Flybe has entered administration
If you have booked flight tickets with Flybe and want to know the position regarding your travel insurance policy, the below information provides an indication of what action you should take, outlines what may be covered, and anything you’ll need to do to make a claim.
We can only cover you for the scenarios below if you both booked your trip and bought your policy on or before 10pm, 4th March 2020. If you bought your policy after this date, we won’t be able to cover you.
Customers already outside the UK
Please visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) website for the latest advice if you are affected by the financial failure of Flybe.
Unlike the recent administration of Thomas Cook, the CAA has not been commissioned by the government to provide a repatriation service for Flybe customers who are abroad. However, this is because assistance is readily available to travellers from other sources. How to obtain help will depend on how you booked your flights:
If you booked a package trip through an Air Travel Organiser's Licence (ATOL) protected travel firm, they will be responsible for making alternative flight arrangements for your trip home.
If you booked directly with the airline and paid by credit card, you may be protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and should contact your card issuer for more information. Similarly, if you paid by debit or credit card you should contact your card issuer for advice as you may be able to make a claim under their charge back rules.
If you booked through an Airline Ticket Agent, please contact the agency first – as they may have either provided you with Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI) or else have their own SAFI cover, which would mean they can arrange and pay for your flight home.
Where your Columbus Direct travel insurance policy includes cover for Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI), this would provide cover for any irrecoverable costs incurred for flight arrangements home. You will need to book and fund an alternative flight home and keep all receipts and documentation. Then download a claim form from https://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp or call IPP Claims on 0345 266 1872 to make a claim against the scheduled airline failure cover on your policy.
The Scheduled Airline Failure section does not provide cover for any additional costs or losses relating to pre-booked accommodation, car hire, cruises and transfers. These costs are not covered by any other section of the policy.
If you are not able to arrange transportation back to the UK until after your policy is due to expire, our cover will automatically extend until you are able to return home.
If you’re still in the UK and you haven’t travelled yet
Visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) website as this includes information about how to recover any costs relating to a Flybe holiday.
If you had flights booked with Flybe, you will be able to claim for any irrecoverable flight costs if there is Scheduled Airline Failure cover on your Columbus Direct policy. If you booked directly with Flybe you should check with your debit/credit card provider to see if you can recover your costs. If you booked via a Travel Agent, you will need to check with them first as you may have ATOL protection.
If you have not been able to recover your flight costs this way, you can download a claim form from https://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp or call IPP Claims on 0345 266 1872 to make a claim against the Scheduled Airline Failure cover on your policy.
Your Columbus Direct policy does not cover any other costs relating to the trip. This includes any unused accommodation, car hire, parking charges or transfer costs.
If you want to rearrange your trip dates, and provided you’re not making a claim, we can transfer your policy to cover the new trip if it’s for the same or no longer duration and is to the same geographical area. Please contact our customer services team to discuss this further.
Please consider you’ll need to check your policy terms and conditions to see exactly what cover your policy provides and how much you can claim for, as different policies vary.