Tuesday 5 February 2013

Winter Weather Travel Insurance Checklist - For Cover You Can Rely On

For anyone intending to hit the slopes this Ski Season, it is very important to make sure you have adequate travel insurance in place should something go wrong. Whilst checking online for the most competitive cover you should always check that the policy suits your needs. Basic things to look for include cover for Emergency Repatriation and Medical Expenses for injury or illness as well as cover for loss / damaged ski equipment. Also check that the policy you have provides cover for your intended ski activity as there may be certain extreme sports that are not covered such as heli-skiing.  

Costs relating to Ski incidents can be substantial, especially if Air Rescue is necessary. Flying you back to Ireland from Europe with a fractured hip can hit €10,000 and double that from North America.

Other costs for treatment include
France: Ski accident - slid on ice & hit a tree (fracture of L arm & femur) - €4,000
USA: Snowboarding accident – Fractured Tib & Fib - €39,000
Andorra: Ski lift accident - Fractured Hip - €12,000

Multitrip.com offers cover for a wide range of activities, including Skiing, Snow Boarding, snow mobiling, and Off-Piste skiing except in unsafe areas.  Multitrip.com now offers European Annual cover including Ski cover starting from only €26.99 so it makes sense to take cover when prices won’t break the bank. In comparison with the VHI, customers can typically save up to 50% on the cost of Travel Insurance with Multitrip.com. For example the cost of a standard Worldwide Annual policy including Ski Cover for an Individual with the VHI is €76 compared with €35.99 from Multitrip.com.

Some of our top tips include:
• Keep a note of your travel policy number, emergency number and Ehic number on you, perhaps in your mobile phone. Make sure more than one person has these details if travelling in a group or as a family.
• Always abide by local rules on, for example, wearing helmets and dos and don'ts for pistes or snowboarding parks. Insurers have the right to withdraw cover if you have an accident when failing to follow local rules or skiing against local authoritative advice.
• Look after your ski equipment – if you leave it in an unattended vehicle, for example, it may mean you are uninsured, and if your equipment is stolen you need a police report in order to claim, and keep receipts where appropriate.
• If you have arranged your own holiday, rather than booking through a tour operator, check your cover is comprehensive enough for problems such as delayed departure or additional accommodation if you are unable to get home.
• When purchasing an annual policy, check if there is a limit on the winter sports cover – some may restrict it to, for example, 17 days each year.

Winter Travel Disruptions
With the arrival of the recent cold weather, Irish travellers have been given a reminder of the risk of Travel Disruption that can occur due to serious weather events around the world.  Joint Managing Director Ciaran Mulligan says “Travel Insurance varies greatly among different providers, people should always check to make sure they understand what they are covered for and what available options there are.

Our Travel Disruption cover which was brought about during the Volcanic Ash will provide cover for extended accommodation or additional travel expenses when a flight is cancelled where many other travel policies will not.”
Multitrip.com insurance policies include cover for Travel Delay after a 12 hour period, Missed Departure including missed connections, and Catastrophe Cover for new accommodation if you are forced to move accommodation as a result of an act of god. The company has also created a new additional cover, Travel Disruption Cover for the following situations including disruptions due to weather:

Travel Disruption includes      
1.       If your flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 12 hours it covers additional accommodation and Travel costs up to €1,000. 
2.       If your flight is cancelled or delayed for more than 12 hours then you can claim back up to €1,000 for irrecoverable unused Travel and Accommodation costs should you cancel.
3.       Claim back up to €1,000 for accommodation if you have to be moved from your current location OR cut your trip short OR if you were not able to travel and use your booked accommodation because of the Hurricane.
4.       Covers cancellation or curtailment charges if travelling to an area that the FCO have advised against travelling to or if they are recommending evacuation from the area.


Annual Multi Trip policies are available starting from €19.99 for European cover for an Individual with Private Health Insurance or Worldwide from €26.95. Additional Travel Disruption Cover is available from €9.99 on a Single Trip policy or €17 on an Annual policy.


Blue Insurances Ltd trading as Multitrip.com is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Source: MS@ Blue Insurances- February 2013

See details of other Blue Insurances products, including more travel insurancecar hire excess insurance, gadget insurance, pet insurance and wedding insurance at Irish property insurance Here

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