How many of us actually take the time to read our travel insurance policy wording?
According to our research, 25% of holidaymakers do not read their policy until they need to make a claim – by then it’s too late and many are left disappointed and out of pocket.
Now, we know travel insurance usually slips under the radar but it is vital you buy the right policy for your trip as soon as possible after booking your holiday – this way if an unforeseen event occurs before you travel and you need to cancel your trip, you’ll be covered.
If you have travel insurance as part of a credit card contract or a package bank account, it is important that you double check the cover they provide when booking a holiday so you can be sure that the holiday and destination you are travelling to will be covered.
This has been hi-lighted in the recent case of Joyce Kettle, a 74-year-old great-grandmother from Northumberland is currently facing a £50,000 medical bill after she was airlifted to hospital from a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico. Mrs Kettle was suffering from breathing problems and the on-board doctor advised she needed urgent hospital treatment.
Mrs Kettle has travel insurance through her bank but unfortunately this only covers European travel and therefore she and her family are left to fork out the thousands of pounds for the medical treatment she received.
So, what should you be looking for when buying a policy?
When buying your travel insurance, it is important to check the destination you are travelling to is covered under the policy. Depending on the insurer a country may be classed under a different region than expected i.e. some consider Egypt as Europe, therefore it is always a good idea to check before you buy.
In addition, you should always make sure the cover limits are enough to cover the cost of your holiday and possessions. Travel insurance policies will offer different levels of cover so it is important you check and buy one that is suitable for your needs so you are not left out of pocket should you need to cancel or lose your luggage – be sure to check single item limits too.
Cruise Travel Insurance
Most travel insurance policies will not cover a cruise extras as standard and require you to purchase a ‘cruise extension’. This additional extension will offer cover for things like cabin confinement, missed ports and missed excursion due to adverse weather – as well as ship to shore rescue and repatriation if needed.