Goodtogoinsurance.com News Headlines

Sun Awareness Week: How to check your skin for signs of cancer

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

This week (6th May to 12th May) is Sun Awareness Week, an annual campaign run by the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) to raise awareness of skin cancer amongst the British public.

The campaign has two aims;

Firstly, to educate the British public about the dangers of sun burn and excessive tanning, both from the sun and sunbeds.

Secondly, to encourage people to look out for changes in their skin which could indicate skin cancer developing. Early diagnosis is important in the treatment of skin cancer.

Sun Awareness also runs a road show which will travel around the UK to make people aware of the risk of skin cancer and help them enjoy their time in the sun safely.

The number of people diagnosed with skin cancer in the UK is still on the rise, with over 100,000 people diagnosed each year. Malignant melanoma is the most deadly form of the disease causes over 2000 deaths a year, so early diagnosis of skin cancer is vital.

BAD has produced these tips to help you check your own moles for signs of skin cancer:

Skin cancers vary, so you should consult your GP if you notice any changes to your skin.

These ABCD-Easy rules show you a few changes that might indicate a 'melanoma', which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Asymmetry - the two halves of the area may differ in shape
Border - the edges of the area may be irregular or blurred, and sometimes show notches
Colour - this may be uneven. Different shades of black, brown and pink may be seen
Diameter - most melanomas are at least 6mm in diameter. Report any change in size, shape or diameter to your doctor.

The best way to reduce your risk of skin cancer is to take care in the sun and avoid getting burnt. Read our article for more information about how to prevent sun burn and stay safe in the sun: Staying safe in the sun.

If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, or have had treatment for skin cancer in the past, it’s very important to declare it when you buy travel insurance, to ensure that you are properly covered for emergency medical expenses whilst you are away.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance for all types of cancer, including skin cancer. You will need to declare that you have suffered from skin cancer when you get a quote and answer the multiple choice questions accurately – you won’t need to get a doctor’s certificate.

Find out more about cancer travel insurance >>

Travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions and travel insurance over 65 - 2012 goodtogoinsurance.com Medical Travel Insurance and Travel Insurance for Over 65s - © 2010 - goodtogoinsurance.com

World Asthma Day: Holidays and travel insurance for Asthmatics

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

As today (7 May) is World Asthma Day, we’d like to take the opportunity to raise awareness of the need to declare your asthma when you buy travel insurance.

World Asthma day is organised every year by the Global Initiative for Asthma with the aim improving asthma awareness and asthma care around the world.

Asthma affects 5.4 million people in the UK and is commonly diagnosed in children.

Asthma affects the airways which carry air into and out of the lungs. When an asthmatic comes into contact with something that irritates their airways it causes the muscles to tighten and the lining of the airways to become inflamed. This makes the airways narrower and causes breathing difficulties for the asthma sufferer.

Being asthmatic should not stop you from travelling and enjoying holidays abroad, but you should make sure that you are properly prepared.

Asthma UK publishes some very useful tips for asthmatics who are planning a holiday. Including;

- Visit your GP or asthma nurse to review your personal asthma action plan before you travel.
- Take enough inhalers and medication for your trip, plus an extra week’s supply.

Visit the Asthma UK website for more tips on travelling with Asthma.

One very important part of your holiday preparation should be finding appropriate travel insurance to cover your asthma. Buying asthma travel insurance and declaring your asthma will ensure that you are properly covered for emergency medical expenses if you have an asthma attack whilst you are on holiday. Plus, travel insurance can also provide cancellation cover if you have an asthma attack before you travel and it causes you to cancel your holiday.

Asthma travel insurance from Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide cover for all types of asthma, from mild to severe. Our asthma travel insurance includes access to a 24 hour medical emergency helpline whilst you are away, covers you for up to £10 million in emergency medical expenses, and provides cover if you lose your asthma medication.

Get a quote for asthma travel insurance >>

MS Week: 60% of Multiple Sclerosis patients missing out on licensed drugs

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

This week is MS Week and the MS Society is calling on the government to provide a personalised care plan to every person in the UK living with MS.

According to a survey of over 10,000 adults with MS, only 40% of people eligible for drugs to combat the disease are actually taking them.

The MS Society blames a lack of information and access to specialists for patients missing out on drugs which can reduce the frequency of multiple sclerosis attacks and in some cases slow the progression of the disease.

The report also showed that there were big differences in MS treatment and access to MS specialists across the four nations of the UK, with someone in Northern Ireland being twice as likely to have access to the drugs as someone in Wales.

The MS Society also found that adults with MS were twice as likely to be taking the appropriate drugs if they had access to a specialist MS nurse.

This is one reason why this year’s MS Awareness Week is to celebrate MS nurses and raise awareness of the need for more specialist MS nurses.

Nobody’s symptoms and experience of MS will be the same, which means that experienced, highly trained nurses are needed to help sufferers. MS Awareness Week 2013 is all about raising awareness and funds to secure more specialist MS nurses across the UK.

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease which affects approximately 100,000 adults in the UK. Most sufferers are diagnosed as young adults, between the ages of 20 and 40, but it can also affect older and younger people.

For more information about MS, or to make a donation during MS week, visit the MS Trust website: http://www.mstrust.org.uk/donate-online/nurses.jsp

MS, Holidays and Travel insurance

A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis should not mean an end to holidays abroad, but you will need to consult your doctor or specialist nurse to help you decide what types of holidays and destinations are going to be right for you.

Whatever type of holiday you decide to take, obtaining travel insurance cover for multiple sclerosis is vital. To ensure that your MS is covered by your travel insurance you must declare it when you buy your policy.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide MS travel insurance cover online or by phone, once you have told us about your MS we will ask you a short series of multiple choice questions to help us assess the severity of your MS – it’s very easy and you won’t need to provide a doctor’s certificate.

Our travel insurance offers cover for up to £10 million emergency medical costs, access to a 24 hour medical assistance line and cover for your mobility aids.

Get a quote for travel insurance >>

Allergy Awareness week: Travel insurance cover for allergies

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

This week (22nd April – 29th April 2013) is Allergy Awareness Week, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to talk about travel insurance cover for allergic reactions and allergy sufferers.

Allergy Awareness Week is organised by Allergy UK to draw attention to the plight of allergy sufferers throughout the UK.

Around 21 million adults in the UK suffer from at least one allergy and the number of allergy sufferers is rising steadily, with numbers increasing by 5% each year and half of those affected being children.

Although symptoms for allergies such as hay fever, the most common form of allergy in the UK which affects one in four of the population, are irritating rather than dangerous (sneezing, runny nose, blocked nose and itching) other allergies such as nut or food allergies can cause more extreme and/or life threatening reactions.

If you are suffering symptoms of an allergy your first point of call should be your GP. They will be able to refer you to a specialist allergy clinic that will help you identify what it is you are allergic to.

Although there is no cure for an allergy, if you know exactly what it is that causes the allergic reaction you can use avoidance techniques to manage your symptoms.

Allergies, holidays and travel insurance

If you do suffer from an allergy it’s important to make sure that it is covered by your travel insurance, that way, if you do suffer an allergic reaction on holiday your medical costs will be covered.

You may also need to research your holiday destination to see how it could affect your allergy.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance cover for all types of allergies, including hay fever, nut, drug and food allergies.

To ensure that your allergy is covered by your travel insurance you must declare it to us. As long as you have declared your allergy, fully and accurately, our travel insurance will provide cover for the cost of emergency medical treatment connected to your allergy, including life threating reactions and anaphylaxis.

Prices for a 40 year old with a nut allergy going to Greece for a week start at just £14.54 where there is no risk of a life threatening reaction.

For a nut allergy sufferer at risk of life threatening reactions, who has required hospital treatment in the last year, cover starts at £35.93.

Get a travel insurance quote to cover your allergies.

*Prices correct at time of writing.

Study suggests screening could predict nearly half of deadly prostate cancer cases

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A new study by Swedish researchers suggests that screening all men between the ages of 45 and 49 would predict nearly half of all prostate cancer deaths.

The proposal is seen by some as controversial because (PSA) prostate specific antigen testing can be unreliable, resulting in false positives which lead to unnecessary treatment and worry. A high PSA is linked to an increased risk prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer affecting men in the UK and there is currently no routine screening programme as there are for breast cancer and cervical cancer in women. Prostate cancer mainly affects men who are over 50 and as such men over 50 can request a free PSA test on the NHS if they are worried about the risk of prostate cancer.

The UK National Screening Committee in England last reviewed the issue of prostate cancer screening in 2010 and are due to look at it again towards the end of 2013.

The authors of the Swedish study, which looked at results in over 21,000 men, say that there is a strong case for routine testing and that men in the late 40s are the prime candidates. Screening men at the age of 45-49, however, spotted nearly half (44%) of the cancers that went on to be deadly.

Prostate Cancer UK has said that more research should go into finding a better say of screening for prostate cancer.

Travel insurance and prostate cancer

With 81% of prostate cancer patients surviving 5 years or more after diagnosis and almost 70% surviving more than 10 years it’s important that suitable insurance products are available.

Obtaining travel insurance after a cancer diagnosis can prove more of a challenge than finding standard travel insurance because many travel insurance providers exclude cover for existing medical conditions, including prostate cancer.

Goodtogoinsurance.com is proud to be able to offer travel insurance to travellers with all types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Since 2010 we have enabled over 900 men living with or recovered from prostate cancer to enjoy a holiday abroad safe in the knowledge that they are fully covered by their travel insurance.

Prices start at just £13.75* (Silver Cover) for a 60 year old who has recently recovered from prostate cancer.

Get a quote for cancer travel insurance >>

*Price correct at date of publication.

Price based on 1 adult aged 60 travelling to Greece for 1 week. Where the diagnosis of prostate cancer was 1-10 years ago, it hasn’t spread, the prostate has been removed, and the patient has seen a hospital doctor 1-2 times in the last 12 months.

Operators report increased interest in holidays to North Korea

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

As interest in holidays to North Korea increases, we’re highlighting the importance of checking the latest FCO travel advice to ensure that your destination is safe and your travel insurance will be valid.

North Korea may seem like a strange place to go on holiday, but it seems that many Brits do want to visit this mysterious country.

In the last few weeks as tensions between North Korea and South Korea have increased, tour operators has reported a rise in enquiries for trips to North Korea, despite the threat of nuclear war.

Both Regent Holidays and Cox & Kings have seen an increase in enquiries about tours in North Korea over the last couple of weeks. At the moment, both operators say that no flights have been cancelled and that tours are operating as normal.

Check the latest Travel Advice

The situation in North and South Korea could change rapidly so it is important to check the latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) before you travel.

The FCO is currently stating that there is no immediate risk or danger to British nationals travelling to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). However you should check their travel advice pages regularly where new information will be posted if the situation changes.

British nationals travelling to North Korea should register with the British Embassy in Pyongyang prior to or on arrival.

FCO Travel Advice and Travel Insurance

If you are planning a trip to North or South Korea it is vital to check the latest travel advice before you depart the UK and regularly whilst you are away. If you travel against the advice of the FCO your travel insurance will become invalid and you will not be covered for your trip.

The situation in North Korea is quite an extreme example, but it highlights the importance of checking the FCO travel advice to ensure that you don’t inadvertently visit any places where you will be at risk and where your travel insurance would become invalid. For instance Egypt is a very popular holiday destination and most resort areas are unaffected by unrest in other parts of the country, but there are areas, such as North Sinai, where the FCO is advising against all travel.

Heading to Cyprus this summer? Check the latest Cyprus travel advice

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

If you are planning on travelling to Cyprus this summer, bear in mind that the current economic situation of the country must be taken into consideration before you travel. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go, but you should be prepared.

Cyprus is currently undergoing measures to ensure that its banking sector is protected, in a banking crisis that could see the country leaving the Eurozone if it doesn’t meet the requirements of a bailout from the EU and IMF. The current banking crisis affects the Greek side of the country only.

Banks in Cyprus have now re-opened after a period of closure, meaning that tourists to the country should be able to use cashpoints and payment cards with no problems. However, it has been advised that a maximum of €1,000 per person may be taken out of the country, and tourists have been warned to ensure that they have a variety of payment options at their disposal.

Various sources have reported that some local banks have restricted ATM withdrawals to a €100 limit, so ensure that you travel with some cash for emergencies. UK banks operating within Cyprus, however, should not have any withdrawal limits in place.

While taking a large number of Euros into the country in case of problems may seem like a good idea, those travelling to Cyprus should be warned that this can pose problems in itself. Large amounts of cash will have a higher risk of being stolen, so ensure that you take care of it by keeping it in a locked in a safe.

Many businesses - particularly smaller shops, bars and restaurants - are now no longer accepting debit cards, credit cards of cheques as forms of payment, preferring cash for all transactions. You should also check before travelling that your accommodation provider will still take cards as payment if you haven’t paid in advance.

Before you travel check the latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, they are publishing up to date information about the situation with banks and card payments in Cyprus.

Protecting your holiday against the risk of insolvency

With the increased uncertainty around the Cypriot economy there may be a higher risk of insolvency occurring amongst hotels, accommodation and other holiday providers in Cyprus, so it’s important to make sure that the money you’ve invested in your holiday is protected.

If your holiday was booked as a package via a UK tour operator, your holiday will be protected by the ATOL scheme. If you have booked a DIY holiday or a holiday direct with an airline you should look for a travel insurance policy which includes cover for Scheduled Airline/End Supplier Failure.

Travel insurance from Goodtogoinsurance.com provides cover for Airline/End Supplier Failure as standard, so you don’t need to worry. Our policies will provide cover for the insolvency of a scheduled airline, hotels, accommodation providers, rail or coach journeys and more.

Get a travel insurance quote for your next holiday >>

Driving abroad? New online tool makes it easy to find out about driving laws and safety

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has launched a new online tool to help British Nationals stay safe and legal when they are driving abroad.

The road safety tool has been developed in response to a high number of road traffic accidents affecting British tourists in popular holiday destinations such as Spain, Thailand and Australia.

Driving Conditions Can be Very Different

The condition of roads, driving etiquette and driving laws vary widely in different countries across the world and many countries have a much higher rate of road accidents and deaths than we have in the UK. These road deaths affect British tourists as well as locals.

In fact, after deaths from natural causes, road traffic accidents are the most common cause of death for British Nationals in Thailand. They also cause a high number of hospitalisations.

The number of Brits involved in road traffic accidents abroad also highlights the need for travel insurance every time you go away. If you are involved in a traffic accident and you need medical treatment it’s important to have valid travel insurance in place which will cover the cost of your medical bills. If you don’t have travel insurance you would be liable for your own medical bills.

