# Travel insurance lessons from the Ryanair cancellation issue Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2017-09-23 Category: INSURANCE Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/insurance Meta Title: Top tips for DIY travellers: Protect yourself with travel Meta Description: Learn five top tips for buying travel insurance as a DIY traveller from Compare Cover, following the recent Ryanair staff holiday mix up affecting thousands of URL: https://financedigest.com/travel-insurance-lessons-from-the-ryanair-cancellation-issuehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/fd230917-6-1736843448447-compressed.jpg) Thousands of tourists have been left with cancelled flights, or stranded in airports around the world after a staff holiday mix up by budget airline Ryanair. Manager of Travel insurance at comparison website, [Compare Cover](http://www.comparecover.com/), Simon Williams, says there are a few lessons that DIY travellers can learn from this incident. He suggests travellers who organise their holidays themselves, rather than a package holiday, could consider these five top tips before buying travel insurance: - Keep a note of the date your flight was cancelled. If it was cancelled more than two weeks before departure, then under EU rules the [airline doesn’t have to pay](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-agrees-law-to-make-airlines-pay-more-to-pollute.html "EU agrees law to make airlines pay more to pollute") you compensation, just a full refund of the cost of the flight. You could then look to your insurance policy to seek reimbursement of financial losses caused as a result of the cancellation. - Buy your [travel insurance](https://www.financedigest.com/benefits-of-taking-out-travel-insurance.html "Benefits of taking out travel insurance") at the same time as booking your holiday, or at least in advance of your trip. If you don’t have travel insurance in place, you [won’t be able](https://www.financedigest.com/death-and-taxes-why-you-wont-be-able-to-escape-one-in-the-metaverse.html "Death and taxes—why you won’t be able to escape one in the metaverse") to claim for consequential losses. - When you take out travel insurance, [check if the policy covers you for consequential losses](https://www.financedigest.com/yen-stems-losses-after-report-of-boj-rate-check-hints-on-intervention.html "Yen stems losses after report of BOJ rate check, hints on intervention"). These are the financial losses you may suffer as a consequence of your [flight having been cancelled](https://www.financedigest.com/air-france-cancels-55-of-short-medium-haul-flights-sept-16-due-to-strike.html "Air France cancels 55% of short, medium-haul flights Sept. 16 due to strike"), for example hotel bookings, car hire fees and any reasonable expenses that have been incurred as a direct result of your cancellation. Also, be sure to save any receipts for spending that has resulted from the cancellation. - You might want to [consider seeking the policies which include “cancellation for any reason” which does what it says](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-considering-delay-to-northern-ireland-elections-ireland-minister-says.html "UK considering delay to Northern Ireland elections, Ireland minister says") on the tin; covers you if any part of your holiday is cancelled for reasons outside the normal parameters of cancellation cover. - The [next time you buy](https://www.financedigest.com/britains-next-buys-failed-furniture-retailer-made-com-400-jobs-axed.html "Britain’s Next buys failed furniture retailer Made.com, 400 jobs axed") flights alone, consider paying for them on your credit card. You will be covered under section 75 of the [Consumer Credit Act for purchases](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-consumers-conflicted-when-purchasing-insurance.html "UK Consumers Conflicted when Purchasing Insurance") between £100 and £30,000. Simon Williams said: “What has happened with Ryanair has affected thousands of people and will continue to do so for the coming weeks, but what it does show is the importance of having a travel [insurance policy that helps provide protection](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-choose-the-best-income-protection-insurance.html "How to Choose the Best Income Protection Insurance") when you have made your own travel arrangements. “Having travel insurance doesn’t override an [airlines’ duty of care to you as a customer](https://www.financedigest.com/soaring-airline-customer-complaints-push-global-legislators-to-act.html "Soaring airline customer complaints push global legislators to act") and travellers cannot claim for the same expenses twice, but having adequate travel insurance can give you peace of mind that you are protected should there be a cancellation. “Circumstances like these are rare and hopefully most of the people affected will be fully compensated for money and time lost. Holidays are an important part of our [lives so it’s worth protecting](https://www.financedigest.com/british-pm-rishi-sunak-pledges-further-action-on-strikes-to-protect-lives.html "British PM Rishi Sunak pledges further action on strikes to ‘protect lives’") them with the best insurance cover to suit you and your budget.” --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---