Travel News

 

• European health insurance card leaves tourist stranded
• Brits abroad losing cash!
• Credit crunch & travel disease risks
• Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
• Going on a cruise? Protect against infection!
• Are you driving into trouble on holiday?
• Malaria Hotspots
• Top tips to protect your holiday valuables
• Hygiene, hot food and holidays!
• Man with rucksack causes major security alert at Heathrow.
• Are you eligible for a £40 refund?
• International ski federation safe skiing code
• Top tips for safety on the slopes
• Santa's mislaid bag of goodies!
• Passport News!
• Did you know?
• ‘Know Before You Go’
• New rules for taking liquids through UK airport security

European health insurance card leaves tourist stranded

Published: 08/10/2008 A British holidaymaker has spent over a month in a serious condition in a hospital in Dublin as his family scramble to try and pool together the €10,000 needed to fly him home to Manchester. The International Travel Insurance Journal recently reported that Peter Carter (66) and his son had only been in Ireland for a matter of hours when he fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a broken neck, head injuries and extensive bruising. He has since lost sensation and movement down one half of his body. Mr Carter had not taken out travel insurance for his trip because he thought the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) would cover the cost of any treatment he needed. And he was right - the EHIC covered the cost of the hospital treatment, but he and his family found out too late that it could not cover the cost of repatriation. His son Richard said: "I spoke to the British Embassy and to the Foreign Office and they are going by the book. They're saying there's no travel insurance, then there's no repatriation." The case which has been reported to the Irish media, yet again serves to highlight the fact that the government must do more to educate the public about the anomalies contained within the EHIC. As strongly recommended by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, "You still need sufficient travel insurance to cover healthcare costs. Many people think an EHIC will be enough and don't take out insurance. They regret this when they have to pay thousands of pounds for an air ambulance back to the UK or pay out for extra accommodation to stay with a sick relative."

Brits abroad losing cash!

Published: 18/09/2008 Brits abroad are rich pickings for pickpockets as many confess to carrying wads of cash rather than cards - in a bid to beat fraudsters. New research by life assistance company CPP reported that we carry an average of £209 in cash when we jet off for a weekend away. This compares to the £21 we carry around on the average day when home in the UK. Around 60% of people prefer to carry cash over credit or debit cards when they go abroad. And it's little wonder, as 84% of Britons say they worry about fraudulent activity abroad when using their cards at cash machines or in shops. Kerry D'Souza, card fraud expert at CPP, says: "Card fraud abroad is a growing problem. We are urging Brits to be particularly vigilant on holiday when they can be less aware of their belongings and more prone to card fraud. We are encouraging people to advise their banks before travelling, to keep their valuables out of sight, and to be especially careful when they use their cards." Top ten tips to help reduce the chances of card fraud:

1. Don't carry multiple debit/credit cards in a wallet.
2. Don't leave belongings unattended while swimming or sunbathing.
3. Don't hang your bag on the back of a chair.
4. Don't carry debit/credit cards loose in a bag or pocket.
5. Advise your bank before going away.
6. Make a note of all your card details and pack this separately.
7. Don't let a waiter/shop assistant take your debit/credit card out of sight.
8. Check your receipts against your statements when you get home.
9. Don't let someone withdraw money on your behalf.
10. Use a safe rather than leaving your debit/credit cards in a hotel room.

