British Travellers Gear Up for a Busy 2024 with Increased Travel Spending and Diverse Insurance Needs
Research from Luxury Escapes reveals a boom in travel plans for 2024, with nearly 60% of UK travellers aiming to book at least three holidays and spend more on international trips. This surge in travel expenditure underscores the importance of travel insurance, prompting APH to compile a comprehensive guide comparing top policies from 20 major providers.
The APH guide, assesses coverage offered by AA, Aviva, Direct Line, and SAGA, focusing on key areas like medical cover, cancellation cover, personal possessions, and winter sports options.
Travel Insurance for Senior Travellers
Travellers over 80 face limited choices for Single Trip and Multi Trip policies, with only half the companies studied offering coverage (up to age 85) like Admiral and Rock Insurance. Some providers like AA, AllClear, and Post Office lack age limits for Single Trip policies, but this often changes for Multi Trip options.
Emergency Assistance and Document Replacement
HSBC and Barclays stand out with a generous £750 coverage for replacing essential travel documents like passports, visas, or driving licenses. Other insurers like Allianz offer significantly lower limits in their premium policies, so careful comparison is crucial.
Cancellation Cover Matters
Booking travel insurance early unlocks maximum cancellation cover, protecting your precious trips against unforeseen events. Coverage varies greatly, ranging from £1,000 with AA’s Bronze policy to £25,000 with AllClear’s Platinum policy (within policy terms and conditions).
Winter Sports Enthusiasts Take Note
Optional add-ons for winter sports cover damage, loss, or theft of ski equipment, with variations based on ownership (hired or personal). SAGA, for instance, offers £550 for hired equipment and £750 for your own. Additionally, policies cover per-day compensation if piste closures prevent skiing, ranging from £10 with Post Office to £50 with Rock Insurance and Virgin Money Premium cover (up to a maximum of £500).
Age: Coverage is available for both single trip (up to 85 years old) and multi-trip (up to 75 years old) policies.
Emergency Medical Cover: Generous limits ranging from £10 million (Admiral) to £20 million (Admiral Platinum).
Cancellation or Cutting Trip Short: Up to £5,000 compensation for unforeseen disruptions (highest with Admiral Platinum).
Money & Documents: Protection for lost or stolen travel essentials, with coverage reaching £500 in the top tier.
Personal Belongings: Coverage for damaged, lost, or stolen luggage and personal items, reaching £2,500 with Admiral Platinum.
Optional Add-ons:
- Ski Equipment: Protect your valuable ski gear with coverage up to £1,000 in the Admiral Platinum plan.
- Piste Closure: Reimbursement for unused ski days due to closed pistes, with a maximum daily payout of £20 and a total cap of £200 across all tiers.
Age– No age limits but must disclose pre-existing medical conditions.
Medical Cover: All levels provide emergency medical coverage, with increasing limits from £10 million (Gold) to £15 million (Gold Plus and Platinum). Pre-existing medical conditions must be disclosed.
Cancellation and Curtailment Cover: Cancellation and curtailment coverage is optional, and provides varying compensation depending on the chosen level. Gold tier offers up to £2,000, Gold Plus covers up to £15,000, and Platinum offers the highest at £25,000. Missed departure and travel delay are also covered within each tier, with increasing compensation as you move up.
Travel Document and Personal Possessions Cover: Both personal documents and personal possessions have dedicated coverage amounts, again increasing with each tier. Gold starts at £300 for documents and £2,000 for possessions, while Platinum provides £500 for documents and £3,000 for possessions.
Additional Optional Cover: For those with specific needs, optional add-ons are available, such as ski equipment coverage for £500 across all tiers and piste closure compensation (£35 per day, capped at £350) for all tiers.
Age: All coverage options in this table are only available to individuals aged 75 and under.
Medical Cover: All tiers include emergency medical and associated expenses, though the maximum coverage ranges from £2 million (Bronze) to £10 million (Gold).
Cancellation Cover: This covers expenses incurred if you need to cancel your trip before departure. Coverage limits increase with tier level, reaching £5,000 for Gold.
Travel Document Cover: Loss of passport is only covered in Silver and Gold tiers, with maximum compensation rising to £250 for Gold.
Personal Possessions: Silver and Gold tiers offer protection for delayed or lost personal possessions, with Gold providing the higher coverage limit of £2,000. Personal money is only covered in the Silver and Gold tiers, with a maximum benefit of £500 in both.
