Travel Advice (Volcano Insurance) Please

[AGAR]

Hi all,

my girlfriend and I have been planning a trip to America for a couple of months now. Our original plan was to book a selection of flights through different airlines, and book hotels through their own websites to keep costs down - ie we were intending not to be using travel agents at all.

Our planned itinery is/was:

1) Fly: Glasgow to New York - stay in New York for 3 nights.
2) Fly: New York to San Francisco - stay in San Fran for 3 nights.
3) Fly: San Francisco to LA - stay in LA for 4 nights.
4) Fly: LA to Las Vegas - stay in Las Vegas for 7 nights.
5) Fly: Las Vegas to New York - stay in New York for 1 night.
6) Fly: New York to Glasgow.

Approximate cost per person = £2000.

Is it possible for us to obtain travel insurance cover for all of the above flights and hotels in light of the recent volcano flight disruption? Say our outbound flight from Glasgow to New York is cancelled, will we be covered for all the flights and accomodation we miss in the US?

If not, would booking through a travel agent for the exactly same itinery above cover us to any higher a degree?

Or would we be better buying a package deal to one US destination - ie there would be no internal flights and hotel changes in the US to miss, only one return flight to say LA from the UK, and stay in a single hotel?

Bottom line is neither of us want to risk loosing £2000.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Agar

[Roo]

I would skip the New York bit and do that as a seperate trip.

Fly to LA or San Fran and then do a round trip with a hire car. I've done it this way several times. Or fly into one and out of the other. But start in SF and end in LA or you're likely to be disappointed with the weather in SF as it can be a bit chilly and foggy after you've been to the other places.

[Travel Demon]

If you book through a Travel Agent it would still not protect all your flights etc as they will all have been booked as separate elements - in terms of any insurance, I would make sure you speak to the insurer as in my opinion all the flights would not be covered under most policys.
It's a difficult call but things are settling down now from the Ash cloud and with the legislation passed that gives the decision to the manufacturers as to planes flying, i think we will hear much less of cancelled flights!!

[insurance_jon]

The general concensus is that if you booked your flights and bought the insurance before April 15th you are covered for the ash cloud. After that date it is a known risk and therefore uninsurable

[insurance_jon]

The general concensus is that if you booked your flights and bought the insurance before April 15th you are covered for the ash cloud. After that date it is a known risk and therefore uninsurable