TRAVEL INSURANCE

                                   

Have you ever had travel insurance? For business or pleasure, it's not a bad thing to consider. Where do you start when it comes to finding affordable, and cheap policies? It’s easier than you may think, and it can all be done online. Cutting out stress and making sure you have peace of mind is not a bad idea.

If you’re booking a package deal via a travel agent, you will no doubt be offered their company policy, but I wouldn’t recommend taking this, because the cost will more often than not be hugely inflated compared to what you can find elsewhere. Head to a cost comparison website and search for your needs, checking what the results are. Don’t go for the cheapest, because you’ll probably find the excess costs are high, so instead go for a middle of the road policy that suits your needs, and won’t cost the earth in the event of a claim.

What else do you need to remember? Well, those pre-existing medical conditions need to be declared, and obviously the older you get, the slightly higher the cost of your policy, but in the event of a problem, you’ll be happy you did pay it out to begin with. It might take some searching, but you will be able to find good quality and low cost travel insurance for over 70s, so don’t be bummed!

When you're ready to travel, print out the policy, store the claim number in your mobile phone, and put it all in a folder in your hand luggage. We hope it will never see the light of day, but in the event of an issue or problem, it’s there to fall back on. Peace of mind is worth much more than the cost you will pay for your policy.

Your insurance should, if you check the small print, cover you for any cancellations or major flight problems which result in you not being able to go away. If this is due to a medical problem, you will need to get evidence from your doctor, but in the event of a claim this is relatively easy to do. Checking your BA flight status online before you depart will give you further peace of mind that there are no problems with your particular flight, and even if there are, your company will no doubt have a contingency plan – remember it costs the company far more to cancel a flight than it does to sort out an alternative arrangement!