Will insurance pay out for travel to Italy in April, but after the current restrictions end?

[Wigeon]

We have two trains and a flight in Italy booked between 7 and 16 April. Clearly we will not be going. Our travel insurance policy terms say they’ll pay out if FCO advises against all but essential travel. However, the insurance company refused to tell me over the phone whether they would pay out considering we are travelling after the Italian government’s current restrictions expire on 3 April. They said we’d have to cancel our bookings, incur the costs, and then claim, after which they could advise whether they’d cover the costs.

Given the FCO advice not to travel to Italy isn’t however time limited to 3 April, does anyone know whether we can definitely claim? Anyone else been in the same boat?

Clearly the Italian government may well extend the restrictions, but we don’t know that, and if they don’t, the FCO might remove their advice against travelling, in which case we definitely won’t be able to claim in insurance...

It's highly likely that restrictions will continue till after that. Have you checked what the airline is saying rather than the insurers? Because if the airline cancels then they refund you rather than the insurance for example. Alitalia are offering free flight changes or a voucher in lieu until 31/5 for example but nothing as yet for after 31/5. But if flights are grounded before that date, you can have a proper refund.

The airline is Easyjet, who have just announced that everyone can change the date /route of their flights for free (before today, it was £32 per ticket admin fee). But ideally I’d like a refund, or to claim on the insurance!

They might cancel the flight themselves, as you say, in which case we would get a full refund, but ideally, for the sake of my blood pressure, I don’t want to wait until very close to the date of the flight to see if it’s cancelled...

Bump?