Vote for Travel Insurance

We try and avoid getting into politics here in the office but it was hard to ignore the “will they, wont they” debate with regards to a possible general election. A customer asked whether or not we could provide insurance in the event of having to cut their holiday short if a call to the polling stations was declared. Does this count as insider knowledge?

The Truth about Travel Insurance

The following report was recently written for a travel and tourism web site concerning free travel insurance policies which can come with bank accounts, etc.

The truth about some travel insurance – a view from the UK.

Winter Sports - Ski Resorts for 2007 / 2008

It’s that time of year again - the time for getting out on the piste (I said piste) and hitting the white stuff. Quite literally if it is me! If you’re wondering on where to go, we’ve put together a few ideas for you including some resorts you might not have considered. Do you know of any more? Check them out and of course, check out the ski insurance too! www.travel-insurance.net/ski/

Useful Gadgets and Tips for Travellers and Backpackers

The most useful tip we can offer is to make sure you have your travel insurance in place before you set off! For a no-obligation quote click on www.travel-insurance.net.  Here are a few other things we have spotted recently:

Freeloader – Solar Charger
This is a very earth-friendly recharger.  The Freeloader is a solar charger which works for all kinds of electronic devices.   It includes a battery and two small solar panels and all fits together compactly.  If the weather is overcast you can charge it using a USB cable and a PC.  www.solartechnology.co.uk.

How about a Recycled Backpack?
What an idea! The backpacks are made from twelve melted down and spun plastic bottles!  www.naturalcollection.com.

Solar Powered Radio
As well as other eco-friendly products, Millets stocks a tiny solar powered radio in their One Earth range of products.  www.millets.co.uk.

Portable Luggage Scales
Never stand fretting in the check-in queues again - or pay excess baggage fees!  There are several places advertising these useful gadgets if you search online.

Travel Tips:

Do you have an appliance which operates from your car’s cigarette lighter?  It should work in overseas rental cars as well - as car batteries are standard everywhere.

When purchasing appliances always go for dual voltage if possible.  You never know if you may want to take them abroad in the future.  With dual voltage all you will need to take is a travel plug, otherwise, for some appliances you may need a voltage transformer as well as a travel adaptor.

Please feel free to leave comments if you have any other tips or suggestions.  Happy travels!

Ever Had Problems Entering the U.S? Prepare for your Ski Trip

Do you have any tips or experiences to share about your encounters with U.S immigration authorities?  Avid skiers will be busy planning their ski trips to the snowy slopes of North American resorts for the upcoming season. We understand that the authorities need to take precautions to keep terrorists out and keep us all safe, but the tightened security has an impact on all visitors to the country.  We’ve read horror stories about immigration delays at some U.S. airports, mistaken identities, and visitors being wrongly interrogated.  Here are a few tips to avoid potential problems:

Most visitors will already have accommodation booked for their arrival, but be aware that you must give the authorities the address where you will be staying on your first night in the U.S.  Check for updates, but it seems that currently airlines will not let you check-in for your flight unless you have a valid destination address.

Your passport should be the type that has a bar code and is machine-readable, but if you still hold one of the old style passports it will need to be renewed before you will be allowed into the country.  Also, children are required to have their own passports.  Remember that you will be required to remove your shoes for inspection so further delays can be avoided by being prepared for this.

As visitors, UK citizens are covered under the visa waiver programme if staying less than 90 days (with restrictions).  You will be required to complete the I-94W waiver form on the plane.  It appears that you are not required to declare offences such as minor driving convictions on the form, but if you have something more serious - even a drink driving conviction - this must be declared in advance of your trip and you must apply for and obtain a visa.  This can all take time so it’s best not to book your flights until you have the visa.  Check with your travel agent or airline for current requirements, or search on one of the websites listed below.  Ensure the portion of the I-94W form that is left in your passport is handed in on your return, otherwise their records will indicate you are still in the country and you could have problems the next time you try to enter.  If you arrive back home and find you still have that form, it should be posted back to the authorities. For more information visit www.usembassy.org.uk and use the A-Z index to go to the Visa Waiver Program section.

It is advisable not to lock your checked luggage to the U.S. or your locks could be broken if they need to search them.  If you want to lock your bags it’s best to purchase special locks which the TSA (Transport Security Administration) can open with a master key.  The locks are not expensive and details are available on the TSA website.  The locks are also available at U.S. airports and travel shops.

The above is not a complete list of information about entry to the U.S. but hopefully will get you thinking about the process and do your homework before you set off.  Check for updated, detailed and official information on www.usembassy.org.uk, or call their information line on 0904 2450100.  Other useful websites:  U.S. visas:  www.unitedstatesvisas.gov, Transport Security Administration (TSA) www.tsa.gov and Dept. of Homeland Security at www.dhs.gov.

Ski and Snowboard Insurance - in the Parks

One thing we noticed last year was the number of people who were not covered if they we snowboarding in Snow Parks. Fantastically good fun and not really much more of a risk as we could see. And low and behold, the underwriters agreed - Hurrah! Now, with a Travel Insurance Direct Ski or Discovery (ski season) policy, Pipe and Rail activities on the snow park are included in the cover. Don’t forget to check the wording though! - www.travel-insurance.net/ski/

Skis Go Free with Ryanair! Better Hurry!

