AIBU to think that its madness not to book travel insurance as soon as you book a holiday?

[CwtchesCuddles]

So many people seem to leave sorting out insurance until its too late! If you have a holiday coming up have you got insurance cover already? If not why not?

We have an annual policy so I never need to think about it (actually, it's now part of our bank account, but we used to buy an annual policy). Cheaper than buying individual policies anyway

i buy mine just before I pay the balance having already paid usually a small deposit. My insurance is expensive due to health conditions so I can usually afford to lose the deposits rather than pay the insurance. I always get the insurance before paying the balances though. At the moment, I am awaiting treatment so insurance won't cover it. Once that is out of the way, then I will get the insurance.

Holidays are very expensive for a lot of people; it's not uncommon to spread the cost by booking certain aspects (i.e. insurance, airport hotel/parking etc.) at different stages.
You can book travel insurance that covers you within the same day. I went to Sweden last year just for an extended weekend break with some friends but found out I was pregnant days before we flew. Normally for a European break I don't bother with insurance (or didn't prior to Brexit) as the flights were so cheap, we stay with friends so no accommodation costs and I have my European Health Card but I decided on this occasion to book some last minute insurance just to cover me that bit more and I did it at the airport waiting to board the plane... It took 10 minutes. It's really not a big deal to do it at any point unless you do actually forget all together.

I can understand delaying getting insurance if you are prepared to forfit the cost if you can't go but so many people seem to overlook cover for cancellation.

Am I doing something wrong then because travel insurance for me and STBH is usually about a tenner per holiday?

It is recommended to get insurance as soon as you book. It's not just for the time you are away, it's for the unexpected, like granny dying or having to have an unexpected operation and not being able to fly for several weeks. When I was younger I used to take my time getting the insurance, sometimes waited until a couple of weeks before travelling, buy that seems a false economy now and I always go on line for insurance when I book.

YANBU op.
I buy an annual policy which is expensive due to health reasons (@Toomuchgoingon Macmillan were able to recommend insurance providers that covered people with serious illnesses if that's any good to you).

If you wait until the time of travel you're leaving yourself open to not being able to make a claim, if you break a leg or worse have a bereavement near your travel date.

@Toastytoes1 your EHIC is no good in the event that you need an air ambulance or worse to repatriate a body.
Even if it covers you for a long hospital stay if you're with someone there will be costs of accommodation to be met (not if you're staying with friends but generally).

I've worked in the FCO and seen so many uninsured travellers being out serious amounts of money, even if you 'just' lose your passport you could have to rebook flights and accommodation while you wait to get an emergency travel document, at short notice those costs add up.

@Kimbaland you're not doing anything wrong, we often used to say you'll spend a tenner on glossy mags and an overpriced beer in the airport, for goodness sake spend the same on travel insurance! Though you might be surprised how cheap an annual policy is for you if you have no pre-existing conditions.

We have an annual policy. It's really good because you don't have to think about it. Also, I broke my phone on a day trip the other week and was able to claim on the travel insurance, even though I wasn't technically on holiday. So it covers you for other things too.

I HATE seeing the GoFundMe requests for people [usually youngsters who seem to think they are invincible] to help fly them back home after coming off a scooter/moped or similar abroad. They saved a few quid by not taking out travel insurance but then rely on OTHERS to bail them out! What a damn cheek!
Take out travel insurance - as soon as you book FFS.

I agree, it is so cheap compared to the cost of a holiday. It’s often these GoFundMe things which are started by people who have been injured on holiday and have no travel insurance. It’s such stupidity.

YANBU. Holiday insurance should be booked in the same day as the holiday otherwise you are not covered if you need to cancel. Obvs if you have as be annual insurance you are covered anyway (bug remember to keep them up
To date with changes in your health).

@Toastytoes1 the biggest and most expensive problem you need to be covered for is repatriation which can be thousands and thiscan affect you whichever country you travel to. The costs if the flights etc are not really relevant. You really shouldn't travel without insurance.

TAAT?

