difficulties. No matter what you think of the product, travelling abroad without insurance is madness. Although it may not necessarily cover unexpected events like the volcanic ash cloud, the probability of these natural disasters happening is relatively low, but making a claim for loss of baggage/belongings or emergency medical treatment are more regular occurrences and can add up to thousands of pounds in extreme cases, all of which would be covered by the individual if appropriate travel insurance isn't in place.

"I fear, the knock-on effect of this situation could have ramifications in the future, as pressure on airlines mounts to pay millions in compensation to passengers. I wouldn't discount the failure of some airlines as a result, and anyone who has booked their travel plans for later in the year, may find they need to claim on their insurance should their holiday arrangements end in disarray."

moneysupermarket.com recommends at least the following level of cover:

£2m for medical expenses
£1m personal liability
£3000 cancellation - or enough to cover the cost of your holiday
£1500 baggage
£250 for cash
Policy excesses under £100
Cover for scheduled airline failure and end supplier failure as desirable
Delay cover (e.g. £20/hour for first 12 hours).