Credit crunch & travel disease risks

Published: 28/08/2008 Cost-conscious holidaymakers heading for countries outside the Eurozone this summer need to consider greater risks from food and water-borne diseases, says a travel health expert. Michelle Sellors, senior nurse adviser at MASTA, the UK’s biggest network of specialist travel clinics, says studies have shown that the risk of contracting travellers’ diarrhoea is up to four times more likely in eastern Europe compared to central Europe. She said that typhoid, caused by contaminated water, was also a potential problem. “Typhoid is generally a low risk in continental Europe but some countries such as Turkey are thought to have an increased risk.” Other research, she added, had revealed that trichinella, a parasitic worm infection from raw or undercooked meat, was more prevalent again in Turkey but also in countries such as Bulgaria and the Baltic States. Holidaymakers hit by the credit crunch and the rising value of the Euro are turning to destinations where the pound is stronger. According to Lastminute.com, bookings to Turkey and Egypt are up 14 per cent on 2007 and Tunisia by 95 per cent. Michelle Sellors said the need to consider immunisation for these countries will vary depending on the kind of trip and length of stay. She said: “Even for short visits at good hotels in Egypt there would be some vaccinations which we’d recommend such as hepatitis A and typhoid. Egypt still has a fairly high risk of food and water borne diseases and there have been reported outbreaks of hepatitis A at nice hotels in recent years - so it’s best to be covered.” MASTA’s practical advice to prevent food and water-borne diseases includes washing hands regularly, avoiding raw or undercooked meat, fish and vegetables and to carry a basic first aid pack with medication such as loperamide (anti-diarrhoeal drug) and oral rehydration solution sachets.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Published: 01/08/2008 Environmental issues are becomingly increasingly important when people choose their holidays. Reduce My Footprint (RMF) has been created by the travel industry to help mitigate the effects of travel on climate change. The RMF website provides a way to understand the impacts that we all have on the environment - our carbon footprint. Climate change is a major problem facing mankind and we can all take action to reduce our individual footprints. This should be your first step. Before you leave your home

• Switch off all unnecessary electrical equipment including any immersion heaters.
• Turn down your central heating to the lowest reasonable level - turning down your central heating by 1 degree Celsius can save 0.5 to 1.0 tonnes of CO2 per year.
• For journeys of a few hundred kilometres, use rail, or coach where possible. For such travel, driving is also reasonable if you are carrying a full passenger load and your car is relatively fuel-efficient.
• Replace traditional light bulbs with energy-efficient ones: for a whole household, this can save around 0.2 tonnes of CO2 per year.
• Try and use public transport to reach the rail station or airport.
• Recycle your holiday brochures when you’ve finished with them.
• Don’t take litter with you. Remove packaging from clothing, toiletries, etc and recycle if possible. The more weight you take, the more fuel is consumed on flights.

And finally remember

• A typical window left open overnight will waste energy equivalent to driving a small car over 35 miles.
• A PC monitor left on for one night wastes enough energy to laser print 800 copies or to microwave six dinners.
• A typical photocopier left on for one night wastes enough energy to produce 15,000 copies.
• Lighting a typical office overnight wastes energy equivalent to heating water for 1,000 cups of tea.

Going on a cruise? Protect against infection!

Published: 01/07/2008 Over 1.5 million cruise passengers are being advised to think about the potential spread of infection when travelling with hundreds of holidaymakers in confined space for days or weeks. According to MASTA, operator of Britain’s biggest network of specialist travel health clinics, gastro-intestinal infections and flu are typical of the illnesses that can break out on cruise ships. Lynda Bramham, senior nurse advisor at MASTA said: “Passengers should take extra care with personal hygiene such as hand washing before meals and after visiting the bathroom. “Flu can spread quickly and immunisation is especially important for travellers with pre-existing medical problems such as heart or respiratory conditions.” Last month two new ocean liners were launched in Southampton which are expected to create greater interest in cruising as a holiday choice. And according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) the number of UK cruise passengers will reach 1.55 million in 2008, an increase of 14 per cent on last year. Lynda Bramham also advised caution if cruising in malarious regions. She said the risk will be “very low” if you are on the ship sailing between dusk and dawn, the time when the mosquitoes that transmit malaria bite, but added: “If sailing down rivers running through malarious regions such as the Amazon in Brazil or the Orinoco in Venezuela, anti-malarial tablets would be recommended. In tropical areas, cruise travellers should avoid insect bites day and night, diseases such as dengue and yellow fever are transmitted by daytime biting mosquitoes.”

Are you driving into trouble on holiday?

Published: 23/06/2008 The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently revealed that almost two thirds of Brits who have driven abroad run into problems, with research and studies showing that tourists are three times more likely to be involved in a road accident than local drivers. The FCO survey has shown that when driving abroad, nearly a third (31%) have driven on the wrong side of the road and more than one in 10 have driven the wrong way around a roundabout. As the FCO launches a new campaign to encourage British drivers to stay safe on foreign roads, figures show that road death rates in many popular holiday destinations are significantly higher than in the UK, with alcohol often being a contributing factor. For example, they highlight you are almost twice as likely to have a fatal accident on the road in Spain than in the UK, almost three times as likely in Greece and more than twice as likely in the USA. The FCO reported that for holidaymakers who got into trouble, many people deeply regretted not taking out adequate travel insurance. They thought their credit card accident cover, home insurance or private health cover was sufficient. Few were aware that an emergency of this nature abroad could be extremely expensive. For example, if you need to be returned to the UK it could potentially cost you tens of thousands of pounds, unless you are adequately insured:

