AXA 'Essentials' Travel Insurance - please let us know your experiences

Former_MSE_Dan

Hi all

We have added AXA's Essential Travel Insurance policy into the MSE Travel Insurance guide, as a 'Top value' suggestion, due to its natural disaster cover, and reasonable prices.

However, we would love your feedback on how good a policy it is in terms of customer service, and ease of claiming when you need a payout.

Anything you could let us know would be really invaluable

Cheers

MSE Dan

oscarmum

I had the most ghastly time with AXA travel insurance through a lloyds bank account. I had given them ALL my details when I went to central america because I knew I would be living in a Maya village in the back of beyond in Belize and travelling through to Guatemala and Honduras by myself so wanted to be 150%sure that I would be able to be helicoptered out / rescued/ treated,whatever and wherever I was.
the local people for axa were brilliant when my ear went in the flight from Cancun to New York on the way back. Absolutely no problem with them, (in fact they were brilliant and v reassuring and helpful, as was the local hilton garden inn at JFK when I eventually got there) except for the initial calls for which there was no toll free arrangement in the states.
Jump to a few months later (Dec 2009) when I had an apparant 'heart attack' in Tenerife, and they were like Manuel from Fawlty Towers on a bad day on steroids. Or sleeping/stupid/couldn't care less pills. The whole saga is vile, but will happily go through it, if you find it useful. Suffice it to say that if the heart attack had actually been a real one, I would have been dead by now. Even afterwards, they could have killed me about 5 times over. It was a horrific experience I would never want to repeat.

Dive4x

Just a note of warning regarding Direct Travel Insurance (DTI) - The wording for travel cancellation does not cover you for your travel company becoming insolvent. It will cover you if the airline goes bust. In my case I needed cover for the Villa booking company and despite DTI trying to tell me I wouldn't get cover anywhere else, its standard in the AXA 'Essential' policy wording. Beware the insurance companies small print!!

sotter

From the quote form;
Travel disruption
• £1,500 £5,000
Volcanic ash clouds, strikes, airlines going bust, and swine flu epidemics have all made a real mess of people's travel plans in recent times. AXA's Travel Disruption cover has been specially designed to give you financial protection against the additional travel and accommodation costs associated with such unexpected events. If you have booked your travel independently, this is the cover you need.

Adds about 20 pounds the the "Premium" premium...

gibson123

I have used AXA insurance for years, I have an annual policy family policy with them, which is very reasonable (under £50). I have not had to deal with AXA for disruption or cancellation, but have had to get medical help for my daughter - sunstroke on one occasion and earache on another.

I would highly recommend AXA, it is recognised everywhere, the last time I used it in Turkey there was a queue at the doctors with 3 children from different families (including mine waiting) and the receptionist asked for everyone's insurance details, 2 of us were AXA holders and we were told to go straight through to the doctor's surgery. When I asked why this was, I was told that AXA always responded really quickly and efficiently and she could sort it all out after treatment, whereas some of the other insurances she would have to wait on hold for a while and she would need to talk to the insurers before treating anyone. She was right she was still on hold after my daughters treatment, by the time the other insurer answered, she had faxed through my details and the other families to AXA and had a fax back reply. The doctor then came out and took the other child, and the receptionist was still on hold when we left the surgery.

travellerboy

AXA is probably the worst Travel Insurance on the market, you will only know how bad when you try to make a claim.

Check out www.defaqto.com/star-ratings/travel-insurance , they struggle to get 1 Star - the best like Aegas (formally Fortis) get a 5 Star rating.

Tippytoes

travellerboy wrote: »

AXA is probably the worst Travel Insurance on the market, you will only know how bad when you try to make a claim.

Check out www.defaqto.com/star-ratings/travel-insurance , they struggle to get 1 Star - the best like Aegas (formally Fortis) get a 5 Star rating.

Absolutely agree. You're better off having no insurance than using AXA. They use every excuse in the book for not paying out. Utter disgrace. Avoid.