6 things travellers should know about the current Middle East travel upheaval

The open-ended nature of the conflict means that there is no knowing how long these restrictions will remain in place. For travellers, this creates a great deal of uncertainty, even if their destination lies far from the Middle East itself.

If you’re planning to travel in the near future, here are some important things to know.

Travel insurance does not cover acts of war

It may surprise you to know that your travel insurance policy will not provide coverage for any losses related to the ongoing conflict, even if your bookings were made prior to its outbreak.

Losses arising from acts of war are almost always excluded under standard travel insurance policies. These exclusions are typically written in broad language that includes not just declared wars, but also military actions or retaliatory strikes.

For example, United Overseas Insurance has posted the following advisory:

This position is not unique to a single insurer. In fact, almost all travel insurance policies contain similar clauses, which bar travellers from claiming compensation due to disruptions caused by conflict. For example, if your airline cancels a flight due to airspace closures, any resulting losses such as missed hotel bookings or tours would typically not be reimbursed under a standard policy. 

There is some nuance to this, however. If you are in an affected area, you will still continue to receive coverage for events unrelated to the conflict, such as medical expenses for injury or sickness (e.g. if you contract food poisoning), loss or damage to baggage by the airline, or the loss of travel documents.

Furthermore, if your policy features a “cancel for any reason” clause, you can proceed to make a claim regardless. Do note that coverage is rarely 100%, however. With Singlife’s cancel for any reason travel insurance, you will be reimbursed for 50% of the non-recoverable costs.

Check the flexibility policies offered by your airline

Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways and other Gulf carriers have introduced new flexibility policies due to the upheaval of air travel in the region.

These policies grant travellers additional flexibility such as waived change fees, extended ticket validity and complimentary refunds, even if their ticket may not have otherwise allowed for it.

The most important thing here is not to panic-cancel your flights. If you cancel voluntarily, it will be treated as a change of mind, and normal fare rules apply. However, if the airline cancels the flight, you are normally entitled to free rebooking, a travel credit or a refund.  

Airlines often wait until the last possible moment before cancelling flights, because airspace closures and security advisories can change rapidly. 

In the meantime, you should visit the airlines’ respective websites to see what sort of flexibility policies they are offering. For example, at the time of writing, Emirates passengers booked to travel between 28 February and 31 March 2026 have the option of either:

• Booking an alternative flight with travel on or before 30 April 2026

• Requesting a refund

These policies can change on short notice, so always refer to the airline’s website for the most accurate information.

There are two additional points worth noting.

First, “free” changes merely mean that the airline waives the change fee that would normally be charged. Travellers may still be required to pay the fare difference, if the revised fare costs more than the original one.

Second, where you booked your ticket through matters. If you made your reservation through an online travel agency like Expedia or Trip.com, you will be directed back to that channel for any changes or refunds. Airlines will not be able to change or cancel your ticket directly.

Compensation rules may not apply

The closure of airspace for security reasons is typically classified as an extraordinary circumstance. While airlines may remain responsible for refunding cancelled flights, they are generally not required to compensate passengers for expenses such as hotels or meals. 

For example, travellers to Europe may be familiar with EC261, which requires airlines to compensate passengers for flight delays or cancellations. This can be up to 600 Euros, for long-haul flights. However, EC261 compensation does not apply to delays caused by circumstances outside the airlines’ control, such as the current conflict. 

Airlines may nonetheless provide compensation on a goodwill basis, but they are by no means required to do so.