Twitter happy?

On Friday 15th July, Twitter is five years old. Yes, five years since that little blue bird first flew into our binary world. Various digital celebrations and festive messages will no doubt trickle through the Twittersphere today. But we’d like to use the opportunity to tell you about the great ways we’re using the social networking phenomenon. And it’s all good for travel fans like you!

Let us explain.

Firstly, follow @WFInsurance and you’ll be updated with the latest travel news, as it breaks – right across the world.  But that’s not all. We also give our followers exclusive offers. So keep an eye out and you could snap up wallet-saving discounts on your travel insurance, before anyone else. That’s got to be worth a couple of clicks.

We use Twitter to help our customers while they’re abroad too. @WFSupport offers 24/7 support, whatever advice you need, wherever you are in the world. So if you’re stranded in Siberia or out on a limb in Lima, we can help. As long as you have an internet connection, we’re always ready.

Of course, one of the really great things about the immediacy of Twitter is its power to spread good news. That’s why we run regular competitions. Follow @WFTristan and you’ll be kept up-to-date with competitions that spread all over our network. In fact, we’re running a competition right now where you can win a Kindle, just by tweeting one quick message:

WIN a Kindle in the #worldfirstkindlecomp

So there it is. That’s how we use Twitter. With 24/7 support for our customers, the latest travel news, great offers on policies as well as competitions to win amazing prizes, we think we’re doing alright. But we’d love to know what your thoughts are. How do you use it? Why do you like it? How do you think we could become even better tweeters?

Get involved. Leave us a comment or tweet @WFInsurance. Let’s build a travel-friendly network, fuelled by comprehensive, cost-effective travel insurance.

@WFInsurance, @WFSupport, @WFTristan.

Thank you.

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And where to find the perfect insurance policy for holidaying at home.

Fine dining, golden-sanded beaches, picture-postcard coastal scenery, pastoral countryside, world-famous cities and a vast choice of accommodation; there’s one place that has it all. And it’s right on your doorstep.

Yes, more and more of us are deciding to take our holidays at home in good ol’ Blighty. With purse-strings being tightened at every turn and the cost of foreign holidays continuing to spiral, people are waking up to the fact that giving up on foreign travels doesn’t have to mean going without your annual getaway. For many the UK will do just fine, thanks very much.

There’s no need to buy travel insurance either, right? Well, kind of. But consider what might happen if you had to cancel a booking at your dream cottage in the Cotswolds at the last minute. You could be left substantially out of pocket. Fortunately there’s a policy that’s absolutely perfect for UK holidays.

And you can find out more below.

A boost to British tourism

New research by West Cornwall Cottage Holidays has revealed that more and more of us are choosing to holiday in the UK. The reasoning behind this trend is clear. They found that a typical holiday abroad could cost a family over £1,000 more than the equivalent holiday in Cornwall. The figures were based on a week-long self catering holiday for a family of four in Crete, booked with a major high street retailer.

The diminished strength of the pound against the euro is another reason to think twice about a trip to the continent. With less euro for your pound, the days of comparatively cheap foreign wining, dining and exploring are sadly gone.

>> Find out more about the importance of the exchange rate in our recent blog post: More sun for your money.

Subsequently, West Cornwall Cottage Holidays have found that bookings for their cottage holidays are up. And all the signs are that this surge in home-tourism is by no means limited to Cornish cottages. Who can forget that great British tradition of the humble B&B? They stand to benefit too. Happily, just last week The Guardian reported that TripAdvisor had announced UK B&Bs to be the best in the world.

Why insurance is still important

But whether you choose to stay in a hotel, a cottage, a B&B or a caravan, there is one insurance policy you shouldn’t go anywhere without. It’s called HotelSure. Consider this: a lot of the time you will have to lay down a hefty non-refundable deposit when you book your accommodation. And if you have to cancel your holiday, you could, depending on the cancellation policy of the establishment you book with, end up paying the full tariff of your booking. Even without spending a single night there.

That’s where HotelSure comes in. Policies include cover for up to £2,000 of cancellation and curtailment charges per person. So if you should have to cancel your accommodation at the last minute, perhaps down to illness or something similarly unfortunate and unexpected, you will be able to recover any money you lost. The cover also includes protection for your luggage, documents, money and personal accident cover while on holiday.

Peace of mind starts from just £15. And premiums are unaffected by the type of accommodation you choose. If you would like to find out more about our HotelSure policies, visit www.hotelsure-insurance.co.uk.

