Does travel insurance cover natural disasters?

Does travel insurance cover natural disasters?
Travel and natural disaster insurance After the Icelandic volcano Grimsvotn erupted in a plume of smoke and ash on Saturday May 21, 2011, Icelandic airports were closed until further notice. This situation is reminiscent of a similar event that caused chaos in European airspace for several weeks in April 2010. The result: Thousands of flights were canceled due to force majeure.

What is force majeure?

From a legal point of view, force majeure meets a precise definition. To assess it, the event must combine several criteria: exteriority, unpredictability and irresistibility. Or in other words, be insurmountable.

In the case of the natural disaster scenario caused by Eyjafjöll, the volcano that was the pet peeve of many airlines (1.2 billion losses for the sector) and of course 8 to 10 million travelers who saw each other stranded in international airports, we were faced with a case of force majeure.

What does this imply ?

Unless you have an "all cause" cancellation insurance contract, a natural disaster will void many of the terms of most travel insurance contracts. Legally speaking, it cancels the obligations to which airlines and travel agencies are subject. But don't panic, since the latter often show understanding and solidarity to satisfy their aggrieved customers by postponing their departure, or by offering a commercial gesture.

Patiently accepting your pain is the first rule of good manners in such a situation.