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Travel Insurance

Three surprising things your travel insurance may cover

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It’s extremely important to make sure that you have valid holiday safe insurance when going abroad, especially within the current Coronavirus pandemic. There are several things that seem certain to be contained within any travel insurance policy (for example, hospital treatment and hotel cancellations), but there are also many other things that may be included that holidaymakers are not aware of. Listed below are three surprising things your travel insurance may cover.

Death

Whilst most travel insurance companies cover injury to some degree, many policies also cover death. This will depend on the policy itself, so it is worth checking before trying to claim for this, but many travel insurance policies will cover the cost of cancelling a trip if a close friend or family member dies, even if they were not one of the people listed on the policy. Some travel insurance policies even cover the policyholder against death, with the repatriation of remains sometimes covered – your family may even receive a pay-out if you die on your trip, although this may not apply if you visit a country where travel is warned against due to potential danger.

Small medical costs

Surprisingly, a lot of people don’t realise that travel insurance usually covers the cost of small medical procedures, with many instead thinking it only stretches to major surgery. Whilst there may be an excess to pay (so the cost of smaller treatment may actually be cheaper than paying the excess), it’s worth checking out, in case you do encounter minor injury when on holiday.

Pets

When considering travel insurance, it’s usually assumed that it only covers humans. Whilst separate animal/pet insurance can be purchased that is specifically designed for your pet, some travel insurance companies have now started to cover pets under general travel insurance policies. Each policy will differ, but some things a general travel insurance policy may cover include emergency vets visits and treatment, cancellation of the trip in case your pet is too ill for you to travel, and early return costs in case you and your pet have to return home early. If you are taking a pet on holiday with you, it is important to make sure they are covered by your policy.

Shopping for holiday cancellation insurance can sometimes be overwhelming – contact us today to find the best travel insurance policy for your trip!

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Travel Insurance

What does travel insurance actually cover?

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Travel insurance over 70 products vary from provider to provider. Therefore, the losses they cover are not always the same.

In this post, we take a look at what your policy might cover, and what it might not.

Cancellations

Travel insurance usually covers cancellations. Cancellations occur when you need to cancel some aspect of your trip, usually because of circumstances outside of your control.

Cancellations cover cancelled tour packages, aeroplane tickets, cruise fares, and hotel rooms. Mostly, they only apply if you cancel for qualifying reasons. For instance, they might cover cancellation costs if you lose your job, get sick, or can’t travel because of adverse weather.

Some travel insurance policies will cover you for any reason, though they tend to be more expensive.

Medical emergencies overseas

Travel insurance also usually covers the cost of medical care overseas. If you don’t have this cover, you may have to pay out-of-pocket. And, depending on where you go and the medical attention you require, that could be expensive.

Lost baggage

Travel insurance often covers lost, stolen, or damaged baggage as well as compensates for any delay in receiving your items.

Emergency evacuations

You may experience a health emergency while abroad. If so, evacuation coverage helps. This cover pays for emergency travel arrangements related to your medical care.

You can activate the emergency evacuation clause on your policy if your health deteriorates beyond a certain point, usually defined by local medical personnel. Coverage may include ambulance trips to the hospital, airlifts to better-equipped facilities, and flights back home.

Please note that evacuations can be exceptionally expensive – often reaching $50,000 or more.

Phone assistance

Travel arrangements and plans can go wrong while you are abroad. Because of this, many travel insurers offer 24/7 assistance, anywhere in the world. These services can help you if you need to get medical transportation, find your baggage, or locate a lost passport.

Additional coverage

Lastly, some groups of travellers require additional coverage to protect them against losses. For instance, if you are travelling to a dangerous part of the world, you may require life insurance. You may also benefit from hazardous sports cover which covers any medical costs you incur as a result of scuba diving or sailing accidents.

Find an insurance policy to suit your needs at Compare Insurance today.

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Travel Insurance

What does a good travel insurance policy look like?

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If you’re asking yourself what a good travel insurance policy looks like, you’ve come to the right place. To ensure you buy the right policy for yourself, we’ve highlighted some must-haves that make for the perfect long term travel insurance plan.

Must-have features

Travel insurance policies vary, and they offer different features and cover different losses. However, there are some features that you should never compromise on when purchasing a policy, such as:

1. Medical expenses

A good policy should cover medical expenses up to a limit of £5m. However, if there’s any treatment that can wait until you return home (according to a medical opinion), it won’t be covered.

2. Repatriation service

This feature should be covered automatically, and it includes the costs of getting you back home for medical reasons. Again, any treatment that isn’t necessary and can wait till you get back home won’t be covered.