Your travel insurance will cover medical bills following a road accident, where you have been a pedestrian, a passenger in a vehicle or driving the vehicle (so long as you have the appropriate licence). Please note, travel insurance does not provide cover for liability if you cause an accident whilst driving, this should be covered by your car insurance.

Road Safety Advice

If you are driving in a foreign country where the roads are less safe than they are in the UK it’s very important to be aware of local laws and driving conditions in order to stay safe.

The new online tool, launched by the FCO this week, makes it easy to get up to date information about driving laws and road safety for the specific country you are travelling to.

Driving Abroad: Road Safety and Laws (online tool)

Local Driving Laws

In addition to being aware of safety advice, you also need to know about laws and regulations for driving in the countries you are visiting – the online tool can also help with this.

Other countries have different driving laws than the UK, including some things you might not expect, for instance:

France – drivers are required to carry a breathalyser at all times
Scandinavia – it is illegal to drive without headlights, even in daylight
Spain – if you need to wear glasses, you are required to carry a spare pair when driving
Germany – it is illegal to drive without Winter tyres at certain times of the year
Belarus – it is illegal to drive a dirty car
Spain – in some cities, cars must be parked on different sides of the road according to the day of the week
Serbia – compulsory equipment to be held by driver includes a tow bar and 3m rope
Russia – it is forbidden to pick up hitchhikers

Driving Abroad: Road Safety and Laws (online tool)

Help the fight against cancer: Donate your birthday to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

If you’ve got a birthday coming up and there’s nothing in particular you want or need, why not donate it to the Royal Marsden’s Cancer Charity and help the fight against cancer?

All you need to do it ask for donations instead of presents!

In the last 10 years, the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has raised over £100 million to fund pioneering developments in cancer care. This includes developments in cancer research, cancer diagnosis, treatment and care which have not only benefited cancer patients at the Royal Marsden itself but across the whole of the UK.

Developments over the last 10 years have included CyberKnife, the latest in radiotherapy and the Oak Centre for Children and Young People which is Europe’s leading centre for young cancer patients.

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity aims to continue this level of innovation in cancer care over the next 10 years, which won’t come cheap. They are looking for people to become involved in raising money for their cancer charity by donating their birthday. Donating your birthday to the Royal Marsden Cancer Care Charity will help them continue their world-class innovation for the benefit of cancer patients everywhere.

Donate your birthday

Thanks to the pioneering work of organisations like The Royal Marsden, more and more people in the UK are surviving cancer. For anyone who has recently undergone cancer treatment a relaxing holiday could be just what the doctor ordered, but it’s important to make sure you have travel insurance that will cover cancer.

If you suffer from, or have recovered from cancer you must declare it when you buy travel insurance, this will ensure that you are fully covered against the risk of incurring large medical bills abroad.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance with cover for all types of cancer. You will need to declare your cancer if you have suffered symptoms, received treatment or seen a doctor or medical professional about it in the last 2 years. (This includes follow-up appointments and check-ups).

Get a quote for cancer travel insurance.

Teenage cancer deaths have halved in last 30 years

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

According to a report by Cancer Research UK the number of teenagers and young adults dying from cancer in the UK has fallen by almost a half since the 1970s.

Experts believe that a change in the way that teenagers and young adults are treated for cancer, in a similar way to children with cancer, rather than adults, means that they are now doing better for some cancers such as leukaemia.

Professor Jillian Birch, a Cancer Research UK teenage cancer expert, said: “We’ve made great progress in helping more teenagers and young adults survive cancer, and today over 80 per cent will beat the disease.”

These figures are very good news for teenagers with cancer and their families. However, with approximately 2,100 teenagers and young adults diagnosed with cancer in Britain each year, the report highlights that there is still more to be done, specifically by giving teenagers and young adults with cancer more access to clinical trials.

Cancer is currently the biggest cause of death from disease in teenagers and young adults in the UK, only traffic and transport accidents account for more deaths in this age group.

The increasing number of cancer diagnoses and cancer survivors highlights the importance of the availability of insurance products, such as travel insurance that can provide appropriate cover for young adults who are receiving treatment for cancer or who have recovered from cancer.

A diagnosis of cancer can make finding travel insurance very difficult because many standard travel insurance policies exclude cover for existing medical conditions including cancer.

At Goodtogoinsurance.com we believe that everyone should be able to buy appropriate travel insurance to enable them to enjoy a holiday abroad with the peace of mind that they are fully covered for emergency medical treatment whilst they are away.

This is why Goodtogoinsurance.com is proud to provide travel insurance cover for medical conditions up to a high level of severity, including all types of cancer.

Get a quote or find out more about cancer travel insurance.

CAA & OFT to review travel & airline websites to ensure they are not misleading

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Lots of us have been tempted by an extremely low flight price only to find that it doubles by the time we get to the check out. Well, the good news is that new guidance from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Office of Fair Trading (OFT) aims to put an end this type of frustrating customer experience.

The CAA and OFT have launched new guidance for airlines, travel agents, tour operators and price comparison sites to ensure that the information they provide to customers is clear, transparent and timely. And they will soon be reviewing websites to ensure that the guidelines are followed.

Although there are no new regulations in this area, the CAA and OFT aim to remind travel companies of their responsibilities under existing UK laws.

The main obligations which travel companies are being reminded of are:

Flight headline prices must include all unavoidable and foreseeable charges – including taxes, fees and other compulsory charges.
Information about optional extras, including hold baggage, must be clearly available from the first stage of the booking process.
Optional extras must not be pre-selected.
The name of the airline must be clearly visible from the start of the booking process.
Clear information about financial protection must be displayed to customers.
Terms and conditions must be clearly visible and easy to understand.

The guidance is intended to make life easier for UK travellers and holidaymakers by ensuring that they have access to clear information, can make a well informed choice about the product they are buying and will not be surprised by any hidden charges.

Director of regulatory policy at the CAA, Iain Osbourne said

“To make sure no one is misled about what they are buying in the future, we have worked with the OFT to produce this guidance and ensure that the travel industry is fully aware of its legal obligations to consumers.”

FCO Advices Brits visiting Cyprus to take a Variety of Payment Options

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Following news of a 10 billion euro bailout for Cyprus, agreed by the EU and IMF, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are advising all British Nationals who are travelling to Cyprus to take a variety of payment methods with them.

The bailout agreed by the EU and the IMF would require all savers in Cyprus to pay a one-off levy to the government. The levy is between 6.75% and 9.9% of their savings, depending on the amount of savings they have.

News of the possible levy has led to heavy cash withdrawals and to prevent a further run on funds banks in Cyprus are remaining closed today.

As a result of this, the FCO are advising British travellers to Cyprus to take several different forms of payment with them to ensure that they will be able to access funds for the whole of their holiday.

“The Cypriot Government is implementing measures to protect is banking sector. You should check with your bank for further information.”

“We advise those travelling to Cyprus to take different forms of payment with you to ensure you have access to adequate funds (such as pounds, euros, credit and debit cards).”

Is your Holiday to Cyprus Protected?

Cyprus is the latest in a string of Eurozone countries requiring a bailout for their struggling economy and banking sector and it’s too soon to say at the moment what impact the this may have on the Cypriot economy and tourist industry.

If you booked your holiday as a package (flights and accommodation) through a bonded tour operator your holiday will protected under the ATOL Protection Scheme in the event that one of your holiday suppliers becomes insolvent.

If you have booked elements of your holiday independently or direct with an airline or hotel your money will not be protected by ATOL and you should look for a travel insurance policy which includes cover for Scheduled Airline Failure and End Supplier Failure.

Travel insurance from Goodtogoinsurance.com includes cover for Scheduled Airline Failure/End Supplier Failure as standard on all policies – so you don’t need to worry!

Get a travel insurance quote >>

EU to update Air Passenger Rights

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Recent changes to European Union (EU) legislation means good news for some air travellers – particularly those who have struggled to get compensation when their flights have been delayed for a long period of time or have found their flights cancelled.

The new rules are set to become law in 2014 and the European Commission is convinced they will provide more clarity and certainty for both passengers and airlines, clearing up grey areas of responsibility.

Lessons from Iceland

In 2010 the ash cloud crisis in Iceland caused chaos and confusion – flights from Europe were cancelled for several days and the extent to which carriers should take responsibility for the welfare of those undertaking a journey was unclear. Naturally, commuters who had been held up incurred additional costs and initially some flight providers were disinclined to cover these – it took warnings from the European authorities to bring them into line.

What is changing?

Subject to approval by EU member states and the European Parliament, the following changes will come into effect in 2014 and are in favour of air passengers:

Airlines will be obliged to use other carriers to reroute travellers if they have been detained for more than 12 hours;
Circumstances in which financial reimbursement will be payable will be clarified – mechanical failures will not count, but air traffic control strikes and natural disasters will;
For international flights and journeys up to 3,728 miles (6,000km), financial recompense will be due after a holdup of nine hours and for longer journeys after 12 hours;
It will be a requirement that flight suppliers inform travellers about delays and that they provide an explanation no later than half an hour after the scheduled departure time.

Only one proposed change appears to benefit carriers:

Compensation will be payable after a minimum five-hour holdup (currently this stands at three hours) on any flight within the EU or on any international flight that is shorter than 2,174 miles (3,500kms).

Travel insurance cover for flight delays

In addition to your rights under EU law, most travel insurance policies can also help in the event that you experience a long flight delay. Travel delay cover usually takes the form of a fixed benefit to help you cover the cost of additional expenses, such as food and drink, whilst you wait at the airport.

Gold and Platinum travel insurance from Goodtogoinsurance.com provides cover for travel delay up to £100 (£20 per 12 hours). You also get the option to abandon your holiday after a delay of 12 hours or more and make a claim to recoup the cost, up to £2000 per person on Gold travel insurance cover and £5000 per person on Platinum travel insurance policies.

As always, you should remember to declare all of your pre-existing medical conditions when you buy travel insurance.

Read our guide for more information about your current rights if your flight is delayed and how travel insurance can help.
Flight delays: Your rights and how travel insurance can help

NEW - Missed Connection Cover Now Available!

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

We’re very happy to announce another improvement in the travel insurance cover we can provide to our customers: Missed Connection cover is now available to add to any of our travel insurance policies.

Missed Connection extends your travel insurance to include cover in the event that you miss a connecting flight, ferry, cruise ship, train or motor vehicle as a result of a delay to your initial international outbound transport.

Missed Connection cover is suitable for travellers who are going on a cruise, coach or rail holiday which departs from an overseas port or station, or those who are taking more than one pre-booked flight, train or ferry to reach their final holiday destination.

Here’s an example of how Missed Connection cover could help if things go wrong:

A holiday maker, let’s call him Frank, was booked on a Caribbean cruise departing from Miami in Florida. His outbound flight from the UK to Miami was delayed by 4 hours due to a mechanical breakdown, resulting in his late arrival in Miami and the cruise ship departing without him.

Having travel insurance with additional Missed Connection cover would allow him to claim up to £500 to cover additional transport and accommodation expenses to enable him to join the ship at the next port.

Missed Connection Cover can be added to our Silver, Gold and Platinum travel insurance.

We have no age limits on our travel insurance policies and can provide travel insurance cover for all types of pre-existing medical conditions.

Find out more about Missed Connection cover >>

Looking forward to an adventure on holiday? Check your travel insurance first

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

If you are looking forward to trying something a bit more adventurous than lying on a beach or sightseeing on holiday this year it pays to check your travel insurance first.

Although most people are aware of the need for specialist travel insurance cover for skiing or winter sports holidays, many don’t realise that taking part in other sports or activities, such as balloon rides, camel riding or quad biking may also require additional travel insurance cover.

Skiing and other winter sports activities are not normally covered by standard travel insurance policies, but cover is easily added for an additional premium, the same goes for other sports and hazardous activities.

Sports and activities are categorised according the level of risk involved in taking part. A number of activities will be covered as standard, with the option to add extra cover for those that are higher risk.

In order to be covered for emergency medical treatment as a result of an accident whilst taking part in a hazardous activity you must make sure that the activity is covered by your travel insurance. If you don’t you could find yourself facing large medical bills.

Travel insurance over 65 for sports and activities

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance cover for a number of sports and activities as standard, including cycling, windsurfing (on inland waters or within 12 miles of land) and scuba diving up to 18 metres.

Our travel insurance policies have no age limit, which means that even if you are over 65 you can still get travel insurance cover for sports and hazardous activities.

You also have the option, up to age 75, to cover up to 170 more hazardous activities, including trekking over 2000 metres, paragliding and rock climbing.

Never assume that a sport or activity is covered, always check to make sure.

You can even add extra cover for sports and activities once you are on holiday. If you get a sudden urge to try something more adventurous than you’d planned, check your policy wording to see if it’s covered as standard and if not, just give us a call to add cover.

British cruise ship passengers not put off by safety concerns

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Cruise safety stories have been regularly hitting the headlines since the Costa Concordia tragedy last January but it doesn’t seem to be discouraging British cruisers from setting sail.

And more surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to be making them pay more attention to safety procedures on board ship, with over half of cruisers saying they don’t bother familiarising themselves with safety notices when they board the cruise ship.

The survey, which was conducted by independent cruise agency Bonvoyage.com, asked almost 1300 Brits who had been on a cruise in the last 2 years whether they familiarise themselves with the safety procedures when cruising, 51% said no.

When asked why, 32% said they wouldn’t remember the procedures in an emergency anyway, 20% thought it wasn’t necessary, 15% said they’d rely on other people to tell them what to do in the event of an emergency and 27% seem to stick their head in the sand, admitting that reading about safety procedures would just make them worried.

The fact that the number of British holiday makers choosing a cruise holiday is still growing each year, as well as their lack of concern for safety could be a result of the cruise industry’s quick moves to improve procedures on-board and reassure customers about safety after the Concordia tragedy.

Safety improvements that have been implemented worldwide include:

A requirement to carry extra lifejackets. Every cruise ship will now have to carry more than one life jacket per customer.
Restricting access to the bridge. Passengers will no longer be allowed onto the bridge whilst complicated manoeuvres are being carried out. Bridge tours will still be allowed to go ahead at other times.
More careful planning of a ship’s passage. Every ship’s passage plan will now need to be drafted by a designated officer, approved by a master and briefed to every member of the bridge in advance.
Requirement for lifeboats to be fully loaded and launched at least once every 6 months for crew training purposes.

If you are planning a cruise holiday, it’s important to get the right travel insurance, including cover for emergency medical treatment on-board ship, as well as the cost of being airlifted to a hospital on land if it is necessary.

You should also remember to declare any pre-existing medical conditions when you buy your travel insurance so that you are properly covered in case you fall ill and need medical treatment on holiday.

