{"id":26680,"date":"2026-03-26T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/?p=26680"},"modified":"2026-03-23T13:47:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:47:12","slug":"stranded-in-the-middle-east-does-travel-insurance-pay-in-a-war-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebrokernews.ch\/en\/stranded-in-the-middle-east-does-travel-insurance-pay-in-a-war-zone\/","title":{"rendered":"Stranded in the Middle East: Does travel insurance pay in a war zone?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Gestrandet im Nahen Osten: Walter Wattinger, CEO Europ\u00e4ische Reiseversicherung ERV gibt Antworten.<\/span><\/div>\n\n

The war between the USA, Israel and Iran has had a massive impact on air travel in the Middle East. Thousands of travelers worldwide, including several thousand Swiss nationals, are currently stranded in the region after airports were closed and flights were cancelled. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

What does this situation mean for travelers and their insurance companies? What benefits can those affected expect and where are the limits of insurance cover? Walter Wattinger, CEO of Europ\u00e4ische Reiseversicherung (ERV), talks about this. <\/p>\n\n

Mr. Wattinger, several thousand Swiss travellers are currently stranded due to the escalation in the Middle East. How does ERV assess the current situation from the perspective of a travel insurer? <\/h6>\n\n

The current escalation in the Middle East is causing considerable uncertainty and is having a noticeable impact on international travel. Flight cancellations and detour are shaping the situation for many travelers. As a travel insurance company, we are expecting an increased number of inquiries, claims and an increased service volume, especially now that the Easter vacations are approaching. We are continuously monitoring the situation and regularly adjusting our assessments. Our wish remains that the situation calms down as quickly as possible. <\/p>\n\n

Many airports in the region are closed or only open to a limited extent. What support can affected travelers expect from travel insurance? <\/h6>\n\n

It was immediately clear to us that we had to provide guidance quickly and ramp up our support at the same time. We therefore quickly set up FAQs <\/a>for customers and partners, created internal guidelines for claims processing and are constantly monitoring the FDFA’s travel advice. We have also increased capacity in the Service Center, prioritized telephony and adapted our telephone greetings. This allows us to manage inquiries better. <\/p>\n\n

Which requests or emergencies do your assistance teams currently receive most frequently from travelers in the Middle East?<\/h6>\n\n

On the one hand, there are customers who are blocked in the Middle East and have to extend their trip involuntarily. On the other hand, there are also customers who are stuck in the Maldives, for example, because they would have flown home via Dubai and their return flight was canceled. <\/p>\n\n

In addition, we often hear from customers whose trip is imminent and who are unable to travel due to the current situation.<\/p>\n\n

Many insurance conditions exclude war events. What does this mean in concrete terms for travelers who are now unable to return home? If an insured person is surprised by warlike events on site within the first 14 days of their outbreak, this is considered a covered event. According to our GCI, the costs of accommodation, communication and meals are insured in such a case for a maximum of 7 days and up to CHF 1,500. Due to the current situation, however, we are waiving this time restriction; the maximum sum insured remains unchanged. The additional return travel costs are covered in addition to the above-mentioned limit. <\/p>\n\n

Are additional costs, for example for hotels, meals or rebooking, covered by travel insurance?<\/h6>\n\n

Yes, but these are limited to a certain amount depending on the insurance policy, for example CHF 1,500 for our Multi Trip annual travel<\/a> insurance that can be taken out online. However, it is also the case that if the return flight is canceled due to an airport closure, several affected countries have announced that they will cover the additional costs for accommodation etc. incurred as a result. Some airlines have also promised to cover the additional hotel costs. As a rule, there are no costs for rebooking, as the airlines usually allow rebooking free of charge. Should rebooking costs nevertheless arise, these will be covered in addition to the above-mentioned limit. <\/p>\n\n

What are the differences between cancellation insurance, travel interruption insurance and assistance services in such crises?<\/h6>\n\n

Cancellation insurance usually covers the risk of having to cancel a trip before it has even started. Our SOS benefits include trip interruption and assistance cover modules. Trip interruption insurance covers the costs of unplanned early return travel or unplanned delays to the return journey. Assistance cover is provided for risks that occur during the trip, such as repatriation. There is also cover for medical expenses, which covers the financial consequences of medical incidents abroad. <\/p>\n\n

Our General Terms and Conditions of Insurance (GCI) state that cancellation costs are generally excluded for warlike events, whereas SOS insurance covers “warlike events” for 14 days after their first occurrence if the customer in the Middle East was surprised by them.<\/p>\n\n

What role does the time when the insurance was taken out play, i.e. whether a policy was taken out before or after the outbreak of the conflict?<\/h6>\n\n

Losses caused by events that occurred before the insurance was taken out are not covered. If a travel advice issued by the FDFA <\/a>has already been published at the time the insurance is taken out, all resulting losses are excluded. This also applies if the travel advice expressly advised against travel prior to departure or booking. <\/p>\n\n

