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Travel Insurance FAQs 1. Should I buy an annual, long stay or single trip travel policy?
2. How do I know if my holiday destination is safe to travel to?
3. I've booked a holiday to a destination, which may become dangerous for travel and I no longer want to go there. Can I cancel my holiday with my tour operator?
4. What happens if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to my holiday destination whilst I'm there?
5. How can I keep track of developments whilst I'm away?
6. I haven't booked a package holiday, but have booked my flights and accommodation independently. Can I still cancel?
7. There has recently been terrorist activity where I'm going on holiday, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not advising against travel there. Why is that?
8. What happens if I'm the victim of a terrorist attack whilst abroad?
9. I've decided to cancel my holiday, as I don't wish to travel due to the risk of terrorism. Can I claim under my travel insurance policy?
10. Do I need baggage and money cover?
11. I'm currently suffering from a medical problem or have until recently. Will this be covered under my travel policy?
12. I'm planning a six week holiday in Spain. Would such a long break be covered under your annual policy?
13. I have four children. Do I need to pay extra for all of them to be covered under 'Family' cover?
14. My partner and I live together but are not married. Are we still eligible for the 'Family' rate?
15. One of my children has turned 18 but would like to go on a family holiday this year - would he be covered?
16. What happens if I have a problem abroad?
17. Will I be covered for hazardous sports?
18. If I apply online, will I be covered if I'm going on holiday today?
19. What is the maximum age you'll cover?
20. How can I pay for my policy?
21. What should I do if I don't want you to send me any marketing material?
22. How do I cancel my policy?
23. How do I complain?
24. How do I know if my cover has been accepted?
25. How can I renew my policy?
26. Can I renew my policy on this website?
27. Can I renew my policy if I haven't yet received my renewal invitation?
28. I am going through American and merely changing planes there. Do I need US cover?
29. If I die or am seriously injured will the policy pay for me to get back to the UK?
30. I am parachuting on holiday will my Policy cover me?
31. Why Choose an ABTA member
32. What is ATOL? TOP 1. Should I buy an annual, long stay or single trip travel policy?
The cover offered for all our policies is very similar. An annual policy is most suitable for anyone who is likely to travel more frequently with each trip lasting no more than 31 or 61 days, over a 12 month period. A long stay policy is ideally suited to someone who plans a trip of at least 2 months away. It can cover gap trips and any period abroad up to 18 months long. A single trip policy is ideal for those wishing to cover a one off trip up to 31 days long.
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2. How do I know if my holiday destination is safe to travel to?
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes up-to-date advice on every country and whether or not it's safe to travel there. To view country specific advice to visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website and choose the country you are travelling to from the drop down list. (www.fco.gov.uk)
Alternatively, contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Line on 0870 606 0290.
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3. I've booked a holiday to a destination, which may become dangerous for travel and I no longer want to go there. Can I cancel my holiday with my tour operator?
If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not advising against travel to that destination, your tour operator will contend that it's safe to travel there. If you wish to cancel, you should check the terms and conditions of booking, paying particular attention to the section on cancellations.
If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office changes its advice and warns against all non-essential travel to your destination, your tour operator is still not legally obliged to make any concession. However, under the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) code of conduct, you should be offered the chance to defer your trip, choose an alternative holiday or have a full refund.
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4. What happens if the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to my holiday destination whilst I'm there?
Your tour operator should arrange for your return immediately, free of charge. They should also reimburse you for any unused portion of your holiday.
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5. How can I keep track of developments whilst I'm away?
If you're worried your chosen destination may be unsafe during your stay, you can:
• check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. Most hotels have internet access or a nearby internet cafe.(www.fco.gov.uk)
• telephone the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Line on 0870 606 0290, but including the international dialling code for the UK.
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6. I haven't booked a package holiday, but have booked my flights and accommodation independently. Can I still cancel?
If you've booked a scheduled flight which is non-changeable / non-refundable / non-transferable and you wish to cancel, you probably won't be entitled to a refund. If you've paid more for a flexible ticket, you may be able to postpone your trip for a small fee.
Please note that even in the event of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advising against travel, a scheduled airline has no duty to offer you a refund or allow you to change your flights whilst they continue to fly there.
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7. There has recently been terrorist activity where I'm going on holiday, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not advising against travel there. Why is that?
Unfortunately, terrorists operate in a large proportion of the world and advising, for this reason, against travel to all these countries would inhibit world travel and disrupt normal life.
It's worth noting that the risk of being involved in a terrorist attack is very small, especially where the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is taken.
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8. What happens if I'm the victim of a terrorist attack whilst abroad?
War and terrorism are standard exclusions under the terms and conditions of this, and most other, travel insurance policies. However, in the past, travel insurers have extended cover in such circumstances to cover medical expenses and, where possible, to ensure travellers are returned home.
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9. I've decided to cancel my holiday, as I don't wish to travel due to the risk of terrorism. Can I claim under my travel insurance policy?
Cancellation on the grounds of war or terrorism isn't normally covered by your policy. Our online facility does include this cover as an option.
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10. Do I need baggage and money cover?
Our annual and single trip policies give you the option of removing baggage and money cover if you're certain that it's covered by your home insurance. Please check your household insurance policy to ensure cover will be in place for the duration of your trip. Removing this cover from your travel policy should reduce your premium. However, this must be requested at purchase of your policy.
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11. I'm currently suffering from a medical problem or have until recently. Will this be covered under my travel policy?
We offer a medical screening process, which will confirm whether claims relating to an existing medical condition will be covered on the policy. You simply need to call the medical pre screening service and they will confirm whether a particular medical condition will be covered. Our online purchase facility should be able to cover most conditions.