Travel insurance from Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover all types of medical conditions and includes cover for cruise holidays as standard.

Get a quote for cruise insurance >>

International Childhood Cancer Day

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

February 15th is International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to help raise awareness of the early warning signs of childhood cancer and also highlight the issues around obtaining travel insurance cover for children who are living with cancer and their families.

International Childhood Cancer Day is organised every year on the 15th February by the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organizations (ICCCPO) in order to raise aware of cancer in children.

The ICCCPO aims to communicate the message that cancer in children is curable and the theme for this year’s International Childhood Cancer Day is early detection.

Early detection of childhood cancer improves survival rates so it pays to be aware of what the early warning signs of cancer in children can be:

Childhood Cancer Early Warning Signs

Unexplained loss of weight, fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding
Aching bones, joints, back and easy fractures
Neurological signs include change or deterioration in walking, balance or speech

For Cancer Survivors a Holiday can Provide Valuable Family Time

For families who have lived through the trauma and stress of childhood cancer, a family holiday can be a good chance to relax, giving a valuable opportunity to spend some quality time together and have some much needed fun.

If you do get the opportunity to enjoy a family holiday abroad it’s very important to get the right travel insurance, including cover for your child’s cancer and any other pre-existing medical conditions.

To ensure that your child’s cancer or other pre-existing medical conditions are properly covered by your travel insurance you must declare them when you get a quote and purchase your policy.

Declaring the cancer will ensure that you are covered for the cost of emergency medical treatment if your child becomes ill whilst you are away, as well as providing cancellation cover if you are unable to travel due to your child becoming ill.

Goodtogoinsurance.com are proud to be able to cover all types of childhood cancer – all policies provide access to our 24 hour emergency medical assistance, wherever you are in the world, 365 days a year.

You can get a quote for cancer travel insurance online 24 hours a day or if you would prefer to talk one of our team we are available by phone 7 days a week.

Find out more about travel insurance for childhood cancer >>

Why travelling without insurance can cost you �1000s

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

According to research by ABTA there has been a marked rise in the number of British holiday makers taking the risk of travelling overseas without travel insurance.

24% of holiday makers don’t have travel insurance

The research showed that as many as 24% of holiday makers had travelled without travel insurance in the last year, up from 20% in 2011.

31% of those questioned stated that the cost of travel insurance was a reason for not buying travel insurance for their holiday.

No travel insurance: Could you afford the medical bills?

Travelling without travel insurance, or not declaring pre-existing medical conditions to your travel insurer, in order to save money could be a false economy.

Remember, you are insuring yourself as well as your holiday.

The most important aspect of travel insurance is the protection it provides against the risk of incurring large medical bills if you fall ill or have an accident and need emergency medical treatment whilst you are away.

If you are uninsured you will be liable for the cost of the medical treatment you receive on holiday, which can quickly amount to thousands of pounds.

The case of a cruise ship passenger, whose family faced bills of £23,000, highlighted the speed at which medical bills can mount up if you are not properly insured.

What about the EHIC?

If you are travelling within the EU, carrying the European Health Insurance Card will prove your right to state provided healthcare, but it’s very important to remember that not all countries provide the same level of healthcare as the NHS, and it may not be free.

The EHIC will also not cover treatment in private hospitals, or the cost of repatriating you back to the UK by air ambulance or with a medical escort.

Travel insurance and pre-existing medical conditions

Hopefully have now decided that buying travel insurance is a must before you venture overseas, the other thing you need to consider is cover for any pre-existing medical conditions.

If you have pre-existing medical conditions, even if they are controlled by medication, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you must declare them when you buy travel insurance to make sure that you are properly covered by your travel insurance.

Goodtogoinsurance.com provides travel insurance to cover all types of medical conditions.

Get a quote for travel insurance for medical conditions >>

World Cancer Day: Travel insurance to cover cancer

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

On World Cancer Day we’re talking about how to get the right travel insurance if you are recovering from cancer and sharing our tips for keeping the cost down.

World Cancer Day is organised by the Union for International Cancer Control, it takes place every year on 4th February to provide a singular initiative under which the entire world can unite together in the fight against cancer.

World Cancer Day 2013 will focus on dispelling the myths and misconceptions about cancer.

Myth number 3 which World Cancer Day is aiming to dispel is the myth that cancer is a death sentence to those who are diagnosed with it. This is no longer true. Today, many cancers that were once considered a death sentence can now be cured and for many more people, their cancer can be treated effectively.

Cancer travel insurance

As early diagnosis and new treatments improve the prognosis for cancer patients, the availability of travel insurance which will cover cancer is becoming more important.

Many standard travel insurance policies will exclude pre-existing medical conditions such as cancer leaving cancer survivors searching around for an alternative to enable them to enjoy a holiday abroad.

In recent years searching for cancer travel insurance has become easier as more specialist providers, such as Goodtogoinsurance.com, have entered the travel insurance market.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover all types of medical conditions up to a high level of severity, including cancer.

To make sure that your cancer is covered by your travel insurance you must declare it when you purchase a policy. Simply declare the type of cancer and then answer a short series of multiple choice questions; it will only take a few minutes.

Cancer travel insurance: Keeping the cost of down

The cost of cancer travel insurance depends on the severity of your cancer, whether the cancer has been completely eradicated, how long ago you were diagnosed and whether the cancer has spread.

The other major factors affecting the price of travel insurance are the country you are travelling to and the duration of your trip.

If you are concerned about the cost of cancer travel insurance you can keep the price lower by thinking carefully about the country you travel to: Some countries are considerably more expensive for travel insurance cover than others.

For example the USA, Canada and the Caribbean are generally the most expensive destinations as far as cancer travel insurance is concerned. This is due to the cost of emergency medical treatment in these countries.

It can pay to do some research into travel insurance prices before you make the final decision on where to go for your holiday. If you’re dreaming of lying on a beautiful white sandy beach, your travel insurance could be much cheaper if you choose the Maldives rather than the Caribbean.

Get a cancer travel insurance quote >>

Passenger Faced Costs of �23,000 for Medical Care on Cruise

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A recent story reported by the Mail Online highlights the potential cost of medical treatment on board cruise ships and the importance of having valid travel insurance when you are going on a cruise.

Anthony Thompson became seriously ill with heart problems and breathing complications on board a P&O cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean whilst returning from the Caribbean.

He was taken to the ship’s medical centre for treatment, where his conditioned deteriorated and he was put on life support. The nearest port with medical assistance was Madeira and the ship was rerouted in order to get Mr Thompson to hospital and the medical care he needed.

The bill for Mr Thompson’s medical treatment on board the cruise ship amounted to £23,000.

Mr Thompson’s bank, who provided his travel insurance, initially declined to pay the medical bills as they had not been informed about some pre-existing medical conditions which had affected his health.

In theory once he arrived in hospital in Madeira Mr Thompson’s medical treatment would have been covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), provided he was sent to a state hospital and not a private clinic.

However this case also highlights the limitations of the EHIC, which does not provide cover for medical treatment on board cruise ships, no matter where they are in the world or repatriation back to the UK if you are too ill to travel on a standard scheduled flight.

Make sure you have valid travel insurance for your cruise

If you don’t have valid travel insurance when you go on a cruise holiday you could find yourself facing large medical bills if you fall ill and require emergency medical treatment.

1. Make sure cruises are covered - Goodtogoinsurance.com provides cover for cruise holidays on all of our travel insurance policies – this is not the same with all travel insurance providers
2. Declare all of your pre-existing medical conditions – To be properly covered by your travel insurance if you do require emergency medical treatment on holiday you need to have declared all pre-existing medical conditions, including those controlled by medication such as high blood pressure or cholesterol.
3. Notify your insurer of any changes in your health – If you are diagnosed with a new medical condition, or an existing medical condition worsens in between taking out your travel insurance and departing on your holiday you should let your insure know to ensure that you are properly covered whilst you are away.

Get a quote for cruise insurance >>

Top 10 Safest Airlines in the World

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Finnair, Finland’s national carrier has been revealed as the world’s safest airline by Europe’s Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC).

The highest ranked British airline is British Airways which is ranked 10th in the safety index. Virgin Atlantic came 15th, easyjet 17th and Ryanair 32nd.

The Safety Index Top Ten

1. Finnair
2. Air New Zealand
3. Cathay Pacific
4. Emirates
5. Etihad
6. Eva Air
7. Tap Portugal
8. Hainan Airlines
9. Virgin Australia
10. British Airways

JACDEC, which is based in Hamburg, monitors airline crashes all around the world, collecting information on more than 800 airlines in 178 countries and regions.

Their safety index ratings are calculated by comparing serious incidents over the past 30 years to the revenue passenger kilometres they have flown over the same period.

Problems for cruises ships continue in Argentina

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:00:00 GMT

British cruise ships are continuing to encounter problems docking in Argentina as tensions over the Falkland Islands grows. Argentine activists have been harassing Cruise ship passengers, including many elderly British people, as they leave their luxury cruise ships in Buenos Aires.

National activists, who are protesting about what they see as illegal cruise ship visits to the Falklands, have subjected hundreds of passengers on the Star Princess and the Seabourn Sojourn to verbal abuse, preventing many from leaving their cruise ship. They have also burned Union Flags and held banners saying ‘pirate ships out’.

The protesters have accused the cruise ships of docking illegally by violating a provincial law which prohibits British ships involved in the exploitation of natural resources around the Falklands from docking in Argentina.

Activists insist this law should also apply to cruise ships.

An increase in these types of protests along with a number of cruise ships being refused entry to Argentinian ports have resulted in P&O Cruises being forced to change the itinerary for two of their cruise ships, Arcadia and Adnonia.

Both cruise ships will continue to visit the Falkland Islands but will turn around in Montevideo in Uruguay instead of Buenos Aires. The British government has condemned the actions of the protestors and called on them to allow British cruise ships to travel without threats or hindrance.

Cruise Insurance

Whatever your destination, if you are planning a cruise holiday it’s important to have the right travel insurance to cover you for emergency medical treatment whilst you are on your cruise.

Find out more about Cruise insurance >>

UK has 5th Highest Rate for Diabetes in Children

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:00:00 GMT

With the news that the UK has the fifth highest rate of type 1 diabetes in children in the world, we’re highlighting the symptoms to look out for.

We’ll also be talking about the importance of getting the right diabetes travel insurance cover for your holiday if a member of your family suffers from diabetes.

Every year more than 24 in every 100,000 children under 14 are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, for which treatment with insulin is required.

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms

Common symptoms of diabetes type 1 are; needing to go to the toilet frequently, increased thirst, extreme tiredness, and unexplained weight loss.

Look out for the 4 Ts.

Thirsty
Toilet (needing to go more often)
Tired
Thinner

Type 1 diabetes is not linked to obesity or lifestyle and experts are unsure why the type 1 diabetes rates in children in the UK are so high compared to some of our neighbours. (France and Italy have a rate of 12 in every 100,000 children, roughly half that of the UK).

Approximately 2000 children a year are diagnosed with diabetes type 1. Diabetes UK and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) are reminding people how vital it is to be aware of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes because if diabetes is left undiagnosed it can lead to serious illness and even death.

Diabetes Travel Insurance

If your child or another family member has diabetes type 1 or diabetes type 2, it’s very important to ensure that you get the right travel insurance which will cover cancellation and emergency medical treatment in relation to the diabetes.

Goodtogoinsurance.com offer travel insurance which can cover all types of diabetes in adults and children.

Simply declare your diabetes when you get a travel insurance quote and answer a short series of multiple choice questions, its very easy and will only take a few minutes.

Get a quote for diabetes travel insurance >>

Travel insurance for childhood medical conditions >>

Hospital Benefit, Medical Expenses, Repatriation: What does it all mean?

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:00:00 GMT

If you’ve ever been confused about the different sections of a travel insurance policy we can help.

Read our Guide to Medical Expenses Cover >>

Starting with the travel insurance we provide if you need emergency medical treatment abroad we’re explaining what it all means.

Ever wondered what the difference is between Medical Expenses and Hospital Benefit, or what repatriation actually means?

Cover for emergency medical expenses whilst you are away is the most important section of any travel insurance policy as it takes away your risk of incurring large medical bills or being stranded in a foreign hospital if you fall ill abroad.

Read our guide to find out all about the medical cover included travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com.

Read the Guide >>

Cruise ship vomiting bug outbreak highlights importance of travel insurance

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The current outbreak of the vomiting bug norovirus on a luxury pre-Christmas cruise illustrates how unpredictable illness can be, you could get ill and require medical treatment at any time, no matter how prepared you are.

It also highlights the importance of having travel insurance in place every time you travel to cover the cost of any emergency medical treatment which you may require on holiday.

The Daily Mail is reporting that hundreds of passengers aboard P&Os Oriana cruise ship are believed to have contracted the highly infectious sickness virus during a luxury cruise to the Christmas markets of Bruges, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo and Hamburg.

P&O have stated that enhanced sanitation protocols are now in place in order to minimise transmission to other cruise passengers aboard the ship. Unwell passengers have been asked to comply with the ship’s doctor’s instructions and isolate themselves in their cabin.

In this instance P&O have agreed to cover the cost of any medical treatment as a direct result of the norovirus outbreak, which is great, but you should be aware that in general, if you don’t have appropriate travel insurance in place it will be you footing the bill for any emergency medical treatment whilst you are on holiday.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise British Nationals to have travel insurance in place every time they travel because although they can provide support if you are hospitalised abroad they cannot cover the cost. This is where your travel insurance comes in, or if you are uninsured you would be liable for the medical bills, which can quickly amount to £1000s yourself.

To ensure that you are properly covered by your travel insurance you should declare any pre-existing medical conditions at the time of purchase.

Find out more about cruise insurance >>

Travel insurance for childhood cancer

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:00:00 GMT

December is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so we thought we’d take the chance to highlight the issues around obtaining travel insurance cover for children who are living with cancer and their families.

The charity CLIC Sargent organises Childhood Cancer Awareness Month every year to raise awareness of cancer in children and improve the support available to young cancer sufferers and their family.

In the UK 10 children are told that they have cancer every day. The charity CLIC Sargent organises Childhood Cancer Awareness Month every year in order raise awareness of cancer in children and improve the support available to cancer sufferers and their families.

After intensive cancer treatment a holiday could be just the thing

A family holiday can be a good chance to relax after the trauma and stress of cancer treatment. As long as doctors agree, a holiday is a great way for children with cancer and their families to take a break, recharge and enjoy some special time together.