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Close to home: why holidaying in the UK this year might beat going abroad | World First Travel Insurance Blog

If you can’t make up your mind where to go for your summer holidays this year, then I can highly recommend opting for a life of indecision. And by that I mean staying flexible with a holiday in a classic camper. Not only will a beautiful set of retro wheels make you the coolest kids at the camp site but you’ll also be able to go anywhere you want, safe in the knowledge that you’ve got everything you need right there with you.

Taking off in a classic camper van is nothing new. It’s a fine tradition that goes all the way back to the hippy trail and the idealistic days of freedom, peace and love on the road. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Today you don’t even have to own one to enjoy a taste of the outdoor life. There are now hundreds of companies all across the UK who are prepared to entrust you with their vintage wheels so that you too can enjoy the freedom of the open road.

Of course everyone expects a disaster when they set off in a vintage camper which is why, for people like Pete O’Connor, who runs one of the UK’s oldest hire companies, O’Connor’s Campers in South Devon, taking care of the vehicles is a priority. He says “Every one of our 15 vehicles gets serviced at the beginning of the season so we only send them out in tip top condition. They also have AA cover and an emergency kit of spares. But if the AA can’t fix it then I’m always on call to either replace the van or fix it myself. Surprisingly it doesn’t happen that often!” When you consider that the youngest of Pete’s vans is 32 years old it’s pretty amazing. The oldest, in case you were wondering, is nearly 50. Think of the places that could take you, if only it could talk.

O’Connor’s Campers will arrange a taxi to pick you up from the airport or station or can store your car for you for the duration of your rental so you won’t even have to drive hours and hours to get to where you want to go. Others, like Highland Campers, in Scotland, will let you see the highlands in 4wd weather proofed modern VWs, whilst Passage Unwritten in Hereford offer a classic camper’s looks with the reliability of a new Brazilian import. And if you want to head for the sun without risking the vagaries of the UK’s temperate climes, you can always jump on a plane and pick up a camper when you get there with people like Pura Vida Surfari near Bordeaux.

Renting a classic camper is by no means cheap. In fact, in some cases it may even be comparable to the cost of renting a small cottage for a week. But the thing about a camper van is that you can move it. So, if you don’t like the neighbours or the surroundings, you can just go somewhere else to enjoy a different view. Then there’s the excitement of waking up on a beach, up a mountain or in the countryside. That’s something you could never get from a pokey apartment in Tenby is it? No sir!

Getting out and about in a camper also means that you don’t have to live off beans on toast all week. With a two ring cooker, fridge and sink you’ve got all you need to make something fresh, local and special every night (if you fancy it). There’s a lot more you can make than you might think. There are plenty of good ideas in The Camper Van Cookbook. And none of them involve baked beans. But if all else fails, at least make sure you’ve got pesto and pasta on board. It could well save your life.

Of course there is another essential you should never travel without – proper travel insurance – especially if you travel in Europe. World First can cover all kinds of adventures with single trip travel insurance policies or cheap annual multi trip policies if you intend to take off regularly. They might not be able to prevent a mechanical disaster but they’ll take care of everything else.

Happy Camper Vanning!

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Summer indecision? Solve it with a holiday on wheels. | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Going wild? Read the small print first.

It seems that you won’t have to go too far to get snow this week. Winter has well and truly arrived. It’s enough to turn our thoughts to winter sports isn’t it? Funny that, especially when we’ve been talking about it all this month in the World First blog. Perhaps we should have saved it until December and had a little punt on it being a white Christmas this year?

Nevertheless, this is a good time to start thinking about winter sports holidays. There’s nothing like a dusting of the white stuff to get us searching the attic for our sliding gear and salopettes. But before you go mad, jump on the ski train, book a flight to Geneva and pack up the car for the Cairngorms, make sure that you spend just five minutes reading the small print of your holiday insurance before you go. At least that’s what Simon Jack from BBC Breakfast was urging us to do this morning. He’s right too. When you’re half way up a mountain and fancy going wild among the trees I doubt you’ll have your policy documents with you will you? Probably not.

The reason we say this is because many policies simply won’t cover you if you go off piste. So if you leave the safety of the runs and fall down a tree hole (and I sincerely hope you don’t) you’ll soon find out that the bill for your medical expenses and even repatriation could land on your doorstep. With a very loud thud I shouldn’t wonder.

The important thing to do is check before you go. Or buy your winter sports travel insurance from someone who’ll cover you for most eventualities, like skiing off-piste! World First ski travel insurance policies will cover you for skiing or snowboarding off-piste – as long as you remain within resort boundaries or go with a qualified guide. That means that you’ll need to plan a little if you want to go for the srious stuff. But at least you’ll be able to do it without worrying.