Additional Coverage: Optional add-ons for ski equipment and piste closure insurance are available in the Silver and Gold tiers. Ski equipment coverage reaches £400, while piste closure compensation offers a maximum of £200 per day, capped at £200 per trip.
Age: Up to 85 for single trips, 70 and under for multi-trips.
Emergency Medical: £5 million (Essential) or £10 million (Super & Super Plus).
Hospital Benefit: £200 (Essential), £300 (Super), or £1,000 (Super Plus).
Cancellation Cover: £1,000 (Essential), £3,000 (Super), or £10,000 (Super Plus).
Missed Departure: £250 (Essential), £500 (Super), or £750 (Super Plus).
Travel Delay: £20 per 12 hours (max £200 – Essential), £25 per 12 hours (max £300 – Super), or £50 per 12 hours (max £400 – Super Plus).
Loss of Documents: £150 (Essential), £300 (Super), or £500 (Super Plus).
Baggage: £1,000 (Essential), £1,500 (Super), or £2,000 (Super Plus).
Personal Money: £300 (Essential), £500 (Super), or £750 (Super Plus).
Optional Winter Sports Add-on:
- Ski Equipment: £300 (Essential), £400 (Super), or £500 (Super Plus).
- Piste Closure: £10 per 24 hours (max £150 – Essential), £20 per 24 hours (max £200 – Super), or £25 per 24 hours (max £250 – Super Plus).
Age: Annual travel insurance for customers under 75
Emergency medical cover: Rest assured with up to £10 million in coverage for unexpected medical expenses during your trip.
Cancellation cover: Should unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel your trip, you’re covered for up to £5,000 in expenses.
Emergency travel document expenses: Lost or stolen essential documents like passports are no match for our £750 emergency travel document cover.
Personal possessions protection: Enjoy coverage for your belongings, with £400 for cash and £150 for delayed baggage.
Furthermore, you can customize your coverage with optional add-ons, ideal for winter sports enthusiasts:
- Winter sports equipment cover: Protect your precious skis, snowboards, or other gear with up to £500 in coverage.
- Piste closure cover: Get reimbursed for lost ski days due to closed pistes, with coverage ranging from £30 per day to a maximum of £300.
Age: 80 and Under
Emergency Medical Cover: Choose from £1 million (Essentials), £5 million (Travel), or £10 million (Plus).
Cancellation or Short Trip: £500 (Essentials), £2,500 (Travel), or £5,000 (Plus).
Travel Delay: £120 (Essentials), £200 (Travel), or £250 (Plus).
Missed Departure: £500 (Essentials & Travel), £1,000 (Plus).
Loss of Documents: Not covered (Essentials), £50 (Travel), £600 (Plus).
Baggage: £500 (Essentials), £1,250 (Travel), £1,500 (Plus) for lost, stolen, or damaged, £100 (Essentials & Travel) or £200 (Plus) for delayed.
Personal Money: £250 (Essentials), £400 (Travel), £500 (Plus).
Optional Add-ons:
- Equipment Loss/Damage: £100 (Essentials), £500 (Travel & Plus).
- Lost Ski Pass: £200.
- Piste Closure: £300.
Age: Single trip 75 and under, Multi-trip 70 and under
Medical emergencies: All plans offer comprehensive coverage up to £15 million for any medical expenses incurred during your trip.
Hospital benefits: Silver plans offer no additional hospital benefits, while Gold and Platinum plans provide daily allowances ranging from £20 to £500 and £20 to £1,000, respectively.
Cancellation and trip curtailment: Coverage varies depending on the plan: Silver covers up to £2,000, Gold up to £5,000, and Platinum up to £7,500.
Missed departure: Both Gold and Platinum plans offer £500 coverage, while Silver does not.
Travel delays: Silver plan offers £20 per day coverage up to £100, while Gold and Platinum plans provide £25 and £35 per day, with maximums of £250 and £350, respectively.
Important documents: Coverage increases with plan tier, ranging from £100 for Silver to £250 for Platinum.
Baggage: Silver covers £1,000, Gold covers £2,000, and Platinum covers £3,000 for baggage loss or damage.
Delayed baggage (after 12 hours): Silver offers £50, Gold offers £100, and Platinum offers £150 coverage for delayed baggage.
Valuables and personal money: Coverage for valuables increases with plan tier, ranging from £150 for Silver to £250 for Platinum. Personal money coverage is £200 for Silver, £300 for Gold, and £500 for Platinum.
Optional winter sports cover:
- Ski equipment (owned): Coverage ranges from £500 for Silver to £1,000 for Platinum.