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12. I'm planning a six week holiday in Spain. Would such a long break be covered under your annual policy?
Our annual policy may allow up to 60 days cover for any one trip and therefore a six week holiday is fine. However, the policy is normally issued for trips up to 31 days long. If you want a longer period of trip to be covered you need to ask for you cover to be extended.
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13. I have four children. Do I need to pay extra for all of them to be covered under 'Family' cover?
Our family rates allow for an unlimited number of your own children to be covered.
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14. My partner and I live together but are not married. Are we still eligible for the 'Family' rate?
Yes.
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15. One of my children has turned 18 but would like to go on a family holiday this year - would he be covered?
Some of the policies we issue with cater for this situation. However, please check at time of purchase.
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16. What happens if I have a problem abroad?
We have a dedicated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year assistance centre that you can contact from anywhere in the world. They can provide you with information on local customs or arrange your repatriation back to the UK. Simply call the number listed in the policy document.
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17. Will I be covered for hazardous sports?
Our policies allow some hazardous sports, as listed in the Hazardous Sports Definition in the policy wording. If you're taking part in any sport or activity not listed in the policy, please our travel section on 020 8648 8868 to check if you can be covered.
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18. If I apply online, will I be covered if I'm going on holiday today?
Provided you buy the cover before the start of the trip, you're covered as soon as you complete your application and payment online. You can get a quote here any time. You'll be given details of your policy number and the travel helpline. Please ensure you make a note of these to take on your trip. You may wish to print the policy from the website if you want to take the full details on holiday. Alternatively, our online policy allows basic details to be sent to your mobile phone.
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19. What is the maximum age you'll cover?
The maximum age for an annual trip policy is 64. The maximum age for a single trip policy is 84.
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20. How can I pay for my policy?
You can choose to pay your premium by debit or credit card. Payment online is via a secure server, which uses advanced encryption technology to ensure your details are safe during transmission. Payment via our office staff carries all the usual merchant safeguards
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21. What should I do if I don't want you to send me any marketing material?
If you don't want to receive any marketing material you need only tell us either when taking out your policy or at any future date. You can email us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or write to the Data Protection Officer, 1 Stop Insurance Consultants Ltd, Unit B2, Mill Green Business Park, Mill Green Road, Mitcham, Surrey. CR4 4HT. Please include your full name, address and date of birth.
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22. How do I cancel my policy?
The insurers reserve the rights not to refund the insurance premium (either in full or part) after the Policy Schedule has been issued if travel has occurred or a claim has been made. If a refund is agreed then the Policy Schedule must be returned to the us within 14 days of the date of issue of the Policy Schedule for any refund under the 'Premium Refund Guarantee'.
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23. How do I complain?
We aim to give our customers a high standard of service at all times. If you're unhappy with our service for any reason, or if you have any enquiry about this cover, you should contact 1 Stop Insurance Consultants Ltd, Unit B2, Mill Green Business Park, Mill Green Road, Mitcham, Surrey. CR4 4HT.
If you're still dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you have the right to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which is authorised to consider most complaints and will undertake an independent and impartial review of your complaint. The Ombudsman can be contacted at Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR or by calling 0845 0801 800 or by visiting its website at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk. The Ombudsman's decision is binding upon us but you are free to reject it without affecting your legal rights.
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24. How do I know if my cover has been accepted?
If you are buying online, once you've entered your payment details, the "payment confirmation" page will be displayed. This page is confirmation of your cover, and will display your full policy for printing by you. If you purchase cover through our office then we will confirm cover at the time of purchase and may email you the policy immediately.
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25. How can I renew my policy?
Approximately 4 weeks before your annual policy expires, we'll send you a renewal invitation by post or email, which will give details of how to renew and your new premium.
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26. Can I renew my policy on this website?
Unfortunately, we don't currently offer the facility of renewing your annual travel insurance online. Instead call our contact centre on 020 8648 8868.
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27. Can I renew my policy if I haven't yet received my renewal invitation?
We'll send you a renewal invitation approximately 4 weeks before your policy expires. However, you can still renew your policy in advance of receiving your renewal invitation from 6 weeks before your renewal date. To do this please call our contact centre on 020 8648 8868 (office hours : Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm).
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28. I am going through American and merely changing planes there. Do I need US cover?
No. Most insurers will allow connecting flight in the US without having to actually take US cover so long as the final destination is not the US itself.
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29. If I die or am seriously injured will the policy pay for me to get back to the UK?
Yes. All our policies include full emergency medical cover including air ambulance and repatriation cover if required.
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30. I am parachuting on holiday will my Policy cover me?
Different insurers have different criteria. All we ask is that at the point we are asked for a quotation you inform us of any hazardous activities planned and we can ensure that the chosen insurers will cover such. Many water sports and types of skiing are covered but mountaineering and the like may attract special terms. If in doubt advise us up front and we can ensure your cover meets your needs.
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31. Why Choose an ABTA member
For most people their holiday is the highlight of the year. A time to rest, relax and enjoy getting away from it all.
There is a way that you can help make your holiday a success. A way to minimise the risk of a problem, and maximise your enjoyment. Just look for the ABTA sign when you book your holiday.
ABTA – the Association of British Travel Agents – is the organisation which represents UK travel agents and tour operators. It’s ABTA’s role to ensure that you, the customer, benefit from consistently high standards of trading practice in the travel industry; that the standards of service and business throughout the membership are of the highest calibre. As such, ABTA’s famous symbol has come to represent choice and value.
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32. What is ATOL?
ATOL protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out checks on the tour operators and travel organisers it licenses, and requiring a financial guarantee called a bond, which is lodged with us. If a tour operator goes out of business, the CAA will make a refund to you, or if you're abroad & arrange for you to finish your holiday and fly home
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