Monthly Archives: December 2009
Elements of holiday insurance cover
There are hundreds of holiday insurance cover options available. So it can be difficult to tell what you should expect from your insurance provider. Below is a list of items that might be included in the cover, and an explanation of what they could mean.
Cancellation insurance – Sometimes you might have to cancel your holiday. Perhaps you fell ill at the last minute and have been advised that you need to be confined to bed by your Doctor. Certain insurers may cover this possibility, and make a contribution towards your out of pocket expenses if you have to cancel.
Accommodation problems – There are two types of problems that you might experience with your accommodation. Firstly, there are natural disasters like storms or floods, or accidents like fires. These are unavoidable and cannot be foreseen. Some insurance providers will include alternative accommodation in any of these events.
The second problem you can get with holiday accommodation is caused by the hotelier themselves. Perhaps they have gone out of business, and ceased to operate since you placed your booking. If you find yourself in this situation, check your holiday insurance cover, to see whether your provider will offer you any assistance with finding somewhere else to stay.
Medical issues – It can be scary if you fall ill abroad. Most large cities have hospital staff who speak some English. However, being used to the NHS means that British people are often surprised that they have to pay for their medical treatment. Some countries have a reciprocal arrangement with the UK, which means that they offer British travellers treatment on the same terms their own citizens receive. This is based on the European Health Insurance Card system.
However, if you happen to fall ill in a country that does charge their own citizens for medical treatment, you will be liable to pay the same charges as they do. Some foreign health services may insist that the patient settles the bill for their treatment there and then. If you have had a serious accident, you may have to pay to be transferred back to a UK hospital when you are well enough to travel, to continue your treatment nearer home. Check that this is included in your holiday insurance cover.
Do make sure to mention any pre-existing medical conditions you have to your insurer, as they could refuse to pay out if it subsequently turns out that the information on which they based the decision to offer cover was inaccurate.
Transport – Missing a flight through no fault of your own or experiencing severe delays or cancelling can be frustrating and expensive, if you have to make alternative arrangements.
Your stuff – If you add up the value of everything in your suitcase, the value can be considerable. Cameras, phones and expensive clothing could cost a fortune to replace. That’s why some holiday insurance policies include a “baggage” option, to cover the cost of your bags and their contents in the event that they are lost or stolen.
Cash – Travellers’ cheques are a common method of carrying money, but some people stick to cash. Check whether your insurer will cover cash if it is lost or stolen. Some providers will add this as an optional extra to your holiday insurance cover.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
How can I get low cost travel insurance?
Low cost travel insurance is available – you just have to know what is necessary and what is optional for your circumstances. Here are some considerations to bear in mind when you are checking the draft policies you are offered.
Level of cover
It is easy to get too worried about the level of cover you need. For example, for private health or public liability insurance, do you really need tens of millions of pounds worth of cover? Or would a couple of million pounds for health be adequate? You may wish to consider whether or not your destination is in Europe when making your decision. Choosing an insurer that offers an appropriate amount of cover can save you money on the cost of your policy. Why pay for cover that you don’t need?
Excess
An excess is an amount below which an insurer will not pay out for a claim. So if an excess on a policy is high, you may find that you are unable to make a claim for a small loss. In particular, if you think you might need to make a claim for lost seats on a low cost flight due to missing a connection, you might seek a policy with a low excess.
Single or multi trip?
You may find that a multi trip insurance (annual insurance) policy is better value for money than a series of single trip policies, if you travel regularly. You might also be able to spread the cost of the premium by direct debit in monthly instalments, if cash flow is an issue. However, when you are deciding between the two options, make sure that any multi trip policy being offered covers an extensive enough area. Otherwise, if you have to purchase an “extension” to cover a far flung destination you plan to visit later on in the year, you might negate any savings you have made.
Are you a member of a group?
Low cost travel insurance is often targeted at particular groups. For example, family policies assume that the travellers will not engage in very risky activities, and offer block cover for a family group. Likewise, cover aimed specifically at older people might offer advantageous terms and conditions at certain mainstream locations.
