Mistake When Planning First Overseas Holiday

Ch1ll1Phlakes

Yeah this. My fiancee and I managed to book our honeymoon, which will be a first overseas holiday for both of us, so scary biscuits. Found something within budget through Jet2 and booked (paid in full with credit card).  However, my fiancee does not have a passport and we had planned to apply for one in her married name. When I went to buy travel insurance, I then realised I had booked the entire thing in her maiden name, which meant the booking wouldn't match her passport when travelling.

So as a travelling novice, what would you folks suggest we do? Is it better to pay a fee and change the booking with Jet2 or get the passport now and fly out with my then-wife using her maiden name? PS, we have discussed this and she's not that bothered about one holiday under her maiden name but the passport would be valid for near ten years after our wedding which would make future holidays annoying too.

Also, any tips on travel insurance. I've read the MSE guides but as a newbie to this I'm not really sure what I'm buying and who the providers are for most of the cheaper (when viewed on comparison websites) deals/packages/policies.

Thanks in advance, from a pair of first-time travellers trying not to mess up our own honeymoon before it even starts.

maman

Depending on the fee that Jet 2 want, it might be worth paying to give you both peace of mind for the next 10 years if she has a passport in her married name. 🤔

pramsay13

What are the timescales like? How long until the wedding and how long from the wedding to the honeymoon?
How much does it cost to change the name on the booking versus getting a new passport?

twopenny

Insurance, buy soon. Should be as soon as you book.
Fine to do a comparison site but check carefully what you are covered for. Some activities aren't covered.  Unless you plan to only sit by a pool always ring before paying and check. Any gadgets you need special cover for.

You are looking for adequate cover for medical expenses and evacuation (flown home with a nurse) - do you want your partner covered for remaining in the country/hotel if the other is injured or ill.
 
Your clothes and personal possessions my be covered by your house contents insurance.

Do read what to do in an emergency. It may be to ring the insurance company first and they will tell you which hospital. This is to prevent you accidentally ending up in a private one.

If you're in Europe get a GHIC. it entitles you to be seen for minor medical issues .  A search will give you the information on the NHS site. My tablet refuses to copy and paste 😐

Ch1ll1Phlakes

maman said:

Depending on the fee that Jet 2 want, it might be worth paying to give you both peace of mind for the next 10 years if she has a passport in her married name. 🤔

This is roughly what we're thinking.

pramsay13 said:

What are the timescales like? How long until the wedding and how long from the wedding to the honeymoon?
How much does it cost to change the name on the booking versus getting a new passport?

Roughly 4 months till wedding, and four weeks from wedding to honeymoon. New passport currently costs £94.50 but will probably rise again in April so probably closer to £100 between wedding and honeymoon. Change of name is £50 on Jet2.

And thank you both, I appreciate the replies.

Ch1ll1Phlakes

I really am a novice at this, just checked the bookings page on Jet2 and on amend details it shows the following.



So booking amended for my fiancee to married name. Can I just check though it's best (or correct) to have all bookings, documentation and insurance policies in the same names for an overseas holiday.

Ch1ll1Phlakes

twopenny said:

Insurance, buy soon. Should be as soon as you book.
Fine to do a comparison site but check carefully what you are covered for. Some activities aren't covered.  Unless you plan to only sit by a pool always ring before paying and check. Any gadgets you need special cover for.

You are looking for adequate cover for medical expenses and evacuation (flown home with a nurse) - do you want your partner covered for remaining in the country/hotel if the other is injured or ill.
 
Your clothes and personal possessions my be covered by your house contents insurance.

Do read what to do in an emergency. It may be to ring the insurance company first and they will tell you which hospital. This is to prevent you accidentally ending up in a private one.

If you're in Europe get a GHIC. it entitles you to be seen for minor medical issues .  A search will give you the information on the NHS site. My tablet refuses to copy and paste 😐

Thanks @twopenny that's very helpful. I did know about the GHIC and that it was best to buy insurance soon after booking the holiday (thanks to MSE's pages) but hadn't progressed with anything else as it felt quite big to buy our first holiday and then with the name issue I delayed until I knew what I should be doing.

Does the reputation of the insurance provider really matter. We're heading to Tenerife so hopeful shouldn't be having an issues but then that's what the insurance is for, if the unhoped for does happen.

EDIT: We haven't really planned any activities but I'll make sure to consider what we might possibly do before buying a policy. We definitely won't be diving out of a plane on our honeymoon 

elsien

Have a look at staysure for insurance, and if you use cashback and then do it online through one of the cashback sites. 

Read the questions for each insurer very carefully with regards to what they ask about pre-existing conditions. And check the number of defaqto stars as well - It’s not a guarantee of quality, but the higher the number of stars the more comprehensive the level of cover.
And finalkt, enjoy! 

kimwp

Remember to take change of clothes (underwear at least), toothbrush, hairbrush in hand luggage in case your hold luggage goes missing. Unlikely, but better to be prepared than not. Check what you can take on board re liquids, knives, batteries etc at both airports. It could be quite cold and quite hot (at different times on the same journey) and probably not that comfortable on the plane, or waiting areas, so comfortable shoes and my advice is comfortable trousers and couple of thin under-layers plus a thick hoodie and a pashmina-type scarf- wind the scarf flat around your neck and secure in place with the hoodie hood to provide neck support and block out the light for napping - bonus points if you can wedge something soft inside your hoodie to rest your head against the wall. The neck pillows that you can buy are generally a bit pants because they are so tiny compared to your neck. The trtl pillows might work, but they aren't attached to your body, like a hoodie, which helps anchor the "pillow" keeping your head in a comfortable position. 

user1977

There is of course no reason why she can't get (and retain) a passport in her current name. The only issues would be when it's being cross-referenced with something else. She could have a driving licence in a different name if she wanted alternative ID for non-travel purposes. 

Grumpy_chap

Ch1ll1Phlakes said:

Roughly 4 months till wedding, and four weeks from wedding to honeymoon. 

Have you checked the timelines for a passport application to be processed (including consideration that the timeline may change between now March)? 
Will you need to consider the accelerated passport service if the application in her married name can only be made after the Wedding?

It might be worth checking the full rules on passports when getting married.
IIRC, when we got married, we travelled for Honeymoon on our separate passports (maiden name) as my wife could not apply for a passport in her married name until the Wedding.
However, again IIRC, my Brother's wife had a passport in advance but it was sent to the Vicar for safekeeping to hand over only once the Wedding was properly completed and register signed.