holiday tips Archives - AIB Insurance

Plane The peak overseas holiday season will soon be upon us with schools here in the UK shortly to break up for the summer. Many families will be taking to the sky in planes, boarding cruise liners and ferries as they venture across oceans and travelling by car or train through the Channel Tunnel onward bound to some European destination or an exotic country many thousands of miles from our shores.

With this in mind, it is perhaps rather timely to mention travel insurance that, based upon research carried out by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), rather surprisingly reveals there are a significant number of holidaymakers who are not arranging this potentially valuable form of cover. Apparently, around 1 in 4 people travelling overseas do not bother to take out travel insurance.

When you consider that 480,000 people travelling abroad last year claimed on their travel insurance policies in respect of things like lost luggage and medical treatment there is obviously a need for such cover. In fact, around £1 million was paid out to claimants every day.

Of those people, 154,000 required emergency medical assistance. The cost of such treatment amounted to £199 million. There were 83,000 claims made in respect of cash being lost and luggage going astray totaling £17 million. There were 159,000 claims made by holidaymakers who unfortunately had to cancel a holiday at a total cost of around £130 million.

When you consider that the average amount claimed for cancelling a holiday was £816 and that the average amount claimed in respect of medical treatment amounted to £1,300 yet the average amount of an annual travel insurance policy is £37 it rather puts this into perspective. It is also reassuring to note that insurers approve almost 9 out of every 10 travel insurance claims.

So, if you are looking for quality travel insurance at a competitive price, why not give us a call here at AIB Insurance on 02380 268 351 and discuss your requirements with a knowledgeable member of staff. It really is not worth the risk of travelling abroad without suitable cover.

If you are planning to take your family on holiday at half term in a few weeks time and fly off to some exotic overseas location there are a number of items that you may wish to pack. So, let’s have a look at some of the most important ones: –

Clothing

Depending upon where you are going, you will need to take suitable clothing to cater for the weather that is expected. For instance, you will need a selection of items such as shoes, dresses, trousers, shorts, jackets, shirts, blouses, t-shirts, hat and underwear. Don’t forget to pack swimwear, sunglasses and perhaps a beach towel.

You will also require toiletries plus things like sun cream, travel sickness tablets and don’t forget any medication. If you have a baby you will need nappies, nappy cream, wipes, baby food/milk, changing mat and arrange/take a child/booster seat if hiring a car.

Passports

You will need to have a passport for each person otherwise you won’t get beyond the check in desk which could prove a costly mistake if you have to re-arrange a flight for another day. Do you need to arrange visas as well?

Don’t forget to bring your airline tickets with you and print off the boarding passes that some airlines now require. Bring any paperwork relating to your holiday accommodation. If you are hiring a car you will need your driving license as well as any supporting car-hire documentation.

Money

You won’t get very far if you leave your wallet or purse at home. Make sure that you have some currency with you such as Euros or US Dollars depending upon the country that you are travelling to. You will also need to bring with you a debit card(s) as well as a credit card(s).

Travel Insurance

You are under no legal obligation to arrange travel insurance but it would be a sensible thing to put in place prior to setting off on your much-needed holiday. It could provide cover for you and your family against things like your holiday being cancelled unexpectedly, the cost of hospital treatment overseas and repatriation back to the UK the cost of which could run into many thousands of pounds. Do remember to bring the paperwork with you on holiday. Don’t forget your European Health Insurance Card(s).

Mobile Phone

It is amazing how much we depend on our mobile phones these days. Make sure that your supplier has put you onto a package that reduces the cost of making and receiving calls/texts when used abroad as the cost can be prohibitive.

You may also want to bring your tablet and e-book reader.

Enjoy your trip and should you need insurance, give the team a call here at AIB on 02380 268351.