FCO update from the Club: France and Netherlands
Following the removal of France and The Netherlands from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) exemption list for non-essential travel, we are focusing our efforts on assisting members immediately due to travel.
Whilst the FCO is not recommending that those already abroad return home early, we appreciate some members may want to return home and we are assisting them.
If your trip is not due to imminently depart, we would ask that you please avoid contacting us today to allow us to help those members in most urgent need.
Please be assured the safety and wellbeing of our members is of paramount importance to the Club.
For latest information on restricted countries please visit our Europe Updates
Comments
-
Hi Rowena, Thank you for your update, I have been searching for an update on the main site and trying to call oversees travel, who understandable are busy and I cannot get through. Meanwhile it would be useful to have confirmation that our Red Pennant policy is now invalid as a result of The FCO announcement. We are due to travel next week, under the current circumstances will the phone line be open over the weekend for amendments, cancellations, refunds etc. If not if one cannot cancel before the day that one is due to travel because one can't get through, therefore through no fault of ones own, what will be the situation then? I am sure that we will not be the only members in the same situation i.e trying to amend urgently but failing to be able to do so.
0 -
Rowena. On the subject of RP. On 1 Sep we are currently crossing (Tunnel) to France then to Germany, Austria (transit) and then Italy. Will my RP insurance still be valid in Germany, Austria and Italy? We will be spending just two nights only in France, one in each direction. Our leaning is not to go but this advice would help our decision making.
0 -
Hi lesandang, when were you due to travel? I can forward your info over to my colleagues to look into.
0 -
Hi comeyras, I will look into this for you and get back to you.
0 -
I’ve spoken to one of my colleagues in the Overseas Travel Team who has advised that Club staff will be working tomorrow to call people who are due to travel over the next couple of days. These will be prioritised in date order. Lesandang, we will do our best to give you a call on Monday.
We’ve actually prioritised travel ahead of other products today and taken agents off emails to help with calls, but we have also had to take agents off the phone to call those who were due to travel today and needed to amend their bookings most urgently.
I have also spoken to my colleagues on the Red Pennant team, who have advised Red Pennant only applies if prior to your departure from the UK, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have not advised against all or all but essential travel to the countries you travel to/through during your trip.
We therefore advise you to check before you travel that the countries you are visiting are still included in the list of countries you can visit:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
All Red Pennant Policies are only able to provide cover for any coronavirus-related disease (including but not limited to COVID-19) or any related or mutated form of the virus under the Medical Emergency and Repatriation Expenses section of the policy. This excludes Motoring only policies, where there is no cover for any claim arising directly, or indirectly, from any coronavirus disease (including but not limited to COVID-19) or any related or mutated form of the virus.
There is no cover for any coronavirus related cancellations or any coronavirus related claims under any other section of the policy.
Should members decide to travel against the advice of the FCO, we will be unable to provide any benefits under the Red Pennant policy whilst they are in a country in which travel restrictions apply. Red Pennant however will remain in force whilst in countries that are exempt from the FCO’s travel guidance provided the country you are entering is not applying their own restriction on foreign travellers entering the country.
Members should be aware that whilst we will arrange assistance and apply necessary benefits, these may be impacted by the current circumstances and restrictions in neighbouring countries.
If you have incepted a single trip policy after the 1st July 2020 and are now unable to travel due to the changes in the FCO advice, we are able to amend your trip dates to allow for travel later in the year. Future trips will need to be completed within 12 months of the original inception date. For example if you took the policy on the 2nd August 2020 we can amend the trip dates to allow for a trip that ends prior to 1st August 2021. Alternatively we can cancel and refund your premium in full. This is on the condition that there are no claims pending or being made on the policy.
When our agent contacts you about your travel you can let them know what you would like to do with your Red Pennant policy.
4 -
Due to travel tomorrow, have been contacted regarding campsite bookings but as yet not regarding ferries. Tried to call yesterday but had to cancel call after 45 minutes hanging on. The difficulty is, are overseas travel calling you whilst you are calling them, also, not knowing which number they will call on therefore having to stay home! I am confident that they are working really hard but would be interested to hear how close to travel time others are getting contacted?
0 -
We were due to travel on the 3rd September via the tunnel.
I got in touch with an agent this morning on live chat, very good service, booking now amended for a future date. Email received with new dates etc. all very quick and efficient. Well done to Shelley.
0 -
Have you tried the 'Live chat' I logged on this morning about 9 am and got straight onto it, sorted the booking in a very reasonable time.
Tried yesterday to call but no joy there, I suspect they are busy contacting folk who are due to travel in the next few days.
0 -
Hi If you transit a country that is on the foreign office advisory against travel list are you still covered for breakdown of your vehicle with the red pennant policy
0 -
Hi Rowena
Regarding your full statement regarding Red Pennant policies I note that we should be able to get a refund upto the date of travel but i have heard you can only get a refund if you claim within the 14 days cooling off period after you paid for it, can you clarify.
0 -
if it helps , that was not my experience, took out full policy late Jan 2020 cxld April 2020 when we were put into lock down and told not to travel, guess it might depend on which country you are travelling too, but if Spain or France both of which are on the FCO no travel list you should be ok to cxl at any time and get full refund.
1
.
Still hoping to get away later this year if its ok to do so. 