We always buy the insurance just before the first thing we book, whether it's the flight or the accommodation. We've never left it until afterwards. Just not worth the risk of arguments about whether we're covered or not. Also, the sooner the better, so you don't get caught out with any new health conditions so you don't have to go through medical screening again and end up paying more.

We have annual travel insurance which works out about £10 a month. Well worth it.

@unicornflakegirl The EHIC card covers you for any medical costs either for free or at the standard local rate so long as the reason for your trip was not to seek out medical care. It doesn't provide rescue but if you're staying in a major city, what are the odds that you'll need rescuing? A regular ambulance can do this if necessary. And yes it obviously doesn't cover accomodation of someone staying with you but that on its own is not necessarily a justification for travel insurance if you're prepared to accept the risk. For 2/3 days trips to a European city where the flight and hotel cost less than £100 combined, I'm prepared to take the risk of not having insurance as I know the most likely things that will occur (such as lost passport) I can cover myself... With money saved from not forking out on unnecessary insurance for everything going.

I agree in theory but we are having difficulty researching insurers who will definitely cover Coronavirus! It is taking longer than usual.

We're going on Holiday in England. By car. Insurance is expensive so I'm self-insuring.

I have travel insurance. I also have a flight booked to Perth Australia, so my worry is - if the flight is cancelled who do I approach for refund? Or maybe the airline will offer alternative flight. However that doesn't help as we have booked and paid for Airbnb.

Average quote for me for the U.S. Is over £1k. Thankfully Found an insurer who ramp up the excess instead of the policy cost. Even then it was over £250. Insurance isn't cheap if you have certain pre existing conditions

We buy travel insurance just before paying the balance on the holiday on the basis that we can afford to lose the deposits. DH has ongoing health issues so there are no insurers who will cover him on an annual basis, and travel insurance for 2 weeks in Europe is circa £200 so we spread the cost.

@Toastytoes1 I'm referring to an air ambulance to transport a very unwell person back to the UK.
I gave some examples as many people I met through my consular assistance work got into financial difficulties through not having insurance (or through unknowingly being treated at private hospitals but that's a whole other story!) and I want to save others that hassle.

In your specific situation without travel and accommodation costs a lost passport is not the end of the world, I get that, I also make frequent trips to European countries to visit family but I always have insurance.
If you were involved in an accident and needed to be repatriated the bill can run to thousands. Hence the gofundme appeals that others have mentioned.
It sounds like an annual policy would be cheap for you and not cause you (or your family) to have to deal with the stress of a huge bill on top of a catastrophe that people think will never happen to them.

Toastytoes - yes, EHIC covers (covered?) you at local rate, but that local rate could be hundreds/thousands of pounds for treatment in some countries. Which your insurance would pay out if you had it. Fair enough taking a chance in a cancelled flight or lost passport but you’d have to save yourself lots of £10 insurance premiums to recover the thousands you might end up paying if you needed an ambulance, operation and hospital stay.

@Toastytoes1 yes, it’s unlikely you’ll need rescuing, but not unusual to get an injury or illness that prevents travel. You then need spare funds to extend your hotel stay and book a different flight.

It doesn't provide rescue but if you're staying in a major city, what are the odds that you'll need rescuing?

I know two separate people who have been very glad of their travel insurance. One whose husband had a stroke, and the insurance covered her hotel costs till he was well enough to go home - for which they also covered the costs. Plus all the medical fees. In the other case, it was an accident with a spinal injury, and again, covered hotel costs - and then transport home with an attendant nurse and a flight which could accommodate a stretcher.

Other costs, like the hotel for companions of those in hospital wouldn't be covered by EHIC. It's not just medical costs.

If you could guarantee you and those you travel with will never have an accident or sudden illness, then travel insurance probably wouldn't exist.

We usually book our holidays really early, as soon as booking opens. It has never occurred to me to buy insurance that early, cancellation tends to only cover things that only become relevant close to the time of travel. I have already bought insurance for our summer holiday, but it was about 4 months after I booked. Annual insurance wouldn't help us as we only travel once every few years.