If you miss your flight due to EES queues, airlines are not obliged to put you on another flight without additional charges.
The Association of British Insurers says travel insurance is unlikely to cover the cost of new flights, hotels or any other losses as a result of delays caused by EES queues.
Anne Robinson, from Dunbarton, and her 13-year-old son Jack missed their flight home from Rome in June after they were stuck in a 90-minute queue. They had to pay £250 for a replacement flight two days later, which they could not claim back.
No travel insurance policy explicitly covers EES delays, as it is an expected process or routine procedure, explains Anna-Marie Duthie, travel insurance specialist at Analyst Defacto.
“In practice, it is your responsibility to allow extra time for such long queues or delays,” she says.
Missed departure, or delay or abandonment, has little chance of a claim under cover. However, delays at immigration or the border are often not listed among covered reasons, she says.
Top Tip: Read your paperwork or talk to your insurer before you travel.
