Travel Insurance

In terms of where you can go, we cover travel to the majority of countries, including regions where the FCDO advise against ‘all but essential travel’.

There are then three main areas where insurance can help:

Medical expenses

As with any illness or injury, if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 while you’re away, you can expect help with medical and related expenses.

Quarantine

If you have to self-isolate while you’re away, it could mean extra accommodation costs (and maybe transport costs too). Or it could be that quarantining in the UK (due to sickness or a notification from NHS Test & Trace, perhaps) forces you to cancel your plans.

Our products offer protection for the above, but please note that if you’re cancelling to avoid quarantine in the first place, this won’t be covered.

Cancellation or cutting your trip short

Should you or a close relative catch COVID-19 before you go on holiday, it’s good to know that you can claim the costs back.

What’s more, if you need to cancel or cut short a trip due to an unexpected change in advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), you’re covered

If your intended accommodation becomes unavailable for reasons relating to COVID-19, this also qualifies for cancellation cover.

When should I get in touch?

It’s essential that you contact your travel provider and card issuer regarding refunds before opening an insurance claim. When it comes to cancellation, you may even be able to simply request a new departure date. Give your provider a chance to resolve things before you do anything else.

Staying informed

Remember that it’s up to you to research the necessary documentation and vaccine requirements for your destination—you won’t be covered if a trip falls through because of these.

Keep an eye on FCDO advice in the run-up to your departure (things can change rapidly and if you cancel too early your claim may not be accepted).

More broadly, you’ll want to stay up to date with advice from the government, as well as local requirements at the places you’re going to. This is the best way to keep safe, and it will help you to make the most of your insurance to boot.

So how do you stay healthy and safe while you’re away from home? The day-to-day stuff is common sense, but if you lose your luggage or injure yourself falling down your hotel stairs, it suddenly becomes a lot harder to enjoy sightseeing or lounging by the pool.

What’s more, there’s always a possibility that your travel won’t get off the ground at all. If your trip gets cancelled or your hotel can no longer accommodate you, what then?

This is where insurance comes in. Simply contact our claims team and we’ll help you get back to enjoying your holiday.

It’s worth keeping in mind:

• It’s essential that you check what costs you can recover elsewhere, meaning your insurance acts as extra protection.
• It’s a good idea (particularly in light of COVID-19) to research your destination before you go.
• We offer different cover levels, with tailored products for those taking multiple trips.

The good news for travel insurance customers is, you’ve already got a safety net. But before you make a claim, you must check if you have other recovery options, or refunds, available to you:

• Contact your travel provider (the airline, tour operator or other company who arranged your trip or accommodation).
• Contact your credit or debit card provider (if you used your card to pay for your trip or accommodation, and if one or more of those services were not then provided).

Either of these routes could lead to you recovering your costs (depending on who cancelled and why), and it’s important that you rule them out before coming to us – otherwise, your claim won’t be accepted.

Keeping it fair

Why do we focus on costs that can’t be recovered elsewhere?

• You won’t have to pay an excess if you recover your costs elsewhere.
• Avoiding unnecessary claims helps us to keep insurance affordable.
• It’s only right that each company in the chain pays out what they owe.

Happily, there’s no time limit for making an insurance claim while you’re trying to get refunds.

What if I can’t get the refunds I’m expecting?

This is where we come in. Contact our claims team and they will talk you through your options, including (in certain circumstances) seeking compensation where your travel provider has failed to give you the appropriate refunds.

Yes they do but there are some questions we will need to ask you about your medical condition to understand if this can be covered, please give us a call on 0345 246 8704 for a quote and to discuss if we can provide cover for your medical conditions. Unfortunately we cannot do this online.

The personal belongings limit is £1500 per insured person, the single article limit is £300 and the valuables limit is £300 in total. The limits in the personal belongings section that may not be enough for expensive items such as jewellery and electronic equipment. However, you can usually insure these items separately under the 'All Risks' extension of your home insurance.

The policy provides cover for a large number of sports and activities, please see policy terms and conditions for activities that are not covered. If you are taking part in an activity that is not listed, you should contact us on 0345 246 8704 to discuss your needs with us and to get a quote.

Yes, trips in the UK are covered as long as you have paid to stay in pre-booked commercially operated accommodation for two or more consecutive nights.