Who bears primary responsibility for stranded travelers in such a situation? Airlines, tour operators, insurers or the state?<\/h6>\n\n

In principle, if the agreed contractual agreement cannot be fulfilled, a free rebooking or refund by the service provider is possible. This means that if a booked flight cannot take place, the airline will in most cases be liable for rebooking and cancellation costs (for EU airlines, even stricter regulations based on EU Regulation 261\/2004<\/a> apply). <\/p>\n\n

In the case of package tour providers, the Package Travel Act applies here. They are also obliged to offer an alternative or cancel if the planned trip cannot take place. If people are surprised on site, the insurance will cover the costs. In this crisis, various countries have also communicated that they will cover the additional costs, as we have already seen in practice. In this case, the insurance companies will cover the remaining additional costs in accordance with the respective insurance contract. <\/p>\n\n

In this situation, the FDFA emphasizes the personal responsibility of people who are abroad when it comes to returning home. They recommend following the instructions of the local authorities<\/a> and registering on the Travel Admin App. Via the Travel Admin App<\/a>, the FDFA had an overview of the number of stranded Swiss travelers at all times and coordinated safe flight connections with private airlines. The focus here is on providing information. <\/p>\n\n

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is not currently organizing any repatriation operations. What role do travel insurers play in such situations? <\/h6>\n\n

In previous crises, travel insurance companies have occasionally organized joint charter flights to bring stranded customers back home. However, the current situation was much more complex: as Dubai is a central global hub, the affected travelers were spread around the world and individual airspaces were temporarily restricted for safety reasons. <\/p>\n\n

To make matters worse, flight routes are already restricted due to the war in Ukraine. The options in this regard are therefore massively limited.In this crisis, the focus of the insurance companies is therefore on recording cases, providing financial support and transmitting up-to-date information. The airlines are primarily responsible for safe flight routes and available capacities. <\/p>\n\n

How exactly does the cooperation between insurance companies, airlines and authorities work when organizing return trips?<\/h6>\n\n

Both the airlines and the insurance companies are guided by the information provided by the authorities. Where possible, the authorities provide information on the current situation and return flights. Where possible, the airlines organize flights to the affected areas and arrange rebookings and cancellations. The insurance companies pass on the available information to their customers and assume the financial consequences in accordance with the AVB. <\/p>\n\n

What mistakes do you often see travelers make when a geopolitical crisis suddenly escalates?<\/h6>\n\n

That hasty decisions are made out of fear. Basically, patience is required and the instructions given must be followed. Under no circumstances should a service be canceled prematurely before the service provider does so, unless there is the possibility of a free cancellation anyway. <\/p>\n\n

What should travelers do if they are in a crisis region and their return journey is uncertain?<\/h6>\n\n

We generally recommend registering for all trips in the FDFA’s Travel Admin app.<\/em> In crisis situations, this gives the FDFA an immediate overview of how many Swiss travelers are where. This allows the Department to react quickly, for example by organizing a repatriation operation or pointing out valuable resources such as current alternative return flight options. <\/p>\n\n

It is also important to check the flight rotation on an ongoing basis, either via the app or the customer portal of the respective airline, or alternatively via the travel agency. The airlines – or, depending on the booking, the travel agency – usually provide information automatically via push notifications or updates on the booked channel, usually with an alternative flight option. To avoid additional costs, you should refrain from organizing an alternative return flight on your own before the airline cancels the flight. <\/p>\n\n

What significance do digital tools such as travel registrations or emergency apps have in such situations?<\/h6>\n\n

As mentioned above, the FDFA app is certainly very helpful during the crisis, as it contains up-to-date information, but it is also used to check which travelers are currently stranded. For our corporate travel insurance customers, we have our own risk alert app in cooperation with our emergency call center, which contains up-to-date information about the destination. This provides security through real-time threat monitoring, immediate alerts and a multilingual 24\/7 hotline for medical and security issues. Based on this information, travel risk managers can create a safe itinerary, which is particularly important when traveling to regions that are not developed for tourism. <\/p>\n\n

Will geopolitical risks play a greater role in the design of travel insurance products in the future?<\/h6>\n\n

International travel today is more influenced by geopolitical developments than it was a few years ago. As a travel insurer, we constantly monitor these developments and take them into account in our risk assessments. However, the specific impact of individual events on travel insurance products depends on many factors. <\/p>\n\n

What advice do you have for people planning trips to politically volatile regions in the coming months?<\/h6>\n\n

We recommend that you adhere to the current travel advice issued by the FDFA. This currently expressly advises against non-tourist travel to certain countries. Accordingly, you should wait until this travel warning is lifted by the FDFA before booking for these regions. <\/p>\n\n

The questions were asked by Binci Heeb.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Read also: ERV with new accident insurance for events<\/a><\/p>\n\n

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