If you do get the opportunity to enjoy a family holiday abroad it’s very important to get appropriate travel insurance which includes cover for your child’s cancer, as well as any other pre-existing medical conditions.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover all types of childhood cancer. To ensure that your child’s cancer or other pre-existing medical conditions are covered by your travel insurance you must declare them when you get a quote and purchase your policy. You can get a quote for cancer travel insurance online or you can call us and our team will be happy to help you.

Declaring the cancer and other medical conditions will mean that you are fully covered if you or your child requires emergency medical treatment whilst you are away, as well as if you become unfit to travel due to the cancer or another illness and are forced to cancel your holiday.

If you or your child do require medical treatment abroad our 24 hour emergency medical assistance team are on hand to help. They are just a phone call away, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and are there to help you get the medical treatment that you need.

It pays to cover the whole family on the same travel insurance policy

If you are travelling with an adult or child with a pre-existing medical condition, including cancer, it pays to cover everyone on the same travel insurance policy.

Covering the whole family or group on the same travel insurance policies means that you will all be covered if you were forced to cancel the holiday due to one travellers pre-existing medical condition.

If you are all covered on different travel insurance policies this is unlikely to be the case.

Find out more about travel insurance for childhood cancer >>

Disabled passenger rights to be extended to cruise holidays

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Fantastic news for disabled holidaymakers planning a cruise next year: New EU legislation is about to bring cruise holidays in line with air travel to ensure a better experience for disabled passengers.

The disabled passenger rights legislation which will come into force on 18 December will apply to all cruises departing from the EU. The new rules mean that travel agents will be required by law to notify cruise lines of any special arrangements required by their disabled customers at the time of booking.

The aim is to improve the cruise experience for disabled passengers by improving communications between travel agents and cruise holiday operators, enabling staff on-board cruise ships to be fully prepared and provide any special requirements at the right time.

Travel agents will be required to inform cruise operators if a disabled passenger requires a specially adapted cabin, assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation, whether they will be bringing any medical equipment on board and if they require a wheel chair.

The new disabled passenger rights legislation is great news if you are planning a cruise holiday and are disabled or have a pre-existing medical condition which results in you requiring some extra help on holiday.

Disabled travel insurance

If you are disabled, have reduced mobility or a pre-existing medical condition it is very important to get the right travel insurance for your holiday. Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover all types of medical conditions and includes cover for mobility aids and loss of medication.

Find out more about disabled travel insurance >>

Cruise insurance

If you are going on a cruise holiday, you should make sure that you have cruise insurance which includes cover for you to be airlifted to a hospital on land if you become ill on-board.

Find out more about cruise insurance >>

World Diabetes Day: Travel insurance cover for diabetes

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMT

On world diabetes day we’re raising awareness of the importance of getting the right diabetes travel insurance when you go on holiday.

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on the 14th November and is designed to raise awareness of diabetes around the world.

Having diabetes will not stop you from enjoying a holiday, but as there are a number of medical conditions associated with diabetes, it is very important to make sure that you are properly covered by your travel insurance before you leave home.

Declare diabetes when you buy travel insurance

To ensure that you are covered for your diabetes it is important to declare that you are diabetic when you buy travel insurance.

Many travel insurance providers exclude cover for medical conditions such as diabetes, so it’s important to check that your diabetes will be covered before by your travel insurance before you travel. Never assume that your travel insurance will cover diabetes without checking.

Goodtogoinsurance.com are proud to provide travel insurance which can cover all types of diabetes and associated medical conditions. Simply tell us that you have diabetes, we will ask you a small number of multiple choice questions and can issue travel insurance cover in a matter of minutes.

We firmly believe that being diabetic should not prevent you from obtaining good value travel insurance, with cover for your pre-existing medical conditions, every time you travel abroad.

Never be tempted to travel without diabetes travel insurance cover

Don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance cover for your diabetes.

If you have not declared that you have diabetes when you buy travel insurance it is unlikely to be covered. This means that you run the risk large of incurring large medical bills if you do fall ill and require medical treatment whilst you are on holiday.

You would also be unable to make a claim on your travel insurance if you had to cancel your holiday due to a diabetes related illness.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance with cover for all types of diabetes, you can get a quote for diabetes travel insurance online or call and speak to one of our team who will be happy to help you.

Get a quote for diabetes travel insurance

Tips for travelling with diabetes

Flights to Spain & Greece to be disrupted by strike action

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The European Trade Union Confederation have called a general strike to take place tomorrow (Wednesday 14th November) in protest against continued austerity measures.

The strikes and demonstrations are likely to impact different countries at different times with Spain beginning a 24 hour strike from midnight tonight and Greece to start strike action from 3pm tomorrow.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are advising anyone travelling within Europe to check with their airline or tour operator for the latest information. They are expecting public transport in Spain and Spanish Airports to be significantly disrupted.

Travel Insurance for Strike Action

If your flight is delayed by strike action you may have cover on your travel insurance, however if your flight is cancelled completely, it is your airline who have a duty to offer you a full refund or an alternative flight.

Goodtogoinsurance.com customers who have booked their trip and bought a Gold or Platinum travel insurance policy before a strike is announced will have cover under the travel delay section of their travel insurance in the event that their flight is delayed by strike action.

The travel delay section of a travel insurance policy is designed to cover additional expenses, such as extra food and drink, whilst you are waiting at the airport for your flight to depart; it pays a fixed benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed.

In addition to this, after a delay of 12 hours, you also have the option to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

To make a claim under the travel delay section of your travel insurance you must have checked in for your flight at the airport and obtain a letter from the airline or travel company confirming the length and reason for the delay.

Gold and Platinum travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com include cover for travel delay.

Its Movember! Travel insurance cover for prostate cancer

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As it’s Movember we thought it would be a good time to highlight the importance of travel insurance for prostate cancer.

Movember takes place every year in the month that used to be known as November, it encourages men to raise money and raise awareness of men’s health issues by growing facial hair. Fighting prostate cancer is one of Movember’s priorities.

Travel insurance for prostate cancer

When you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer obtaining travel insurance cover for your holiday can become more difficult, but don’t worry we can help.

Goodtogoinsurance.com is proud to be able to provide travel insurance cover for all types of cancer including prostate cancer. In 2011 we insured over 1,700 travellers with cancer and 35 different types of cancer, enabling cancer patients and survivors to take the holiday they dreamed of, safe in the knowledge that they had cancer travel insurance cover in place.

The other good news is that travel insurance to cover prostate cancer doesn’t have to cost the earth. Cover for a 60 year old recently diagnosed with prostate cancer costs from just 16.70* for a week in Europe or £90.08* for a week in the USA.

As you can see from the prices illustrated, you can keep the cost of travel insurance for prostate cancer down by choosing your holiday destination carefully. Travel insurance cover for the USA, Canada and the Caribbean will be always be more expensive than travel insurance cover for Europe due to the relative cost of medical treatment.

Declare prostate cancer when you buy travel insurance

To ensure that you are covered by your travel insurance for emergency medical treatment or cancellation in relation to prostate cancer you must declare your cancer when you buy a policy.

It’s easy to declare your prostate cancer when you purchase travel insurance from goodtogoinsurance.com online or by phone – it will only take a few minutes.

We can provide cover for prostate cancer for patients that have been recently diagnosed as well as those in remission. If you are in remission, it’s still important to declare your prostate cancer if you have seen a doctor about it, even just for a check-up in the last 2 years.

Get a quote for cancer travel insurance >>

*Prices quoted are for Gold cover based on an individual aged 60 diagnosed with prostate cancer less than a year ago, which hasn’t spread, being treated with radiotherapy. Prices correct on 07/11/2012

Hurricane Sandy: Flight Cancellations, Airline Responsibilities & Travel Insurance Cover

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

More than 6000 flights, including transatlantic and US domestic, have been cancelled today as Hurricane Sandy approaches the east coast of the USA.

With more flight cancellations expected for Tuesday and Wednesday we’re looking at your rights if the airline cancels your flight due to a hurricane and how travel insurance cover can help.

Passengers due to fly over the next few days should expect delays and contact their airline or tour operator for the latest information.

Your airline or tour operator has a duty to look after you

When an airline cancels a flight, for whatever reason including hurricanes, it is obliged under EU law to look after its customers, by offering alternative flights or a full refund.

Both BA and Virgin Atlantic are offering affected customers the option to re-book in order to travel to their destination at the earliest opportunity, claim a refund or rebook to travel at a later date or to a different destination.

If you have booked a package including flights and accommodation from a tour operator, they too will have a responsibility to look after you and provide alternative arrangements or a full refund if they are unable to provide you with the holiday you booked.

Natural Catastrophe Cover: Travel Insurance Cover for Hurricanes

Goodtogoinsurance.com customers who added Natural Catastrophe Cover to their travel insurance before hurricane Sandy was expected to cause so much disruption to the east coast of the USA will also have additional cover for cancellation and additional expenses due to the hurricane.

In this instance Natural Catastrophe Cover would enable them to make a claim for unused, pre-paid holiday expenses due to not being able to reach their destination.

Natural Catastrophe Cover is particularly useful for customers who book elements of their holiday independently rather than as a package, as it plugs a gap in their holiday protection, because although their airline has a duty to offer alternative arrangements or a refund, their accommodation and other holiday suppliers may not.

As you never know what is round the corner it can pay to add Natural Catastrophe Cover to your travel insurance every time you travel.

Find out more about Natural Catastrophe Cover.

Survey reveals High Street Travel Agents are Back in Fashion

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

A survey by ABTA, The Travel Association, has revealed that the number of people booking overseas holidays on the high street has risen 10% in the last 3 years.

ABTA’s 2012 Consumer Travel Trends Survey has found that 27% of people now use a high street travel agent to book their holiday, rising substantially from just 17% in 2010.

According to ABTA British holiday makers are becoming more positive towards high street travel agents and are rediscovering the benefits and skills of travel agents.

It seems that younger travellers in particular are becoming fans of their local travel agent, with 45% of 15-24 year olds stating that they value the service of a travel agent.

One reason stated by both younger and older generations for using a travel agent is the reassurance from dealing with someone face to face when booking their holiday arrangements.

As travel agents bookings have increased, the same period has seen a drop in the number of consumers booking DIY holidays online, direct with airlines and hotels.

The shift has been put down to the bewildering amount of choice available online and increasing concerns about financial protection for holidays.

Victoria Bacon ABTA Head of Communications said

“It is increasingly apparent that people are realising the benefits of what a travel agent can offer. The Internet has been fantastic in opening up choice but the survey shows that consumers value the help of a human being and the reassurance of dealing with someone face to face.”

Of course it doesn’t matter how you book your holiday, whether you prefer to do it yourself online or use a traditional travel agent for a more personal touch, having travel insurance with cover for pre-existing medical conditions is vital.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover all types of medical conditions and has no age limits. We also include Scheduled Airline Failure/End Supplier Failure on all of our travel insurance policies, so that however you choose to book your holiday, your money will be protected in the event that one of your holiday suppliers becomes insolvent.

Does Size Matter? Shrinking Airline Seats

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

With recent reports highlighting that some airlines are reducing seat size, enabling them to fit more seats in to an aircraft and increase revenue, it might pay to check the measurements before you travel, particularly if you are tall.

The Sunday Times reported that some airlines including Lufthansa and Air France have replaced old fashioned steel-framed seats with new lighter models, enabling then to squeeze more seats in to their aircraft.

The average economy class leg-room has shrunk by over 3 inches since 1978.

Thankfully the Civil Aviation Authority sets a limit to how low it can go; to comply with CAA regulations, an airline has to provide a seat pitch of at least 26 inches.

Can shrinking seat pitch be a good thing?

If your priority when booking a flight is price, then shrinking seat size is definitely a good thing, because squeezing more seats in enables the airlines to sell flight tickets for less. Research shows that for most people price is a higher priority than comfort on short haul flights, however when it comes to long haul flights this changes and comfort becomes much more important to people.

How can you compare leg-room and seat size?

The universally accepted way of measuring seating space on an airline is seat pitch. The seat pitch is the distance from a point on the headrest of one seat to the same point on the headrest of the seat in front.

Although a seat pitch measurement won’t tell you exactly how much legroom there will be, it does provide a good indication and a consistent way of comparing airlines and aircraft.

If you are tall and need more room, or simply place a high importance on comfort, why not check the seat pitch on an airline before you book?

Seatguru.com publishes seat pitch information by airline and aircraft along with other cabin comfort information such as cabin plans and seat width.

Visit Seatguru.com to find out more before you book your next flight.

Where ever you choose to fly to and whoever you choose to fly with, don’t go away without travel insurance, including cover for any pre-existing medical conditions

France travel disruption expected due to general strike

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Air travel to and from France, as well as rail and other public transport across the country is expected to be disrupted from tonight until Wednesday morning due to a general strike.

30% of flights from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris are expected to be cancelled. Air France has stated that although it intends to maintain its long haul schedule it expects that some European or domestic flights could be cancelled.

Those expected to take part in the general strike include rail and public transport workers, airline and air traffic control staff, teachers and public service workers. They are striking to protest against the French government’s pension reform plans.

Travel insurance cover for strike action

In addition to this, after a delay of 12 hours, you also have the option to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

Gold and Platinum travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com include cover for travel delay.

World Arthritis Day: Choosing the right Arthritis Travel Insurance

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As World Arthritis Day approaches we’re talking about how to get the right travel insurance if you suffer from arthritis and the importance of declaring your arthritis when your buy travel insurance policy.

World Arthritis Day was established in 1996 by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI); it is celebrated on the
12 October every year. The aim of World Arthritis Day is to
raise awareness of the issues affecting people
with arthritis and other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Living with arthritis and the effects that it has on your body can be difficult, but it shouldn’t stop you from being able to enjoy a relaxing holiday abroad with the peace of mind that you have appropriate arthritis travel insurance cover in place.

Goodtogoinsurance.com are proud to be able to provide travel insurance cover for all types medical conditions including arthritis and we have no upper age limits on our single trip or annual travel insurance policies.

Make sure your arthritis is covered by your travel insurance

The most important thing to remember when you are buying travel insurance is to declare that you have arthritis so that you are properly covered.

If you don’t declare that you suffer from arthritis you could find that you are not covered for the cost of medical treatment or cancellation for anything that can be related back to your arthritis.

With Goodtogoinsurance.com declaring that you suffer from arthritis when you get a quote for travel insurance is easy. We will ask you a short series of multiple choice questions in order to assess the severity of your arthritis and ensure that you are properly covered. It only takes a few minutes and in most cases we can issue cover straight away, either online or by phone. There’s no need for a doctor’s certificate.

Travel insurance cover for mobility aids

When you are looking for arthritis travel insurance make sure that your policy includes cover for the loss, damage or theft of mobility aids, they are not cheap and may be something that you can’t easily manage without.