- Ski equipment (hired): Coverage ranges from £150 for Silver to £400 for Platinum.
- Piste closure: Coverage ranges from £250 for Silver to £500 for Platinum.
Emergency Medical Expenses: Up to £20 million in coverage for emergency medical expenses, with 24/7 medical assistance available.
Cancellation & Curtailment: You can choose between Standard (£1,000) and Platinum (£6,000) coverage for trip cancellation or curtailment.
Personal Possessions: Standard coverage provides £200 for cash and £100 for other personal money and documents, with Platinum offering £350 and £150 respectively.
Lost or Stolen Baggage: Get reimbursed for lost or stolen baggage up to £1,000 with Standard coverage, or £3,500 with Platinum.
Optional Winter Sports Cover: For winter sports enthusiasts, additional coverage is available for:
- Ski Equipment (owned): £300 (Standard) or £1,000 (Platinum)
- Ski Equipment (hired): £200 (Standard) or £500 (Platinum)
- Piste Closure: £15 per day – £150 max (Standard) or £35 per day – £600 max (Platinum)
Age: 74 and under
Medical emergency & travel expenses abroad: Up to £10 million will cover your medical treatment and associated travel costs if you fall ill or get injured while abroad.
Cancellation & curtailment: You’ll be reimbursed up to £5,000 if you need to cancel or cut your trip short due to unforeseen circumstances.
Delayed departure: If your trip is delayed, you’ll receive £200 for additional expenses and £500 for unused trip costs.
Lost or stolen passport: You’ll be compensated with £500 to cover the cost of replacing your lost or stolen passport.
Personal belongings: Your personal belongings are insured up to £1,500 in case of loss, theft, or damage.
Delayed belongings: If your luggage is delayed, you’ll receive £200 to cover essential items.
Personal money: Up to £500 of your personal money is also insured in case of loss or theft.
Additionally, you can opt for optional winter sports coverage, which includes protection for your equipment and compensation for expenses incurred if the ski slopes are closed.
Medical Emergency: All tiers (HSBC Private Banking, HSBC Premier with retained Jade benefits, and standard HSBC Premier) boast a generous £10 million medical emergency cover. This ensures peace of mind knowing you’re protected for unexpected medical expenses abroad.
Cancellation and Travel Disruption: The amount of coverage varies depending on your Premier tier. HSBC Private Banking and HSBC Premier with retained Jade benefits offer up to £10,000 for cancellation, early return, or travel disruption, while standard HSBC Premier provides up to £7,500. This covers unforeseen circumstances that force you to change your travel plans.
Additional Coverages: All tiers benefit from coverage for missed or delayed transport (£1,000 for missed, £250 for delayed), emergency travel documents (£750), and personal belongings (£5,000 for HSBC Private Banking and Jade benefits, £2,500 for standard Premier). Additionally, a baggage delay exceeding 12 hours triggers a £250 payout.
Optional Winter Sports Add-ons: For winter sports enthusiasts, optional add-ons offer further protection. These include cover for loss, theft, or damage of winter sports equipment (£500), piste closure (£300), disruption to your winter sports holiday (£200), and a ski pack (£500).
Eligibility: Travel insurance is available to HSBC Premier customers under 79 years old (HSBC Private Banking and Jade benefits) or under 69 years old (standard Premier) who are UK residents.
Age: No age limit
Medical: All plans offer unlimited emergency medical coverage, but the amount varies. Budget provides a generous £5 million, while Silver & Gold double it to £10 million, and Black boasts an unlimited maximum. Hospital benefits also scale with tier, ranging from £10 per day to £40 per day with capped totals.
Cancellation and Travel Disruptions: Protect your trip investment with cancellation coverage, starting at £1,000 for Budget and rising to £10,000 for Black. For unexpected delays, compensation kicks in after 12 hours, increasing with each tier and reaching a maximum of £650 for Black.
Travel Documents and Belongings: Ensure smooth sailing even if documents are lost or damaged, with coverage reaching £250 in the Black plan. Personal possessions are covered up to £3,000 in the top tier, while money and delayed baggage compensation also scale proportionally.
Winter Sports Enthusiasts: Black plan offers dedicated coverage for ski equipment, up to a generous £1,500.
Emergency medical coverage: Up to £10 million for unexpected illness or injury abroad, with an additional £1,000 hospital benefit.
Trip cancellation and disruption: Receive up to £5,000 if you need to cancel your trip, £1,000 for missed, delayed, or abandoned departures, and another £5,000 for cutting your trip short.
