Travel Insurance Companies and Underwriters

hectorthomas

I am planning to buy a Annual Travel Policy that covers trips up to 90 days in length.

After much research I have narrowed it down to a few. However whilst price is an issue I would rather go with an insurer/underwriter that is helpful if something goes wrong.

I have tried to find customer feedback on a companies perfromance in dealing with claims but most searches are concerned with the cheapest price.

I have read good things on the forums about the underwriters Fortis and a fair few bad things about Axa.

If anyone has any dealings with the following agents/underwriters I would really appreciate your views. (Underwriters are in brackets)

• insurefor.com (UK Underwriting Ltd on behalf of Fortis)
• staysure.co.uk (Europ Assistance Holdings - Irish Branch)
• getmy.com (Great Lakes Reinsurance UK PLC)
• planetearthdirect.co.uk (Europ Assistance Holdings - Irish Branch)
• LV (Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd)
• preferential.co.uk (UK Underwriting Ltd on behalf of Fortis)
• American Express (Axa)

Thank you for all your help in advance:)

OfficerCadet

With travel insurance, there are a number of different factors to consider.

The underwriter is not neccesarily always going to be the claims handler or assistance company.

For example - let's look at Lloyds TSB travel insurance. You buy your policy from Lloyds or get it with a bank account. The policy is underwritten by AXA Insurance, and the claim handler/assistance company is AXA Assistance which, although part of the AXA group, is a seperate company.

Alternatively, look at Atlas. This is underwritten by AXA too, but the claim handler is Claims Settlement Agency Ltd.

American Express is indeed handled by AXA Assistance, though they have a specialised unit for Amex due to the "premium" nature of the policy.

Other companies will use assistance companies like AXA Assistance, Mondial Assistance, Cega and others who have no relation to the underwriters. For clarity, in this case assistance is defined as medical emergency. Claim handlers are the ones who process the claims. On any given policy, the assistance company and the claim handler may or may not be the same company.

Some underwriters handle their own claims, such as AXA Insurance dealing with M&S claims while the assistance side is left to AXA Assistance.

Long and short of it is that at the end of the day there are two big assistance companies - AXA Assistance and Mondial Assistance and many policies will use these. The claims side involves many more companies and service within those companies can vary depending.

When you look at reviews, look at reviews for the specific policy you're looking at - not for the underwriters/claim handlers. Only then can you see what you will be getting with that specific policy and whatever combination of companies lies beneath it.

I hope that hasn't confused you too much!

hectorthomas

Thanks for the reply. It is so complex. I have been very lucky in the past and never had to claim. But I am very aware of the problems people have had recently with the ash cloud. It seems with travel insurance is just getting harder to find something that you feel you will cover you for the things previously were not a problem eg terrorism, pandemics, scheduled airline failure and ash clouds! Before it was just medical, legal, baggage, etc away you go. What I need to know is people who have had to claim and how they feel it went, good or bad I suppose.