Travel insurance recommendations?

[robd]

Am going to the States in just under a fortnight and staying for a week. I still haven't sorted travel insurance. Can anyone recommend any good deals?

Rob

[martingold]

Having been with natwest advantage gold account we used to have lifetime travel insurance
now we have moved our accounts we have just bought some from e-sure.com having found them to be the cheapest for long haul to america (get a years cover it works out better for america) we found this from martin lewis' money saving expert website

hope you have a good time in america i love the place

[Caro]

As I travel quite a bit I get an annual cover that costs me about 60 quid a year (from Directline, but there might be cheaper), which I get reimbursed easily every year as soon as my luggage gets delayed (typically that will happen 2 or 3 times a year) and I have to buy stuff (plus I get new clothes for free ).

[Barry Shnikov]

Originally Posted by robd

Am going to the States in just under a fortnight and staying for a week. I still haven't sorted travel insurance. Can anyone recommend any good deals?

Rob

Whatever the deal, check the Ts and Cs. So many people don't realise why the deal they're getting is so cheap, when a quick check would have shown.

[Lory]

Originally Posted by Caro

As I travel quite a bit I get an annual cover that costs me about 60 quid a year (from Directline, but there might be cheaper), which I get reimbursed easily every year as soon as my luggage gets delayed (typically that will happen 2 or 3 times a year) and I have to buy stuff (plus I get new clothes for free ).

I've got an annual cover too, from Columbus direct. Its definitely worth it if your lucky enough to get more than a couple of trips abroad each year

[Martin]

I travel 15 + times a year, and I do not get travel insurance...

If you book by credit card you are covered... airlines also cover you...

Travel insurance is a joke.

Wake up, even if you booked by an airline, they have a duty of care...

[Caro]

Originally Posted by Martin

If you book by credit card you are covered... airlines also cover you...

Travel insurance is a joke.

Wake up, even if you booked by an airline, they have a duty of care...

Not all cards cover you, and those who do usually cover emergency flight back home (i.e. you'd need to be in pretty bad shape already) in case of an accident. What if you're just ill / in pain and need treatment ?
Airlines, same story, some will reimburse you some cost towards first necessity items if your luggage gets delayed, i.e. with Air France you'd get 100 euros (I get 100 pounds with my insurance). Some won't.

Can I go back to sleep now ?

[Northants Girly]

have a look at moneysupermarket.com as you can compare quotes from different companies all in one go

I got a very good deal on family, annual, worldwide last year. Think it was flexicover direct I used in the end - even included trips to UK if accommodation is booked in advance. It's often worthwhile to consider annual insurance if you are going to make more than one trip a year.

of course I didn't think to include winter sports back then (which was only ~£10 each more) so then had to buy a week's separate cover for skiing the other week

[Northants Girly]

Just checked and I paid only £48 for a family of 3 worldwide, annual cover

We are insured if we travel separately also

[ElaineB]

DO take out travel Insurance to cover you for medical expenses, repatriation costs and the like, however, suggest that you ask for the personal baggage section to be deleted and then extend your unspecified perils extenstion to cover you (but check the territorial limits to make sure that you are covered for the country in question).

The personal effects cover that you get with travel insurance really isn't worth the paper it is written on, this is why I suggest you extend your household unspecified perils cover to cover this. Make sure that the item any one article limit is suitable and be aware that clothes over 2 years old are NOT on a reinstatement basis. Insurers will deduct a percentage for wear and tear (this is standard on all policies, including travel).

If in doubt, speak to an Insurance Broker.

Hope that helps


Elaine

[Spiky Steve]

I get yearly cover with insure and go.

Travel Insurance UK - Cheap Annual Holiday Insurance

Whatever you decide I hope that you don't actually need it.

Spiky

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Lory

I've got an annual cover too, from Columbus direct. Its definitely worth it if your lucky enough to get more than a couple of trips abroad each year

I haven't used their annual cover but I can recommend their single trip cover.

[jinski]

ALWAYS get travel insurance. If you are knocked over or fall in abroad the costs of medical care are staggering without insurance cover, especially in Canada & the states. (We are talking £1000's for just one night in hospital)

Always check what is covered and make sure you disclose any pre existing medical conditions!