Travel document protection: Get £750 if your passport, visa, or driving license is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Personal possessions coverage: Enjoy up to £1,500 coverage for stolen, lost, or damaged personal belongings, plus £250 for baggage delays and £500 for lost personal money.
Winter sports coverage: If your doctor advises against winter sports participation due to medical reasons, you’ll be reimbursed for lessons, equipment, and ski pass up to £500. Additionally, you can claim £30 per day, capped at £300, for piste closures.
Please note that for travelers aged 70 and above, an annual Age Upgrade of £65 and medical screenings are mandatory.
Age: Single-trip plans have no age limit, while multi-trip plans are capped at 75 years old.
Medical coverage:
- Emergency medical coverage ranges from £5 million to £10 million depending on the plan tier (Economy, Standard, Premier).
- Hospital stay coverage offers daily benefits ranging from £15 to £40, with maximum limits from £150 to £500.
Cancellation coverage:
- You can claim up to £1,000 (Economy) to £5,000 (Premier) if you need to cancel your trip.
Personal belongings and travel documents:
- Coverage for money and travel documents ranges from £250 (Economy) to £500 (Premier).
- Baggage coverage provides £1,500 (Economy) to £3,000 (Premier) in case of loss or damage.
Optional winter sports coverage:
- Protect your ski equipment for up to £1,000 (Premier) in case of damage or theft.
- Get reimbursed for up to £300 (Premier) if pistes close unexpectedly, impacting your ski trip.
Age: No limit
Medical Cover:
- Emergency medical coverage up to £10 million.
- Hospital benefit of £25 for each 24-hour period, with a maximum of £1,000.
Cancellation Cover:
- Coverage for trip cancellation or abandonment up to £10,000.
- Missed departure coverage of £1,000.
- Delayed departure coverage of £35 for the first 12 hours, and £15 for each subsequent 12-hour period (maximum of £215).
Travel Document Cover:
- Loss of passport coverage of £350.
Personal Possessions Cover:
- Delayed baggage coverage of £250.
- Lost, stolen, or damaged baggage coverage of £5,000.
- Personal money coverage of £500.
Optional Winter Sports Coverage:
- Coverage for winter sports equipment: £750 for your own equipment and £550 for hired equipment.
- Piste closure coverage: £30 or £40 per day, with a maximum of £400.
Age: Up to 80 years old
Medical Cover:
- Silver: £10 million emergency medical coverage
- Gold: £15 million emergency medical coverage
- Platinum: Unlimited emergency medical coverage
Cancellation Cover:
- Silver: £3,000 for cancellation or curtailment & loss of holiday
- Gold: £5,000 for cancellation or curtailment & loss of holiday
- Platinum: £7,500 for cancellation or curtailment & loss of holiday
Travel Document Cover:
- Silver: £100 for passport, other documents, and event tickets
- Gold: £600 for passport, other documents, and event tickets
- Platinum: £750 for passport, other documents, and event tickets
Baggage Delay:
- Silver: £50 per 12 hours up to £200
- Gold: £75 per 12 hours up to £500
- Platinum: £150 per 12 hours up to £750
Personal Possessions:
- Gadget cover: £500 (Silver) and £750 (Gold & Platinum)
- Personal money: £400 (Silver), £500 (Gold), and £750 (Platinum)
- Mugging cover: not available in Silver, £250 (Gold), and £500 (Platinum)
Optional Additional Coverage:
- Winter sports equipment: £500 (Silver), £750 (Gold), and £1,000 (Platinum)
- Piste closure: £30 per 24 hours – £400 max (Silver & Gold), £50 per 24 hours – £400 max (Platinum)
Age:
- No age limit for single trip coverage.
- Multi-trip coverage limits:
- Up to 74 years old:
- £2 million (Everyday Value)
- £5 million (Standard)
- £10 million (Finest)
- Up to 74 years old:
Cancellation Cover:
- Everyday Value: £1,000
- Standard: £5,000
- Finest: £10,000
Travel Document Cover:
- Money & documents:
- Everyday Value: £300
- Standard: £400
- Finest: £500
- Loss of passport:
- Standard: £250
- Finest: £400
Personal Possessions:
- Everyday Value: £1,000
- Standard: £1,500
- Finest: £2,000
Optional Additional Cover:
- Winter sports equipment:
- Standard: £500
- Finest: £750
- Piste closure:
- Standard: £30 per day, maximum £300
- Finest: £40 per day, maximum £400
Age: 61 and under
Medical:
- Medical emergency & repatriation: Up to £15 million coverage for Bronze, Silver & Gold policies.
