It is essential that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking. If you or your immediate family are unlucky enough to contract swine flu shortly before you are due to travel you should contact your tour operator, airline and insurance company to cancel your trip. Advice on the symptoms of swine flu and further medical advice are available at www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Flu/Swineflu/index.htm

Any cancellation charges you incur due to contacting swine flu should be claimable from your insurance company.  For further information, click here.

If you travel with clear symptoms of swine flu you may well be refused boarding by your airline and have any claims for medical expenses abroad rejected by your insurance company.

If you or your family develop swine flu whilst on holiday your insurance company should cover your medical expenses.

IN SHORT:

1. Take Out Travel Insurance at the time of booking, if you haven’t yet buy some as soon as you can
2. If you think you or your family may have developed Swine flu a week or less before you travel check with the NHS or your GP
3. If you need to cancel inform your travel company and insurance companies and follow their advice

We would also advise you strongly to look at the following Government and official sites for further advice.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/swine-flu) provides the latest travel advice and details any travel restrictions that may apply, prior to departure. The website provides the most up-to-date information on Swine flu and measures to take before, during and after travel. 

Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Flu/Swineflu/index.htm

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive said: “Holidays are very important to our overall wellbeing, so for those of us who are due to travel on well-earned breaks over the next few weeks, it is good news that the official advice is to ‘enjoy’ them! We all need to play our part when it comes to trying to reduce the spread of infection, and ABTA Members will continue to advise their customers with the best possible advice so that they can enjoy their holidays to the full.”