As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, Ryanair has an offer to carry ski equipment for free - if you book before 30th September. The offer includes one set of skis/boots/poles or snowboard/boots – subject to space availability. They normally charge £15.50 each way to carry sports equipment so this deal means a considerable saving if you can grab it. They are also offering a limited number of ski flights from as low as £10, which includes airport taxes and charges! According to their website they now have 58 direct routes from the UK to European ski destinations. Website: www.ryanair.com. Don’t even think about leaving without your skiing/winter sports travel insurance! It simply is not worth the risk. For a quote click on www.travel-insurance.net/ski/ski-insurance.

We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Ryanair as they are still not complying with the new regulations to advertise inclusive fares. They claim to have a problem changing their booking system online, yet all the other airlines seem to have managed it. I checked on a fare the other day, which showed up at £29.99 each way. By the time I got through the booking process for a round trip for two people and taxes, charges and fees were added the total was £197.68. Then a further charge of £20 was added for one piece of checked luggage (at £5 per person, per bag, each way) making a grand total of £217.68. Considering the fare started temptingly at £119.96 round trip for two people, that’s £100 more on top. If you pay by credit card you can add a further £2, or £0.70 for a debit card. In contrast, budget carrier Eastyjet has changed its system so that you get the full price upfront, inclusive of taxes and charges, so it is refreshing to find that by the time you get through the booking process the total has not changed much. Website: www.easyjet.com. Yes, the fares are still cheap and it works out the same in the end, of course, but the old system Ryanair uses just leaves you feeling conned.

More Ski Routes

On a more positive note, Ryan Air recently announced it had expanded its winter ski offering with two more routes from UK regional airports. Liverpool to Friedrichshafen in Germany and Bournemouth to Milan Bergamo in Italy have been added to the schedule. The no-frills carrier is also offering to carry ski equipment free of charge for bookings made before September 30.

Ryanair unveiled its biggest ever ski programme with 58 direct routes from the UK to European ski airports a month ago including flights from London, Glasgow, Liverpool, East Midlands, Bristol, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Blackpool and Doncaster.

Ryan Air’s Tax on Baggage Free Travellers

Following on from charges for checking your baggage into the hold of an aircraft, not many people will know that they also charge for not checking your luggage in! If you only have carry on baggage it appears you are now obliged to take the low cost airline’s Priority Booking Service. This is selected in the Passenger Details section. Watch out for that Travel Insurance charge on the next line too. It says “Confirm Country of Residence to purchase Insurance” but it defaults to the charge being made. If you want to benefit from a Travel Insurance Direct policy make sure you select “No Travel Insurance Required” which is hidden at the bottom of the country list.

It will be interesting to see what other money making tricks those cheeky chaps have up their sleeve.

Has an Airline Ever Lost your Luggage?

Travel insurance is essential for many reasons, including lost luggage, but check your policy so you know what is and is not covered.  I’ve never had luggage go missing on any of my travels.  Maybe I’ve been lucky.  I’ve had bags beaten up and torn at airports along the way, but I’d prefer a torn bag to no bag.  When you set off on your travels your luggage and possessions are vulnerable to all sorts of potential harm. 

We’ve seen reports that incidents of lost luggage have dramatically increased in the past year – to the tune of thousands of bags. The Association of European Airlines (AEA) conducts surveys of Europe’s major airlines and found that during the past year about 15 bags per 1000 passengers went missing! That’s seems quite a lot – especially if one of them is yours.  AEA website:  www.aea.be.

I used to try to get by with just a carry-on bag for a short trip, but that’s not really possible now that liquids are not allowed in hand luggage. If you are going for a lengthy trip, or with the family, you could arrange to ship your luggage to the hotel ahead of time.  Items you should always pack in your hand luggage include the expensive things like camera or computer equipment, and important documents like your passport, tickets, money and travel insurance!

If you’re travelling with a companion it’s a good idea to cross-pack some essential items in each other’s luggage, so if one bag goes missing there’s a chance you’ll at least have a change of clothes and a few necessary items in the other. If your luggage ends up on a different continent the airline should get the bags back to you within a couple of days, but that is not always the case.  Pilfering can occur and bags sometimes disappear into black holes. 

A few tips to avoid luggage being lost or sent astray:  While standing in one of the inevitable queues at check-in, take the time to inspect your bags and remove any old labels or airline tags.  Make sure you have your name and contact information inside the luggage as well as on the outside (concealed).  Those black, soft-sided, wheelie suitcases are very popular these days so it’s a good idea to make your bag easily identifiable - perhaps with tape or a coloured strap.  When your bag is being checked-in have a look to make sure the tag has the correct airport code for your destination.  (It’s a good idea to memorise your destination airport code in advance - it is usually printed on your ticket). 

Keep a Packing Check List on your computer and print it out for each trip.  That way if a bag goes missing you’ll have a record of the contents and life will be easier should you have to make a claim on your travel insurance (remember to keep receipts of your purchases). 

Have you had an experience with lost luggage?  If you have any useful tips or advice about this subject we’d love to hear them.