It’s heartbreaking watching the news today. As we stare open mouthed at our televisions it’s hard to imagine the magnitude of what has happened in Japan and what is about to happen in the rest of the Pacific. Tidal wave alerts are in force in Russia, Hawaii, The Philippines, Indonesia, Alaska, Central America and even South America. The Tsunami that resulted from the largest earthquake to hit the country since records began over a hundred years ago has already hit the north east coast of Japan. Its magnitude has been put at 8.8 on the Richter scale with some reports putting the wave height of the tsunami at 10 metres. To give it some scale the earthquake that hit Christchurch last month was 6.3.

As I write this the latest warning has been for the California coast. The situation is changing all the time but of course it’s hard to know what is really happening on the ground and it’s even harder for us to know what to do. All we can hope for is the best that the warnings that have been issued will make a big difference.

Advice for those caught up in the quake

The Japanese government has issued statements and warnings of aftershocks and advised the population to stay away from coastal areas. Naturally travel advice will change as the situation develops but the message from World First Travel Insurance  for anyone caught up in the quake, tsunami and its aftermath is that help will be available for those who need it. Whilst there is nothing that World First can do to keep people safe as events unfold, their 24 hour advice lines (the number is on all policy documents) will remain open. They say: “We will of course assist anyone who is stuck out there and needs to return home on a case by case basis, as referred and authorised by our underwriters, professional Travel Insurance Company Ltd (as per requirements of the policy) or anyone injured will obviously be covered under Medical Expenses and repatriation sections of their travel insurance policy.”

For those with travel plans to the Pacific

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have cancelled all flights to Japan. As carriers they will be obliged to rebook any cancelled passengers on another flight when appropriate. For people booked on to other airlines it is best to check before you travel whether or not the airline will fly. Like wise they will have an obligation to your ticket to get you where you are going or to refund you if you are delayed for more than 5 hours and you are flying from within the EU. We wrote about extreme circumstances, known as Force Majeure, in a previous post. You can read it here.

For World First Travel Insurance Policy Holders

At the time of writing those policy holders with flights booked to the Pacific region should note that cancellation will not be covered. It would be classed as a “disinclination to travel” by the insurers.

Policy holders should also note that Travel Delay or Abandonment will not be covered as the situation does not come under Adverse Weather, Mechanical Breakdown or Strike.

Also, a Missed Departure will only be covered if the policy holder was travelling on public transport and this is delayed, making them too late catch your flight and covering for additional costs incurred in reaching destination up to the policy limit.

 Our advice though is to check with the Foreign Office and the airline to find out what the travel situation is like at your destination. If you are heading to the airport, be prepared for a wait.

What can we do?

At the moment it’s hard to know what to do. We know that charities like Shelterbox, who have worked so hard in places like Haiti, have said they are monitoring the situation and are ready to act. You can find out more by following them on Twitter ( @shelterbox ) or by following the founder, Tom Henderson ( @shelterboxTomH). Alternatively, keep an eye on the media for Tsunami relief. And please be prepared to put your hands in your pockets.

Related posts:

1. FCO update advice for travel to Kenya following another deadly attack. Where do travellers stand?
2. Foreign Office revises its travel advice for Japan
3. The World First Weekly Wander

Aftershock. World First advice for travellers in Pacific region following earthquake in Japan. | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Following the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that has killed at least 65 people and injured scores of others in Christchurch, New Zealand, the underwriters of World First travel insurance policies have stressed that they will offer 24 hour assistance and aid – and of course medical cover –  to any insured caught up in the disaster.

In 24 hours that New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has described as being possibly ‘New Zealand’s darkest day’ the South Island city of Christchurch suffered major damage to buildings in what is proving to be the country’s deadliest disaster. Over 120 people are reported to have been rescued from collapsed buildings.

Anyone who is insured by World First and has been caught up in the disaster is advised to get in touch. Emergency repatriation to the UK and  will be assessed on a case by case basis, say Professional Travel Insurance Company Limited.

They have also stated that delayed departure will be covered on World First policies for anyone who has been delayed on public transport in the aftermath of the disaster although they will not accept claims for trip cancellation. Anyone who is due to fly to Christchurch or have a holiday in Christchurch is advised to get in touch with their tour operator or travel agent to arrange for alternative travel and accommodation arrangements.

The Foreign Office has issued the following travel advice for New Zealand:

“Christchurch Airport is closed except for emergency aircraft. The Ferrymead bridge is reported to be impassable because of rising water. Christchurch hospital is in operation. A Crisis Response Centre has been established at Christchurch Art Gallery.

For advice and assistance in relation to the Christchurch earthquake British nationals in New Zealand should call 04 9242898.” 

For more information please see the Foreign Office website here.

Related posts:

1. Aftershock. World First advice for travellers in Pacific region following earthquake in Japan.
2. Post-quake travel advice for Murcia, Spain.
3. Summer indecision? Solve it with a holiday on wheels.

New Zealand Quake Reassurance | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month. And that means it’s a legitimate time to start thinking about Christmas. But before we all head off to get merry, here’s a final word on skiing travel insurance. It’s short and to the point. After reading a report in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph about drunken skiing invalidating claims, we thought we should clarify where we stand with drinking and skiing holidays and travel insurance.

