Travel insurance flying via Dubai

[Artyfab]

We are travelling to south east Asia in July and booked flights via Dubai with Emirates months ago. Currently UK travel advice is only essential travel through Middle East, understandably, which means our travel insurance won’t cover us for the time we are in Dubai (about four hours in theory).
I assume there is nothing we can do here as all travel insurance will be the same. What would you do?

I would wait to see if the airline cancels the flights. If you choose to cancel them your rights are far less.

Yes if emirates cancel the flights then all good (although disappointing obviously) and all our accommodation is cancellable within 24 hours. I’m wondering how many people would just travel anyway though? We are covered for the Vietnam section…

I don’t think we would by the way but just interested!

I have a feeling travel insurance won't cover any of the trip if you are going against FCDO advice though could phone and check. Vast majority of travel insurance will be the same but may be able to get a specialist policy.

I would not fly it but its a personal risk choice really. We had flights to Sri Lanka in March with Emirates and had free cancellation on everything over there so we cancelled all over there and waited for Emirates who then offered full refunds. You had to be careful when filling in refund form to say Involuntary refund though think the forms got better.

I can't see anything on their site at the moment indicating they are offering refunds so its either wait it out and see if its cancelled or they offer refunds again or refund now with fees deducted or travel. I think if waiting it out there was a time just before flight it was best to do it. FlyerTalk Forum for Emirates was very useful.

@OneZanyCat I did call and our insurance says they will cover the whole trip once we’re there, just not the flight and transit…

@Artyfab We're doing similar and plan to go. I've monitored our flight codes for a while and they have been operating as normal. Like you, our travel insurance covers everything but the stopover. Also booking refundable accomodation just in case.

I've been in Manchester airport a few times in recent months and the Emirates flights have appeared to be operating on all those occasions. Obviously best case scenario is they give you the option to cancel, otherwise it may become about what you want to do. Are your tickets the cheapest non-flexible tickets, could they be changed if you don't get the option to cancel?

UAE is essential travel only and there’s a big warning on the FCO advice page saying travel there could invalidate insurance. So if a company says they are not covering Dubai in those circumstances, they aren’t and you decide if you will take the risk.

This wouldn't worry me at all! Thousands of people are transiting through there everyday without incident.

@MeetMeOnTheCorner yes I know, that’s my question. What would you do?

@TeamGeriatric they are non changeable tickets without a massive charge.

Try Battleface insurance - they cover foreign correspondents in war zones and we used them during COVID to visit France.

Sadly they won’t do insurance for UAE @stringbean - thanks though.

Ahh - that’s a shame ☹️