Travel Insurance Article Discussion

r.d1234

I really object to Moneysavingexpert advising folks to use leisure guard as a top pick. We recently had to claim from them.

A member of my family fell ill and my girlfriend was travelling with me. We cancelled flights. Not only did the travel agent not refund any taxes but the insurance company turned round to say that they won't cover the taxes on the flight and there was a £100 excess. (What's the point in paying for insurance?) The letter looked as though it was saying we're not really going to pay out anything. And they're really dragging their heels. They are very slow.
I was with holiday safe. They were brilliant. Simple claims process. No problems claiming for the exact same circumstances. Everything covered. Only problem was a relatively high excess £150 (but it was a cheap policy and I knew that!). Their claim form has space to put your bank details so that they can just pay it directly into your account.

Holiday safe payed out months ago for my claim. I'm still awaiting on the girlfriends company Leisure guard.

You are taking a huge risk and could cause yourself a lot of strife using leisure guard. Don't use them

BMW51K

I have travel insurance provided by my Lloyds Platinum bank account. Cover seems good. But I'm likely to book a holiday that costs more than the standard cancellation cover of £5k per person. Lloyds don't offer an extension to that part of the cover. NB: Age is >65.

I found a company at https://www.topupmycancellationcover.com/ which offers cancellation cover top-up but it is very expensive, and they don't respond to emails. And as they are based in Eire, I am quite wary of using them.

Has anyone any experience of or advice on how to get that extra cover? I have previously bought top-up winter sports cover as that was much cheaper than including it in an annual policy.

EssexExile

Personally I'd just take the risk. Last year we cancelled & didn't get it all back for the same reason, but over all the years we've been travelling losing a few quid once didn't seem to be the end of the world.

silvergirl14

I have always paid for travel insurance. I'm not wealthy and don't need huge bills if the unexpected happens.
It happened in 2014. I had a hip injury in France. I was hospitalised for 12 days in my own ensuite with good care. The total bill was over £800 It is not free in entirety on demand. The NHS is envied all over the continent.

• I had EHIC which I presented as soon as I arrived at Urgences. GET AN EHIC WHILE THEY ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO US.
• I could speak adequate French, even while groaning.(Not all people speak English everywhere.May come as a surprise to some).
• I had access to a French speaking friend who took any extra queries I had to the management.
• My husband informed the insurance company asap. They wanted to complicate it. So we have changed company since.
• We expected a bill for anything extra (MRI Xrays etc.) and paid it on exit.I was given all reports and media.
• We received full insurance repayment quickly. I also had a benevolent society account which did not impinge on the insurance. I double checked.
• We were not out of pocket.
• Just think of the chap who had to crowdfund to return to the UK after being shot. Humiliating.

:A

McKneff

We are interested in a coach holiday and river cruise with Shearings.

Last time we did this, a week before the holiday Shearings cancelled the whole holiday and gave us all of our money back

The annoying point is that we had taken out Travel insurance out with AA costing around 75 pounds which just was totally lost. The insurance company did nothing and obviously kept the money, so in effect, money for nothing.
Are there any insurance companies out there who will allow you to transfer the policy to another holiday. At the moment there are only 12 passengers booked on this holiday so it could well happen again so im a bit hesitant that it could happen again.

jackieblack

McKneff wrote: »

We are interested in a coach holiday and river cruise with Shearings.

Last time we did this, a week before the holiday Shearings cancelled the whole holiday and gave us all of our money back

The annoying point is that we had taken out Travel insurance out with AA costing around 75 pounds which just was totally lost. The insurance company did nothing and obviously kept the money, so in effect, money for nothing.
Are there any insurance companies out there who will allow you to transfer the policy to another holiday. At the moment there are only 12 passengers booked on this holiday so it could well happen again so im a bit hesitant that it could happen again.

Whenever I've taken out travel insurance, cover has just been for travel between certain dates in a particular area/region eg Europe or worldwide, so provided the rearranged holiday was between the same dates and in the same area/region, the insurance would still be valid.

I am in this position at the moment, having cancelled flights for a trip I was planning in April I now still have valid insurance which will cover me should I find a suitable alternative trip/flights between the same dates.

Bald_Eagle_11

Travel insurance for over 65s, who are ex Armed Forces, is available through AXA PPP.
You need to be a current member The Forces Pension Society to qualify, (membership fee about £35 per year).
Annual worldwide travel insurance through AXA PPP, for both the member and spouse, is about £400 per year, with no medical questionnaire.
Both need to be 'fit to travel' at the start of any journey. Excess currently £50 per claim.

littlefred

Hi ev eryone,
Can anyone advise on this: We are going away for 90 days. we have our bank's travel insurance for 30 days as usual. can we then take out another insurance with a different company for the rest of our holiday??
Thanks to all for replies.:T

koru

littlefred wrote: »

Hi ev eryone,
Can anyone advise on this: We are going away for 90 days. we have our bank's travel insurance for 30 days as usual. can we then take out another insurance with a different company for the rest of our holiday??
Thanks to all for replies.:T

Check the policy definition of what constitutes a trip that is covered. Does it have to start and end in the UK?

Katiehound

littlefred wrote: »

Hi ev eryone,
Can anyone advise on this: We are going away for 90 days. we have our bank's travel insurance for 30 days as usual. can we then take out another insurance with a different company for the rest of our holiday??
Thanks to all for replies.:T

I doubt that very much- you know how insurers are such wriggle worts-
I think you need to have one insurance for 90 days, that way there can be no arguements about who covers what.
However you could always ask an insurance company.

In a similar vein I am covered for trips of 31days but had booked a holiday for 34. If I had said, that's fine I'm covered for the first 31 days, the last few won't matter that's not the truth: I am uninsured for the whole holiday- fortunately I checked the small print! (and the insurance company extended cover at no extra cost )