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Question of the week: travel insurance
Former_MSE_Alana
Posts: 252 Forumite
Q. Does all Travel Insurance cover holidays if flights are booked via low cost airlines and separate hotel? Both booked over Internet and paid for by Credit Card. Steve & Martha
A. Ostensibly travel insurance policies cover all types of holidays, yet when you book DIY rather than package deals there are often more holes than Swiss cheese. First of all, travel in the UK normally requires two consecutive nights in pre-booked accomodation to count; most policies don't stipulate this for overseas, so flying to stay with a friend is usually fine.
Yet the biggest DIY issue is a lack of cover for knock-on consequences. If you take a policy with cover for Scheduled Airline Failure, for example, and the airline goes under, you'll be able to claim for the flights, but if you can’t reach your destination you'd not be covered for the money paid for that. The only way round this is to find a policy which specifically covers 'indirect loss'.
For maximum cover, look for special 'independent traveller' policies - designed specifically to cover DIY holidaymakers. They are increasingly available though cost a bit more than regular policies (we'll be adding the cheapest to our Travel Insurance guide asap).
Do remember though package holidays innately have the extra ATOL and ABTA protection (though recent problems mean they haven't all paid out), and at least you got yourself Section 75 protection by paying on a credit card (provided things cost over £100).
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A. Ostensibly travel insurance policies cover all types of holidays, yet when you book DIY rather than package deals there are often more holes than Swiss cheese. First of all, travel in the UK normally requires two consecutive nights in pre-booked accomodation to count; most policies don't stipulate this for overseas, so flying to stay with a friend is usually fine.
Yet the biggest DIY issue is a lack of cover for knock-on consequences. If you take a policy with cover for Scheduled Airline Failure, for example, and the airline goes under, you'll be able to claim for the flights, but if you can’t reach your destination you'd not be covered for the money paid for that. The only way round this is to find a policy which specifically covers 'indirect loss'.
For maximum cover, look for special 'independent traveller' policies - designed specifically to cover DIY holidaymakers. They are increasingly available though cost a bit more than regular policies (we'll be adding the cheapest to our Travel Insurance guide asap).
Do remember though package holidays innately have the extra ATOL and ABTA protection (though recent problems mean they haven't all paid out), and at least you got yourself Section 75 protection by paying on a credit card (provided things cost over £100).
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Comments
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Apologies for dragging up an old thread. Is the issue of insurance for DIY holidays still going to be included in the Travel Insurance guide on this website?
Can anyone recommend any travel insurance policies that specifically cover "indirect losses" for DIY travel arrangements?
We book flights and accomodation separately. We are trying to find a suitable policy that would cover us for "indirect loss" such as the airline folding, being denied boarding as the flight was overbooked or being stranded somewhere due to industrial action. There's articles a-plenty on the internet highlighting the need to get proper "independent travellers" insurance, but few companies that seem to offer such policies.
I have only found two policies that are remotely suitable - one is from Axa and the other is from M&S (and is underwritten by Axa).0 -
I've been doing exactly the same search and have come up with the same two options. I've also noticed that Axa travel insurance doesn't get very good feedback in terms of being prepared to pay out, although I don't know whether this applies to this type of policy.
I agree that there's plenty of advice urging independent travellers to take out this insurance but nowhere are specific companies and policies named. The delay in adding this information to the MSE guide would also suggest that there's not much out there.
Does anyone know anything different?0 -
Can anyone offer advice on this please as I am looking for the same type of cover.
Thanks0
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