LV Annual Travel Insurance - should I renew?

tonyg_2

My renewal for my LV travel Insurance is in a few days. I think if I renew that I'm covered for coronavirus in the future as long as at the time of booking it's ok FCO-wise. I'm tempted to renew, even though I don't anticipate using it for some time; I suspect I won't otherwise get coronavirus cover for any future travel insurance?
Am I being sensible - buying travel insurance even though I'm unlikely to need it for a while!

[Deleted User]

Travel insurances isn't the most expensive thing in the world, so if it gives you good cover, I would keep it.   

A lot of people are currently finding out that the time to buy insurance is before you need it, not when you do.

foofi22

tonyg_2 said:

My renewal for my LV travel Insurance is in a few days. I think if I renew that I'm covered for coronavirus in the future as long as at the time of booking it's ok FCO-wise.

Make sure you know what you are covered for before you renew

Streaky_Bacon

I suspect that if you renew with an insurer who now explicitly excludes coverage for coronavirus disruption, you will not be covered for any future trips you book, even if the FCO advice is OK at the time.

There has been an article on MSE recently which covered continuation of insurance cover, but it did not explicitly mention future bookings and only appeared to refer to a situation where the travel was already booked, but the renewal came before the trip was cancelled.

I have had a look on the LV site and they do state that:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has lifted its advice against travel to some countries. This means these countries are now an FCO exempt country.

Your travel insurance will provide cover to these countries if the trip was booked when no travel restriction was in force. This includes cover for medical emergency and cancellation claims due to COVID-19. If you can’t reschedule your booking or get a refund, you can make a claim.

The wording could be interpreted to include trips booked in the future, but it could also be interpreted to only cover trips that were made before the original FCO advice change. I can find nothing in their FAQs that specifically covers future bookings.

A significant number of people who post here thought that they were covered, due to ambiguous wording, only to find that the insurer gets very specific when faced with a claim.

I would scour the policy document, and also try to get them on the phone (record the call if you can) to ask the specific question of whether you would be covered for trips booked in the future.

tonyg_2

LV have traditionally been very good in terms of travel insurance.
They're still also not accepting new customers. My interpretation of LV is that I would be covered for any country where there is no current travel restriction.

Streaky_Bacon

Maybe, but it would not hurt to put the question to LV directly. The text I have quoted, with its use of past tense, above could be taken as advice regarding previously booked trips rather than a commitment to new bookings.

Your travel insurance will provide cover to these countries if the trip was booked when no travel restriction was in force.

rather than

Your travel insurance will provide cover to these countries if the trip is booked when no travel restriction is in force.

Intentional or not, it is sufficiently vague for them to argue if they want to. I would suggest checking.

blindman

tonyg_2 said:

My renewal for my LV travel Insurance is in a few days. I think if I renew that I'm covered for coronavirus in the future as long as at the time of booking it's ok FCO-wise. I'm tempted to renew, even though I don't anticipate using it for some time; I suspect I won't otherwise get coronavirus cover for any future travel insurance?
Am I being sensible - buying travel insurance even though I'm unlikely to need it for a while!

What is the cost?
Do you normally travel a lot?  How long is "some time" ?

As SB says, get the answer to the Q either in writing or voice recording.