Does travel insurance cover haze-related flight delays?

Between 5 and 11 October 2026, 16 flights were diverted from Singapore's Seletar Airport because haze had reduced visibility, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group.

A Malaysian airline also cancelled flights between Seletar and Subang, Malaysia, with the disruption subsequently extended to 16 October.

For travellers, a flight disruption can be expensive. A missed hotel booking, additional accommodation or the cost of rearranging a holiday can quickly add up.

Travel insurance may help recover some of these losses. However, whether you can claim depends on how your policy treats haze and what exactly happened to your trip.

Do all travel insurance policies cover flight delays caused by haze?

The short answer is no. Only some travel insurance policies sold in Singapore may cover haze-related flight delays.

In 2016, The Straits Times reported two travellers stranded in Langkawi for nearly two days received different outcomes from their insurers.

• One received compensation.
• The other's claim was rejected because his insurer did not classify haze as adverse weather.

The distinction is worth understanding.

• Most travellers are familiar with travel insurance covering disruptions caused by bad weather, such as thunderstorms or typhoons.
• Haze can be different because it often originates from land and forest fires, often caused by human activity.

The travel insurance policies most likely to pay out are usually those with broader coverage for delays caused by unforeseen circumstances.

For example, GREAT TravelCare includes protection against flight delays caused by haze, subject to the policy's terms and conditions. The benefit is payable when a flight is delayed for at least six hours under the Basic and Gold Plans, or four hours under the Platinum Plan.

Claims are subject to assessment, and the airline must provide written confirmation stating the reason for the delay and its duration.

What if your flight is diverted or cancelled because of haze?

Some travel insurance policies, including GREAT TravelCare, provide Travel Delay benefits that apply to flight diversions, provided the resulting delay meets the relevant conditions.

Flight cancellations are a different matter.

If your airline cancels your flight, your first step should be to check what alternative arrangements it can provide.

During the October 2026 haze disruptions for example:

• The Malaysia-based airline mentioned earlier offered affected passengers alternative flights on another carrier between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Changi Airport, subject to seat availability.
• Passengers who chose not to take the alternative flights were then eligible for full refunds.
• In this scenario, your travel insurance may not pay out.

But what about the other parts of your holiday, such as non-refundable hotel bookings or prepaid activities?

Some travel insurance policies cover eligible losses arising from flight cancellations. However, a cancelled flight does not automatically entitle you to claim for cancelling your entire trip.

Whether any additional benefits apply depends on the circumstances and your policy's covered events, conditions and exclusions.

The key takeaway is this: most travel insurance generally will not reimburse costs already refunded by your airline, hotel or another provider.

Can you cancel your holiday because the haze is bad?

Suppose you have booked a family holiday to a destination experiencing severe haze.

Your flights are operating normally, but you are concerned about the air quality, particularly if you are travelling with young children or older family members.

Can you cancel and claim under your travel insurance?

Generally, standard trip cancellation benefits do not cover a voluntary decision to cancel because of haze concerns.

GREAT TravelCare, for example, does not classify haze as a natural disaster. Haze itself is therefore not an insured event under its standard Trip Cancellation or Trip Postponement benefits.

However, there may be another option.

Some travel insurance policies offer cancellation for any reason benefits, which provide partial reimbursement even when your reason for cancelling falls outside the standard covered events.

GREAT TravelCare's Gold and Platinum plans include a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason benefit, subject to conditions.

• To qualify, you must have purchased the policy within 30 days of your initial trip booking or payment.
• The benefit may reimburse up to 50% of eligible non-refundable travel expenses, subject to your plan's benefit limits and exclusions.
• For example, if you have S$2,000 in eligible non-refundable travel expenses, you may be able to recover up to S$1,000, subject to the applicable conditions and limits.

This benefit can be useful when plans change unexpectedly, but it is important to check your eligibility before cancelling any bookings.

What if haze makes you too ill to fly?

There is another way haze could affect your holiday, even if your flight departs on schedule.

Imagine developing serious breathing difficulties after being exposed to haze. You visit a doctor, who advises you are medically unfit to travel.

In this situation, you may be able to claim under your travel insurance's Trip Cancellation benefit.

There are, however, some important conditions.

• Your illness must be sufficiently serious. Mild coughing, eye irritation or discomfort caused by haze do not necessarily qualify. A medical practitioner must confirm the seriousness of your condition and your inability to travel.
• Pre-existing medical conditions matter. For example, if you have asthma and your condition worsens during a haze episode, coverage may depend on whether your policy excludes pre-existing conditions. GREAT TravelCare offers optional pre-existing condition coverage for its Gold and Platinum plans, although the benefits and exclusions should be checked carefully.
• When you purchased your insurance also matters. Under GREAT TravelCare's standard Trip Cancellation benefit, illness-related cancellation cover does not apply if you purchased the policy less than seven days before your trip.

If you are too ill to travel, seek medical advice and obtain the necessary documentation before changing your travel arrangements.

What should you do if haze disrupts your travel plans?

If your flight is affected, the first thing to do is contact your airline for alternative arrangements or refunds.

For travel delay claims, request written confirmation stating why your flight was disrupted and how long the delay lasted. This is particularly important for GREAT TravelCare claims.

• Keep your original flight itinerary, boarding passes, airline notifications and receipts for any additional expenses. If you are cancelling because of illness, retain your medical reports and certification.

With haze capable of disrupting flights even when airports remain open, there is good reason to look beyond the headline benefits when choosing travel insurance.

Check the minimum delay period, the events covered and whether your policy offers flexibility if you need to change or cancel your trip.

If you are unsure which travel insurance coverage best suits your needs, speak to a financial representative.

Written by: Great Eastern Lifepedia team

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