World First Travel Insurance Blog

The biggest killer in sub-Saharan Africa and in many other places in the world, way ahead of AIDS or famine, is malaria. Without wanting to be sensationalist, it kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds, Africa accounts for 90% of deaths from it as it is home to the most deadly form and it is responsible for 20% of the deaths of under 5s and 10% of all deaths in Africa. South Africa included football fans.

Cheryl Cole (or Tweedy or whatever she’s called these days) and her problems will hopefully place something of a spotlight on malaria and help reduce the incidence of this preventable disease – I know, most diseases are preventable one way or another, but this one can really be prevented cheaply. (more…)

So it’s over. The phone ins are talking about nothing else, the Fabio will he/won’t he resign or will he be pushed debate is in full swing and there’s just a general hungover feeling. We can blame rotten defending (John Terry, what were you doing? You’re supposed to be able to clear up a route one ball punted from one end of the pitch to the other), shaky self-belief or over paid prima donas, the World Cup dream (for England at least) is over for another four years. It’s time to turn back to more mundane things like going on holiday to forget all the depression of this Tuesday morning. Why not do something truly unforgettable and go on an extreme holiday? Here’s a few ideas: (more…)

The exams are over and summer holidays are here again. Well, for some of us anyway. If you’re a student and you’re kicking your heals wondering what on earth you’re going to do for the next year because you deferred going to university, you may well consider taking a gap year off and seeing the world. It’s a unique opportunity, you’re young, healthy (hopefully) and enthusiastic. Here’s a few tips and guides to help you make it a success. (more…)

Many students decide to take a year off after school before committing themselves to university or a job. It’s a great way of seeing the world or getting some experience before moving on the the next stage. And increasingly, older people are also feeling the urge due to unexpected unemployment or just sheer burnout, to take time out and a break.

So you’ve got your passport, your tickets and your money. What about your health when you go abroad? Fancy some Delhi belly? Some sunburn? Or even worse, a dose of malaria? Here’s a few basic rules about staying healthy on the road. (more…)

The World Cup is finally here and thousands of football fans are packing their bags and planning their trip. Because we’re nice people, World First Travel Insurance is giving you a few helpful hints and tips to make sure you don’t score an own goal when it comes to your holiday. And you won’t need to make a claim. (more…)

Actuaries are a conservative bunch. It’s said that they’re the ones that found accounting and insurance a little too exciting. They spend their days among tables and charts that they use to calculate the risk of you and me falling under a bus before giving us life insurance. They spend their lives calculating whether that risk is worth taking. They’re the ones, like the man in the Treasury that holds the purse strings, that have to say “no”. They must have (more…)

In recent months Thailand has been embroiled in political turmoil opposing the red-shirted supporters of former Prime Minister Taksin Shinawatra and government forces backed by the military. The six-party coalition is under pressure from its supporters in the upper classes and from royalists to crack down on the mainly poor red shirts.

Thailand has a constitutional monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej who has been on the throne since June 1946, making him the world’s longest reigning king. The government is freely-elected with a Prime Minister at its head. However, the military has had a tendency to intervene from time to time when it doesn’t like the government or it does something it doesn’t to upset it. The last time was in 2006 to remove the previously mentioned Taksin Shinawatra. Perhaps they didn’t like him buying Manchester City? (more…)

With the ongoing problems relating from the fallout from the volcanic ash (pun intended), World First has set out how it intends to respond to the claims its policyholders will be making in the next few weeks here.

To summarise, if you are returning to the UK with an EU registered airline, they have a legal obligation to look after you – even if they might try to wriggle out of it. If you are leaving or were intending to leave from the UK, either World First or your airline will cover you. Read the policy for details on how to claim. This is not the case for all travel insurance companies, see here for more details.

It goes without saying that if you purchased your policy after the no fly policy started, you won’t be covered. However, if you had the foresight to purchase an annual policy, you will be covered when the next unforeseen crisis occurs!

I have a confession to make. I was chatting to Martin Rothwell this morning and I told him that I have a (well, two in fact) pre-existing medical conditions.

Well that’s a surprise

To be honest, I didn’t even realise the fact – I’ve been taking blood pressure pills for more than 20 years and they are just part of my life. (more…)

The new World First web site is to be launched this weekend. It marks the completion of first stage of a new era for us with a new emphasis on building our reputation across the Internet with a variety of social media outlets, this blog being one of the main ones.

Insurance doesn’t have a very good reputation. Insurers are only about one rung up on the interesting chain from accountants. But there’s more to us than you might think. Travel insurance is part of the travel industry. That’s already more interesting isn’t it? So we’re going to be talking about the travel industry, not just insurance. (more…)