• £35-45,000 - air ambulance from USA’s East coast
• £12-16,000 - air ambulance from the Canary Islands
• £15-20,000 - scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort from Australia

Before you go

• Familiarise yourself with the driving laws of the country you are visiting.
• Check with your car insurance company that you’re fully covered to drive abroad, including for breakdown recovery and any medical expenses resulting from an accident.
• Check whether you need an International Driving Permit or Green Card for the country you’re visiting.
• Service your car to ensure starting out in the best condition.
• If you need to hire a car abroad, make sure to hire it from a reputable company.

What to take

• A spare set of car keys.
• A fire extinguisher, first aid kit, tool kit, spare bulbs and warning triangle.
• Your registration document, driving licence and passport.
• Your UK motor insurance certificate and Green Card (if issued).
• Your breakdown policy and contact numbers.
• All travel insurance documents including emergency helpline numbers.
• And finally, if you’re driving your own car, have a GB sticker clearly visible on the back and double check whether you need headlamp converters if you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road.
• For more tips and advice on driving abroad: click here

Malaria Hotspots

Published: 04/06/2008 With the British public expected to trade in their European package holiday this year in favour of destinations offering better value for money, bargain-hunting travellers are being warned about the risk of the most life-threatening strain of malaria. ABTA – The Travel Association believes that as the Euro continues to gain strength, holidays to Spain and France could be replaced by trips to popular, long-haul destinations such as Goa, Southeast Asia and Africa - where the pound will stretch further but there are higher risks of contracting malaria. A leading awareness group recently issued a severe warning about destinations more prone to malaria and is urging travellers to seek expert medical advice ahead of every journey. The warning comes as new figures show that in 2007 over 1,500 UK travellers returned with the disease, of which nearly 75% of cases were the most dangerous type. With visits to at-risk destinations nearly doubling over the past 10 years, malaria continues to be a major health concern for British travellers. Top tips for a safer holiday

Top tips to protect your holiday valuables

Published: 20/05/2008 Oxford Street, Bond Street and Knightsbridge, all under one roof. This is how Heathrow's brand new £4.3bn Terminal 5 described its shopping facilities as it proudly attempted to bring back the glitz into modern air travel. Instead, still fresh in our minds are the chaotic scenes of the opening week. An unpredicted breakdown of the baggage handling system resulted in thousands of angry holiday makers being forced to make a decision between flying with just hand luggage, getting an alternative flight or claiming a refund from the airline. How to avoid a baggage nightmare There are many steps you can take to not only avoid the baggage nightmares experienced at Terminal 5 but to deal with them if the worst does happen.

1. Tags: clearly tag your baggage - this should include your name, your flight number, the date of your flight and final destination.
2. Baggage policy: Check your airline's baggage policy thoroughly to ensure your bags are within the weight and size limits.
3. Valuable items: It is advisable to carry all valuable items and documents in your hand luggage and keep them in your possession at all times.
4. Delays: If your flight is delayed, approach your airline for compensation for accommodation, meals and refreshments. Your travel insurance may also provide compensation if you are delayed for more than 12 hours.
5. Written confirmation: If a delay occurs, get written confirmation from your airline as to the reasons for and the length of the delay in case a travel insurance claim is necessary.
6. Receipts: Keep receipts of any expenses you incur as a result of a delay.
7. Cancellations: If your flight is cancelled, ask your airline for a full refund or an alternative flight.
8. Travel Insurance: Check the details of your travel insurance policy carefully. Check the exclusions for lost or delayed baggage and the limits for valuables and single article limits.

If, in spite of your best efforts, you are still unfortunate enough to experience problems, as a Flexicover policyholder, you will receive access to professional advice 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Hygiene, hot food and holidays!

