As a frequent traveller, both on my own and with my family, it stands to reason (statistically speaking) that one day I’d have to call upon my travel insurance. Here’s what I learned on my journey, and if you like a bit of drama, I also share the story of what led us there – grab a cuppa and read on!
1. Needing to claim on travel insurance is stressful!
Having a calm and helpful person on a claim line to call feels priceless
Needing to claim is a tense time, it’s tied to having spent a lot of money, and something has obviously gone wrong if you need to suddenly make a claim, so emotions are likely all over the place too. Having a calm and helpful person who understands this, who can address your queries and concerns with compassion is essential at this time. This is exactly what we got with worldwideinsure.com.
2. Contact every booking agent as soon as you know you are unable to travel
You may be able to get a direct refund rather than claiming on your insurance
If you are cancelling 48 to 72 hours ahead of your booking there is a high chance that your cancellation will be fully refunded. This applies to flights, accommodation, excursions, car hire… If you can get a refund directly, it will save the admin on making a travel insurance claim.
3. Get the documents you need to prove that you cannot travel
It may be a doctors letter or another official document, but proof would be needed
Travel insurance covers specific reasons for trip cancellation such as being unfit for travel though illness or injury, as well as some specific traumatic events in your close family. Long story short, you can’t decide just not to travel and hope to claim – the insurance is only valid for specific cases and you will need to provide official proof of the reason.
4. You can claim for whatever doesn’t get refunded directly
If the cutoff for a direct refund is too close, add that booking to your claim
If it is a last minute cancellation then you may not have enough notice to cancel and get a refund on flights and initial accommodation. Even if you’ve got a refund on other bookings for your holiday, you can still claim for the parts that couldn’t be refunded.
5. Get proof of cancellation for EVERYTHING
Without it you will not be able to progress your claim
When you notify any of the booking agents or suppliers ask them to send cancellation/no show confirmation by email as soon as possible. Make sure that booking and reference numbers, names, and dates are included for clarity and so the claim handlers can match it to the booking easily.
6. The claims process is simpler, quicker, and smoother that you’d expect
The claims portal is online, information is easy to submit, no relying on post!
It can take a few weeks, especially if the claim handler asks for supporting information, but the more evidence you have to start the quicker it will be. As it is all online, there’s no watching for a letter to come through the door or wondering if your forms got lost in the post. An email will drop in, to which you can do a quick reply, and you can view your claim, and its progress in the dedicated portal.
If you are in a pickle and need to cancel your travel, hopefully these insights will offer some reassurance.
And if you are interested to know how Chickenpox put a stop to our Icelandic holiday dreams, along with a blow-by-blow account of our journey through the clams process, and our worries and concerns along the way then read on!
Get travel insurance before you travel! The sooner you get it, the sooner you are covered should you need to cancel
Give our team a call (+44) 01892 833338 or visit our website to get a quick free quote for single trip or annual travel insurance cover – the sooner you get it, the sooner you are covered should you need to cancel.
When Travel Insurance Saves The Day
Half term was in our sights, along with it a trip that had been in the diary for 6 years. Then disaster struck, our child came down with Chickenpox and travel was most definitely off the cards. Thankfully we had travel insurance, but it was a weekend, and we didn’t know what to do to make sure that we could claim. Here is everything we learned, so you know what to do if it happens to you!
Not where I expected to be on my birthday.
The backstory
In early 2019 I went on a wonderful trip to Iceland, a dream destination for the wild landscapes, the unique geology, and for the most wonderful treat of all – the Northern Lights! Sadly, I had not done my research and I was unaware of the 12 year solar cycle that causes the Aurora to shine so brightly sometimes and other times, not at all. I’d travelled in the year when the sun was practically dormant so there were very few solar flares to generate a lightshow in the sky.
With my new found knowledge, I calculated that the next solar peak – therefore greatest chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis was in the winter of 2024/2025 – in the diary it went, in particular for my birthday which always falls during February half term.
Me on my first (and so far only) trip to Iceland in 2019
Iceland itinerary for half term family fun with friends
Sunday 16th Feb – Drive to Luton airport, stay in an airport hotel that comes with parking.
Monday 17th Feb – up early and make the most of our airport lounge pass before boarding our easyJet flight to Reykjavik at 7.35am.
Once In Iceland we booked a hire car to get to our first destination, a beautiful airbinb in Vaðnesvegur near Selfoss, complete with hot tub, sauna, and incredible mountain views. Things on the agenda while here:
- Kerid Crater
- Strokkur Geyser
- Selfoss Old Town
- Olvisholt Brewery
Friday 21st Feb – checkout of the country pad, spend the day at Blue Lagoon (kids go free!), return the hire car, then check into our luxury Penthouse in downtown Reykjavik.
