Airlines to bar swine flu suspects

Travellers attempting to fly with swine flu symptoms risk being stranded without compensation.

This policy does not cover any liability ... resulting from ... avian influenza or any other virus that is declared to be an outbreak or epidemic by the World Health Organisation

BRITISH Airways and Virgin have confirmed they will prevent travellers suffering from swine flu from boarding their aircraft.

Staff are to be given guidance on how to evaluate potential sufferers under illness guidelines many airlines have had developed over many years to deal with a wide range of medical conditions.

"If we have concerns about a customer or the customer is concerned, then we have a 24 hour medical service we can call to give advice to staff. They will speak to the customer and an assessment will be made about their fitness to fly," said BA.

This may be expensive for travellers contracting swine flu-like illnesses in the UK or US and subsequently stranded for indeterminate periods. Expenses incurred will be not necessarily be handled under travellers' insurance policies.

But many travel insurance policies have "Pandemic Exclusions" designed to limit pay outs.

For example, a policy offered online by Tower Insurance, Cover4Travel, includes the following exclusion: "This policy does not cover any liability, loss, cost or expense arising out of, resulting from, caused or contributed to by avian influenza or any other virus that is declared to be an outbreak or epidemic by the World Health Organisation, or any Government or ruling body of a country that the outbreak or epidemic has occurred in."

Not all insurance is the same, Craig Morrison, Chief Executive Officer, Southern Cross Travel Insurance says, "If the insured person is already overseas and unexpectedly gets ill prior to a booked journey, from the swine flu or any other illness, then they are eligible to claim. Cover would apply if they were denied boarding because of suspected illness."

But as is standard practice, travellers excluded from flights should first persue compensation, or alternative options, with their airline and travel providers before claiming on insurer

"If the airline or travel agents are not able to offer refunds or flight changes, we are happy to consider any actual and reasonable additional costs. We treat all claims on a case by case basis, as circumstances rarely are the same for everybody, explains Morrison."

Comments

[Alan]

In principle I agree with this.
What's the point of a 'health questionaire' filled in when you are 20 minutes away from landing at your destination? If you've got an infectious disease, you've probably just given it to 200+ other people.
If the 'flu pandemic' - as opposed to normal flu, really is as serious as it's being made out - then there should already be health screening all over the place.

[William Knight]

I don't have a problem either. Yet airlines are responsible for carrying the virus across the world, it's way too late. You could almost make it into a new proverb: "Closing the gates after the virus has boarded."

But the insurance/compensation is a problem if say, a family of four, was stuck in London trying to get back to NZ. It is not the family's fault, arguably it is the airlines- for hastening the spread of the virus in the first place-, and if the insurance co. has a pandemic exclusion policy then they are certainly at fault.

The airlines haven't said it directly, but the clause is "unfit to fly". I'm not sure "contagion" is valid grounds for exclusion, if you are otherwise fit - as most people are with Swine Flu.