Golf Travel Insurance
One in five travelers uninsured
The Association of British Travel Agents has revealed that 25% of British travelers go abroad without taking out travel insurance. They have just published the results of their 2010 Consumer Trends Survey- based on a sample of 2028 people in September.
Recent events such as strikes and volcanic eruptions have highlighted the need for insurance but many people seem prepared to save a little money and risk the consequences. Without travel insurance you may end up paying thousands in medical costs, to say nothing of the cost of arranging to bring a sick person home. The EHIC card will not necessarily provide all the medical cover you need; and it only works in Europe. You also risk losing out if your camera or other valuable possessions are stolen.
Cuba and the Channel Islands now insist on travel insurance to cover medical costs so you may be turned back without it. Whether or not it is compulsory it makes sense to take out cover – and annual travel insurance could be much cheaper than a single trip policy if you make a few overseas journeys a year.
Millions have property stolen abroad whilst travelling
A major supermarket chain has released research for travel insurance showing that in the last five years five million British travelers have had personal property stolen while abroad on business or holiday trips. On average they reckon that £326 each was lost. Cash is the most likely item to be stolen – amounting to 35% of all cases.
It makes sense to look after your possessions. Not only are you less likely to have them stolen but your insurance policy will probably only pay out if you have taken reasonable care. Also check that your travel policy actually covers the items you are taking; a standard policy might not give you sufficient cover for skis, scuba gear, cameras and so on. Consider a specialist policy if you are off on a skiing (skiing travel insurance), sailing (sailing travel insurance) or golfing holiday (golf travel insurance).
If you are unlucky enough to have had something stolen and you need to make a claim under your travel insurance policy it is always best to report the crime to the local police and obtain a reference number. If the loss occurred on a flight you should complete the appropriate form for the airline.
Parasailing death highlights travel risks
A father has fallen to his death in Turkey while parasailing with his daughter. Emma Hudson was on her first flight when her father Glenn who was in tandem with her suddenly fell 150 ft to the beach. Turkish police are investigating what went wrong and caused the death of an experienced parasailor.
Mr Hudson’s widow Linda has instructed a lawyer and is calling for tighter regulation of this type of holiday activity. Parasailing, water skiing and scuba diving are just some of the hazardous activities people often try on holiday and it is very difficult to judge in advance whether they are being properly run.
Make sure your travel insurance covers you for all the activities you may want to try. It is much better to contact your insurer before you travel rather than leave it until you are on holiday and decide to try something new. It may then be too late to arrange the cover you need.
Click4quote standard policy includes a variety of activities as standard and we also sell specialist polices and additional cover sections such as golf travel insurance, sailing travel insurance and ski travel insurance. Get a quote for full details.
Beware – 25 million lost bags
A study has revealed the enormous number of times luggage goes missing at airports. The 2010 Air Transport Industry Baggage Report reveals that one out of every hundred people passing through major airports finds that their bags are lost or delayed. In all, 25 million pieces of baggage were mishandled.
Half of the problems occur during transfers between flights and in 16% of cases the bags never arrived on the aircraft.
Often, the luggage is eventually found and re-united with its owner but sadly many people never see their personal possessions again. Make sure you have good travel insurance and understand any limitations on the cover. For example there may be excesses and limits on the value of some items.
Some insurers have special policies to suit different types of traveling such as – golf travel insurance, sailing travel insurance and so on. Annual travel insurance will save you money if you make a few trips a year. Otherwise you will have to buy single trip insurance each time.