Goodtogoinsurance.com includes cover for the loss, theft or damage to your mobility aids including wheelchairs, frames and walking sticks. Our travel insurance cover for arthritis includes cover for the reasonable cost or repair or replacement if your wheelchair or other mobility aid is lost, stolen or damaged during your trip. We will also pay for the cost of temporary hire during your trip.

Get a quote for arthritis travel insurance >>

Before you book your next flight check out the latest airline punctuality ratings

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

If you are planning a holiday or short break you might want to have a look at the latest airline punctuality league table before you book a flight.

The league tables, which are produced by Flightontime.info, rank airlines who fly into and out of the 10 reporting UK airports, including Gatwick, Heathrow, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle.

bmi Regional has topped the flight punctuality league table for the first half of 2012, with 94.5% on time and an average delay of 3.9 minutes. bmi Regional have consistently ranked number one since 2009.

The table, which has been put together using arrival and departure times recorded by the Civil Aviation Authority, shows the average delay in minutes, as well as the percentage of arrivals and departures within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

Airline Punctuality League Table – Jan to Jun 2012

Airline	Rank	Average delay (min)	% within 15 mins	% delay over 1 hour
bmi Regional	1st	3.9	94.5	1.7
CityJet (incl VLM)	2nd	5.9	89.9	2.2
Eastern Airways	3rd	6	90.4	2.3
Aer Lingus	4th	6.6	87.3	2.2
KLM	5th	6.8	88.6	1.8
BA CityFlyer	6th	7.7	86.1	2.8
Scandinavian SAS	7th	7.7	85	2.5
Loganair	8th	7.9	89.7	3.5
bmi baby	9th	8.2	87.1	2.9
Norwegian Air Shuttle	10th	8.3	84.9	2.7
Brussels Airlines	11th	8.6	83.3	2.8
Air France	12th	8.6	82.3	1.8
easyJet	13th	8.8	85.5	3
Alitalia	14th	8.8	81.4	2.7
Ryanair	15th	8.9	83.5	1.9
Germanwings	16th	9.6	80.4	2.5
Aurigny	17th	9.7	85.7	3.5
Swiss Airlines	18th	10.1	79.3	2.9
bmi British Midland	19th	10.7	80.2	3.5
Flybe	20th	10.9	83.5	4.4
Lufthansa	21st	11	77.1	3.1
Delta Air Lines	22nd	11.4	79.7	3.7
Aer Arann	23rd	12.5	82.7	5.4
British Airways	24th	13	76.8	4.5
Wizz Air	25th	14.4	75.8	4.6
American Airlines	26th	15.1	73.3	5.1
TAP Air Portugal	27th	16.5	71.6	7.5
Virgin Atlantic	28th	16.8	76.6	6.2
Emirates	29th	17.3	62.4	4.6
Jet2	30th	17.6	72.3	5.8
United / Continental	31st	18.3	69.2	7.5
Iberia	32nd	20	57	6.2
THY Turkish	33rd	22.2	58.3	9.1
Air Canada	34th	25	60.6	8.7
Monarch Scheduled	35th	26.7	61.4	10.5

2012 Ranking by Jan-Jun average delay (ascending). Analysis includes arrivals and departures at UK reporting airports.
Data obtained from www.flightontime.info.

In the battle of the low cost airlines, Easyjet, achieved 13th place with 85.5% of flights within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, beating Ryanair who are ranked 15th with 83.5% of flights arriving or departing with 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

The average delay in minutes looks relatively low, with even the lowest ranked airline reporting an average delay of 26.7 minutes. But remember these are averages, within these times there could be lots of flights on schedule, and the odd one delayed for a very long time.

Travel insurance for flight delays

If you are unlucky enough to suffer a long flight delay your travel insurance may be able to help. The travel delay section on a travel insurance policy (included on our Gold and Platinum policies) is designed to pay a benefit to help you cover the cost of additional expenses whilst you wait at the airport.

If you are delayed by more than 12 hours, due to strike, mechanical breakdown or adverse whether you will be able to claim a fixed benefit to help you cover the cost of additional expenses, such as food and drink. You also have the option to ‘abandon’ your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

To make a claim under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy you must have checked in for your flight at the airport and you must obtain a letter from the airline or travel company confirming the length and reason for the delay.

Cruise industry announces more new safety procedures

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

More good news for cruise holiday enthusiasts as the industry announces another new safety policy to apply to all cruise holidays worldwide.

The new policy requires that lifeboats are fully loaded and launched at least once every 6 months for crew training purposes.

The policy applies to all ocean going cruise ships and companies who are members of the US-based Cruise Lines International Association as well as the European Cruise Council.

During the training the lifeboats are filled to capacity with crew members and then lowered into the water, it will be mandatory for all crew members involved in operating or loading life boats.

The policy has been introduced in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster earlier this year and follows other safety improvements which were announced in April.

The new safety measures announced in April apply to cruise ships worldwide and include;

A requirement to carry extra lifejackets
Every cruise ship will now have to carry more than one life jacket per customer.
Restricting access to the bridge
Passengers will no longer be allowed onto the bridge whilst complicated manoeuvres are being carried out. Bridge tours will still be allowed to go ahead at other times
More careful planning of a ship’s passage
Every ship’s passage plan will now need to be drafted by a designated officer, approved by a master and briefed to every member of the bridge in advance.

Cruise Lines International Association chief executive Christine Duffy said: “The cruise industry continues to work on a global level to improve the safety of passengers and crew, which is our number one priority.

“Since January of this year, and in keeping with our efforts to continuously improve operational excellence, the global cruise industry has voluntarily adopted seven wide-ranging safety policies.

“We remain fully committed to exploring further enhancements in a number of areas that will add to the industry’s excellent safety record.

Cruise insurance

Wherever you are going on your cruise holiday, make sure that you have appropriate cruise insurance in place, making sure it provides cover for emergency medical expenses including evacuation from the cruise ship if required.

Get a quote for cruise insurance >>

High Blood Pressure and Travel Insurance

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As this week is Blood Pressure Awareness Week we’re taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the need to declare high blood pressure when you buy travel insurance and explain why it is so important.

It is vital to declare high blood pressure when you buy travel insurance to ensure that you are protected against the risk of large medical bills should you require medical treatment whilst you are abroad. The good news is that declaring high blood pressure doesn’t necessarily increase the price of travel insurance – but you must still declare it.

Why is it so important to declare high blood pressure?

High blood pressure may not seem important, particularly if it is controlled by medication, but because high blood pressure can lead to many other more serious medical conditions it is very important to ensure that it is covered by your travel insurance.

High blood pressure or hypertension puts extra strain on your heart and blood vessels which can cause them to become weaker or damaged, leading to heart attacks or heart failure, strokes, peripheral arterial disease and kidney disease.

If you were to have a heart attack or a stroke whilst on holiday and you did not declare that you were taking high blood pressure medication when you purchased travel insurance you could find that you are not covered and therefore face medical bills amounting to many thousands of pounds.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking, ‘I’m taking tablets so I don’t have high blood pressure anymore therefore I don’t need to declare it’ – if you are taking tablets to control your blood pressure you absolutely need to declare it.

Travel insurance cover for high blood pressure is not expensive

The good news is that getting travel insurance cover for high blood pressure doesn’t have to be expensive.

In many cases declaring high blood pressure when you buy travel insurance from Goodtogoinsurance.com won’t increase the price at all, but it will mean that you are properly covered should you require medical treatment whilst you are away.

One week’s travel insurance cover for a 60 year old travelling to Europe, declaring high blood pressure is just £16.70*, that’s exactly the same price as a 60 year old with no pre-existing medical conditions. But even if it does cost a few extra pounds it doesn’t compare to the medical bills you could face if you were not properly covered.

You must declare high blood pressure when you buy travel insurance, it won’t necessarily cost you more, but it will make sure that you are properly covered.

Get a quote for travel insurance to cover high blood pressure >>

You can control your blood pressure by eating healthily, exercising regularly and being a healthy weight. For information on controlling your blood pressure visit Blood Pressure UK.

*Price based Gold Cover for 1 traveller aged 60 travelling to Europe (exc. Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta, and Switzerland). Taking 1 medication for high blood pressure, where the dose hasn’t changed in the last 6 months, gave up smoking 1-10 years ago, also taking medication for high cholesterol.

Scheduled Airline Failure Cover Included on all Policies!

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Scheduled Airline Failure (insolvency cover) is now included on all travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com*.

Our Scheduled Airline Failure covers more than just the insolvency of an airline; it also provides cover for the insolvency of other holiday providers including suppliers of hotels, villas, car hire, coach and rail journeys.

This is great news for travellers who book their holidays independently, which means that their holidays are unprotected by the CAA run ATOL scheme.

This summer has continued to see tough trading conditions for airlines with falling passenger demand and rising fuel cost leading to major airlines such as Qantas and Virgin Atlantic reporting losses of many millions of pounds and some smaller airlines including Air Finland and SOL Airlines filing for bankruptcy.

IATA, International Air Transport Association, are also predicting a tough second half of the year as global economic uncertainties continue to have an impact on demand for air travel.

If you book your holiday independently, rather than booking a package holiday from a bonded tour operator, you should ensure that your travel insurance provides protection against the risk of your airline or other holiday provider becoming insolvent.

The good news is that Goodtogoinsurance.com now includes Scheduled Airline Failure (Insolvency Cover) on all of our travel insurance policies.

The even better news is that Scheduled Airline Failure from Goodtogoinsurance.com covers more than just the insolvency of an airline; it also provides cover for the insolvency of other holiday providers including suppliers of hotels, villas, car hire, coach and rail journeys.

Scheduled Airline Failure – Full details

Get a quote for travel insurance including Scheduled Airline Failure

*Scheduled Airline Failure is included on all policies issued on or after 3rd September 2012

European Health Insurance Card: Its free and it can save you money

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

If you are travelling within the EU you should take a European Health Insurance Card or EHIC with you. The EHIC is free of charge to residents of the UK. You can apply for an EHIC online, by calling 0845 606 2030 or at your local post office.

The EHIC ensures your right to state provided healthcare at a reduced cost in the EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland. (It replaced the E111 form in 2006).

The EHIC is FREE: Beware of websites that charge

The EHIC is entirely free of charge, so beware of unofficial websites that will charge you for applying on your behalf. There is no need to pay for an EHIC card, you can apply online for free on the NHS website or call 0845 606 2030 for more help.

EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance

The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare or costs such as mountain rescue in ski resorts, being flown back to the UK, or lost or stolen property.

Therefore, it is important to have both an EHIC and a valid travel insurance policy.

An EHIC can save you money

If you use an EHIC card when receiving medical treatment and it results in a reduction in your medical bills we will waiver the excess on your medical claim. Depending on whether you have a Silver, Gold or Platinum policy this could save you up to £500.

More information about the EHIC >>

Heading the Caribbean during hurricane season? Dont forget travel insurance

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Parts of the Caribbean are under hurricane watch today as tropical storm Isaac moves through the region.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised British nationals who are in the Caribbean or planning to travel to the Caribbean to monitor local media for the latest information or contact their tour operator for advice and to check their travel arrangements.

Weather forecasters are predicting that the tropical storm could intensify and turn into a hurricane later this week.

The British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic are currently under hurricane watch and the National Hurricane Centre has predicted that Isaac with move northwest and could reach Florida by Monday.

To monitor the progress of tropical storm Isaac visit the National Hurricane Centre website.

The Caribbean hurricane season usually lasts from June to November, however October is the often the month when the most hurricanes occur.

How can travel insurance help?

Obviously the most important reason to buy travel insurance when you go on holiday is make sure you are protected against the cost of emergency medical treatment whilst you are away, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions.

However a travel insurance policy can also provide cover in situations where your holiday is affected by extreme weather, including hurricanes. If a hurricane strikes whilst you are on holiday travel insurance (Gold and Platinum policies only) from Goodtogoinsurance.com can help because it includes Catastrophe Cover.

Catastrophe cover is designed to cover additional, irrecoverable, travel or accommodation costs if you are forced to move from your pre-paid, pre-booked holiday accommodation due to unforeseen events including hurricanes, earthquake, flood or fire.

If the hurricane hits before you leave the UK and causes your outbound flight to be delayed as a result you would have cover under the Travel Delay and Abandonment section of the travel insurance policy – see the terms and conditions of your policy for full details.

We hope that your holiday that your holiday to the Caribbean or USA will not be affected by hurricanes or tropical storms, but if it is, it’s good to know that your travel insurance can help.

Travel insurance over 65: Youre insuring yourself, not just your holiday

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Many travellers come to Goodtogoinsurance.com because they have been refused travel insurance cover by their usual provider, either due to age or medical conditions.

Goodtogoinsurance.com are proud to provide travel insurance over 65 with cover for all types of medical conditions. We have no upper age limits on our single trip or annual travel insurance policies, so age will not a barrier to getting travel insurance cover for your holiday.

You are insuring yourself – not just your holiday!

We sometimes hear customers say that their travel insurance is more expensive than their holiday, but it’s very important to remember that you are insuring yourself, not just your holiday.

The main reason to buy travel insurance, whether you are over 65 or under, is to protect yourself against the risk of incurring large medical bills if you fall ill or have an accident whilst you are away.

Therefore the main influences on the cost of travel insurance are how likely you are to require emergency medical treatment whilst you are away and the cost of medical treatment in the country you are travelling to.

Emergency medical bills can quickly amount to thousands of pounds

As medicine advances with new technology and specialised drugs becoming more widely available, medical treatment is becoming more successful and more expensive.

If you are hospitalised during a trip to the USA you will receive some of the best and most advanced medical care in the world – but it comes at a cost. Having kidney stones removed in the USA can cost 49,000USD (approx. £31,000) and we regularly see cases where patients have received care costing well over £100,000 due to heart attacks or strokes.

The main reason for buying travel insurance, whether you are over 65 or under, is to protect yourself against the risk of incurring medical bills amounting to thousands of pounds whilst you are away.

Unfortunately there are horror stories every year where families are forced to sell their homes to pay for hospital bills for their loved ones who were uninsured.

Air ambulance back to the UK can cost between £35,000 - £45,000

Many of our customers are also interested in the repatriation section of our travel insurance because they want the peace of mind from knowing that they can be brought back the UK by air ambulance if it was medically necessary and will not end up being stranded in a hospital thousands of miles from their family and their home.

At Goodtogoinsurance.com we work hard to make sure that our customers are properly covered by their travel insurance when they travel abroad. This is why we have no age limits on our over 65 travel insurance and we can cover all types of pre-existing medical conditions which are declared to us.

