 Poster: A snowHead
|
Just booked a skiing trip and looking for insurance does anyone recommend any travel agents are a lot looking on line and the most expensive one is still cheaper
There ones for under £20 they cannot be the same cover as ones of 60+ pounds surely yet seem to cover the same stuff
Any help will be appreciated
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Why can't they be the same? TO/agent is reselling someone else's package so needs a cut. Customer thinks easier to take the whole thing from TO. Customer thinks more expensive must be better...
Same applies to ski hire and ski school ... I know who my TO uses and can book cheaper direct...
But things to check (and consider relevance to you)...
- excluded sports
- maximum cover. £1m is easier to acrue than you can imagine, especially if you are used to the NHS where everything is pretty much covered.
- excess(es) - injury/medical cost, repatriation, cancelled holiday, loss if belonging etc
- do you need to pay up front
- medical exclusions
- hire kit
- hill side evacuation costs
- duration, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year
- destination - Europe / US etc
- expectation to use E111 first?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
So sorry to hijack but hoping someone can shed some light.
I have winter sports cover through my own work insurance (work in travel industry) but my partner isn't on the policy. I could put him on but he has insurance through his bank, halifax. Does anyone know whether these types of insurance cover winter sports? If not is there an option to add it on?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@Vantagepolarity, my own insurance through Barclays does, but it may not be the same for other free bank insurance. It might be better if you are a couple to have the same insurance policy. If one of you is injured or ill it might make it more difficult to claim for having to go home early or cancel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@Hells Bells, thanks for your reply. I never thought of it like that! Maybe ill add him onto mine for the sake of a few quid.
My other question is this.. He broke his leg last October and is pretty much recovered so hoping to ski. Does he need to declare this to insurance company and what happens?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@Vantagepolarity, Halifax's "Reward" account does cover winter sports (including off-piste with a guide, I think), which is a pretty good deal.
Depends where you're going, but in France I always get the added Carre Neige on my lift pass (EUR2.80 a day) as if you need taking off the hill the pisteurs just check your pass and off you go - no paying and claiming it back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I would recommend the Ski Club's insurance. Even the most basic, covers a good variety, and also off-piste without a guide.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Any ideas how Columbus Direct are, has anyone used them before?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Will you be doing any off piste? If so, most of the bog standard policies tend not to cover it, and you'll need something like Dogtag or Snowcard or the like. Otherwise, just check the policy wording for the things that @polc1410 mentioned above.
FWIW, I compared policy details a few years ago (Dograg, Snowcard, Nationwide, a few others I can't remember) and Dogtag and Snowcard were by far the best for coverage. We use Dogtag cos they're cheaper.
Ms P.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I get a family of four for a year for £140 with Dogtag, which covers 17 days a year of on and off piste skiing, as well as all the other travel insurance stuff. To be honest our Halifax Reward would be fine for the kids (my wife doesn't ski) but it's only £40 extra for the three of them, and you never know how strictly they'd define off-piste, as I do tend to do various bits and bobs between runs with the kids.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Hells Bells wrote: |
| @Vantagepolarity, my own insurance through Barclays does, but it may not be the same for other free bank insurance. |
Use one of the specialists. I tried a claim on Barclays a few years ago and they were very reluctant to payout despite me having a winter sports extension to the policy.
Definitely do the Carre Niege in France. It's so cheap that it would be foolish not to. It even covers repatriation and ski passes.
Do they have something similar in Austria?
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
| andy from embsay wrote: |
@Vantagepolarity, Halifax's "Reward" account does cover winter sports (including off-piste with a guide, I think), which is a pretty good deal.
Depends where you're going, but in France I always get the added Carre Neige on my lift pass (EUR2.80 a day) as if you need taking off the hill the pisteurs just check your pass and off you go - no paying and claiming it back. |
Would you recommend this cover over traditional insurance.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| saintstephen wrote: |
| andy from embsay wrote: |
@Vantagepolarity, Halifax's "Reward" account does cover winter sports (including off-piste with a guide, I think), which is a pretty good deal.
Depends where you're going, but in France I always get the added Carre Neige on my lift pass (EUR2.80 a day) as if you need taking off the hill the pisteurs just check your pass and off you go - no paying and claiming it back. |
Would you recommend this cover over traditional insurance.
Thanks |
I always get it on my pass as well as "normal" insurance as it's recognised by the pisteurs so they'll deal with any rescue costs without you having to do anything. Given the cost you might as well add it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Mistress Panda wrote: |
Will you be doing any off piste? If so, most of the bog standard policies tend not to cover it, and you'll need something like Dogtag or Snowcard or the like. Otherwise, just check the policy wording for the things that @polc1410 mentioned above.
|
That may have been true a few years ago.
But is rare to find one now that doesn't cover off-piste, although there is some variation as to whether it is only with a guide, or only in areas approved by local authorities, etc.
The one I have taken out for my trip from 10th Jan says it covers "Off piste skiing or snow-boarding (within local ski patrol guideline)". That is from Admiral, through ROCK insurance group, and was pretty cheap.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Consider carefully what you want - do you want to be covered for off piste and "extra curricular" activities. Check if cover applies to ALL the activities you plan or might wish to do. Its easy to get out in resort and decide you want to try the para penting offered at the top of the mountain or some other less than usual leisure activity. Soooo check the cover AND the exclusions carefully. Check whether you will be covered if you are not wearing a helmet and sustain a head injury. Check to see if you can offset baggage loss against household insurance cover (may reduce your premium if this is the case). Is your holiday particularly expensive, check whether the cancellation cover would actually be adequate if you had to cancel late for an insured reason, would your cover apply to any pre-paid lift passes and ski school if you had to cancel. Insurance for winter sports ia minefield but the policies are being increasingly well drafted and much easier to read than in the past so take the time to do just that before you buy but most important of all DO GET INSURED before you go, you could be bankrupted by an accident or illness sustained abroad if you do not have adequate cover.
I should add I am no longer employed within the insurance industry but was once and my advice is based on my knowledge of the industry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Beware of DogTag if you have a pre-existing medical declaration to make. The extra charge simply for the declaration is levied every year even if nothing has changed and you agree that your condition is not insurable. For a sensible medical declaration policy have a look at MPI brokers.
http://b2c.mpibrokers.com/travel-insurance/medical-conditions.html
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I used tesco annual and the terms seemed decent. Beware of ones with high excess charges. I like to go with a recognisable name rather than one based in Panama, though not sure this actually makes much difference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
I would also recommend a specialist travel insurer, after a bad experience with AA Insurance. Or rather, their subcontracted claims handling company. I now use Direct Travel. But whoever it is, while it may be tedious, I'd also recommend really reading thoroughly through all the small print. As with any policy, you may find that you don't need some things or are happy to take a higher excess for lower premium etc. Unfortunately, the real measure is how claims get handled, and this is hard to judge, other than perhaps FOrum feedback.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Careful with the insurance that comes free from banks etc.
I checked and they specifically exclude anything pre-existing even if you declare it. I had a brain tumour removed about 12 years ago but none of the off the shelf cover will touch me, even though I've been discharged for a few years.
I use Insureandgo these days, they do medical screening during the call and cover the previous condition and my other afflictions, plus the healthy wife for about £110 a year for a very good level of cover. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