Published: 31/03/2008 Poor hygiene and sanitation can ruin your holiday, especially if you’re considering a trip to a developing country. NHS Online confirms that more than 200 diseases are transmitted through food, but the risk is very low if it is prepared, cooked and stored properly. A holiday to a remote developing country should be the adventure of a lifetime but without proper care, this type of travel can pose a problem to your health. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), hygiene standards are often lower in the developing world than in the UK with a higher risk of catching an illness. Traveller’s diarrhoea is especially common in hot environments and diseases such as typhoid, cholera and hepatitis A can be easily contracted from contaminated food and water. Bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter and E.coli can cause gastroenteritis. To stay healthy, there are a few things we all need to remember:

1. Always wash your hands before eating and drinking.
2. Be careful around buffets - food left standing for some time can be prone to attracting bacteria.
3. Never use communal, damp towels in public conveniences.
4. Avoid ice unless you’re sure it’s from treated water – whether used for drinks or cooling food.
5. Drink bottled water where you are unsure of the quality of drinking water; check the seals have not been tampered with.
6. Avoid swallowing water when swimming
7. Avoid milk, cheese and other dairy products unless they are pasteurised and have been properly refrigerated.
8. Bacteria are killed by heat, so make sure food is cooked thoroughly before eating.

Up to 50% of travellers are affected by some kind of ‘tummy trouble’ on their trips. If, in spite of your best efforts, you are still unfortunate enough to suffer, as a Flexicover policy-holder you will receive access to professional advice and emergency medical treatment 24 hours a day, everyday of the year.

Man with rucksack causes major security alert at Heathrow.

Published: 19/03/2008 A man with a rucksack breached security at Heathrow airport last week and ran towards a plane on the northern runway. Airport security and police reacted quickly to capture the uninvited guest. The Times reported that he was challenged and arrested by officers before reaching the tarmac. Officers at the scene carried out a controlled explosion on the rucksack, which fortunately only contained clothes. A police source said that, while they did not yet know the man’s motive, they were confident that it was not related to terrorism. The incident happened just 24 hours before the Queen was due to open the airport’s new Terminal 5 and is the second time in recent weeks that Heathrow security has been breached. The northern runway was partially closed but later reopened, by which time close to 40 flights were disrupted causing delays and cancellations. As this incident was not related to terrorism, most passengers would be able to make a claim for flight delays or cancellations from their travel insurers where appropriate. Many travel insurance policies do not provide any cover in the event of an act of terrorism but with Flexicover travel insurance, you can travel safe in the knowledge that, on top of our extensive benefits, you will be covered for Personal Accident and Medical Expenses, ensuring you receive emergency medical treatment and repatriation if the worst were to happen.

Are you eligible for a £40 refund?

Published: 03/03/2008 Passengers who flew long-haul with Virgin Atlantic or British Airways may be able to claim refunds of up to £40 for a couple after the two airlines agreed to pay compensation to the victims of price- fixing. BA has been fined for price-fixing on fuel surcharges and Virgin admitted to breaching the law, narrowly escaping a fine. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic passengers will receive up to $200m (£102m) in compensation after both airlines have come to a legal settlement. The deal involves 8 million airline tickets sold between August 11 2004 and March 23 2006. To register for your refunds, please visit www.airpassengerrefund.co.uk or if you have mislaid or lost details of your flight call 0800 0430 343. Alternatively, visit www.virginbapassengerrefund.org to find out more on how to claim. Why not use your £40 refund to purchase flexicover.net's much renowned Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance policy to cover you both for a whole year's travel to Europe using the enclosed voucher when you next travel? The cost to insure a couple under 50 will be £38.25.

International ski federation safe skiing code

Published: 01/02/2008 Skiing and snowboarding are great fun but accidents do happen and when they do they can be very expensive! That is why it’s so important to buy appropriate winter sports travel insurance before leaving home. Do you know how much you will have to fork out if you have an accident on the slopes? According to our latest research, a broken leg in France could set you back up to £20,000 but, come off your skis and fracture your femur in Canada and the bill could exceed £50,000. The safety of yourself and others is paramount if you ski or snowboard, which is why flexicover.net recommend that you strictly observe the International Ski Federation safe skiing code, both on and off-piste.

