It’s a valid question as many annual policies may exclude things like ski trips, motorcycle tours, watersports, plus extreme experiences that may well get you 10,000 likes on TikTok. Plus if you do single trip travel insurance it might be tricky getting the right cover a few days before heading to the airport. Here’s the word;
A stark 16% don’t take out travel insurance for their holidays abroad, finds a survey of 902 British holidaymakers by travel insurer Saga. Of the Brits that do, as many as 40% purchase a last-minute policy, leaving themself at risk of being out of pocket and without a holiday if anything were to go wrong.
Revealing Brit’s risky holiday habits ahead of the spring/summer rush, Michelle Cooper, Director of Travel insurance at Saga, answers when is the best time to get travel insurance, and how to get last-minute cover if you’ve forgotten: https://www.saga.co.uk/travel-insurance/last-minute-travel-insurance
16% typically never take out travel insurance for holidays abroad, risking significant financial loss
Saga’s survey reveals 16% of British holidaymakers typically never take out travel insurance for holidays abroad. Of those who do, most typically take out single trip cover (50%), and some (34%) multi trip cover.
Michelle cautions: “You’ll never know how important travel insurance is unless you need to make a claim. This could be before you go, if your trip must be cancelled because of an unexpected event, while you’re away, if you’re taken ill, or have an accident and need medical treatment, or even when you get back, if your baggage gets lost.”
40% of Brits who get single trip travel insurance buy it last minute – risking cover exclusions
40% of British holidaymakers risk cancelled holidays without remuneration by buying travel insurance either shortly before their departure, the day of departure, or while on the holiday – all outside of Michelle’s recommendation.
ADVICE FOR SENIORS
Michelle says: “The best time to buy your travel insurance is right after you’ve booked a holiday.”
Only a third (33%) of Brits who buy single trip travel insurance get it at the right time according to Saga’s survey. Michelle continues:
“Protecting your plans in the run-up to your holiday is just as important as when you’re there.”
“We recommend getting a policy that includes cancellation cover so you’re protected if you can’t go due to illness or there’s an unexpected turn of events, like your accommodation cancels your booking. Though some holiday providers do include cancellation cover as part of the holiday booking, so check this first.
For the 5% who book on the day of departure, Michelle says:
“You can still get travel insurance on the same day you travel. Most providers specify that your trip starts when you leave your home, so you need to buy your last-minute policy before you leave. Some providers might not let you make a claim in the first 24 or 48 hours of taking it out though.
“If you’re at the airport, you may still be able to buy cover. But do it before you go through customs, or you’ll have a harder job finding cover and it may come with exclusions.”
For the 5% who book during their holiday, Michelle says:
“It still might not be too late once you’ve arrived at your destination. Some providers sell ‘post-departure insurance’, but this could come at a premium and with certain limitations. It won’t cover you for anything that might have gone wrong already, but it may prove valuable later in your trip.”
Don’t forget to declare pre-existing medical conditions when getting your last-minute policy cautions Michelle:
“If you want to be covered for a pre-existing medical condition or anything associated with it, always declare it when buying travel insurance, otherwise it could lead to complications should you need to make a claim.”
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