Any Insurance underwritten by AXA is excellent. But insure & go and other year round policies are also good value.

(I work in travel and have had to try and coax insurers to bring back a variety of damaged bodies or stump up costs for hospital care)

Enjoy your trip.

[Scotch Bonnet]

Originally Posted by robd

Am going to the States in just under a fortnight and staying for a week. I still haven't sorted travel insurance. Can anyone recommend any good deals?

Rob

If you booked through a travel agency ,buy it from them,too expensive I hear you say,however,tell them you have had a cheaper quote on line and 9 out 10 times they wil match it and you will end up with the better policy.
Whatever you buy ,make sure you have no excess to pay and a min of at least £10m medical cover for the states.Advice from experience.
Have a great time

[SteveK]

Originally Posted by ElaineB

DO take out travel Insurance to cover you for medical expenses, repatriation costs and the like, however, suggest that you ask for the personal baggage section to be deleted and then extend your unspecified perils extenstion to cover you (but check the territorial limits to make sure that you are covered for the country in question).

The personal effects cover that you get with travel insurance really isn't worth the paper it is written on, this is why I suggest you extend your household unspecified perils cover to cover this. Make sure that the item any one article limit is suitable and be aware that clothes over 2 years old are NOT on a reinstatement basis. Insurers will deduct a percentage for wear and tear (this is standard on all policies, including travel).

Looks like perfect advice to me. My attitude to insurance is that it is cheaper to "self-insure" if you can afford to. Paying for personal effects/baggage is unlikely to be worthwhile, as you'll then be subsidising those idiots who don't take proper take of their luggage. Better to pay a bit less of a premium, and accept the risk that you might need to pay a bit if stuff gets lost.

However anyone going to the USA MUST is recommended to get at least £1 million in medical insurance cover. Stories about US paramedics going through injured peoples' pockets to determine whether people get taken to decent hospitals aren't fiction but fact - it's best to take a photocopy of your travel insurance with you in your wallet/handbag at all times just in case.

[Martin]

OK, Travel insurance is like any other insurance, hospital insurance, house contents insurance, sports injury insurance, employment insurance, many people pay for it, only a few need it.

The insurance compainies win in the end, or they would not be in business.

I do pay landlords insurance for my houses I rent out, and I do pay car insurance. The rest is just IMHO lots of money to pay out "just in case".

There is a reason insurance salesmen make tons of cash.

It would be interesting to know how many people do take up travel insurance on the forum and how many actually needed it, and how much they got from it.

I am still not an insurance believer, even though I travel a lot.

Maybe some personal experience facts (not third party ones) from formites can convert me....

[killingtime]

Originally Posted by Martin

I travel 15 + times a year, and I do not get travel insurance...

If you book by credit card you are covered... airlines also cover you...

Travel insurance is a joke.

Wake up, even if you booked by an airline, they have a duty of care...

How about medical coverage?

Originally Posted by ElaineB

The personal effects cover that you get with travel insurance really isn't worth the paper it is written on

Indeed, I tend to ignore the personal coverage as my contents covers it.

I've used Atlas Direct in the past. They seem alright but I've never actually made a claim so they might be rubbish.

[ElaineB]

Originally Posted by Martin

OK, Travel insurance is like any other insurance, hospital insurance, house contents insurance, sports injury insurance, employment insurance, many people pay for it, only a few need it.

The insurance compainies win in the end, or they would not be in business.

I do pay landlords insurance for my houses I rent out, and I do pay car insurance. The rest is just IMHO lots of money to pay out "just in case".

There is a reason insurance salesmen make tons of cash.

Correct! Being in the industry myself, I take out minimal Insurance. I certainly never bother with pet insurance, contact lense cover, extended warranties or redundancy covers. I see the risk and would rather keep the premium in my bank account thank you!

The Insurance salesman you refer to are now mostly a thing of the past due to tighter regulations in the UK, but it now seems to be the shops that keep trying to flog extended warranty cover, which really annoy me. My elderly Mother was 'conned' into taking out an extended warranty on a washing machine. Take into account the excess and the cost and after three years she could have bought a new one anyway. Needless to say I made the salesman very sorry and had it cancelled!


Re Insurance companies winning - they are there to make money, unlike, say accountants and solicitors who do it for love and not money.....


Elaine