Get a travel insurance over 65 quote >>

Inspired by the Olympics? Travel insurance over 65 for sports & activities

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT

If you’ve been inspired by our success in the Olympics to look for a more active holiday, but are concerned about finding travel insurance due to your age, don’t worry.

Travel insurance over 65 from goodtogoinsurance.com covers many sports and activities as standard, including scuba diving to 18 metres, cycling and sailing (within 12 miles of the coast, in European waters). You also have the option, up to age 75, to extend your travel insurance policy to cover more adventurous sports and adventurous activities, such as cycle touring and sea canoeing and skiing.

If you are planning to take part in any sports or activities on holiday it’s very important to make sure that they are covered by your travel insurance (this is important no matter what your age, not just if you are over 65).

Never assume that a sport is covered, always check to make sure - If you have an accident whilst taking part in an activity which is not covered by your travel insurance, you could find yourself facing large medical bills.

We recommend that you check our full policy wording for details of the sports and activities covered by our travel insurance over 65 before you travel or take part in any sport.

Once you’re on holiday, if you would like to try an activity that you hadn’t planned on doing, check your policy wording to see if it’s covered by your travel insurance before you take part. If it’s not covered, you can call us to add it to your policy.

With our Olympic team exceeding all our expectations and doing us proud this summer it’s not difficult to see why many of us are being inspired to become more active on holiday.

Great News: UK travellers to the Eurozone get 15% more for their money

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The pound has hit another high against the Euro, reaching 1.2745 euros on Monday. This is great news for UK travellers heading to the Eurozone this summer who will now be getting 15% more for their money than they were a year ago.

This is a fantastic exchange rate compared to 3 years ago when some foreign exchange counters we giving less than one euro to the pound. Holiday makers can now get buy euros on the high street at rates of about 1.21, plus there are also deals of over 1.24 euros to the pound online – so it pays to shop around.

The current favourable exchange rate is making holidays to Europe, within the Eurozone, great value for UK holiday makers this summer despite the continued economic uncertainty and debt crisis.

Wherever you decide to travel this summer, whether it is within Europe or beyond the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise you to buy comprehensive travel insurance every time you travel.

The FCO are also reminding travellers this summer to declare any pre-existing medical conditions when they buy travel insurance. Declaring your medical conditions when you buy travel insurance will ensure that you are properly covered by your travel insurance should you fall ill before you travel and need to cancel your holiday, or fall ill whilst you are away and require emergency medical treatment.

Get a quote for travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions >>

New Guidelines for Assisting Disabled Travellers

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

New guidelines for supporting disabled passengers are being developed by the travel industry to ensure a smooth and trouble free journey for those with reduced mobility.

If you are travelling with a disability it’s important to let your airline or travel agent know of your requirements at the time of booking and ensure that you have disabled travel insurance in place before you travel.

The new guidelines for supporting disabled travellers have been drafted by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and ABTA (The Travel Association) and developed by an industry group including airlines, airports, travel agents, tour operators and an independent disability representative.

The aim of the guidelines is to help airlines, airports and travel companies provide the optimum travel experience to passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, with the key focus being on pre-notification and communication which is essential for airports to ensure that the right resources are available at the right time to passengers who require assistance.

The new guidelines cover what should happen at the point of booking, right through to when the customer arrives at the airport and boards the plane. ABTA head of destinations and sustainability Nikki White said: “It can be deeply distressing for passengers to arrive at the airport and not have access to the assistance they require.

“By working together we have been able to develop practical guidelines that will help ensure a smooth and seamless experience for passengers with reduced mobility, from collecting the right information at booking to ensuring the resources are in place when they arrive at the airport.” Travelling with a disability or reduced mobility can be challenging, the most important thing to remember is to inform your airline or travel agent of your requirements at the time of booking. These new guidelines should ensure that the information is passed on to the right people who can provide the support you need to make your journey as smooth as possible.

Once you have booked your holiday and let your travel agent know about your disability, remember to buy your disabled travel insurance as soon as possible so that you get the maximum protection for cancellation.

Pre-existing medical condition? Cover everyone on the same travel insurance policy.

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Let’s assume that if you are reading this article you realise the importance of buying travel insurance to cover pre-existing medical conditions whilst you are away, but did you know that it can also pay to cover everyone on the same travel insurance policy, even those without a medical condition?

If you, or a friend or family member that you are going on holiday with has a pre-existing medical condition it pays to insure everyone on the same travel insurance policy.

Insuring everyone who is travelling together on the same travel insurance policy will mean that you all have travel insurance cover in the event that you need to cancel your holiday due to one traveller’s pre-existing medical condition.

Many people will buy cheap travel insurance cover for the healthy travellers and then look for another travel insurance policy to cover the traveller who has a medical condition. This might save you a few pounds upfront but it could leave you out of pocket if you are forced to cancel your holiday due to one of your travel companion’s pre-existing medical conditions.

When you are all insured on the same travel insurance policy you would all be covered and be able to make a claim to recoup the cost of the holiday, so long as the pre-existing medical condition was declared at the time of purchase.

This important element of travel insurance can often be overlooked by healthy travellers who are simply looking for the cheapest travel insurance cover for their holiday. Yet, if your travelling companion falls ill before the holiday starts due to a pre-existing medical condition, causing your trip to be cancelled, you may find it difficult to get reimbursement if you are insured on separate travel insurance policies.

This means that it can pay you to stick together and buy one travel insurance policy to cover the whole family, or group of friends. If everyone is insured on the same policy, whether they have a medical condition or not, they would all be able to make a claim, in the event that it was deemed medically necessary to cancel or cut short the trip following another member of the party becoming ill due to a pre-existing medical condition, providing that medical condition was declared at the time of purchase.

This is particularly important for families who are more likely to need to cancel the whole holiday if one person is ill an unable to travel, rather than continuing the holiday and leaving one person at home.

Get a quote for travel insurance to cover medical conditions >>

Focus on travel insurance for Multiple Sclerosis

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

With the Osbournes announcing yesterday that Jack Osbourne has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), we thought it would be a good time to highlight that a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis does not mean an end to fun holidays abroad and that travel insurance for ms does not need to be complicated or expensive.

Jack Osbourne had been had been taken for tests after losing 60% of his vision in one eye earlier this year.

MS is an incurable neurological condition that damages the nerves and affects the transfer of messages around the body and Jack says that he has chosen to speak out in order to raise awareness of the condition.

Multiple sclerosis can have a wide range of symptoms, including tiredness, temporary blindness, loss of co-ordination and speech difficulties, it is often unpredictable and affects everyone differently.

According to the MS Society there are about 100,000 people living with multiple sclerosis in the UK, most of who are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, an age when people want to live life to the full, including enjoying holidays abroad.

Whether you want to travel the world, or simply relax in the sun for a week, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis does not mean that you can’t travel or get fair priced travel insurance to cover your trip.

In fact, here’s a story which proves that MS does not have to stop you travelling the world.

George Pepper was diagnosed with MS at the age of 23, he is now 30 and has just completed a once in a lifetime 6 month round the world trip with his girlfriend.

George’s treatment for MS requires monthly intravenous infusions, and he was able to pre-arrange his treatments at hospitals along his route in Australia and Brazil. Continuing his regular treatment for MS, along with taking regular rest and drink stops meant that he remained healthy throughout the trip.

Now, you may not want to be that adventurous, but George’s trip does prove what you can achieve with a bit of forward planning.

Whatever type of holiday you decide to take, whether you plan on travelling the world or simply relaxing in the sun for a week, obtaining travel insurance cover for multiple sclerosis is vital.

To ensure that your MS is covered by your travel insurance you must declare it when you buy your travel insurance policy. It’s very easy and it doesn’t have to be expensive.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide MS travel insurance cover online or by phone, once you have told us about your MS we will ask you a short series of multiple choice questions to help us assess the severity of your multiple sclerosis, such as whether you use mobility aids and if you have suffered an acute relapse in the last year – it will only take a few minutes and you don’t need to get a doctor’s certificate.

Get a quote for MS travel insurance >>

Diabetes week 2012: Getting the right travel insurance cover

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As this week is diabetes week we’d like to take the opportunity to highlight the importance of declaring diabetes when you buy travel insurance.

Diabetes week is organised each year by Diabetes to UK to raise awareness of diabetes and its symptoms, this year the focus is on tackling undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes week was launched yesterday by Steps singer Lee Latchford-Evans along with others attempting to break the world record for the most waists measured at one time. The event kick started a series of Health Lifestyle Road Shows which will be run by Diabetes UK and Bupa across the UK to offer free diabetes risk assessments and lifestyle advice.

Those most at risk of diabetes type 2 are people who are over 40 and are overweight with a large waist, particularly those with a close relative suffering from diabetes.

Diabetes UK has warned that as many as one on 70 people in Britain suffer from diabetes type 2 without realising it, suggesting that most people will have a family or friend suffering from diabetes type 2 who don’t realise it.

Experts say that the soaring rate of diabetes type 2 is fuelled by obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet. Diabetes type 2 occurs when the body gradually loses the ability to process blood sugar, leading to high levels which can damage the organs in the body.

Getting the right travel insurance for diabetes

If you are a diabetic, regardless of the severity of your diabetes, you need to declare it when you buy travel insurance. This will ensure that you are properly covered by your travel insurance in the event that you need medical treatment related to your diabetes whilst you are away.

Many travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, from their travel insurance cover, so be careful, don’t just assume that your diabetes will be covered.

At Goodtogoinsurance.com we are proud that we can offer diabetes travel insurance to cover all types of diabetes and related medical conditions, up to a high level of severity.

We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy a relaxing holiday abroad with the peace of mind that they have travel insurance cover in place for their pre-existing medical conditions including diabetes.

Don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance to cover your diabetes

Don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance cover for your diabetes. If your diabetes isn’t covered and you need medical treatment abroad for something that is related to the diabetes, you could find yourself facing very large medical bills.

Get a quote for diabetes travel insurance

Read our tips on travelling with diabetes

Travel Insurance for Greece: Get the right travel insurance to protect your holiday

Tue, 29 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Holidaying in Greece this summer could mean that you get a great deal on a great holiday, but it could also mean an increased risk of strikes affecting your travel plans or a holiday supplier, such as a small hotel, becoming insolvent.

Many travel experts are saying that Greece is still a great place to go on holiday and even if it does leave the Eurozone this summer the beaches and hotels will still be there and the airlines will still fly, all good news if you have already booked your holiday.

We don’t want to put anyone off travelling to Greece this summer, but we do want to highlight what the increased risks might be how to make sure that your travel insurance offers the protection you need.

Tourist numbers to Greece have dropped significantly in the last couple of years and with continuing political and economic uncertainty this trend looks set to continue. This drop in numbers means that there is an increased risk of small hotels and holiday suppliers becoming insolvent. In fact earlier this year the Sunday Times reported that as many as 1000 Greek hotels could close or be put up for sale in the coming months.

Travel insurance can protect your holiday against the risk of insolvency

Consumer watchdog Which? is urging holidaymakers heading to Greece this summer to ensure that their money is protected by booking an ATOL protected package holiday or adding insolvency cover or end supplier failure to their travel insurance.

One way to protect your holiday from the risk of insolvency is to book a package or flight plus holiday from an ATOL bonded tour operator, they then have a duty to look after you in the event of insolvency. This could be by finding you alternative accommodation or flights or by providing a full refund.

The other way to protect the money you’ve paid for your holiday is to make sure that your travel insurance includes cover for Scheduled Airline Failure/Dynamic Packaging Cover, also known as End Supplier Failure. This is important for travellers who book their holiday independently and therefore have no protection under the ATOL scheme.

Scheduled Airline Failure/Dynamic Packaging Cover can be added to any Gold and Platinum policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com. It provides cover for the financial failure of an airline, short let holiday accommodation including hotels, car hire, ferry, coach and train operators.

More information about Scheduled Airline Failure >>

Travel insurance cover for the increased risk of strikes in Greece

A consequence of the hard times that people in Greece are experiencing at the moment is the increased risk of strikes and industrial action impacting on public services, including transport.

Travel insurance can provide cover if your flight is delayed by strike action, but only if you booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance before the strike was announced. Therefore in these uncertain times if pays to buy travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked your holiday.

Travel insurance from Goodtogoinsurance.com provides cover, under the travel delay section, if your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours due to strike action. This is designed to pay a fixed benefit to help you pay for additional expenses such as food and drink whilst you are waiting at the airport, you also get the option to ‘abandon’ your holiday and make a claim to recoup the cost, up to the limit stated in your policy.

What if Greece does leave the Euro?

ABTA, the Travel Association have advised holiday makers heading to Greece to take plenty of cash, in the form of low-denomination euro notes. If Greece does leave the euro it could mean that electronic banking might freeze for a couple of days as they change currency.

Keep up to date on the situation in Greece

As with any other holiday destination it’s useful to check the latest travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before you travel. They will post information on any planned strikes or occurrences which could affect British Nationals travelling to Greece.

Travel advice from the FCO: Greece

Get a quote for travel insurance Greece >>

BBC reporter denied boarding due to disability

Mon, 28 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As it is being reported that BBC journalist Frank Gardiner, who uses mobility aids after being injured at work, was turned away from a Kenya Airways flight at Heathrow because of his disability, we thought it was a good time to remind you of your rights under EU law as a disabled traveller and what to look for in disabled travel insurance.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Gardiner was initially denied boarding because the zimmer frame he uses to walk short distances was too wide for the plane’s aisle, he was also denied the use of an aisle wheelchair, which is designed for aeroplane aisles, to allow wheelchair users to visit the toilet during a flight.

Mr Gardniner was eventually allowed to board the plane, but only after he and his friends strongly appealed to airline staff, causing them all stress and embarrassment.

Airport and Airline Services for Disabled Travellers

Travellers with a disability who need to use mobility aids should not have to experience this kind of treatment on flights. Under EU law, disabled people and those with reduced mobility have a legal right to assistance when travelling by air.

To ensure you get the support you need, it’s important to let the airline know of your needs at least 48 hours before you are due to travel.

More information on your rights as a disabled traveller

Disability Travel Insurance

Living with a disability should not stop you from enjoying a holiday abroad and the use of a mobility aid, such as a wheelchair or walking stick is likely to be vital to that enjoyment.

When you are looking for disability travel insurance make sure that the policy includes cover for the loss, damage or theft of mobility aids, they are not cheap and are also not something that you could easily manage without.

Find out more about disability travel insurance

Death in Gran Canaria highlights need to take care in extreme heat

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Last week a British tourist very sadly died in Gran Canaria after suffering a cardiac arrest thought to be linked to a heat wave that had been gripping the Canary Islands.

