Latest Travel Insurance News

Independent travelers should take note of the new ATOL APC system so they won’t get hassled. This was the warning given by the British Insurance Broker’s Association or BIBA. The warning comes at a time when sales on hotel bookings and flights done over the internet is significantly rising compared to the traditional way of getting them. At this point the total number of travelers who are protected by ATOL has also dipped significantly over the last couple of years.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, about 97 percent of travelers were protected by ATOL about ten years ago. In the following years, it has dipped down to just 61 percent.

Planning on taking a trip in the coming months? There are many considerations you should make before booking airline flight insurance. Meanwhile, many unpredictable situations can occur that may not be covered by your insurance back home. Cancellation travel insurance is an insurance policy you buy on your trip. If you should cancel your trip before you leave, or something happens while you are gone that interrupts your vacation, the travel insurance cancellation policy will reimburse you the amount of your purchase, or the losses that you have based on how much of your trip you were actually able to take.

by: Christine Zafra

The newly built terminal 5 in Heathrow airport in United Kingdom is currently in the blacklist of most British insurers. With almost all the baggage of the passenger being mixed up and delays of the airline flights being reported, a lot of insurance companies from the United Kingdom has decided to boycott the said terminal. People who wish to get travel insurance are being asked whether they will pass by terminal 5, because if so, insurers surely won’t give them one. However, those who have purchased travel insurances prior the opening of the terminal 5 will be covered by their respective insurance companies.

Photo taken from http://www.finfacts.com

by: Christine Zafra

If you are planning to go to Europe, having insurance is not a problem at all. You are entitled to have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which allows you to have insurance when you are in any of the European countries. This insurance entitles you to have your medical treatment for a small fee (if not for free), and the coverage of this is three to five years from the date of your trip. This card is valid for anyone who goes to or lives in any of the European countries plus, other countries included in the European Economic Area (EEA) such as Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. What’s more is that, this insurance card covers pre-existing medical conditions (even chronic ones for that matter).

Photo taken from http://ec.europa.eu

by: Christine Zafra

Liverpool Victoria, an insurance company from the United Kingdom, has launched two new options in their travel policy for their clients to choose from: an annual insurance and a single trip insurance. Although other insurance companies already have these two options, Liverpool Victoria surprised everyone when they announced that the cover for their medical insurance is maxed up to 10 million pounds for both types of policies. A 2,500 pounds cover is offered for personal possessions, 500 pounds for lost money, 5,000 pounds for cancellation of trip, 250 pounds for delayed travel time and about 25,000 pounds for legal expenditures.

Photo taken from http://www.ocp.co.uk

by: Christine Zafra

Winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and the like are becoming more and more popular amongst the residents of UK. Nonstopadventure.com, a winter sport instructing company, said that their bookings and sales have increased by a hundred percent.

Although Canada is known for winter sports, most Britons prefer to go to their neighbor—the European continental—for their winter sports since it is much cheaper to spend winter vacations in Europe than in Canada. Foreign and Commonwealth Office has released their most recent statistical data and said that almost a fifth of all UK residents participate in the winter sports.

Photo taken from http://www.canada-photos.com

by: Christine Zafra

Going to another country for leisure purposes without insurance is risky. The Association of British Travel Agents stated that some people who go on a vacation and try to save money are in fact risking a lot of money in effect. A broken leg in the United States costs around 24,000 pounds and spending a week in some hospital in Greece costs around 5,000 pounds. This irresponsible act (of going on a vacation without travel insurance) is oftentimes done by people aged 18 – 35 as stated in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office report of this year. A lot of people from this age group also had unplanned adventures such as rock climbing included in their trips.

Photo taken from http://www.codinghorror.com

by: Christine Zafra

If you are really persistent in going to the country that has a disease outbreak like Bird Flu (either for pleasure or for business), then better get an immunization first against the disease that country has. If you have had the required immunizations before, check with your doctor if you need booster shots for it. Nevertheless, always remember that if you can avoid the infected country, then don’t bother going. If it’s for business purposes, you can check with your company if they can reschedule your trip. I am sure they wouldn’t want to lose one of their best employees, do they?

Photo taken from http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com

by: Christine Zafra

If you are planning to go on a trip, make sure you have read the latest news regarding the country you are going to. A lot of people who get contaminated by various diseases from foreign countries are those who do not read the dailies. Bird flu is what’s prevalent today. Check the news what countries are affected by it and as much as possible, try to avoid going to those countries. There is nothing better than being safe.

Perhaps you can schedule for a new destination if you really want to have a get-away. Rescheduling your trip is also a very good idea.

Photo taken from http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk