Cancellation
and curtailment travel insurance
‘Cancellation’ cover ensures that you are not
out of pocket as a result of having to cancel your holiday
after paying for it (but before you set off). (This can
be a useful insurance for pre-booked holidays in the UK
as well as abroad.) Cover for ‘curtailment’
ensures that you get part of the cost of the holiday back
if you have to cut your holiday short, and should also cover
any travel costs you incur. To get the most benefit from
this sort of cover, you should make sure that you are covered
for the full non-refundable pre-paid costs of your holiday,
which you would otherwise risk losing if you have bought
a package holiday, or a non-exchangeable air ticket to visit
your sister in Australia, or if you have paid up-front for
a villa in the Dordogne, for example. You do not need this
kind of cover if your ticket is fully flexible and/or refundable,
or if you are paying for your holiday as you go and there
is nothing to cancel.
If you do want this sort of cover, it is very important
to buy the insurance as near to the time that you book the
holiday as possible. If booking with friends, it is worth
booking on the same form so that it is very clear who your
travelling companions are. This is because certain cover
extends to a problem encountered by your travelling companion(s)
that affects you too.
What is not covered
The first part of any valid claim under the cancellation
and curtailment section of the policy will not be covered.
In general, all the things for which you cannot claim under
the medical expenses section of the policy will also be
listed in this section. You will also find that your claims
will not be paid if you cancel or cut short your holiday
for one of the following reasons:
• You fail to get a passport
• You are refused entry because you did not get the
necessary visa
• Your car breaks down or is stolen
• You no longer fancy going
• There is a crisis at work
• You missed your flight, train or boat out of the
UK (unless as a result of severe weather conditions –
a freak snow storm cutting off road access, for example)
• You are not enjoying yourself or the weather is
bad
• There is a riot (or other civil commotion)
• A pre-existing illness or condition that you did
not tell your insurer about when you took out the policy
• A close relative has a recurrence of, or dies from,
an illness which you knew about before you were due to go
on holiday but did not tell the insurer about when you took
out the policy
• A close relative, or the person you were planning
to stay with, is injured or dies as a result of taking part
in a ‘hazardous’ activity.
Depending on the policy, you may or may not be able to
claim for cancelling or cutting short your holiday to look
after a close relative who suffers from mental illness.
|