Give full information
It is important to give full information at the time that you purchase your low cost travel insurance. For example, if you are going on an extreme sports adventure break and have failed to mention this, you could encounter problems when making a claim for medical treatment for a broken leg sustained as a result of your adventures!
Good service
Just because you are buying what could be perceived as being low cost travel insurance, it does not mean that you should accept low service. Judge a provider on how friendly and helpful their staff are when you are purchasing the cover, and what level of support is available to you in the event of a claim.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
What may cheap holiday insurance involve?
Even if you have got the best deal available on your flights, car hire and accommodation, there are still costs involved in going on holiday that can make it seem very expensive. That’s why cheap holiday insurance is something all travellers want in order to keep costs down.
But while you can easily compare prices, what should you look out for in a cheap holiday insurance policy? The premium may not be costing you the earth, but you still need decent cover. Here is a short guide to what the policy may or may not contain.
24 hour medical assistance
Accidents and illnesses do not always happen during office hours. Also, you might be in a completely different time zone to your provider, so their office hours could be your bedtime. That’s why it is important to ask whether your insurance provider has a 24 hour helpline to assist you with any claim, and help to make arrangements for your medical care.
Dangerous sports?
t’s essential to check the small print in any travel insurance policy, regardless of the price. If you regularly participate in a dangerous sport, check that injuries relating to this activity are not excluded from the cheap holiday insurance cover. Sometimes it is possible to get additions to the policy as optional extras (e.g. skiing and snowboarding).
Single or multi trip
Are you a regular traveller, or is this holiday a one-off? If you are planning to make frequent trips throughout the year, speak to your provider about the cost of a multi trip insurance (annual insurance) policy for 12 months’ worth of travel. It may be that this is cheaper than buying a new policy every time you go abroad.
Your destination – EU or worldwide?
When reviewing a draft policy, ask yourself whether you need all of the cover it offers. For example, why purchase worldwide travel insurance when you are only going to be within Europe? On the other hand, if you have not finalised your plans and intend to travel where the wind takes you, keeping your options open could prove less expensive than purchasing an extension to the boundaries of the policy from your mobile phone as you cross the border.
Like for like travel accommodation
Having to find alternative accommodation can be a real pain. The city you are staying in could be full, or perhaps there is a dearth of decent places. If you have like for like accommodation included in your cheap holiday cover, the chances are that your insurer will have an arrangement with the larger hotel chains, which could pay dividends in this scenario.
Luggage and cash
Have you insured your luggage bags and their contents? Whether get lost or stolen, it is not uncommon for baggage to go missing. If you wrote a list of the value of everything in your case, you may be surprised at the cost of replacing your possessions. Cheap holiday insurance policies might include such cover, or allow it to be added as an extra for a small fee. Do be careful on this point to read the small print and check whether there are any “large value single item” exceptions, which may have to be scheduled separately to be covered.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Why may I need DIY holiday cover?
If you have chosen to build your own holiday rather than purchase a package deal, the chances are that you know what you want from every aspect of the trip. You have pared down the cost of your holiday to include only those items that are absolutely necessary. So why do you need DIY holiday cover?
Peace of mind
If you have adequate travel insurance, you have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that whatever happens, you should not have to spend any more money to have the kind of holiday you booked. The point of insurance is to take the risk of unforeseen expenses (extra flights, alternative accommodation) and neutralise it as the insurer will typically help towards these costs (subject to a successful claim of course).
Medical costs
For most European travel, the European Health Insurance Card ensures that you will receive medical treatment in your holiday destination on the same basis as the nationals of the country you are in. However, not all treatment abroad is free, and without a medical element of travel insurance to “top up” this entitlement, you could be faced with a costly bill for prescriptions, hospital stays and repatriation to the UK if necessary.
