Insurer warns passengers against tax-free flights
Passengers flying via European hubs to avoid paying UK air passenger duty are being warned they may not be fully protected by their travel insurance.
Insurance provider Essential Travel said that passengers flying via the Continent would not be covered if they missed their connecting flight as a result of their flight to Europe being delayed.
Essential's Stuart Bensusan said: "In the majority of cases, holiday makers are unlikely to be covered under their travel insurance if they miss their long-haul flight as a result of their first, short-haul flight being delayed – normally it's the initial international journey that is covered.”
More passengers could be tempted to take long-haul flights from a European hub rather than direct from the UK to avoid the latest increase in air passenger duty, which was confirmed by the Treasury yesterday.
From April 2012, the tax will rise by roughly 8%, twice the rate of inflation.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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