The woman, who was in her 70s, had been taking part in a trek organised by one of the UK’s largest walking holiday operators. Two other women in their 60s who were taking part in the two hour trek were also airlifted to hospital, but were released.

The World Meteorological Organisation had issued an orange weather warning for “extreme high temperatures” in the Canary Islands covering Lanzarote and Fuerteventura along with parts of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. Temperatures last week were in excess of 40 degrees for several days, where the average for the time of year is around 20 degrees.

This sad death highlights the need for everyone to take care in extreme heat, although it is usually the very young, older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart or breathing problems that are most vulnerable. The main risks are dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

For information about staying cool in extreme temperature read our tips on coping in hot weather >>

Focus on travel insurance for cancer

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Many people find that once they have been diagnosed with cancer the travel insurance that they have had in place for many years will no longer provide cover for them or the cancer.

Goodtogoinsurance.com is different, we understand the importance of being able to travel with the peace of mind that you have appropriate travel insurance in place, including cover for cancer. We are proud to be able to offer travel insurance cover for all types of cancer including breast cancer, prostate cancer, blood cancer, bowel cancer and all types of childhood cancers.

In 2011 we insured over 1,700 travellers with cancer and 35 different types of cancer, enabling cancer patients to take the holiday that they wanted to, safe in the knowledge that they had cancer travel insurance cover in place.

Travel insurance for recently diagnosed cancer and those still undergoing treatment

We are able to provide travel insurance cover for cancer patients who have only been recently diagnosed with cancer, those currently undergoing a course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy and those with a terminal prognosis, so long as it is more than 6 months from the date of returning from your planned trip.

Travel insurance for cancer patients in remission

We can also provide competitively priced travel insurance to people who have recovered from cancer but still find difficulty finding fair priced travel insurance.

When you are remission from cancer, you still need to declare it to your travel insurance provider. The terms and conditions on cancer travel insurance and travel insurance for other pre-existing medical conditions may vary between insurers, so you should always check whether your cancer will be covered before you buy a travel insurance policy.

At Goodtogoinsurance.com we ask you to declare cancer and any other medical conditions where you have received medication, received treatment, seen a GP or attended a hospital or clinic in the last 2 years.

This means that if you are in remission from cancer, but you still have regular follow-up appointments with an oncologist, or have seen any doctor about it, or taken any medication in the last 2 years you will need to declare the cancer when you buy travel insurance in-order for it to be covered.

Declaring that you have had cancer when you buy travel insurance does not necessarily mean that the premium will go sky high. The longer that you have been in remission from cancer the lower the price of travel insurance will be. It may only cost a few pounds extra for the peace of mind that you are fully covered.

How to buy cancer travel insurance

You can get a quote for cancer travel insurance on our website or if you prefer to talk to someone about getting appropriate travel insurance cover for cancer call us on 0844 334 0160 – our friendly team are available to help 7 days a week.

Get a quote for cancer travel insurance >>

Mexico volcanic activity is a reminder of volcanic ash threat to flights

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico is continuing to rumble and emit steam, gas and ashes after starting a series of small eruptions last month.

Authorities in Mexico are preparing evacuation plans and shelters in case the eruptions escalate. It is also feared that airborne volcanic ash could wreak havoc at Mexico City’s busy airport which is only 50 miles from the volcano.

If a more serious eruption does occur, it’s possible that a volcanic ash cloud could travel in the atmosphere and affect flights across a much wider area. For instance, in June 2011, volcanic ash from an eruption in the Puyehue Cordon Caulle volcano chain in southern Chile caused significant disruption to air travel around Australia and New Zealand.

The volcanic activity from Popocatepetl is not currently having an impact beyond its immediate vicinity, but it does highlight the real possibility that a volcanic eruption can occur at any time, leading to air travel disruption far away from the volcano itself.

There is also continued volcanic activity much closer to home, Mount Etna in Sicily, Europe’s most active volcano, erupted as recently as January this year. Plus there is the constant threat of further eruptions in Iceland, scientists have been monitoring unusual activity around Hekla, one of the islands largest volcanos since last summer.

If you are worried about the possibility of volcanic ash affecting your travel plans you should consider adding Natural Catastrophe (Volcanic Ash) Cover to your travel insurance.

Although under EU and UK regulations, your airline has a legal obligation to reschedule or refund your flight and provide meals and accommodation if necessary, having Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of your travel insurance gives you more freedom.

It can allow you to claim for the cost of alternative travel arrangements if your flight is delayed for more than 24 hours and no reasonable alternative is provided to you.

Natural Catastrophe cover (volcanic ash) from goodtogoinsurance.com is designed to enhance your travel insurance policy by providing cover for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred due to unexpected natural events such as volcanic ash cloud and other natural disasters including; earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes.

Find out more about Natural Catastrophe (Volcanic Ash) Cover >>

Life After Stroke: Taking a holiday and finding travel insurance

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

May 2012 is Action on Stroke Month, which is organised by the Stroke Association to raise awareness of the symptoms, prevention and treatment of strokes. This year the campaign is focused on Life After Stroke, to highlight the everyday difficulties faced by stroke survivors and their families.

Being able to enjoy a holiday is an important part of life and therefore an important part of life after a stroke.

If a stroke has left you or a family member with mobility problems, then booking a holiday abroad can be more of a challenge, but it should still be manageable. Airlines and airports are required to offer you a certain level of assistance it you are travelling with a disability – read our article on Disability Travel Insurance and Airline Service for Disabled Travellers to find out more.

A very important part of taking a holiday abroad, especially after having a stroke is travel insurance.

At Goodtogoinsurance.com we believe that everyone should be able to travel with the peace of mind that they have travel insurance in place to provide support and cover the cost of unexpected medical treatment whilst they are on holiday.

We can provide travel insurance cover for travellers who have had strokes and mini strokes and we have no age limits on our single trip or annual travel insurance policies.

The most important thing to remember when you are buying stroke travel insurance cover is to declare your stroke to us. Once you have declared that you have had a stroke we will ask you a short series of multiple choice questions in order to ensure that your travel insurance covers your stroke and any other pre-existing medical conditions. Buying travel insurance for strokes will only take a few minutes and we don’t need a doctor’s certificate.

Our stroke travel insurance includes access to our 24 hour emergency medical support line, medical and repatriation expenses up to £10 million, plus cover for mobility aids and loss of medication.

Get a quote for stroke travel insurance >>

Look out for the symptoms of stroke

If you suspect someone has suffered symptoms of a stroke remember to act FAST and perform the following tests:

FACIAL weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
ARM weakness: Can the person raise both arms?
SPEECH problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
TIME to call 999.

If a person fails any one of these tests get help immediately by dialling 999 or 112 if you are on holiday within the EU.

Don’t ignore temporary symptoms, it may be a sign the person has had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) also known as a mini-stroke. This is still a medical emergency because it can lead to a major stroke.

Asthma Awareness Week: Travelling with Asthma & Asthma travel insurance

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

At the start of Asthma Awareness Week we’re talking about travelling with Asthma and getting the right asthma travel insurance.

There’s no need for asthma to stop you from travelling or enjoying a holiday abroad, but it is important to make the right preparations before you travel if you suffer from asthma. This includes buying asthma travel insurance.

Asthma UK has lots of useful information on their website to help you prepare for your holiday, tips include;

Draw up a written personal asthma action plan with your doctor before you go on holiday.
Make sure that you take enough inhalers and tablets to last your whole holiday, plus some extras.
Always take your asthma medication in your hand luggage.
Take out travel insurance that covers your asthma

Get more asthma tips from Asthma UK

In the past people with asthma have experienced difficulty finding travel insurance cover for their holiday due to the increased risk of needing hospital treatment whilst on holiday, this is no longer the case.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide asthma travel insurance to cover all types of asthma up to a high level of severity. We believe that everyone should be able to travel with the peace of mind that they have travel insurance in place to cover asthma or any other medical conditions.

If you do suffer from asthma, the important thing to remember when buying travel insurance is that you must declare your asthma to make sure that it is properly covered. If you don’t declare that you suffer from asthma and then need emergency medical treatment whilst you are on holiday you could find that it is not covered by your travel insurance.

It’s easy to buy travel insurance for asthma, with Goodtogoinsurance.com you can get instant asthma travel insurance cover online or by phone. Once you have declared that you have asthma we will ask you a short series of multiple choice questions which will help us assess the severity of your asthma.

Asthma travel insurance doesn’t have to be expensive; in many cases covering mild asthma doesn’t increase the travel insurance price at all.

Get a quote for asthma travel insurance

A diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis should not mean an end to holidays

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As 30 April to 6 May 2012 is MS Awareness Week we’re talking about travelling with Multiple Sclerosis and how to obtain travel insurance for MS.

According to the MS Society, approximately 100,000 people in the UK have MS and most are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, an age when you want to be living life to the full.

Being diagnosed with MS does not have to stop you living a fun, fulfilling life, part of which might be travelling the world or simply enjoying a relaxing holiday in the sun.

These days most people see an annual holiday abroad as a necessity rather than a luxury and there’s no reason why those living with MS should be any different.

Here’s a story to inspire you; despite being diagnosed with MS at age 23, George Pepper, now aged 30 from Leeds has just completed a once in a lifetime 6-month round the world trip with his girlfriend.

You may not want to be that adventurous, but George’s trip highlights what can be done with a bit of research and planning. If you do suffer from MS you should consult your doctor before planning a trip to help you decide what type of holiday will be most suitable.

For more information about the symptoms and treatment of MS visit www.mstrust.org.uk

Get a quote for MS travel insurance >>

New Safety measures for cruise ships: Cruise travel insurance

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

New safety measures on board cruise ships are great news for British travellers who enjoy cruise holidays. However, in addition to safety on board cruise ships, British travellers should think about cruise insurance to ensure that they have adequate travel insurance cover in place in the event of illness or an accident on board.

It was announced yesterday by the European Cruise Council and Cruise Lines International Association that new safety measures are to be introduced on cruise ships with immediate effect.

The new safety measures apply to cruise ships worldwide and include;

A requirement to carry extra lifejackets
Every cruise ship will now have to carry more than one life jacket per customer.
Restricting access to the bridge
Passengers will no longer be allowed onto the bridge whilst complicated manoeuvres are being carried out. Bridge tours will still be allowed to go ahead at other times
More careful planning of a ship’s passage
Every ship’s passage plan will now need to be drafted by a designated officer, approved by a master and briefed to every member of the bridge in advance.

These measures are part of an on-going Operational Safety Review and have been introduced following the sinking of the Costa Concordia earlier this year. We should see more results from this review over the coming months.

The importance of cruise insurance

If you are going on a cruise holiday, as with any other holiday, it’s important to have travel insurance in place before you leave the UK.

When you are buying travel insurance for a cruise, check the terms and conditions of the policy to make sure that cruise holidays are covered. Some travel insurance policies exclude cover for cruises, or require you to pay an additional premium to have cruise insurance added to your policy.

Goodtogoinsurance.com covers cruise insurance as standard on all our travel insurance policies.

It is vital to have appropriate travel insurance in place for a cruise holiday, because in the event that you fall ill or have an accident on board and need medical treatment, you are likely to be airlifted to the nearest hospital on land. This could prove very expensive if you don’t have cruise insurance in place.

When you are buying cruise insurance, another important thing is to make sure that you have travel insurance cover for all of the countries you are visiting.

Get a quote for travel insurance including cruise cover >>

Depression awareness week: Does travel insurance cover depression?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

In Depression awareness week (22-28 April) we’re talking about depression travel insurance and highlighting the importance of declaring depression or other mental health conditions when you buy travel insurance.

Depression Awareness Week is organised by the Depression Alliance and is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness and try to end the stigma associated with depression.

There are 2 key events to look out for which have been organised for Depression Awareness Week, Comedy for Depression on Monday 23rd April and In Comes the Black Dog which is a new art exhibition and charity auction at the Underdog Gallery in London.

In Depression Awareness Week, it is appropriate to highlight depression and other mental health conditions with regards to travel insurance cover.

In the past many travel insurance providers have specifically excluded depression and other mental health conditions from cover. This is no longer case. Goodtogoinsurance.com is proud to be able to offer travel insurance cover for depression and all types of mental health conditions, up to a high level of severity.

If you do suffer from depression, it’s very important to declare your depression when you buy travel insurance so that you are properly covered in the event that you need to cancel your holiday due to illness, or you require medical treatment whilst you are on holiday.

But don’t worry, declaring that you suffer from depression when you buy travel insurance is easy and it doesn’t necessarily mean that the price of your travel insurance will go up.

For instance, there is no additional premium to cover depression for a 25 year old who is taking medication and has been treated by a psychiatrist, but who hasn’t had any hospital admissions for depression or been forced to cancel or cut short a previous trip due to depression.

We firmly believe that everyone should be able to travel with the peace of mind that they have travel insurance cover in place with cover for their medical conditions, including depression which is why our travel insurance cover doesn’t draw a distinction between depression and mental health conditions and any other type of medical condition.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise British nationals to buy travel insurance every time they travel abroad whether the trip is for a few days or a few months. To ensure that you are properly covered remember to declare your depression when you buy travel insurance for your trip.

Get a quote for depression travel insurance >>

Get more medical expenses cover with Goodtogoinsurance.com

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Goodtogoinsurance.com specialises in providing travel insurance cover for pre existing medical conditions, which is why we include additional medical cover within our travel insurance policies which many other insurers don’t offer.

We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy a relaxing holiday abroad with the peace of mind that they have travel insurance cover in place which is why our travel insurance policies can cover all types of medical conditions up to a high level of severity.

Medical and Repatriation up to £10 Million per person

All travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com provide cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation up to £10 million per person.

This cover includes access to an English speaking emergency helpline which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to provide support and assistance when you need it.

In addition to this medical and repatriation cover we also include the following additional medical cover which standard insurers do not include in their travel insurance policies.

Loss of Medication up to £300 person

Our travel insurance policies provide cover for the necessary and reasonable cost of replacing essential medication lost or stolen during your trip.

Mobility Aids up to £2,500 person

All travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com include cover for wheelchairs, walking sticks and other mobility aids as standard, providing cover for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement if your wheelchair or other mobility aid is lost, stolen or damaged during your trip. We will also pay the cost of temporary hire during your trip.

Additional Medical Expenses including a Recuperation holiday!

