Travel Insurance

Travel insurance and Swine Flu

Swine flu and Xmas travel

For some people, being away from home at Christmas in unthinkable.

Others prefer to get away from it all with a mid-winter holiday to recharge their batteries. If you are someone that does like getting away, you may be slightly concerned about the implications of swine flu and Xmas travel.

Winter illnesses

Swine flu aside, travelling in the winter may pose more of a health risk than at any other time of year. Many forms of 'bug' are more prevalent and most people seem to be coughing and sneezing. Having all the windows closed on the train, tube or bus may keep the cold out but it also is a very effective way of keeping the germs in and helping them circulate. Aircraft and ferries can also pose a similar problem.

Swine flu

Government health advice and statistics on this form of illness are subject to constant change and updating but in general the advice is that for the vast majority of people the effects are unlikely to be serious. If that's the good news, the bad news is that if you catch it, you may still find yourself unable to travel. For more information on Swine flu please visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Swineflu/DG_177831

The risks for your holiday and money

As staying healthy can be a bit of a challenge in winter, it wouldn't be surprising if you thought twice about booking a break over the festive season for fear of what illness may mean for your travel plans.

This is where we can help! If you do decide that you just have to get away from it all for some skiing or perhaps Christmas on a beach somewhere hot, then Protect your bubble travel insurance may help to put your mind at rest.

Specific health related features of our cover include:

• cancellation of the holiday as a result of you being in quarantine for swine flu and other illnesses and therefore unable to travel although not ill yourself;
• cutting short your holiday due to a medical emergency, which could be from an accident or illness.

In addition to health related cover, Protect your bubble travel insurance also offers features such as:

•  free cover for children;
•  cover against your travel company going bust and being unable to provide you with your holiday;
•  refunds towards costs incurred as a result of travel delays;
•  emergency dental costs;
  
•  repatriation following a medical emergency if this is appropriate;
  
• losing your baggage, tickets or other important travel documents or money;
• recompense if you have to cut short your holiday due to a death at home, being called for jury duty or are made redundant;
• if your departure is delayed or you miss your departure due to circumstances such as your transport breaking down, etc.
  

Please refer to terms and conditions for full details of cover.

As with all insurance policies, exclusions and limitations apply and it is important that you read the terms and conditions of this policy to determine if these apply to you and for full details of the cover. This will also help you understand the level of protection that this product provides.

There are also a number of holiday specific optional types of cover:

•  ski holidays for example hire of replacement equipment, no snow and too much snow in the wrong place (avalanche)
• golf holidays - for example to cover golf club replacement hire and perhaps even pick up the bar tab for the celebration drinks following a hole in one!
  

Protect your bubble travel insurance can cover your holidays both in the UK and abroad. So if you feel like beating the winter blues with a holiday over the festive season, you may find that our travel insurance could put you mind at rest on issues relating to swine flu and Xmas travel. If you don't feel like putting your life on hold worrying about Swine flu, it may be worth having a look at our prices!