For many, après ski is an important part of the whole experience. And alcohol is very much a part of ski culture. Why wouldn’t it be? But the days of drinking and skiing may be coming to an end. The Telegraph article cites American resorts imposing fines on drunken and dangerous skiers, whilst insurers can refuse to pay out if a skiing accident (or even falling over and injuring yourself on the way back from the pub) is deemed to have been the result of excessive alcohol consumption. This policy exclusion is to protect them against the increased risk of injuries following alcohol consumption.

But what happens if you have been drinking, perfectly legally, and are involved in an accident? Or what about if you are hit by someone else whilst having consumed alcohol? Clarity needed!

So, here’s what World First Winter Sports Travel Insurance’s underwriters had to say:

1. If the accident is as a result of intoxication / alcohol consumption the claim would not be covered. If the incident has been caused by any external factor / event not related to the consumption of alcohol then the claim may be considered on its own merits taking into consideration any contributing factors. If however it is evident that the claim has been caused as a direct consequence of alcohol ingestion clearly this is strictly excluded as per the policy exclusion.
2. Clearly the onus is on the client as to whether they want to want to consume alcohol. It goes without saying that we would expect our clients to be mindful and conscious of their alcohol intake. No guarantee can be given of whether any claim is covered until all facts/circumstances are obtained.

 The message here is that, whilst there’s nothing to stop you drinking on your skiing holiday, moderation and good sense could save you from a hefty medical bill if you are injured on the slopes. And that includes skiing with a hangover, just as it does with driving the next day after drinking. So, as always, moderation is required. If you’re going on the piste, don’t do it on the slopes. And don’t forget your World First Travel Insurance.

Related posts:

1. Snow joke if you get caught off-piste!
2. Low carbon skiing? Let the ski train take the strain.
3. The top ten of staying safe on the slopes.

On the piste? Have fun, but don’t ski. | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Sounds great doesn’t it? I just renewed my home insurance with Direct Line (yes, I will name them, hello Google, I’m here!). The house insurance (more Google attracting) deal is quite good. It includes buildings and contents as you’d expect with a reasonable level of cover, I added accidental damage because I can never be sure what stupid things I’ll do at home. I haven’t yet put by foot through the ceiling as it says in the documents but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did. I did put it through a ceramic cooker top a few years ago.

Then there’s legal support like most policies these days, they cover personal possessions outside the home and they’ll pay my salary while I’m on jury service. But what really caught my eye was the travel insurance. All for 250 quid a year. I know a little about travel insurance, I thought, I’ll have a look at that.

Now, read the small print

Among the documents they send you is a 65-page carefully worded booklet that sets out all the wonderful things they do. 10 of those cover what really interests me at the moment, the free travel insurance. So I read on. After a few pages of definitions, we come to the bit where explain what they’ll pay for and what they won’t. If you have to cancel your journey, they’ll pay out if you or someone with you is seriously ill or dies or if you’re called for jury service and the court refuses to postpone it. So far so standard practice. They won’t pay if you don’t have the right visa, if the airline or your tour operator goes bust or if you don’t enjoy the trip (that one must be there because someone’s tried to claim).

They will pay in certain circumstances if you have problems with delayed or missed departures. That would have been relevant in the recent British Airways disputes. They’ll pay if you have an accident, up to £10,000 if you lose a limb or your sight – but wait until you’re 16 to do it because they’ll only pay £1,500 if you’re younger. I, however, am interested in pre-existing medical conditions. What about me?

Where’s the catch?

There was a general catch all clause saying they won’t pay out if the claimant has a pre-existing medical condition. However, the reality of these statements  is often slightly more nuanced. So I rang Direct Line yesterday to put a bit of meat on those bones. I had a few questions to ask them of the type I asked Martin last week. I presumed that there would be some provision to pay and extra premium in order to cover me. After all, my wife is as fit as a fiddle, so she’d be covered, surely with a little good will and some cash changing hands, we’d be able to sort something out.

The call didn’t last long. Not to put too fine a point on it, they weren’t interested in me. Of course, if I had an accident that had nothing to do with my condition, say I broke my leg, that would be fine. Could I take the risk of something only happening that wasn’t related to my condition though? They have no provision for people that don’t fit the boxes. Now what’s the point of that?

So who are these policies for?

I have to admit to being a little surprised by this. Surely Direct Line aren’t saying they don’t want my money. Let’s face it, as part of RBS (for the moment at least), they could do with it. The truth is that they are in this market to make money quickly and simply. Their bean counters have come up with a formula to do this and if you don’t fit in, the door’s over there. I’d liken the process to the way supermarkets sell books and records. They’re only interested in best sellers and cream the most profitable sales off the top because it’s easy to do. They’re not interested in my money.

The rest of us

The rest of us who don’t fit into boxes are part of the long tail. The people that go to small independent shops, that want to find things that supermarkets don’t stock, that go to specialists for advice and guidance rather than talk to badly-trained operators in call centres. We go to people that take the time, care about customer service (the one’s that do it, not just provide training courses in it), and provide a customised product, not just a box-ticking exercise.

As for the jury service. I haven’t plucked up the courage to ask them what the get out clauses are yet…

Related posts:

1. Close to home: why holidaying in the UK this year might beat going abroad
2. Driving home for Christmas? Even Christmas breaks in the UK need travel insurance!
3. Wouldn’t it be great if your holiday insurance paid out every time?

Free travel insurance with your home insurance | World First Travel Insurance Blog