Is my son covered if his festival in Malta is cancelled?

Simon Calder answers your questions on ‘Covid cover’ and how to navigate pre-travel testing

Dawn over Birgu and the Grand Harbour in southeast Malta (Getty/iStock)

Q My son has booked a festival in Malta with accommodation and has Covid insurance. His flights have been booked separately with Jet2, bought with Covid cover. If the festival gets cancelled due to Covid, where does he stand in regard to his flight?

Dawn C

A Let me start by outlining the fairly standard Covid cover offered by good travel insurers. Cancellation before travel is normally covered if the traveller tests positive for Covid shortly before departure (whether a few days ahead or when testing for travel). Some policies also cover missed departure while waiting for a test result, so long as the test was booked at the airport, ferry port or international railway station with sufficient time allowed. (Policies may mention cover for cancellation if a close relative dies after testing positive for Covid-19, though in practice cover already exists when someone close dies for any reason.)