Many insurers require their clients to fill in a health questionnaire before they are able to offer cover. It is particularly important to offer full information about any pre-existing health conditions on such a questionnaire. If an existing health issue is omitted from the form, the insurer could hold the policy to be void if you claim for a medical issue.
Travel
Flying is said to be one of the safest methods of transport available, but it is also prone to delays and cancellations. Smaller airline businesses can also be vulnerable to collapse. This could be of concern when you book a flight a long time in advance – much can happen to a business in a few months, especially in a challenging economic climate. So if the airline becomes insolvent, where does that leave you? Without insurance, you may have to make other arrangements and pay for these out of your own pocket. Or if you cannot afford that, you might have to forego your holiday.
Accommodation
If you were unlucky enough to find yourself in a hotel fire, flood or some other natural disaster, you would have to find alternative accommodation as soon as possible. Without travel insurance, the choice you’d face would be to go home, or pay for the second hotel yourself. On the other hand, if you have included this eventuality in your DIY holiday cover, typically you can simply telephone your provider, who should tell you where you will be spending the rest of your stay.
If you have researched, designed and paid for your holiday by yourself, the chances are that you are seasoned traveller. If that is the case, you could consider an annual, multi trip policy rather than a single trip arrangement. Depending on the number of trips you make per year, an annual policy might work out as a better priced option for your DIY holiday cover.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
What should you consider when buying DIY holiday insurance?
You’ve thought of the flights, the accommodation, the catering arrangements, and even bought your holiday wardrobe. But have you considered DIY holiday insurance?
Having adequate travel insurance cover in place can give you peace of mind. You can relax and enjoy your break without worrying about the things that might go wrong while you are away. This especially so if yours is a DIY holiday, where you have built your own holiday travel package as opposed to buying it all from one source. Sometimes insurers may not cover DIY holidays, so it important that you know what you are buying.
When you are buying any insurance cover, it’s important to check the schedule of what is included as well as the price. So what might DIY holiday insurance typically cover?
- Transport – Most travellers only experience minor problems with their transport. Perhaps your flights are a little delayed, or you miss a train or bus. These issues can be annoying, but are unlikely to ruin your holiday. But more serious issues like strikes, accidents and airlines going bankrupt can cost you dearly and threaten the enjoyment of your holiday. If you do not have adequate insurance in place, you have the choice of funding replacement transport out of your own pocket, or going home.
- Accommodation – If your hotel or self catering apartment is flooded or damaged by fire, you need to find alternative accommodation or cut short your holiday plans. But if you have thought ahead and included this in your DIY holiday insurance, your cover might include alternative accommodation in a nearby resort.
- “Knock on” effects – If your flight is late or overbooked (so full that you cannot board it), you can experience a “knock on” effect on the other elements of your holiday. For example, you could miss a connecting flight or train, or not arrive in time to use pre-booked accommodation. If you are building your holiday yourself, take this into account and ask whether cover for such events is included when you arrange your travel insurance.
- Medical bills – Being ill or injured in an accident is unpleasant enough, but if it happens when you are on holiday, it can be a real inconvenience. Depending on where you are in the world, you could find yourself in a situation where limited help is available free of charge. Most travel insurers offer medical cover in their holiday policies. Make sure to check whether prescriptions, medical supplies, hospital stays, and transfers back to the United Kingdom are included.
- Sports – If you are a more adventurous traveller with a passion for extreme sports, mention this to your insurance provider when taking out cover. Providers differ in their attitude to this issue, so compare which activities are on the “permitted” list for cover, and which need to be added as an optional extra.
- Cancellation – Unfortunately sometimes holidays need to be cancelled due to illness or bereavement. Some insurers provide cover for the cost of the holiday that you have already paid, so check whether this is included in your policy.
What should you do if you need to make a claim?
If you need to make a claim under your DIY holiday insurance policy, make sure that you have as much information about the circumstances of the event as possible. Given that, unlike a package holiday, your accommodation and travel arrangements are not connected, you will typically have to provide receipts and records of all the lost expenditure that you wish to claim for.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
 |
 |
 |
