Travel Insurance

For topics that are specific to the UK and Ireland, please go here
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Travel Insurance

Post by greenbarn »

We had a call from a guest who's booked in February asking about access difficulties in case of snow, and we mentioned travel insurance.
The guest was dubious if their travel insurance would cover snow (which rather begs the question as to what it would cover).

Anyone got any experience of UK travel insurance suppliers? We don't particularly want to go down the route of making a specific recommendation to guests, but it would be very useful to know of companies that provide suitable cover for travel entirely within the UK.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

Direct Travel do a UK only policy I think, I'm not sure about cover for bad weather causing cancellation, but it would be worth giving them a call and asking.
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Thanks Helen, I'll investigate them.
e-richard
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Contact:

Post by e-richard »

Not sure if this is helpful or TC:

I've just bought my annual cover from annualtravelinsurance.com who offer an OPTIONAL extra cover for "Natural Disaster". The icon would suggest this covers delays, cancellations etc from Ash Clouds, but whether Snow is classified as a natural disaster, I would hesitate to comment :?
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

Friends have just been stuck in Geneva for two nights in snow, they can claim on their policy for things the airline aren't responsible for, like missing a flight cos they were stuck on a train.
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Thanks for those two suggestions.

It looks like Direct Travel are out as they don't cover
Any journey or one-way trip within the United Kingdom not involving a sea crossing.
I can't find anything similar from a scan through the policy mentioned by e-richard, but the only specific mention of adverse weather conditions I can find applies only to the disruption of public transport, which the vast majority of our guests don't use.

Maybe travel insurance isn't quite the answer we'd hoped for!

I can feel some searching coming on.
User avatar
Nemo
Posts: 7062
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:15 am
Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

Yes GB that would be helpful! I would like to be able to recommend a policy that is just for travel within the UK as virtually all my customers are UK based only.
Nightowl
Posts: 2185
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:14 am
Location: Cadiz, Spain & London
Contact:

Post by Nightowl »

What is it about Europeans that they don't 'do' travel insurance.

We have just had a cancellation - nothing to do with the snow, it's the spanish aviation air strike. I offered alternative dates next week as a goodwill gesture(because I havent shifted them) and he's asked about some January dates, so I've offered 4 nights which again haven't shifted. But he said that the 4th person 'can't come for those dates' so how much would it be for 3....

Well, errm, actually I'm not obliged to refund you anything or offer you any alternative dates so no, I'm not giving a discount on it.

So when offering the dates I said it was a straight swap.


but now my antenna is twitching because I know he's going to ask about swapping it to other dates, which I'm not prepared to do, because swapping to other dates that I CAN sell just leaves me sucking up his losses again (as I'm unlikely to sell the dates he just cancelled, being today and for the next 4 nights.

I'm certain he hasn't got travel insurance so I'm now composing a 'sorry but no refund' letter which I know will go down like a lead balloon but so be it.

WHY won't europeans take out bloody travel insurance?????
Nightowl
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

No success as yet! Not sure about Schofields who have a policy aimed at the UK traveller; I've read through the small print but it's not clear to me if the policy would cover adverse weather - I suspect not.

Maybe we'll get some clarification and suggestions from Schofields next time they pop in to the forum. As you say Nemo, it would be useful to be able to recommend something, and if suitable cover is not commonly available I'd have a rethink on my stance of not wanting to get involved in recommending a suitable insurance provider.
Nightowl
Posts: 2185
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2005 4:14 am
Location: Cadiz, Spain & London
Contact:

Post by Nightowl »

...now scanning LMH for suitable wording tweaks to my usual 'sorry can't refund letter'... there were some good ones here recently...
Nightowl
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
Londoner
Posts: 157
Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 1:13 pm
Location: London

Post by Londoner »

oh no my next set of guests are Spanish, I hope the strike is finished and the backlog cleared but Tuesday. I will go bankrupt at this rate!!
User avatar
Windy
Posts: 3219
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:21 am
Location: Windermere UK

Post by Windy »

Hi GB

Most standard travel insurance policies will not cover guests for curtailment caused by bad weather but you can get cover

This is what we say (note we don't recommend we suggets they review as per what Schofields advised here a while back) :
This payment is not normally refundable so you are strongly encouraged to take appropriate travel insurance including cancellation cover. Cancellation due to bad weather is often not covered by standard holiday policies. Please check any policy you may already have and if necessary contact an insurance provider who can organise this cover for you. One such provider to review is J.L. Morris (Insurance Brokers) Ltd who offer a policy which includes cover for curtailment due to "adverse weather conditions making the journey exceptionally hazardous or impossible". They can be contacted on 01202 642840 or by clicking on this link . Please be sure to check that any policy you do select meets your likely requirements.

If you decide not to take out insurance then you accept responsibility for any loss that you may incur as a result.

Of course even though we say that guests don't take out cover and yet they still expect to be able to cancel and get a refund or alternative dates.

It's a no win situation for us owners....
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Great Windy - just what's needed! Many thanks. (Looks for massive round of applause smiley........)
User avatar
Nemo
Posts: 7062
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:15 am
Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

ImageImageImage :wink:
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Thanks Nemo - just what Windy deserves!

I've had a detailed look at the insurance from J L Morris, and it seems to offer just what's needed, tailored to the within-UK rental holiday and a product from Allianz.
Now to add some wording to our standard emails!
Post Reply