Giant insurer Aviva will be offering a new optional volcanic ash insurance travel policy add-on from the 1 June, 2010.

Volcanic ash insurance is likely to be a big thing from the industry over the coming years as the travel companies, as well as its customers, face potential chaos as the Icelandic volcanoes do their best to ruin everyone’s travel plans.

The new optional volcanic ash insurance travel policy add-on has been created, say Aviva, to offers its customers a new form of cover should their travel plans be disrupted by a closure of UK’s airspace, airports, or ports.

Those Aviva customers with either single trip, or annual policies, will be entitled to purchase the new volcanic ash insurance cover for a fixed cost of a fiver per insured person for single trips and a tenner per insured person for those with annual insurance.

The new volcanic ash insurance deal is open to both existing customers and those buying from Aviva for the first time. But, it can only be purchased as part of the existing Aviva policy; it is not a stand-alone product.

Aviva travel manager Jerry Finch said:
“The key benefit normally associated with a standard travel policy has historically been medical emergency cover and this still remains the top reason for any claim.

“However, we appreciate the need to provide protection for additional risks that have not been previously covered by insurance. So we have broadened our insurance cover beyond the impact of volcanic ash on flights to include any reason for airspace, port or airport closure. This would include examples such as: terrorism, prevention of terrorism or even a pandemic situation, such as bird flu.

“This should help customers feel more confident of their position as they look either to go on holiday soon or plan to book one later in the year. By introducing the new option we are providing our customers with the freedom to choose the amount of cover they feel would be right for them.”

There are the normal get-out clauses and caveats of course, so it’s best to read the Aviva fine print in detail if you want to get the best from the new volcanic ash insurance.

Guest Article by Neil Camp