Travel Insurance Article Discussion

Browntoa

Because if you are taken seriously ill today you are not covered for the cancellation and it would be impossible to get travel insurance if you have an illness.

I've had to make a cancellation when one of the party was medically unfit to travel. The insurance company wanted copies of doctors records to prove that it was not pre existing before the insurance was taken out.

Bonbon

Browntoa , perhaps you can help me. I've just booked my holiday for May and always get insurance straight away, but I am now wondering if the start date should be now or from the holiday date to cover any eventuality before I go. I'm presuming it's the holiday start date otherwise it would have to be cover for months and very expensive

katejo

Browntoa wrote: »

Because if you are taken seriously ill today you are not covered for the cancellation and it would be impossible to get travel insurance if you have an illness.

I've had to make a cancellation when one of the party was medically unfit to travel. The insurance company wanted copies of doctors records to prove that it was not pre existing before the insurance was taken out.

Or if you develop new symptoms and are waiting for tests as your holiday gets closer. You then wouldn't be able to buy a policy at all or get a refund for the cancelled trip.

katejo

Bonbon wrote: »

Browntoa , perhaps you can help me. I've just booked my holiday for May and always get insurance straight away, but I am now wondering if the start date should be now or from the holiday date to cover any eventuality before I go. I'm presuming it's the holiday start date otherwise it would have to be cover for months and very expensive

Are you buying a single trip policy or an annual? A single trip would specify the starting date of the trip (but cover you for illness between now and then). An annual would give today's date to start.

KIRKIE

I have just received a letter?flyer from STAYSURE regarding keeping my info updated to them. Medical etc. Notified them of my wife's small fracture to wrist that happened in SEPT 19. The operator is amending the policy as we speak and says she is about to send me an email of the updated policy, then tells me that will be £10 for administration costs and the privilege of telling them the truth. Sorry but my vocabulary took a twist and had to end the call. What part of the administration needed payment when the operator was amending the policy as we spoke. STAYSURE and probably many others want to be informed of any change to your medical records including GOING TO YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE A COLD. I thought that was a joke, but no it isn't. How many times/visits have you made to your Doctor and not realized you could have an invalidated policy. Plus how many £10's would you have to pay in a year to them

katejo

KIRKIE wrote: »

I have just received a letter?flyer from STAYSURE regarding keeping my info updated to them. Medical etc. Notified them of my wife's small fracture to wrist that happened in SEPT 19. The operator is amending the policy as we speak and says she is about to send me an email of the updated policy, then tells me that will be £10 for administration costs and the privilege of telling them the truth. Sorry but my vocabulary took a twist and had to end the call. What part of the administration needed payment when the operator was amending the policy as we spoke. STAYSURE and probably many others want to be informed of any change to your medical records including GOING TO YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE A COLD. I thought that was a joke, but no it isn't. How many times/visits have you made to your Doctor and not realized you could have an invalidated policy. Plus how many £10's would you have to pay in a year to them

I haven't used Staysure. I did once fracture a wrist while I had a policy with Insure & go. I declared it to them. I was told that they honoured bookings already made without further payment. However, if i booked another trip on that annual policy, I would be charged a supplement. Fortunately my policy was close to expiring (about 3-4 months) and i didn't book a further trip. Insure & Go only requires you to declare conditions which fall into certain categories or which result in a hospital referral (so not a cold).

koru

bbungay wrote: »

Don't understand why insurance should be purchased upon booking? In my experience it has never covered the deposit so I have always waited until the final payment has been made (or alternatively interim payments) as these are covered. This isn't the first time I have made this point.

Some certainly do cover deposits. eg, Nationwide Flex Plus.

Hirsch

Hello everyone,
Am after a yes or no answer on whether we have a case for a travel insurance claim.
Our return flight home on 08/02/2020 from Manila to Heathrow (via Beijing) with Air China was cancelled due to the Coronvirus situation and the fact that the Philippine government banned travel to and from China by that point. We went to Manila Airport on the 06/02/2020 to visit the Air China Office and ask them to put us on a different flight home. They said they could not do this since the situation was out of their control and the best they could offer was to give us a £260 refund. Obviously this did not cover the cost of the new tickets we had to buy to get us home at short notice, which were £960 with Singapore Airlines (via Singapore) - the cheapest we could find in total for the two of us.
I put in a claim with our Travel Insurer (Direct Travel-TI Gold Policy) for £700 (the difference between our £960 Singapore Airline tickets and the £260 refund we received from Air China) but unfortunately they replied saying:

The policy does not provide cover for flights cancelled by the airline as generally they are liable to refund you or re-book the flight. I realise this was not an option for you, but this is normally done by the airline, travel insurance does not provide cover for the costs incurred. As there is not a section of the policy that covers these circumstances, I am unable to consider the claim. 

I looked through the Policy carefully and couldn't find anything either way to suggest such circumstances are or aren't covered. Is it worth fighting this or should I just accept we're £700 out of pocket? I am assuming it's the latter but if there are any experts who can confirm this it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

jonesMUFCforever

Hirsch said:

Hello everyone,
Am after a yes or no answer on whether we have a case for a travel insurance claim.
Our return flight home on 08/02/2020 from Manila to Heathrow (via Beijing) with Air China was cancelled due to the Coronvirus situation and the fact that the Philippine government banned travel to and from China by that point. We went to Manila Airport on the 06/02/2020 to visit the Air China Office and ask them to put us on a different flight home. They said they could not do this since the situation was out of their control and the best they could offer was to give us a £260 refund. Obviously this did not cover the cost of the new tickets we had to buy to get us home at short notice, which were £960 with Singapore Airlines (via Singapore) - the cheapest we could find in total for the two of us.
I put in a claim with our Travel Insurer (Direct Travel-TI Gold Policy) for £700 (the difference between our £960 Singapore Airline tickets and the £260 refund we received from Air China) but unfortunately they replied saying:

The policy does not provide cover for flights cancelled by the airline as generally they are liable to refund you or re-book the flight. I realise this was not an option for you, but this is normally done by the airline, travel insurance does not provide cover for the costs incurred. As there is not a section of the policy that covers these circumstances, I am unable to consider the claim. 

I looked through the Policy carefully and couldn't find anything either way to suggest such circumstances are or aren't covered. Is it worth fighting this or should I just accept we're £700 out of pocket? I am assuming it's the latter but if there are any experts who can confirm this it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Last paragraph - if it is not written in the policy then it is NOT covered. It really is black or white.
In this case I do agree that if the airline cancels a flight then they have a legal duty to put you on an alternative flight. Now do they have a UK base - maybe you could put in a claim with them?

foofi22

I have an annual travel policy that expires in mid-April.  
I'm due to travel to Italy at the end of May.
Presumably if I buy a new policy now I won't be covered (due to the current FCO advice not to travel)
Instead, when I renew with my current insurance provider, will I still be covered even if the FCO travel advice remains unchanged at the time of renewal?  I've tried phoning my provider but I guess they quite busy at the moment.