The best travel insurance for my trip?

vanilla8

Can anyone clarify which policy would be best to cover me?

I am flying out to NYC, staying a few days and then taking another flight to Antigua. Hotel is also booked in Antigua. Flight back will be to NYC and then flying back to Heathrow.

I need insurance that will cover me for any delayed flights that would impede on my hotel bookings in Antigua and NYC (Total atleast £6k for two of us) I have paid for everything with a credit card so will have section 75 cover too.

After plenty of searching and reading about independent traveller insurance i have seen M&S can insure me and my partner for £136.
However this is underwritten by AXA and these do not get good reviews?

Someone recommended the Post Office and have just had a read through their policy wording and they don't exclude connecting/internal flights, so i think in theory i would be covered with them too?

Anyone help?

luci

I don't know of any policy that covers connecting flights, only the ones to and from your original airport. However I would be happy to be corrected.

vanilla8

I have rung the post office and they have confirmed I would be covered.
What should i do, should i take the name and details of the person confirming I would be covered?

I would normally just take the M&S poicy as that states they will cover in their policy, however AXA have such bad claims reviews.

dacouch

The Post Office Policy does NOT Cover you under the Delayed Departure section for connecting / internal flights. It (As do most policies) only cover Delayed Depature on your OUTWARD and RETURN journeys.

Section 2 – Delayed Departure
If the transport on which you are booked as a passenger for your outward or return journey is delayed or cancelled due to:
• A serious fire, storm or flood damage to the departure point
• Industrial action
• Bad weather
• Mechanical breakdown of the international train or sea vessel; or
• The grounding of the aircraft due to a mechanical or a structural defect.

It will cover you under the Missed Departure Section for internal / connecting flights

Section 3 – Missed Departure
What is covered

If one of the following takes place during the period of insurance you will be covered up to £1,000 for the cost of reasonable extra accommodation and travel expenses to allow you to carry on with your trip.
1. Labour dispute, civil disturbance, mechanical breakdown or bad weather which interrupts scheduled public transport services including booked connecting flights;
2. An accident or breakdown involving the vehicle in which you are travelling in and which causes you to arrive at the airport, port or station you are leaving from on your outward or return journey too late to start the journey you have booked.
3. A road traffic accident involving another vehicle en route to the airport, port or station you are leaving from on your outward or return journey which causes you to arrive too late to start the outward or return journey you had booked.

As well as the general conditions and exclusions, the following conditions apply.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=19300208&mediaId=19500189

Note I have not copied and pasted the entire wording for each of the above sections so please read the policy for full wording of the relevant covers and any exclusions.

On the M&S Premier Annual policy (Or single trip if you pay an extra fee) the extra benefit you get is this for delayed departure (Including connecting / internal flights. You also get the missed depature cover and curtailment cover (You get these on the Post Office Policy too)

£30 for the first completed hours
delay and £30 for each full 12
hours delay after that, up to a
maximum of £450 (which is meant
to help You pay for telephone calls
made and meals and refreshments
purchased during the delay)
provided You eventually continue
the Trip

But bear in mind you will have an excess of £50 deducted from what they pay you

BeatTheSystem

Hi,

If you travel alot then may I suggest you checkout the amex platinum card. Excellent travel insurance, lounge access, hotel upgrades, much cheaper US car hire etc. The downside is that it costs £300 pa. We had to claim for a cancellation due to a medical condition and there were no hassles. I use the card for business mainly but we also use it for family holiday insurances, if you make more than two trips it is better than taking holiday company insurance.