Travel Insurance Might Not Cover Your Cancelation

If you've got a trip coming up that requires you to go to and/or through the Middle East and you're not comfortable going, read the fine print in your travel insurance policy. Most policies have a terrorism exemption (which this would likely not be characterized as), but some may also have a state-of-war exclusion, which could come into play.

There's certainly no sense in putting yourself in harm's way just to save money you spent on airfare if you don't have coverage. By the same token, what's your life worth? If the airline cancels your flight, that might be different. But if the flights operate and you choose to cancel, those clauses might come into play.

Two websites that might be useful to you if you have travel plans in general, let alone to/through the affected area:

Safe Airspace (https://safeairspace.net/) gives you a map of the world showing areas with warnings or closures.

Conde Nast Traveler (https://bit.ly/4lc6gmx) has some good info and advice, which will be updated periodically.

Ken Kurtis

A frequent Undercurrent contributor, Ken Kurtis runs Reef Seekers, guiding trips to several great diving location; he has a couple of spots on his Manado Indonesia trip July 1-13, and for next year he is "angling for an around-the-world trip that starts in LA, goes to the Solomon Island, then to the Seychelles, stops for a few days in Cairo (pyramids -- no diving), and then is in Luxor, Egypt, for the August 2 total solar eclipse (and then we head for home)." www.reefseekers.com