Hi fatgit ... it might be worth posting too in the dedicated TRAVEL INSURANCE topic in our General Holiday Enquiries forum.

Page 1 of the thread also contains member recommendations which may interest you, specifically in the 'Cover for pre-existing medical conditions' category.

David

Cheers, I will post there too then and see what people think of it, but the main reason for asking was with regards to DIY'ers - I only mentioned the PMC's really to outline the fact that it was a good price even taking those into account

I'll study them later, M&S were good for independent travellers a few years ago. They sold a policy that was actually provided by Axa but was better than Axa's direct sale version but the following year it had been changed and lost the benefit.

Just a small check, what do you think you need for DIY cover? The biggest risk is the flight being cancelled or delayed for any reason at all and you not being able to get the accomodation/transfers/car hire refunded. The airline is not liable for that loss and most ordinary policies don't cover it (other than some nominal amount for delayed departure to cover expenses during the wait).

steve8482 wrote:

I'll study them later, M&S were good for independent travellers a few years ago. They sold a policy that was actually provided by Axa but was better than Axa's direct sale version but the following year it had been changed and lost the benefit.

Just a small check, what do you think you need for DIY cover? The biggest risk is the flight being cancelled or delayed for any reason at all and you not being able to get the accomodation/transfers/car hire refunded. The airline is not liable for that loss and most ordinary policies don't cover it (other than some nominal amount for delayed departure to cover expenses during the wait).

Just for info, I did post in the Holiday Insurance thread and went with the John Lewis package. The only complication was that we needed two policies as the kids are over 18. The total cost is around £150 for the four of us (about £75-£80 was medical cover IIRC).

The policy is basically the same as the M&S one, using AXA, but cost less for the same benefits.
As you say, I wanted to cover the separately booked aspects of the holiday, in case any one of them fell through and had a cascading effect such as:
Airport parking
Flights - missed departure, cancelled flights etc
Villa - what happens if we get there and the vendor ripped us off, or something happens so the Villa is unusable etc.
Car Hire - company goes bust etc
Plus the generic travel insurance requirements, and we needed specific cover for medical conditions that were very expensive with many insurers (Barclays for instance wanted £600+ just to cover me), or weren't possible on independent traveller insurance, which would have meant having separate policies to cover everything, costing more and making everything more complex.
We also paid for the flights via credit card to ensure we had the protection that offers, just in case!

The JL policy offered everything we needed at a very competetive price - in fact, we struggled to find anywhere else to get the complete package from (other than M&S or Axa themselves).

That sounds very interesting, I'll have to look it up. I saw your other post about taking the plunge and booking DIY, from the looks of it you'll be in a small minority of tourists on that flight who will have decent cover so relax! But make sure your EHIC is valid as well.

It runs out just beforehand, so is on the calendar (with multiple sms alerts too) for renewal in plenty of time!

Hi there,

I hope someone can help answer my question -

I usually book my travel arrangements separately however, if my flights were to be cancelled, e.g. my original outgoing flight being cancelled and an alternative offer of a flight a day or 2 ahead, not suiting my hotel booking (meaning I had to cancel my trip), would the Independent Traveller Insurance allow me to recover the costs of the unused accommodation?

I have been looking at AXA's site for the purchase of insurance as their cost for covering pre-existing medical conditions seems pretty good and I would need that too. There would also be 8 of us on the one policy and you cannot purchase one from John Lewis or M&S for 8 people.

Am I also right in thinking that this policy covers ash cloud and strike?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Gillian

Gillian, rather than take advice of someone on this board who may not be correct, I would suggest calling the company with your questions.

I called several companies with questions when I was renewing my insurance and their interpretation of the policy was different to mine on a couple of points.

luci

I would agree that taking the advice of a member on what the policy means is not a good idea but I wouldn't recommned telephoning the company either, unless you intend recording the call for later use.

So, the first question is what words have they put down in writing? You don't have to buy insurance (from any company) to see the policy - they are all available online, usually as a PDF file you can download and keep. It's the policy you need not the advertising leaflet which will usually be vague on the important bits. The fact that they claim that it is an Independenat Traveller policy is a good sign but you are right not to jump to conclusions. Get the policy document and read it carefully, in each section look for what is specifically covered (this is good) and what is specifically excluded (not so good but at least clear). And then go to the General Exclusions section (also not good and now geting a bit ambiguous). One big area of general exclusion could well be anything that other peope are responsible for covering - in the case of the ashcloud airlines that were covered by the EC261 rules were legally responsible so insurers had an escape route although not all used it.

If you find that the words in the policy make sense and you buy the insurance online or over the phone recheck everything when you get the policy they send you - they are frequently updated. If something had changed you have 14 days to cancel. If you buy from an agent you should get the actual poicy at the point of sale and check it before handing over money.

If the policy has a serious grey area write to them and ask for an clarification (again in writing). It was at this point that Direct Line lost my business when they refused to write anything down and would only give vague answers by phone.

So lets assume you find a policy that clearly states in black and white that all the concerns you mentioned are covered. Don't get carried away! Now check everything else just as much - you may find that something else important isn't covered. I once found a European policy that wouldn't cover swimming accidents if there was no professional lifeguard on duty - which rules out every hotel I've stayed in - and one that wouldn't let you ride a bike!

I take it that you want a single policy for the whole group because you already know the pitfalls of splitting between two policies - it's much more than the convenience of one purchase.

Luci and Steve,

Thanks very much for both of your responses. I have called John Lewis, Marks and Spencers (as they use AXA insurance) and written to Axa Insurance and asked all the same question. John Lewis and Marks and Spencers said they cover what it is I am looking for but I am still waiting on a response from Axa - I assume I will hear from them during business hours. Steve, as you say, I would want something in writing from them!

I have had a look at all 3 policies and from my own interpretation it does seem that they cover my needs. You know what it is like though with insurance policies - they usually always have a get out clause!

All I want is a stress free holiday! lol
Gillian

what I forgot to mention was that although a retailer (like M&S) may use an insurance company (like Axa) to arrange policies it doesn't mean that the policy they sell will be the same as the ones sold direct by the insurance company. A few years ago I had an M&S/Axa policy that had better cover than the direct sale Axa one - but they "corrected" that the following year!

Hi Steve,

The wording varies slightly between all 3 policies but at quick glance, it looks as though they are similar. Axa compared to Marks and Spencers and John Lewis are certainly a lot cheaper for 8 us.

Thanks again for your reply.

Gillian

Have you had a quote from Multitrip.com?
They were recommended on the Martin Lewis money saver website.
They are also underwritten by AXA.