Travel Insurance's Frequently Asked Questions
Finding and booking travel insurance can be a potentially confusing and time-consuming affair. That's why we've put together this list of the top insurance queries, so you can spend less time being confused and more time getting on with your holiday plans.
Searching for your policy
If you're not sure what you need out of a travel insurance policy, you can cut down your searching time with these essential Q&As:
What destinations do you provide cover for?
Our travel insurance offers cover for trips globally: from Europe to America, Africa to Asia. If you're not entirely sure where your holiday falls under, then this is easily found out by simply by entering the name of the country into the travelling to box, or selecting either European or Worldwide regions.
The only destinations we currenty do not provide insurance cover for are:
- Afghanistan
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Iraq
- Libya
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- North Korea
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Which region do I need to choose?
Depending on which country or countries you're visiting, you can select one of the following regions on the drop down menu:
- Europe
- Europe - excluding Spain, Cyprus, Malta, Turkey or Greece
- Worldwide
- Worldwide - excluding USA, Canada or the Caribbean
- Australia and New Zealand
- UK
The countries that are considered "excluded" and require a specific European or Worldwide policy often have higher health care costs, so should anything happen to you, there is slightly higher premium to cover this.
If you are unsure which region your destination falls under, you can click the link "Not sure? Enter your destination" underneath the "Travelling to?" drop down menu of the search bar.
Can I book travel insurance online?
Yes, purchasing insurance online with Holiday Extras is quick and easy. Simply enter your travel details into the booking engine and select your level of cover with any extras you want added to your policy.
Will I be covered for day trips, excursions and holidays with multiple destinations?
Yes, we provide cover for both European and Worldwide (outside of Europe) travel. If you are travelling to multiple destinations around Europe, then a European policy would be sufficient. For travel outside of Europe, you'll need to get yourself a Worldwide policy.
Check out our our Worldwide and European insurance pages for more information on booking a policy.
I have a child over 18, can they be covered on my family policy?
Most travel insurance providers class over 18s as adults. However, at Holiday Extras we can provide family policies for families with 'adult' children over 18, but each person will be priced individually, not at the usual family rate with under 18 children.
I'm over 75 — can I still get travel insurance?
Unlike many insurance providers, with a Holiday Extras single trip or non-cruise policy there aren't any upper age limits applied, meaning that travellers 75 years and upwards can enjoy full, comprehensive cover.
For annual policies there are an age limits of 79 years old and 85 years on annual cruise policies. For more information, check out our over 75s travel insurance page.
All or part of my trip involves cruising — what cover do I need?
If all or part of your trip is aboard a cruise then you will need to take out a cruise policy, which covers cruise-specific necessities such as missed excursions, itinerary changes and cabin confinement. You will be asked to confirm if you're going on a cruise in the initial stages of the quote/booking process.
What happens if I have to cancel my trip due to ill health?
All our policies come with cancellation cover including if you needed to call off your trip due to ill-health.
Your policy covers you against any unforeseen circumstances beyond reasonable control. If you need to cancel your trip the authorisation must come from your GP or consultant.
Conditions do vary from policy to policy, as well as situation to situation - so for a better understanding of what we will cover, please refer to your policy wording or if you have opted for one of our more specified policies.
Policy terminology
We've tried to allievate some of the mystery surrounding a lot of the jargon used in the insurance industry, so you can feel confident in finding a policy most suitable for you.
What cover is available under my policy in relation to Coronavirus of FCO change in advice?
From 17th March 2020, there is no cover under your policy for:
- Cancellation, abandonment or curtailment claims if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises you not to travel, for example where the FCO advise against all but essential travel to an area affected by Coronavirus, COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-COV-2) or any mutation of Coronavirus, COVID-19 or SARs-COV-2.
- Any claims as a result of Coronavirus, COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-
COV-2), any mutation of Coronavirus, COVID-19 or SARs-COV-2 or any pandemic or fear or threat of any the above. Except for the Emergency Medical Expenses section. This will only apply if you did not travel against the published advice of the FCO, any local government, local authority or WHO.
What is an excess in travel insurance?
A standard excess on a travel insurance policy refers to the amount deducted before a claim is paid out. Essentially, it is a sum of money varying from £0 to £150 that you have to pay towards a claim on a policy. This amount varies depending on which cover level you have chosen.
For example, if you choose our Platinum cover, you will have zero excess on all potential claims, but if you have Bronze cover, you will have to initially pay £150 to make a claim.
What is airline insolvency?
This is when the airline you were booked to travel with dissolves due to bankruptcy or other compromising factors. In such a situation, travellers can risk losing a significant amount of money, as tickets are rendered worthless.
While most package holidays come with ATOL protection which insures against airline insolvency, this does not extend to travellers who purchased tickets and other travel services independently.
How do you define a UK resident?
According to our underwriters, Travel Insurance Facilities, to meet the criteria to purchase travel insurance, you and anyone named on the policy must qualify as a resident of the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or British Forces Posted Overseas and have resided there for more than 6 months out of the last 12 months.
I'm a British citizen living abroad — can I book travel insurance with Holiday Extras?
Unfortunately not. You must be a permanent resident of the UK to be eligible to purchase travel insurance. Your trip must also start and finish in the UK too.
Single and Annual policies
Not sure whether to buy a single or an annual policy? Have a look at the differences below to gauge what will best suit your travel plans.
How many days does a single trip policy cover?
Holiday Extras single trip travel insurance policies provide travellers with comprehensive cover for one trip of up to 365 days. For more information, visit our single trip policies page.
What does an Annual Travel Insurance policy cover?
An Annual Travel Insurance policy covers you for an unlimited amount of trips abroad throughout the year, with a maximum limit for each trip depending on your cover level. For more information, visit our Annual Travel Insurance page.