Monday 24th Feb – fly back to the UK!
Chickenpox stops travel – will our travel insurance cover it?
We are about to get the suitcases out and pack for Iceland when we suspect that our 9 year old child has chickenpox. He is feeling unwell, there is a suspicious rash appearing but it is a Saturday so getting a diagnosis so we can cancel our trip is tricky.
A quick google tells us that if it is chickenpox there is no way he’ll be allowed on a flight. easyJet’s rules are clear – no travel until 7 days AFTER the LAST SPOT has crusted over.
Complication 1:
We need confirmation of illness but it is the weekend and the GP is closed!
After a call to 111, we head to an out of hours appointment. Several hours later, we have the news that confirms it is chickenpox, but we can’t get a letter to confirm it, only our regular GP can do that.
We need a letter to be able to cancel our flights, and we need a letter to be able to claim our travel insurance. Our flight leaves before the GP opens on Monday.
Complication 2:
It’s the weekend so we can’t get through to the travel insurance claim line to get advice.
Without a letter, we didn’t know how to proceed. A chat with easyJet told us that without a letter before the flight we couldn’t prove that we weren’t boarding because of chickenpox, so could not cancel. Also, because we were travelling as a group – booked by our friends – we had an added complication…
Complication 3:
We did not book the flights (or accommodation), our friends did and we paid them our share.
This meant we could not cancel our flights and instead had to be a “no show”. Trying to cancel our seats could have impacted their booking, and that applied for the return flight too. So, we had to wait over a week to be able to start this part of the insurance claim process.
Complication 4:
It was actually too close to departure to be able to cancel anything.
- Airport hotel and parking – required over 48 hours notice to cancel and get a refund. At least because we contacted them before check in we were able to get a voucher to use another time. Let’s hope we can!
- Priority Pass Lounge pass – again, because we were too close to departure (less than 48 hours) there was no way of canceling and no option for refund.
- Car hire – it seems like 48 hours in the magic number. This also could not be cancelled for a refund
- Accommodation – it was too late to cancel the booking and for our friends to find smaller alternative accommodation
It had been a long, emotional and complex 24 hours, and all we could do was wait until the claims line opened on Monday morning to find out how to proceed.
The insurance claim process
In a nutshell, it was reassurance every step of the way.
Called the claim line – a very lovely person heard my concerns and assured me that even though we had missed our departure, a doctor letter after the event would still be valid. They also sent very helpful FAQs which made filling the online form out easy.
Called GP – a very lovely receptionist told me how to apply for a doctor letter to support the claim.
Called easyJet – again, a very lovely person told me that until my friends had returned to the UK that processing the “no show” insurance letter wouldn’t be possible.
Called the claim line again (worried about waiting until our next “no show”) – more helpful words and reassurance that there is no urgency to get it done immediately.
Called the claim line again, this time worried about the fact that we didn’t make the bookings but our friends did and we paid them – again, reassurance that this happens a lot and not to worry about it.
The proof that was needed to be able to make a travel insurance claim
Despite the complications we faced with the fact that our friends had made the booking, having the right proof to submit made sure that the claim went smoothly. Here is what we filed:
- Proof of booking for both accommodations
- Confirmation from both hosts that we did not show for accommodations
- Proof of booking for flights
- Confirmation letter from airline that we were a no show on outbound and return flights
- Proof of booking for car hire
- Doctor Letter to confirm diagnosis and declare unfit for travel
And the day that we found out our claim was successful
As an email alert popped up, so did a notification that money had been deposited into our bank account! All in all the process took around 8 weeks as there were a few bits of supporting evidence I needed to gather, and while it was a waiting game, it was straightforward with no additional stress.
Is travel insurance worth it?
Absolutely! It wasn’t until after we got over the drama of cancelling that we realised what the cost implications could have been had the outbreak happened while we were away. The cost of flight changes, the extra accommodation (in an expensive country), medical bills, and all the other day to day bits could have added up to a sizable amount.
Give our team a call (+44) 01892 833338 or visit our website to get a quick free quote for single trip or annual travel insurance cover – the sooner you get it, the sooner you are covered should you need to cancel.
Travel Writer Bio
Kerry McCarthy is a Writer, Editor, Artist & Breathwork Instructor who loves to travel. You can find out more about her adventures over on instagram at @kerrymccarthystars
Kerry McCarthy, Iceland, March 2019