- Hospital daily benefit: Silver offers £30 per day with a maximum of £150, while Gold provides £50 per day with a maximum of £250. Bronze plans do not include daily hospital benefits.
Trip Cancellation and Disruption:
- Optional cancellation or curtailment: Choose from £1,000 (Bronze), £1,500 (Silver), or £1,750 (Gold) coverage.
- Missed departure: Silver and Gold plans offer coverage of £250 and £350, respectively. Bronze plans do not provide coverage for missed departures.
- Delayed departure: Silver policies offer £20 per 12 hours delayed, up to a maximum of £200. Gold plans provide £35 per 12 hours delayed, up to a maximum of £400. Bronze plans do not include delayed departure coverage.
Personal Belongings and Documents:
- Personal money & travel documents: Coverage ranges from £300 (Bronze) to £400 (Silver) to £500 (Gold).
- Personal possessions: Both Bronze and Silver plans offer £750 coverage, while Gold plans provide double the coverage at £1,500.
- Baggage delay: Silver and Gold policies offer higher compensation compared to Bronze: £50 per 24 hours with a maximum of £150 for Silver and £60 per 24 hours with a maximum of £250 for Gold. Bronze plans provide £25 per 24 hours with a maximum of £75.
Optional Winter Sports Coverage:
- Ski equipment (owned): Bronze and Silver policies offer £500 coverage, while Gold plans provide £1,000.
- Ski equipment (hired): Choose from £250 (Bronze & Silver) or £500 (Gold) coverage.
- Piste closure (only resorts over 1,000m Dec-Mar): Bronze and Silver plans offer £20 per 24 hours with a maximum of £150, while Gold plans provide £50 per 24 hours with a maximum of £500.
Age: No limit (Single tirp) – You’re covered for all ages with our robust travel insurance!
Multi-trip: Up to 80 years old:
Emergency medical & repatriation expenses: Get the care you need with up to £10 million (Economy), £12.5 million (Standard), or £15 million (Premium) coverage.
Cancellation & curtailment: Protect your investment with up to £1,500 (Economy), £2,000 (Standard), or £3,000 (Premium) for unexpected trip disruptions.
Passport & other documents: Secure your essential documents with up to £250 (Economy), £300 (Standard), or £350 (Premium) coverage.
Personal possessions: Safeguard your belongings with up to £1,000 (Economy), £1,600 (Standard), or £2,000 (Premium) coverage.
Personal money: Keep your cash secure with up to £300 (Economy), £400 (Standard), or £500 (Premium) coverage.
Baggage delay: Enjoy peace of mind with up to £50 per 12 hours – £150 max (Economy), £50 per 12 hours – £250 max (Standard), or £100 per 12 hours – £500 max (Premium) coverage for delayed luggage.
Optional:
- Winter sports equipment – replacement or repair: Add protection for your gear with up to £500 (Economy), £750 (Standard), or £1,000 (Premium) coverage.
- Piste closure: Ensure your fun isn’t cut short with up to £30 per 24 hours – £300 max (Economy), £40 per 24 hours – £400 max (Standard), or £50 per 24 hours – £500 max (Premium) coverage for closed slopes.
Age: This travel insurance policy offers comprehensive coverage for all ages, with some adjustments for medical and personal accident benefits for travellers under 18 and over 75. Let’s explore the key areas of coverage:
Medical Coverage:
- Emergency medical treatment: Up to £10 million for all tiers (Basic, Standard, and Extra).
- Hospital benefit: Daily allowance varies by tier (Basic: £10, Standard: £20, Extra: £30), with maximum payouts ranging from £500 to £1,500.
Trip Cancellation and Disruptions:
- Cancellation and cutting short trips: Coverage amounts increase with tiers (Basic: £1,000, Standard: £5,000, Extra: £7,500).
- Travel delays and missed departures: Included only in Standard and Extra tiers (£300 and £500 respectively).
Personal Possessions and Documents:
- Passport, documents, or driving licence: £250 for Basic and Standard, £500 for Extra.
- Baggage: Coverage increases with tiers (Basic: £1,000, Standard: £1,500, Extra: £2,500).
Optional Additional Coverage:
- Piste closure: Protection against lost ski days due to piste closures (£200 in Standard, £500 in Extra).
- Hired equipment: Covers damage or theft of rented ski/snowboard gear (£100 in Standard, £250 in Extra).
- Own equipment: Covers damage or theft of your personal ski/snowboard gear (£750 in Standard, £1,000 in Extra).