3. Cancellation

A reliable policy covers cancellation for £2,000 or more, but remember, insurers only cover this in certain circumstances. For instance, they may only cover cancellation if you fall ill, so read the terms and conditions of your policy carefully.

4. Missed departure

An ideal travel insurance policy should cover delayed or missed departure in cases beyond your control, such as vehicle breakdown or bad weather. Normally, policies will give you £500 or more.

5. Baggage cover

If you’re travelling to high-risk or expensive shopping destinations like the UAE, you need a baggage cover to protect you from luggage loss or theft. A good policy should cover £1,500 or more.

6. Travel abandonment

A reasonable travel insurance policy should cover you for travel abandonment for £2,000 or more. But remember, insurers only cover this in certain circumstances, so read between the fine print to find exceptions and exclusions.

7. Personal liability cover

Most travel insurance policies will give you £2 million or more in personal liability cover.

Bottom line

An ideal travel insurance policy must have these seven features. If it doesn’t, you’re better off finding another provider. Luckily for you, we’ve made that easy with our travel insurance comparison tool, which allows you to compare plans and policies from various providers.

Use it today and find the perfect insurance policy for your travelling needs.

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Travel Insurance

Tips for travel insurance in later life

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For many, reaching your golden years and retiring is an opportunity to spend time enjoying life and leisure activities. After working hard throughout your adult years, retirement is the time you can spend reaping the rewards of your work. The freedom and fewer time constraints of retirement mean that many older people choose to travel and see the world. So, travel cancellation insurance for the over-60s is essential.

Travel insurance policies for over-60s can be more tricky to obtain or slightly more expensive compared to ones for younger people; however, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth finding the right policy for you. Different factors impact how expensive a travel insurance policy is and here are a couple to consider:

Duration

As you’d expect, the longer your trip, the more expensive the travel insurance policy will be. So, if you plan on making the most of retired life with several lengthy trips a year, opting for an annual policy rather than several single-trip policies may be more cost-effective.

Destination

Some destinations will incur a higher travel insurance cost than others. This is often due to whether the location is considered ‘risky’ or not, for example, is there a history of natural disasters? However, as these locations often have a higher chance of something happening, it’s definitely a good idea to pay the extra and be protected.

Itinerary

The activities you’re planning on doing during your trip can impact the price of insurance. For example, if you’re planning a more adventurous retirement holiday and want a policy that covers activities such as snorkelling or skydiving, it will cost you more. In contrast, a more leisurely trip will likely be cheaper insurance-wise. You can even get specific cruise insurance if you’re planning on taking a trip across the seas.

Personal details

Your personal details and history will also impact the price of a policy. Specifically, your age and any pre-existing medical conditions are the two most significant factors taken into consideration. If you have medical issues, it is likely this may increase the price of your insurance.

To find the best travel insurance for seniors at a competitive price, use our comparison tool.

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Travel Insurance

What are the most common travel insurance claims?

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Travel insurance is an essential pre-trip investment for any traveller. Travel insurance can help you pay for unexpected things that happen that would otherwise leave you largely out of pocket. But what are the most common travel insurance claims? Let’s take a look in this article!

The most common claims are for the following:

1) Flight delays

2) Cancellations of flights or accommodation

3) Medical costs

4) Lost or stolen baggage

A whopping 93% of travel insurance claims are for one of the above. Let’s explore in a little more detail…

Trip cancellation and delays

The most common reason for claiming on aib travel insurance tends to be trip cancellation or abandonment, with around 40% of claims being related to this.

Trip cancellation could come from the customer’s end or the supplier’s end – for example, if an airline goes bankrupt, they would subsequently cancel their customers’ trips.

However, trip abandonment could refer to when someone is unable to make a trip. This could be for a variety of reasons, including personal illness or illness of a relative, bereavement, moving jobs, or personal financial issues.

Illness or injury

Illness is the next most common claim, and many people consider this to be the most important thing to be insured for. This is because falling ill overseas, or having a bad injury, can result in bills of up to a million Dirhams or more.

And claiming for illness and injury is fairly common, although generally medical bills are less expensive. Still, having travel insurance for medical reasons is essential for peace of mind.

Lost or stolen baggage

Lost or stolen baggage is another common travel insurance claim. These are sometimes contested, especially if the baggage was not reported missing in time or left unattended.

There is also usually an excess, and some people find that the contents of their baggage are worth less than the excess, therefore they may not bother claiming.

There are many other things that you can claim on insurance for, but these are the main ones. As discussed, it’s important to have travel insurance not just so your holiday is covered if you need to cancel or if your airline or accommodation cancels, but so you are covered if you get ill overseas. Click here to find the right schengen visa insurance for you.

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