Is there a limit to the number of days I can be abroad on an annual policy?
Yes, there is a limit depending on which level of cover you have taken out. Like most insurers, we limit our annual policies to a maximum number of days you can be away for, not the number of trips you can take within a year. With Holiday Extras annual travel insurance policy, the maximum number of days abroad per trip are:
- Bronze - 22 consecutive days per trip
- Silver and Gold - 31 consecutive days per trip
- Platinum - 45 consecutive days per trip
Do annual policies cover travel within the UK?
In short - yes. However, the trip has to meet specific criteria. For your domestic trip to be covered it must:
- Be at least 1 night in duration
- Include pre-booked transportation or accommodation
- Be at least 25 miles from your home (unless it involves a sea crossing)
When does my policy expire and when can I renew it?
Usually, your policy will expire at midnight on the day that you specified as being the last day of your trip. With annual policies, the date of expiration will always be at midnight on the 365th day after the policy start date. If you are on an annual travel insurance policy, you will receive a renewal notice 30 days before the expiry of the period of insurance as shown on your policy schedule..
Can you travel separately on an annual policy?
Travellers on a group annual travel insurance policy can travel independently throughout the year of cover. However, anyone on the policy under 18 years of age cannot travel independently and will need to be accompanied by an adult also on the policy.
Take a look at our travel insurance pages for group travel insurance and couples travel insurance for more information
Medical questions
Finding the right medical cover for any pre-existing conditions you might have is the more complicated aspect of travel insurance. It's so important to get right, and is one of the biggest costs when making a claim. To find out exactly what you need to know before booking your medical cover, take some time to read over customers' most pressing medical-related questions.
What is a pre-existing medical condition?
A pre-existing medical condition is any condition affecting your health prior to booking your travel insurance policy. All insurers will want to know your medical history before you purchase a policy with them.
No matter if the condition is no longer active or being treated, failing to declare any pre-existing medical conditions when taking out travel insurance could render your policy invalid.
For more information on travel insurance with medical conditions, check out our medical conditions page.
What is a medical screening?
When applying for travel insurance with medical conditions you have to complete a medical screening, either online or over the phone. This is simply a set of questions related to the condition of your health, designed to ascertain the type and severity or risk of the pre-existing medical condition you have.
Is pregnancy classed as a medical condition?
With Holiday Extras, pregnant women can travel under a standard travel insurance policy up to 32 weeks into the pregnancy, provided the mother hasn't had medical complications with any previous pregnancies, nor any pre-existing medical conditions that could have an affect on the pregnancy.
For more information, check out our pregnancy travel insurance page.
Do you cover repatriation?
All Holiday Extras policies come with repatriation insurance as standard. You'll find the details surrounding your repatriation cover to be grouped under "emergency medical cover" in the policy wording of your insurance policy. See our repatriation insurance page for more information
Managing your policy
Once you have made your booking, find out the best ways to access your policy and help us answer any other transactional questions you might have.
I can't find my confirmation, what do I do?
You can login to your account to see your booking, and from there you can view or resend your confirmation. If you have applied for a postal confirmation and you haven't received it, please get in touch with us via Live Chat and we will send you another copy in the post.
How can I cancel my booking?
If you decide that the policy you've taken out isn't right for you anymore, it takes no time at all to cancel your booking online. Simply login to your account on our website and press the cancel button. We will then send you an email confirming your decision to cancel your policy.
Can I amend my policy online?
Unfortunately you cannot make changes to your policy online, but we can do this for you via our contact number on 0800 083 0591 or via Live Chat.
My booking starts today, but I need to change it. What can I do?
If you need to change or cancel your booking, we need at least 24 hours before the stay date to make the changes. We would recommend that you get in touch with us at the earliest possibility to see if anything can be done. Details will be found in your email confirmation.
While travelling
Hopefully nothing out of the ordinary will happen while you're away, but it never hurts to be prepared and to have insurance-related questions for when you're abroad.
What do I do if there's an emergency during my trip?
If something unfortunately happens to you while you're on holiday, we have appointed Emergency Assistance Facilities as our dedicated 24-hour emergency assistance service are available over the phone, on live chat or via email. In the case of an emergency you should contact them as soon as you're able. To make sure you don't lose it, we advise that you save the number (+44 (0) 203 824 0653) in your phone.
I might be taking part in activities while I'm away, will I be covered to do them?
It entirely depends on the activity you choose to do. Over 100 sports and activities, like kayaking, cycling and water parks, are included in your policy as standard, meaning you don't have to pay for anything extra. Some activities, like skiing and paragliding, offer a greater risk and therefore an additonal amount is added to your policy.
We would recommend that you double-check the policy wording to assess what cover pack your activity falls under. If you're taking part in an activity that isn't listed, please feel free to give us a call and see if we can help.
For more infortmation on the specific category an activity falls under, please check out our sports travel insurance page which provides a detailed list of all sports.
Something happened while I was away and I want to make a claim. How do I do this?
Making a claim on your policy is easy to do. Once you get home, make sure you have your policy number to hand and visit our claims page.
Alternatively, you can call our claims line and one of our experts will be able to assist you. The number is 0203 824 0654, and is in your policy booklet too. Have a read through the policy wording to know that what you're claiming is in fact covered for.
After this, you need to submit a claims form with all the relevant information so that it can be processed as quickly as possible.
Where can I find my policy documents?
For more information on the exact wording of your policy, please check out our policy booklets.
Travel insurance information
Holiday Extras Cover Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Holiday Extras Cover Ltd 05058680 is registered in England and Wales. Registered address: Ashford Road, Newingreen, Kent CT21 4JF.
Holiday Extras Cover Ltd is underwritten by Travel Insurance Facilities plc which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered address: 2nd Floor, 1 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4UY. Company number 03220410.