Don’t hit the high street for travel insurance bargains

A recent survey finds high-street travel agents are not the best place to shop for travel insurance.

Travel Insurance News - 31/05/2010

<< UK travellers warned not to cut costs on health insurance | Travel News | One-fifth of Scots holiday without insurance >>

British holiday makers could be paying well over the odds for their travel insurance if they’re plumping for the obvious, or convenient, option. Consumer watchdogs Which? surveyed high-street travel agents to check the prices of travel insurance. Furthermore, many travel agents failed to advise shoppers with even basic information on the policies.

Undercover researchers checked the travel insurance offered at 29 travel agents. All of them were found to be too expensive compared to other options. In one case, a travel agent quoted £80.99 for a policy covering travel to Spain. An equivalent policy available online was priced £20 cheaper.

Perhaps even more worrying than the price discrepancies was the lack of critical information provided by the travel agents visited during the survey. Seventeen of the agents did not even provide basic information about their insurance policies. Just six agents mentioned that there was a mandatory 14-day cooling-off period. Most of the agents failed to make sure customers were getting enough insurance cover to meet their needs.

The survey highlights some important points for those booking holiday travel. Most critically, travellers need to do their own research and shop carefully to ensure they get the most appropriate insurance cover at the best price. This is particularly important, given all of the chaos in global travel lately.

<< UK travellers warned not to cut costs on health insurance | Travel News | One-fifth of Scots holiday without insurance >>