For many South African travellers, the Middle East is not only a destination but also a major global transit hub. Cities such as Dubai and Doha serve as major stops for flights between South Africa and Europe, Asia and North America.
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according to south africanWith the ongoing conflict in parts of the Middle East disrupting flights and closing airports in major hubs, travelers are suddenly asking a question many people rarely think about until something goes wrong: What does travel insurance actually cover if war breaks out?
South Africa's major insurers were quick to clarify. In most cases, the answer is not what travelers expect.
Why is war almost always excluded?
Travel insurance is designed to protect against personal accidents while traveling. Think about lost luggage, sudden illness, or a medical emergency away from home.
War is a very different kind of risk.
Insurers point out that large-scale armed conflict is considered a systemic phenomenon. In simple terms, it affects entire regions and millions of people simultaneously, making it impossible to predict the scale of disruption or financial losses.
Due to this, Most travel insurance policies exclude claims related to war or war-like events. This includes situations such as invasion, civil war, rebellion or military action.
In practical terms, this means that travelers generally cannot claim for canceled trips, missed flights, delays, or other travel disruptions caused directly or indirectly by the war.
What Santam says about war claims
Santam Travel Insurance clarifies that although war-related disruptions are excluded, there is still a limited level of protection for travelers caught in dangerous situations.
If someone gets injured as an innocent bystander in a war situation, emergency medical treatment and related expenses may still be covered. The condition is that the passenger is not participating in the conflict in any way.
However, cancellations or travel interruptions due to war remain outside the scope of cover.
Santam points out that war is too unpredictable for insurers to calculate risk in traditional insurance models.
Some policies may include cover for terrorism-related incidents, but these are usually isolated incidents rather than prolonged armed conflicts.
Hollard: Travel insurance protects individuals, not global crises
Hollard Travel Insurance shares a similar situation.
Insurers describe travel insurance as protection unexpected personal eventsNo global disruption. Illness, injury and accidents are the types of risks that policies are designed to deal with.
The current situation in the Middle East is classified as an armed conflict rather than a single terrorist incident. As a result, any losses associated with cancellation, travel delay, or conflict are excluded.
Passengers affected by suspended flights are encouraged to contact their airlines directly to arrange refunds or re-booking options.
However, travelers already living in affected areas can receive emergency medical cover as per their policy terms.
Hollard also confirmed that customers who cancel a trip due to conflict can cancel their travel insurance policy and receive a full refund of the premium, provided they have not made a claim.
Bright offers short-term cover extensions
Bright Insurance has taken a similar approach.
The company also does not cover losses caused by war or war-like events, meaning conflict-related cancellations or postponements will not be paid out.
However, travelers who were already abroad when the conflict escalated received an automatic extension of cover for seven days from 28 February. During this period, emergency medical assistance remains available.
For travelers who haven't flown yet, Bright recommends talking to airlines or travel providers to find out available options.
What should passengers do now
For South Africans with upcoming international trips, the situation highlights an important lesson that experienced travelers often repeat: Always read the fine print of your policy before departure.
Insurance can help in many situations, especially medical emergencies abroad, which can be extremely expensive. But it cannot eliminate every travel risk, especially those associated with global events.
As the Middle East remains one of the busiest transit corridors for South African travellers, airlines and airports are likely to remain under strict surveillance.
For now, insurers say the best course of action is simple: monitor official travel advisories, stay in touch with airlines and keep a close eye on diversions or flight suspensions.
Travel insurance can provide peace of mind in many situations. However, when it comes to war, it offers only limited protection.
Source: south african
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