And, as for all the other unexpected eventualities on your ski holiday, World First winter sports travel insurance will cover most things such as piste closure, loss of equipment, loss of luggage, being unable to ski. They will even cover you if you decide to take up ice skating while you’re there. But if you plan on trying out the ski jump, better take another look at the small print. Just in case.

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Snow joke if you get caught off-piste! | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Now I’m no economist but even I know that the exchange rate means everything when it comes to booking your holiday. It can mean the difference between eating out and eking out the pennies. And that can make or break your holiday, especially during these (and I quote) ‘tricky economic times’.

So whilst you might be able to get great deals on your travel insurance and super-cheap flights, it may not be a true reflection of the cost of your holiday.  Some of those great holiday deals might look great you when you’re tapping away on the laptop absentmindedly in front of the telly, but don’t forget to think about how much it’s all going to cost when you get there. At the time of writing the GBP (£) was at its lowest against the Euro for almost a year, which means that if I nipped out to the Post Office today I’d get about £140 less for every £1000 worth of Euros I bought this time two years ago. That adds up to more than just a few cervezas.

Euro millions?

Of course some European countries are cheaper than others when it comes to the average cost of essentials, food and a beer. Spain, with an average price of just £2 for a lager (according to the very brilliant but probably not very scientific http://www.pintprice.com/) may well be one of the better value winter sun locations in mainland Europe for the pint lovers among us. But don’t all rush at once to the Canary Islands. With most items imported, prices there are given as a more realistic £3.39. Best go by wagon then.

The sunshine states

A big favourite among us is the good old US of A. And it’s looking like a good bet this winter based on the exchange rate. Your Post Office is going to give you $1.60 for your average British Pound. That’s almost 20 cents more for every pound than May’s low of $1.42 per pound. If you’re pushing the boat out it’s going to make a big difference to the cost of your hols. Oh yes, in case you were wondering…. £1.51 for a lager over there. Where’s my passport?

Best value winter sun destinations

So where is the best place for your winter sun this year? It’s back to the Post Office for this one. But before they sell you their travel insurance, make sure you shop around for the very best prices. If you intend to go away more than once this year, take a look at World First’s great value annual policies.

Anyway. According to their Long Haul Holiday Costs Barometer of the best value places to go long haul from the UK, the Post Office put Sri Lanka, Mexico and Kenya at the top of the pile. The list – of 22 global locations -provides plenty of gems of useful information about the real cost of travelling in many of our favourite winter sun locations. They do this by pricing up the cost (on September 1^st this year) of a ‘shopping basket’ of typical holiday goods in locations all over the globe. It might not be as fun as www.pintprice.com but it may well prove to be more useful.

In terms of value, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia follow closely behind, with Australia, another favourite for Brits, proving to be more costly than ever imagined. According to the Long Haul Barometer it’s going to cost you over £100 more for the same items from Sri Lanka. So perhaps best to keep your hands in your pouches and head for the tropical beaches of Negombo, Hikkaduwa and Galle. I can heartily recommend Oonawatuna for a totally tropical feel. Today you’ll get 179 Sri Lankan Rupees for every pound. In May this year it would have been just 160. And if you like your pint it’s looking good too: just £0.95 in case you were wondering.

*currency prices from www.x-rates.com on 15/10/10

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More sun for your money | World First Travel Insurance Blog

It seems like the Foreign Office has ruffled a few feathers in Thailand. Following the political unrest and the simmering threat that everything might seriously kick-off, advice only to travel to Bangkok if it was really essential has been extended to the entire country.

The Tourism of Thailand authority is concerned that the advice is an over-reaction as trouble is centered on Bangkok and other tourist areas are unaffacted. The Foreign Office, for its part, is “watching the situation closely”.

The Foreign Office regularly monitors situations in countries that could become dangerous for foreigners. It issues various levels of advice rangingbfrom “be careful” to “don’t go there at all”. The only country is that category for now is Somolia.

The concern in Thailand now is the prospect of numbers of tourists cancellling their holidays because travelling would invalidate their insurance. For now, there has been no downturn in searches for flights on the Internet and it seems that many are ignoring the advice and going anyway. Watch this space.

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All but essential travel to Bangkok – update 2 | 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…

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Whilst there are far fewer ads on the TV than there used to be, the holiday booking season is upon us. It’s time for our annual flock to the sun in search of a little time out of the rat race. So where are we going? It seems that the Costas are (finally) on the wane and our tastes are increasingly diversified. ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) has just released its report on travel trends for 2010. They make interesting reading and show how fashions have changed in the last 10 years or so.

