Q&A: Egypt travel advice

Travel advice regarding Egypt is changing almost by the day amid continued political unrest in the country. Read our rundown of the latest guidance and your rights

What has the Foreign Office said?

The FCO has advised against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez. Crucially, this advice does not extend to resorts in the Red Sea (such as Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, where the vast majority of British holidaymakers are based) because they are "a very considerable distance from the affected areas and these resorts remain unaffected".

I'm already in Egypt, what should I do?

Any tourists in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor or Suez should liaise with their tour operator or airline regarding their holiday arrangements many are arranging emergency flights home for customers.

There is limited internet access in Egypt, so if you are unable to print your boarding pass you can send it to the British Embassy at cairodutyofficer@fco.gov.uk for printing. Your ticket can be collected from the British Embassy in Cairo between 8am and 10am as long as you have photo ID. British nationals in Egypt requiring other types of assistance or advice can call (02) 2791 6000. Family members or friends in the UK wanting information can call 020 7008 0000.

The British government chartered a plane on Thursday to supplement commercial capacity, which has already departed from Cairo; another has been chartered for Saturday. To register for a seat on this flight and for further instructions call 00 44 (0)20 7008 8765 or (02) 2791 6000 in Egypt, but bear in mind that seats on this flight will cost 300 each and those already booked on other co! mmercial flights should not cancel their bookings.

Stuart Bensusan of EssentialTravel.co.uk said any customer who travelled to Egypt prior to the FCO issuing advice yesterday will still be covered under its emergency medical expenses and repatriation, hospital benefit and personal accident clauses. However, those who travelled in spite of the advice being issued will not be covered. Your insurer may have the same rules, but check with them rather than presume.

What should I do if I am due to travel to Egypt?

Contact your tour operator, airline or travel agent and find out what options are available. These will vary depending on who you have booked with and the type of travel you booked. Customers of ABTA-member travel firms who have booked package holidays to the affected areas of Egypt but have not yet travelled will be entitled to receive suitable alternative arrangements, rebook for a later date or, where these options aren't available, a full refund.

The FCO suggests travel insurance policyholders confirm their reservations with their tour operator before departing, as some flights have been subject to delays or cancellation in recent days.

ABTA says customers whose travel arrangements aren't a package holiday should refer to the terms and conditions of the services they have bought to determine their rights.

I am due to fly to a Red Sea resort. Should I still go?

Tour operators and airlines are operating as normal to these destinations. However, day trips and overnight excursions from these resorts to places such as Luxor and Cairo have been suspended until further notice.

Which? Travel says tour operators are dependent on FCO advice, and as the Red Sea resorts are deemed to ! be safe destinations, holidaymakers who are merely nervous of flying to Red Sea resorts during the unrest will not be entitled to refunds unless there is a change in advice.

Can I cancel my holiday and get my money back?

It depends where you are going. If you are booked to go to an area affected by the unrest (and therefore included in the FCO's travel warning), airlines and tour operators are allowing bookings to be altered or cancelled. But if you have a holiday or flight to an unaffected area you won't be entitled to your money back unless the FCO announces it is unsafe to travel.

What will my travel insurance cover?

Travel insurance may be invalid for some travel in Egypt due to the current government advice. Check with your insurer before travelling to make sure your policy is still in force. Where alternative arrangements are made, travel insurance can usually be transferred to cover a new destination.

Cancellation costs in general may not be covered by insurance policies due to the nature of the troubles it is standard practice that civil unrest is not covered under most policies so speak to your insurer before making a decision. Whatever you are told, for extra protection should a dispute arise make a note of the date and time of the call to your insurer and who you spoke to.


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