Why do you need travel insurance?

When you plan your holiday or travel arrangements it is important to choose your holiday insurance with care. Many policies do not give cover for adventurous or hazardous sports and it is frequent for holiday insurance not to cover working whilst travelling.

Navigator Travel offers several UK online insurance policies that cover working and many sports and hazardous activities. Our ADVENTURES policy is aimed primarily at travellers requiring cover for hazardous sports or work, with a good selection of sports covered.

The SILVER, PEARL, GOLD & DIAMOND policies cover fewer types of work and sporting activities.

What does travel insurance cover? 

You’ll find that every travel insurance company has differing policies which will vary in what is, and isn’t, covered when you travel abroad. From claiming for lost baggage, to unexpected delays, and receiving cover for pre-existing health conditions, dependent on your circumstances and which travel insurance policy you choose, you’ll find several different types of cover to be included and, more often than not, will find that you can add additional cover as needed. 

You will always find that, with regular travel insurance policies, there are a number of standard components that are synonymous with travelling abroad that are covered, which tend to be consistent across different holiday insurance companies. However, you’ll equally find that several types of cover are not included. We’ve outlined below what you’ll often find to be covered in standard travel insurance policies, and equally, what you often won’t find to be covered: 

What is normally covered: 

• Losing Your Luggage

You’ll often find that, if your baggage is deemed to be lost in transit whilst you’re travelling for A to B and beyond, you can be compensated by the insurance company you’ve purchased your policy with, which will allow you to claim the estimated value or your luggage and its content either in full or partially. This varies dependent on the total amount of expenses that your baggage cover allows you to claim back. 

• Cancellation Cover

Cancellation cover encompasses compensation for any aspects of your journey that you may have to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances, such as accidents or illness. This can either be full or partial compensation and can include aspects of your holiday such as your flights, hotel, and any trips or excursions that you may have planned. 

• Emergency Repatriation

Emergency repatriation cover, in short, means you’ll receive any compensation for the costs involved in getting you back to your home country should a medical emergency occur. 

• Theft

Theft cover means that, should you have your personal belongings or luggage stolen, you may be entitled to be reimbursed for any items that have been directly lost beyond your control.

• Medical Expenses

Medical expenses cover will entitle you to full or partial reimbursement for any costs associated with medical-related appointments, necessary operations, prescription medications, and other required expenses associated with health-related illnesses or accidents. 

• Delays 

If you find yourself to be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances including strikes, poor weather, or your transport, such as flights, ferries, or trains, are delayed, you can normally claim back for this, but this will only be if the delay is over a minimum period of time. This is something 

• Personal liability

Should you be directly responsible for an incident or accident that has occurred, such as damaging someone else’s property or personal belongings, you may find that travel insurance companies and their policies will cover you for the cost of any legal fees associated with this. 

What is not normally covered: 

• Extreme sports/ water sports

Any activities that could be considered high-risk and sports that are usually categorised as extreme, such as skiing, paragliding, skydiving and scuba diving, are often not covered by standard policies from holiday insurance companies.

A specialist travel insurance policy that covers whatever sport you’re planning on engaging with during your trip will ensure that you have the security you need should you require any medical cover as a result of your activities. 

• Gadget cover

Whilst you often can be compensated for any personal belongings that are stolen, or any items that may be lost in your luggage, with normal travel insurance policies, you can often opt for gadget cover as an additional type of cover on your policy. This will protect any electronic devices that you may be taking on your travels with you.

• Pre-existing health conditions

Should you have a pre-existing medical condition, you may find that standard travel insurance policies will not cover you. Instead, you may need a specialist travel insurance policy, dependent on your condition. 

• Missed flights

If you’re responsible for missing your transport abroad, you will not be reimbursed for the cost of your tickets. Regardless of the reasons for this, even if they were beyond your control, you’ll find that travel insurance companies will not compensate you. 

• No longer wanting to go on your trip

Should you decide that you no longer want to go on your trip, regardless of the circumstances, this is not a sufficient enough reason for your travel insurance company to reimburse you for the cost of your holiday. 

• Natural disasters

Should you be struck by a natural disaster during your trip, this isn’t often a condition in normal travel insurance policies that is covered. If you are considering going to a country in which natural disasters are common, or have previously occurred, we would advise giving yourself peace of mind by ensuring you book a travel insurance policy that includes natural disaster cover.

It is possible to upgrade your travel insurance policy to incorporate additional types of holiday or trip cover, including the aforementioned, such as gadget insurance, natural disaster cover, and insurance for high-risk activities and extreme sports.

The Best Travel Insurance Policies for Your Trip

This important part of trip planning is all too often given insufficient consideration and many holidaymakers travel each year with policies that are not suitable for the activities that they are undertaking. There is such a range of travel types that it is often difficult to identify the right policy for you without a lot of research. Some of the specialist policies offered here at Navigator are:

– Backpacker Insurance
– Working Travel Insurance
– Volunteering Abroad Insurance
– After Departure Insurance
– Extreme Sports Insurance

How to avoid common mistakes when buying travel insurance services

Long Stay Travel

A common mistake when selecting a policy for long-stay travel is to buy Annual Multi-Trip holiday insurance. Because these are advertised as “annual holiday insurance” it is assumed that they would provide cover for a long stay trip, such as a gap year holiday. But, n reality, whilst they will give insurance cover for many trips, there is an individual trip duration limit, which is often only 31 days.

This type of cover can be invalidated if your trip is longer than this duration, so for holidays like this, you need long stay cover. Our AIG LONGSTAY & BACKPACKER and NAVIGATOR SILVER & NAVIGATOR GOLD policies cover long trips of up to 18 months duration.

Work Overseas

It is also increasingly popular these days for people to seek work overseas, and it is important that you get a working travel insurance cover to ensure that work is covered.

Many holiday policies will not cover claims that arise in the workplace, though Navigator Travel offers policies like the High Risk Voyager and Adventures or Longstay & Backpacker, which cover manual work, using heavy machinery, working with animals, and agricultural work.  There will be additional conditions attached to manual work and occasionally higher costs. Personal Liability claims are not covered though, and these should be covered by the employer who should have insurance in place to protect against such eventualities.

Get a Free Quote from Navigator Travel Insurance

If you live in the UK, whatever your requirements, we will try to obtain a suitable quote to cover your needs, and offer a personal service to try and ensure that the policy meets your expectations. Call us now or get a quote online!

FAQS:

Can I buy travel insurance after departing the UK?

You can buy travel insurance once leaving the UK, however, we would advise that you purchase your travel insurance in advance of your trip. When you purchase the right policy for you, you can specify a start and an end date for the period that you want to be covered for. 

So, it is of no detriment should you purchase your travel insurance in advance and it provides you with peace of mind knowing that you’ll be covered right from the start until the end of your holiday. 

Should you be on your holiday and are faced with unforeseen circumstances, such as a cancellation or you require emergency medical attention,  before you’ve purchased your travel insurance policy, you will not be able to be compensated for the expenses associated with these events. 

How can I make a claim on my travel insurance?

To make a claim on your travel insurance policy, you should contact the travel insurance company that you purchased your policy with as soon as possible. You’ll most likely receive a claims form in which you can give details of your circumstances and your claim. You’ll need to include any evidence relating to your claims, such as copies of receipts, medical certificates, or official paperwork. 

Should you need to make a claim with us here at Navigator Travel, you can call us on 0161 973 6435 or reach us via our contact form to receive further details and information about making your claim.