Glamour destinations

Top of the list will be a trip to South Africa in the second half of June and first half of July. The World Cup and a safari. What a great combination? Alternatively last year’s most popular books and films will also have an influence. The setting for the Twilight franchise, Forks, in Washington State is expecting a large influx of visitors (don’t they know how much it rains there?). Jamie Oliver’s American Road Trip should also cause increased numbers on ranched-based holidays, in the lesser known states and Indian reservations. This year’s City of Culture, Istanbul, will also be popular.

Chadventures

What on earth are “chadventures”? Holidays that allow travellers to give something back to their destination – a combination of adventure and raising money for charity, or ‘volunturism’ based breaks – are gaining currency with some tour operators that are even partnering with NGOs

Yesterday’s war zones

With the Tamil Tigers laying down arms last year, Sri Lanka looks like retrieving its popularity as a holiday destination. Bookings are likely to increase to Mexico and Thailand, two countries that had more of their fair share of troubles in 2009. There was a trickle of people going to Iraq last year and the country is even promoting itself as a holiday destination. That may be a step too far for most people though.

Egypt, Turkey and Morocco

More traditional holiday destinations will still be popular but further afield. This may have something to do with the euro exchange rate, but also investment in luxury hotels and infrastructure, including more efficient airports and roads, will influence holidaymakers looking for high standards at lower costs

Long-haul destinations

At the end of 2010, Air Passenger Duty is set for a large hike, so long haul destinations, particularly the US, Kenya, the Caribbean and Australia, will all be popular.

Other trends

Fixed-price, all-inclusive holidays should continue to be popular as well as high end accommodation without big price tags – Spain now offers luxury options to broaden its appeal and even Butlins has taken the upmarket route to entice holidaymakers (and businesses). Cruises look set to increase their record passenger numbers of 2009 and will shake off their boring image next year with a mixture of innovations tempting holidaymakers who want a little more. In 2010 will we see cruisers being able to buy vouchers to drink as much as they want and book dedicated naked cruises (seriously)? Las Vegas, Dominican Republic and Turkey will all benefit from increased flights making travel even easier. Holidays will be influenced by films and books. Forks, Washington State, the setting of the Twilight teen vampire saga, experienced a 10-fold increase in visitor numbers in 2009, that’s a trend that probably won’t be reversing any time soon. Shopaholics will take advantage of a more stable dollar/pound exchange rate and get inspiration from Sex and the City 2 and to indulge themselves in New York. And then there’s the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. Aspiring authors dream of their books being turned into films, but Theme Parks? Surreal.

Research essential

The quest for new destinations will lead holiday makers to visit countries with which they are not familiar. They have different laws and customs so doing research is essential. The first port of call is the Foreign and Commonwealth office web site, but a plethora of other sites exist to make your trip just that bit better.

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Want to avoid the crowds? Don’t go to these places then | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Benny was really happy. He’d just come away from the Big Travel Agent in the High Street after booking his cruise with the Big Tour Operator. He was going to take his wife on a once in a lifetime cruise around the Caribbean. Everything was included, the entertainment, the meals and even a couple of excursions. He’d got his eye on trying some scuba diving for the first time in his life. His wife was looking forward to playing some tennis on the ship’s deck but was wondering how that was done without losing a lot of wayward balls in the sea.

Later that evening, he took a closer look at the documents. He had a particular look at the invoice. There were a lot of figures on it and, to be honest, he didn’t understand them all. One however did jump out. Insurance £103.34. He was flabbergasted. That was not much less than he’d paid to insure his car for a whole year!

The next day, he went back to the Big Travel Agent but the person that sold him the cruise wasn’t there. It was her day off. So he spoke to someone else who turned out to be the manager, someone who should have known better. When he queried the amount he was told that it was part of a special deal with the Big Tour Operator’s insurers. “Well, what if I don’t want your special deal?”, he said. “It comes with the package, and whatever happens, you won’t get a better price“. Benny left the Big Travel Agent’s office feeling like he’d been ripped off.

The thing is, he had been ripped off. The Big Travel Agent and its incompetent manager now HAS to tell Benny that the insurance sold with his cruise must be optional. Last year, the FSA introduced new regulations for the selling of travel insurance in conjunction with holidays. Travel agents and tour operators now have to make it clear to consumers that they can shop around and the package sold with their holiday isn’t necessarily the best deal.

Of course, consumers shouldn’t go presuming that the deal they’ve been offered is necessarily a bad one, especially with more specialist products, but at least they have the option of asking around now.

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Must you take the insurance your travel agent tries to sell you? | World First Travel Insurance Blog