Single Trip 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.
Know before you go – travel advice
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website is full of useful information for people planning foreign trips. The site is promoting the “Know Before You Go” campaign; a partnership of travel industry organisations. The main points the campaign is getting across are:
- Do not travel without travel insurance
- Check the FCO website “Country Travel Advice” section
- Research your destination- know the local laws and customs
- Visit your GP as soon as possible about immunisations
- Check your passport is in good condition and valid- different countries have different requirements for the number of unexpired months you need.
- Make copies of important travel documents
- Tell someone where you are going and leave an emergency contact number
- Take enough cash and have access to emergency funds
Thousand of British travelers could have avoided a great deal of trouble if they had followed this advice. Also remember that you need to make sure your annual travel insurance or single trip travel insurance covers all the activities you are planning and all the countries you will be visiting.
If you are off on winter holiday make sure you purchase specialist winter sports travel insurance or ski travel insurance.
Airlines ignoring travel insurance rules
A report from Which? says that more and more airlines are ignoring EU rules on selling travel insurance. Airlines should not add mandatory extras such as travel insurance when selling a ticket. Which? Holiday claims that four major carriers are in breach; which could mean that thousands of customers are paying for travel insurance they do not need or could find cheaper elsewhere.
Sometimes a single trip travel policy is shown on the internet quotation for the ticket and the customer has to untick a box to delete it. Make sure you do this if you already have cover - under annual travel insurance for example. Even if you do not already have your travel insurance in place you might be able to find a single trip policy more cheaply if you shop around.
The other problem with travel insurance that is automatically bundled in to other purchases is that you do not have the chance to talk to the insurer about your individual circumstances. A business trip may involve taking very different personal property with you than if you were off on a sailing holiday or skiing trip. Equally you need to be sure that the policy covers you for any hazardous activities you might be involved in.
If you are looking for specialist travel insurance cover such as sailing travel insurance or winter sports travel insurance contact click4quote.com
Channel Islands insist on travel insurance
The Channel Islands is now one of those destinations requiring visitors to take out travel insurance. Holidaymakers and business travelers need to take out cover before arriving in the islands.
Many people think that their European Health Insurance Card will cover them but this is not the case because the Channel Islands are not part of the European Economic Area. Until recently there was an agreement whereby UK visitors could receive free emergency treatment but this has been withdrawn. The best advice is to make sure you have an annual or single trip policy and to check that it covers the Channel Islands as an approved destination.
Visitors to the islands may be tempted by some of the watersports activities on offer such as sailing, water skiing and scuba diving. Make sure that your policy covers all the activities you may be involved in. Insurers have different rules about hazardous activities so the best advice is to have a policy tailored to your specific needs.
If you are travelling to the Channel Islands and need single trip travel insurance or annual travel insurance contact Click4quote.com. Click4quote also offer other specialist travel products such as sailing travel insurance, so call 08450 89 90 91 / 01206 771 755 or go online to quote and buy.
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.
Too fat to travel by plane
A 32 stone man has been refused permission to fly from Gatwick to Toronto because his 52inch waist meant that he was too fat to fly. The cabin crew escorted him off the aircraft because he could not lower his armrest for the take off, as required by the safety regulations. He was told that the only way he could fly was to buy two tickets.
A spokesman for the airline said “ the armrest would not go down and separate him from the lady beside him – and he was taking up more than a third of her seat.
The National Obesity Forum said “the overweight passenger should really be offered the next flight that has spare seats available or be upgraded to a wider seat”
It seems that if you are very overweight you should check with the airline to avoid embarrassment.
Obesity can increase the risk of medical problems. Make sure you have appropriate travel insurance cover and advise your insurers of any pre-existing medical conditions.
If you are looking for annual travel insurance or single trip travel insurance then contact Click4quote for a quote.
Stuck on the tarmac – and new rules in Cuba
Airline passengers in the states have just been given more rights if they are trapped in planes awaiting departure. The airline now has to provide water, snacks and access to toilets as soon as passengers have been stranded for two hours from closing the doors. If the delay reaches three hours the plane must return to the gate so the passengers can disembark. The new rules have been introduced by the Department of Transportation in the wake of stories about passengers being stuck for hours without refreshments, sometimes with toilets overflowing. The airline industry believes this is an overreaction and will make it difficult for them to operate as flexibly as they would like. Some think that the three hour cut off will lead to more cancellations.
Meanwhile, Cuba has decided to require visitors to have travel insurance in place before entering the country. It is surprising how many people ignore the advice of tour operators, travel agents and even their own governments and travel without covering the risk of medical emergencies and other problems abroad. Will other countries follow suit?
If you are travelling many times in the year you should consider annual travel insurance which may save you money compared to buying single trip travel insurance each time you travel.
Adventurous travelers at risk
A glance at the web shows the enormous range of adventure holidays available; anything from abseiling to scuba diving. The list of unusual destinations seems to get longer each year with South America and Asia featuring on many itineraries. People of all ages from gap year students to active pensioners are taking trips of their lifetimes. These holidays are wonderful, until something goes wrong. It really pays to do as much research as possible before you go. For example, the recent disruption caused by volcanic ash has revealed big differences in how different tour operators and carriers have responded to customers’ needs. Word of mouth is often the best guide to help you decide the best companies to use.
Another essential piece of research for anyone planning a trip to unusual destinations is the Foreign Office website: www.fco.gov.uk. As of today (5thth May 2010) the site is carrying a warning against all but essential travel to Thailand because of the volatile political situation. The site shows literally dozens of countries on its “don’t go” section; graded according to the severity of risk.
Another thing to check is that your travel insurance will cover your destinations and all the activities you are intending to enjoy.
If you are booking a holiday ensure you remember to purchase travel insurance at the same time to protect against the possible reasons the trip could be delayed or cancelled. If you are only travelling once in the year single trip travel insurance may be suitable however if your travel more than once in a year it may be better value to purchase annual travel insurance. This type of travel insurance usually covers you for an unlimited number of trips within the year subject to a maximum duration each trip can last, say 31 days for example.
Compulsory Travel Medical Insurance for Non-EU Visitors
The Government is thinking about making it compulsory for non-EU visitors to the UK to have travel insurance to meet their medical expenses. The NHS reckons that it writes off £5m every year in uncollected charges owed by visitors, although it is not clear how carefully the abuse is currently being monitored.
One foreign businessman was given treatment costing £55,000 after he falsely claimed to be a UK resident. A lady who arrived in the late stages of pregnancy left owing £5,000.
The proposal is that visitors will have to present proof of health insurance to pass through immigration. For residents of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein this will not be a problem because they are entitled to free care in the UK in the same way as UK residents may be treated free in EU countries. However it may present problems for others and some commentators have expressed concerns about the impact on tourism.
It is not clear how it will work in practice, will visitors have to buy their travel insurance before they leave their home country or will there be travel insurance sales booths in the arrivals area? Travel insurance normally only covers emergency medical treatment rather then longer term care so presumably visitors would be repatriated once they are stable.
When you travel overseas it is best to protect yourself against emergency medical treatment with travel insurance. If you travel more than twice a year is is often cheaper of buy annual travel insurance rather then single trip travel insurance each time you travel.