Holiday booked – what about your travel insurance?
6 August 2021
With so many people finally able to take a long-awaited holiday, we’ve received many enquiries about Travel Insurance in relation to Covid-19, but don’t forget to check the other areas of the policy too.
It’s vitally important you check the details before taking out the policy, to ensure you’re covered for all the activities you’ll enjoy on your holiday – whether that’s scuba diving or off-road motorcycling. Don’t forget to estimate the valuables and tech you’ll be taking too; research has shown that cost for replacing or repairing personal tech could top £1 billion.
As with every insurance policy, always read through the policy documentation to understand what’s covered and what’s not – and if you’re unsure, check! We know it’s not the most exciting part of your holiday planning, but it’s one of the most important.
Here are the most common issues travellers experience when they need to claim.
Taking all your tech?
Most of us don’t go anywhere without our mobile, but what do you do if you’re poolside or on the beach and decide to take a dip? If you leave your phone unattended on your sunbed or tucked under your towel and it’s stolen, it’s possible your insurer won’t pay your claim.
Most insurers expect you to take “reasonable precautions” to stop your property being damaged or stolen. Leaving an expensive device such as a phone, tablet or laptop unattended would not be seen as taking reasonable precautions.
Covered for your sports?
All sports come with risks, some more than others, but when you’re on holiday you want to take part in all those activities you probably don’t get to enjoy at home. Standard travel policies usually provide cover for most of the usual holiday sporting activities such as swimming, snorkelling and tennis.
If you’re seeking the more adrenaline fuelled activities, such as scuba diving, jet skiing or bungee jumping, they are likely to be excluded or have specific conditions enforced.
For those travellers taking sporting holidays such as skiing or diving trips, you’ll know there are specific travel policies that cover you for your chosen activities, but it’s always wise to check even with those policies so you understand the cover and its limitations.
Taking sports equipment?
If you’re taking a sporting holiday, chances are you’ll be taking your own equipment with you and your specialist policy will probably cover your related equipment such as skis or snowboard.
One type of holiday that usually falls through the net in terms of sporting equipment is golf. Most standard policies won’t cover your expensive set of clubs, but the majority of good insurers will offer this cover as an add-on.
Locked your doors?
Your hotel room, apartment or villa can feel like such a safe space. However, leaving valuables such as travel documents and tech in plain sight may invalidate your claim if they were to be stolen. It’s down to ‘reasonable measures’ again, as is the case with leaving items unattended – if you can’t prove that reasonable measures were in place to keep your valuables safe, then you may struggle with your claim. If you’re not using your valuables, just lock them away and then you can enjoy your holiday without worry.
Know your claim limit?
All policies have claim limits, so make sure you check them before you take out the policy! If your policy only covers you up to £1,000, but you know the tech you’re taking is worth £3,000 then you’re obviously underinsured.
Make sure you have adequate limits for everything you need to cover – and don’t forget to factor in any purchases you plan to make while you’re away too.
Let us help
Our Private Client team have a wealth of experience in arranging travel insurance for our clients, giving them the peace of mind they need to enjoy their holiday. They’ve also supported our clients that have needed to claim on their travel policy, so understand the claims process.
If you’ve planned your holiday, get in touch with our Private Client team and they’ll help you plan your travel insurance. Or simply email [email protected] and we’ll get in touch at a time to suit you.