• Respect for others - Behave in such a way that you do not endanger others.
• Control of speed and skiing - Be in control, and adapt your speed and manner of skiing to your ability and the prevailing conditions of terrain, snow and weather, as well as to the density of other skiers.
• Choice of route - Choose your route in such a way that, when coming from behind, you do not endanger others.
• Overtaking - Ensure that you leave sufficient room when overtaking others for any voluntary or involuntary movements that they may make.
• Entering and starting - When entering a marked run, or starting again after stopping, make sure that you look both up and down the run to ensure that you can do so without endangering yourself or other skiers.
• Stopping - Unless absolutely necessary, avoid stopping on the piste in narrow places or where visibility is restricted.
• Climbing and descending on foot - When climbing or descending on foot, keep to the sides of the piste.
• Respect for signals and markings - Respect all signals and markings.
• Assistance - If an accident occurs, every skier must be duty bound to assist.
• Identification – On witnessing an accident, whether or not responsible for it, exchange names and addresses.

If in doubt never ski/snowboard away from marked ski runs

Top tips for safety on the slopes

Published: 14/01/2008 As the first snows of 2008 start to fall across Europe and the US, skiers will soon be tempted to rush out and get some action on the piste. That’s just the moment accidents can happen, warns Greg Lawson, Group Broking Director of leading online travel insurance provider, flexicover.net, as he offers some timely advice to help skiers stay safe on the slopes. “Whilst exciting and enjoyable, winter sports can also be dangerous but with a bit of awareness and preparation, skiers and snowboarders can have a safe holiday in the snow so here are our Top Tips” he says. And finally, get quality ski insurance - this won’t stop accidents, but it will be invaluable if the worst should happen. Make sure you buy a specialist winter sports policy that also provides cover against those niggling little things such as no snow, too much snow or loss or damage to your ski equipment.

Santa's mislaid bag of goodies!

Published: 18/12/2007 Many of us will spend this Christmas visiting family and friends overseas and will be taking gifts that we will carefully pack in our baggage; the last thing that we want to happen is for the baggage to be delayed in transit or worse, for it to get lost! Did you know that the maximum liability for an airline for lost baggage is limited to £756? And that there is no obligation for non-EC airlines to compensate passengers? For more information: Click here When this amount is insufficient, or your airline absolves itself against any such liability, you can still claim on your travel insurance policy. It is therefore essential that you have full cover in place for your journey.

Passport News!

Published: 9/10/2007 From Thursday 5 October 2007 the cost of obtaining or renewing an adult passport has jumped from £51 to £66. Fees for child passports have a similar increase from £34 to £45. It is very important to have a valid passport for any overseas journey you may be planning. Countries such as the USA may also require some nationals to be in possession of a passport that has a validity of 6 months beyond the proposed return date. Please do check before you travel. The Identity and Passport Service advise that a standard postal application is likely to take up to 3 weeks to process. For those who need a passport within a week a guaranteed Fast Track service is available by appointment.

Did you know?

Published: 19/6/2007 Advance Passenger Information – The Spanish Government have introduced new regulations, effective from 19 June 2007, that require airlines flying between the UK and Spain to provide them with certain personal information on all passengers before the flight departs. The information required, which is based on the photograph page of your passport  (full name, date and place of birth and passport number etc), will be used for law enforcement purposes.  This information will be collected either in advance, usually when you make your booking, or at the airport when you check in. To help speed up your check-in process, you should contact your carrier to see if they have arrangements, possibly via a special website, for advance data collection. There may be some disruption at airports as a result of this additional requirement and you are therefore advised to allow extra time to check in for your flight. For more information visit: Click here.

‘Know Before You Go’

Published: 23/4/07 Having enjoyed the recent spell of warm weather our thoughts inevitably turn towards summer holidays.  However before booking your trip we suggest spending a few minutes visiting the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website www.fco.gov.uk/travel and check out the "Know Before You Go" section.  Their "Top Tips" are aimed at helping avoid common travelling traumas, risks and dangers and will hopefully help you and your family travel in safety.

New rules for taking liquids through UK airport security

Published: 15/11/06 Passengers can now take through airport security liquids such as toiletries including perfume, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving foam and lip gloss, provided they are no bigger than 100ml each. All individual liquid items must fit comfortably into one transparent, re-sealable bag no larger than 1 litre or approximately 20cm x 20cm (about the size of a small freezer bag). The bag must fit into the one permitted piece of cabin baggage (a maximum of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm) but passengers will be asked to present the bag separately when going through airport security. Liquids of any amount can still be carried in luggage checked into the aircraft hold. For full details on preparing for your flight visit: Click here.