Advice for gap year travellers affected by Irene

Brits that have had their gap year planning disrupted by Hurricane Irene may be in a position to claim money back on their travel insurance, according to ABTA – The Travel Association.

The severe tropical storm moved from the Caribbean and hit the east coast of the US on August 27th and resulted in major disruption to scheduled flights.

Sean Tipton, senior press officer at ABTA, advised gap year travellers caught up in the chaos to check the terms and conditions on their travel insurance policy, to find out whether they can make a claim.

"People in New York with delayed flights [will find] their airline or tour operator will look after customers, and if they booked their flights with an EU airline it will be responsible for day-to-day expenses and accommodation if required," he added.

Mr Tipton warned, however, that gappers flying with non-EU airlines may need to pay for extra days' accommodation before claiming it back on their insurance at a later date.

The majority of gap year travel policies will cover delays caused by severe weather conditions, but this usually amounts to a pre-determined payment, rather than the actual value of extra costs incurred, the expert noted.

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