In the unfortunate event that you fall ill or have an accident abroad which means that you have to undergo surgery and stay in hospital for at least 5 days we will provide the following cover:

Cost of a recuperation holiday up to £750
Health examination when you return to the UK up to £500
Cost of employing a home help or nanny up to £500
Cosmetic surgery to correct damage caused by an accident on your trip up to £2,500
Kennel and Cattery cover up to £500

Replacement Carer Cover included

If you rely on the help of a carer it is reassuring to know that you have travel insurance cover in place to help you in the event that your original carer has to cancel or curtail (cut short) their trip due to illness or redundancy. Provided your carer is insured on the same travel insurance policy as you, we will pay up to £1000 in total, for the cost of extra accommodation and travel for a replacement carer to accompany you or travel out and join you on holiday, enabling you to continue your trip.

Get a quote for travel insurance for your next holiday >>

Flight delay? Travel insurance cover for strike action

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

On-going strike action is currently affecting flights to Spain and Portugal, causing delays and cancellations. With austerity measures continuing to hit areas of the Eurozone, including some of our best loved summer holiday destinations, it looks like we could be set for another summer of strikes causing disruption to our well-earned holidays.

The continued risk of strike action is a very good reason to buy travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. Travel insurance can provide cover for flight delays caused by strike action so long as you booked your holiday and bought your insurance before a strike announced.

Your rights if your flight is delayed

If your flight is delayed or cancelled due to strike action your first point of call should be your airline or tour operator.

You have a contract with your airline to get you to your chosen destination at a certain time, if they are unable to do so, whether that is due to a strike action or bad weather, they have a duty to look after you. This would involve offering refreshments or hotel accommodation in the event of a long delay.

If your airline cancels your flight due to a strike, they are required to offer you an alternative flight, or a full refund.

In addition to your rights with your airline your travel insurance policy can give you some more options.

Travel insurance cover for strike action

In addition to this, after a delay of 12 hours, you also have the option to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

This travel insurance cover for abandonment gives you more freedom. For instance if you are going away short break, you might consider that a 12 hour delay eats into your holiday time too much. Therefore you can decide to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the amount stated in the policy. You could them use that money to rebook a holiday for another time.

Gold and Platinum travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com include cover for travel delay.

Travel insurance with cover for all types of Arthritis, no matter what your age!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance cover for all types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, septic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and just plain arthritis.

We are also proud to have no age limits on our single trip or annual travel insurance policies, so neither your arthritis nor your age will be a barrier to getting travel insurance cover for your holiday.

We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy a relaxing holiday abroad with the peace of mind that they have the appropriate travel insurance cover in place which will provide cover for pre-existing medical conditions including arthritis.

Tell us about your arthritis when you buy travel insurance

It is important that you tell us about your arthritis when you buy travel insurance to ensure that you are properly covered in the event that you need medical treatment whilst you are away on holiday.

Simply tell us the type of arthritis that you suffer from, we will then ask you a series of easy multiple choice questions to help us assess the severity of your arthritis, for instance whether you have had any joints replaced or resurfaced and whether your arthritis causes you to use any mobility aids such as a walking stick or frame.

You can obtain instant travel insurance cover for your arthritis online or by phone, we don’t need to know any of the names of your medication and we don’t need to talk to your doctor.

Don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance cover for your arthritis

Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance cover for your arthritis. If your arthritis isn’t declared on your travel insurance policy and you need medical treatment abroad for something that is related to arthritis, you could find yourself facing very large medical bills.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance with cover for all types of arthritis, you can get a quote for arthritis travel insurance online or call and speak to one of our UK based team who will be happy to help you.

If you are suffering from arthritis, buying travel insurance can be a bit trickier than just finding the cheapest policy. But don’t worry we are here to help!

Get a quote for arthritis travel insurance

Easter strike by Stansted baggage handlers: Your rights and travel insurance cover

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT

It has been announced that strikes will go ahead at Stansted Airport in Essex on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday after baggage handlers voted in favour or strike action due to a row over pay with their employer Swissport.

This strike which is due to go ahead on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year is set to impact a large number of UK holiday makers, so what are your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled and how can travel insurance provide extra help?

If you are due to fly in to, or out of Stansted over the Easter weekend your first point of contact should be your airline, they should be able to provide further information on whether your flight is likely to be affected.

If your airline cancels your flight due to a strike, they are required to offer you an alternative flight, or a full refund.

In addition to your rights with your airline your travel insurance policy can give you some more options.

Travel insurance cover for strike action

Goodtogoinsurance.com customers who have booked their trip and bought Gold or Platinum travel insurance cover before the Easter strike dates were announced will have cover under the travel delay section of their travel insurance.

In addition to this, after a delay of 12 hours, you also have the option to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

This travel insurance cover for abandonment gives you more freedom. For instance if you are going away for the Easter weekend, you might consider that a 12 hour delay eats into your holiday time too much. Therefore you can decide to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the amount stated in the policy. You could them use that money to rebook a break over the May Day bank holiday weekend.

Gold and Platinum travel insurance policies from Goodtogoinsurance.com include cover for travel delay.

Disability travel insurance and airline services for disabled travellers

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT

With over 10 million disabled people in Britain, we’re highlighting the services which disabled travellers can expect to receive from airports and airlines as well as what to look for when choosing disabled travel insurance.

Disabled travel insurance: Look for mobility aid cover

Living with a disability should not stop you from enjoying a holiday abroad and the use of a mobility aid, such as a wheelchair or walking stick is likely to be vital to that enjoyment.

Goodtogoinsurance.com includes cover for wheelchairs, walking sticks and mobility aids as standard on all of our disabled travel insurance policies, no matter whether you choose Silver, Gold or Platinum cover. Our disabled travel insurance policies provide cover, for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement if your wheelchair or other mobility aid is lost, stolen or damaged during your trip. We will also pay the cost of temporary hire during your trip.

Find out more about disabled travel insurance

Airport and airline services for disabled travellers.

Under EU law, disabled people and those with reduced mobility have a legal right to assistance when travelling by air. To ensure you get the support you need, it’s important to let the airline know of your needs at least 48 hours before you are due to travel.

The following services should be available for disabled travellers at all European airports:

facilities to summon assistance at designated arrival points, such as at terminal entrances, at transport interchanges and in car parks
assistance to reach check-in
help with registration at check-in
assistance with moving through the airport, including to toilets if required
help with getting on and off the plane
free carriage of medical equipment and up to two items of mobility equipment
a briefing for you and any escort or companion on emergency procedures and the layout of the cabin
help with stowing and retrieving baggage on the plane
assistance with moving to the toilet on the plane (some planes will have an on-board wheelchair)
someone to meet you off the plane and help you reach connecting flights or get to the next part of your journey

To travel alone, you must be able to:

unfasten your seat belt
leave your seat and reaching an emergency exit
put on a oxygen mask and lifejacket
understand the safety briefing and any instructions given by the crew in emergency situations

Airline cabin crew are not able to provide personal care. For safety reasons, airlines are entitled to require that you travel with a companion if you are not ‘self-reliant’. If you need help with feeding, breathing, using medication or using the toilet you will also need to travel with a companion.

Being disabled should not stop you from travelling abroad; but it does means that you need to be more prepared.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have published some useful travel tips for disabled travellers, including a reminder to buy disability travel insurance.

Travel tips for disabled travellers from the FCO

Find out more about disabled travel insurance

1000 Greek hotels to be closed or sold: Is your holiday protected against insolvency?

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As many as 1000 hotels in Greece are expected to close or be put up for sales in the coming weeks according to a report in the Sunday Times.

In the light of this news, travellers planning a holiday to Greece should check how their holiday is protected in the event of insolvency and if necessary add Scheduled Airline Failure (insolvency cover) to their travel insurance.

Large numbers of Greek hotels are expected to close or be sold due to a predicted drop in visitor numbers this summer, recent anti-German have been blamed for a 20-30% drop in German bookings, whilst bookings from Britain and Ireland are also expected to be approximately 10% down.

Although the crisis is not expected to impact larger four or five star resorts, smaller, independent hotels are more at risk and travellers should check what protection they have in place in the event that one of their holiday suppliers was to become insolvent.

Holiday makers booking a traditional package holiday including flights and accommodation with a bonded tour operator will have their holiday ATOL protected, which means that if their planned hotel closes, their tour operator would be required to provide them alternative accommodation, or a full refund. Holiday makers should check with their tour operator or travel agent about this kind of protection.

Travellers who book their holiday independently, for instance direct with a hotel and/or an airline, rather than booking a traditional package holiday would not have this kind of financial protection and should consider adding insolvency cover to their travel insurance policy.

Insolvency cover often known as Scheduled Airline Failure or Dynamic Packaging Cover provides additional travel insurance protection, allowing you to make a claim to recoup costs in the event that your pre-booked airline or accommodation becomes insolvent.

Scheduled Airline Failure/Dynamic Packaging Cover can be added to all Goodtogoinsurance.com single trip travel insurance and annual travel insurance policies.

Looking for diabetes travel insurance? We can help!

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT

If you are a diabetic, regardless of the severity of your diabetes, you need to declare it when you buy travel insurance, this will ensure that you are properly covered by your travel insurance in the event that you need medical treatment whilst you are away.

Many cheaper travel insurance policies will exclude pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, from their travel insurance cover, so be careful, don’t just assume that your diabetes will be covered.

We are proud that we can offer diabetes travel insurance that will cover all types of diabetes and related medical conditions, up to a high level of severity.

Worried about the cost of diabetes travel insurance?

The cost of diabetes travel insurance will largely depend on three things;

The severity of your diabetes and related medical conditions
The country you are travelling to, and
The length of the trip that you are taking

There are ways that you can try to keep the cost of travel insurance for diabetes down.

Think about where you are travelling to and consider getting some diabetic travel insurance quotes before you book your holiday. Prices for travel insurance cover, whether you have diabetes or not, can vary greatly depending on what country you are visiting, this is down to the cost of obtaining medical treatment in that country and whether that country has a reciprocal agreement with the UK for health care.

For instance, the USA, Canada and the Caribbean are usually the most expensive destinations to get travel insurance for – the medical treatment in the USA and Canada is very good, but it is also very expensive. The Caribbean is also expensive because if you need emergency medical treatment here, you are likely to be taken to hospital in the USA.

Don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance to cover your diabetes

Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance cover for your diabetes. If your diabetes isn’t covered and you need medical treatment abroad for something that is related to the diabetes, you could find yourself facing very large medical bills.

If you are suffering from diabetes, buying travel insurance can be trickier than just finding the cheapest policy. But don’t worry we can help!

Get a quote for diabetes travel insurance

Read our tips on travelling with diabetes.

Lower limb amputation 20 times more likely in people with diabetes

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMT

On the day that Diabetes UK launches a campaign to reduce lower limb amputations in diabetes sufferers we remind travellers about the importance of declaring their medical condition when buying diabetes travel insurance.

According to Diabetes UK people with diabetes are over 20 times more likely to have a lower limb amputation than those without.

In response to this Diabetes UK has launched a campaign to reduce the number of preventable lower limb amputations in people with diabetes. It claims that in certain parts of the UK people with diabetes are receiving poor levels of foot care resulting in foot amputations which could be avoided.

Diabetes UK says that about 80% of the 6000 diabetes –related amputations in England each year are preventable. Diabetes UK aims to reduce this number of amputations by 50% in 5 years.

Having your feet checked is number 5 in Diabetes UK’s list of 15 healthcare essentials for people with Diabetes.

Diabetes has becoming increasingly common in the UK in recent years; in fact in 2011, diabetes was the third most common medical condition to declared to us by customers buying travel insurance with cover for pre-existing medical conditions.

Diabetes travel insurance

Even if diabetes is controlled by diet or medication, it is vital to declare that people with diabetes declare their condition when they buy travel insurance. If their diabetes is well managed, and they don’t suffer from any related medical conditions it won’t be expensive and it could save them thousands of pounds if they become ill abroad and need emergency medical treatment.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance cover for all types of diabetes up to a high level of severity. Travellers who want to ensure that their diabetes is covered by their travel insurance should declare it at the time of purchase; they will then be asked a series of simple questions to access the severity of their diabetes in order to provide the appropriate diabetes travel insurance cover.

If you suffer from diabetes and have a holiday planned, get a quote for diabetes travel insurance.

Born before 1929? You are entitled to a free passport!

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

This is proof that not everything is more expensive as you get older.

If you want to travel abroad, even for a day, you will need a full ten year passport.

The good news is that if you are a British National and you were born before 2 September 1929, which would currently make you 82 years old or over, you could be entitled to a free passport - saving you £77.50.

The passport will be free whether you are applying for a renewal of an existing passport or applying for your first one.

You can apply for a refund of the passport fee if both the following apply:

- Applied for a passport since 19 May 2004
- You are eligible for a free passport

This concession for older people may not be very well known, but it came into force in 2004.

The idea for free passports for developed out of a scheme to allow war veterans to revisit places of people they knew during the 2nd World War, but in 2004 the Government extended it to included anyone who was aged 10 or older when the 2nd World War began.

For more information about applying for a free passport visit direct.gov or call the Passport Advice line on 0300 222 0000. The line is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm Monday to Friday and 9.00 am and 5.30 pm on weekends and public holidays

Travel Insurance over 80

Once you’ve got your free passport, remember to buy travel insurance over 80 before you depart the UK. Where ever you’re traveling you should have appropriate travel insurance cover in place and make sure that you declare any pre-existing medical conditions.

Although some insurers may refuse to provide travel insurance cover to those over 80, Goodtogoinsurance.com believes that everyone has the right to travel with the peace of mind that they have appropriate travel insurance cover in place, whether they are over 80 or over 100 – that is why are proud to offer travel insurance cover with no age limits.

Holiday Protection Update: ATOL Protection extended to cover more holidays, but gaps still remain.

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The good news is that ATOL Protection is being extended to include ‘Flight Plus’ holidays, the bad news is that many holidays booked independently or booked direct with an airline will still be unprotected, which means that adding insolvency cover to their travel insurance is still important for many holiday makers.

The Government has recently announced reforms to the ATOL Protections Scheme which is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and provides financial protection for package holidays that include air travel.

ATOL or Air Travel Operators License was established nearly 40 years ago to ensure that holiday makers whose tour operator ceased trading were looked after in resort and brought back to the UK, or if they were yet to travel, they received a refund.

In recent years the way that we book holidays has changed substantially which has meant the number of holidays actually protected by ATOL has fallen and there is a lot of confusion about which holidays are protected.

Under the current regulations ATOL Protection only applies to package holidays including air travel that are offered for sale at one inclusive price. This means that even if you book flights and accommodation from the same company, unless they were advertised for sale at one inclusive price, they would not be ATOL protected.

It is in response to this rather confused situation that the Government has decided to extend the ATOL scheme to include what are known as flight plus holidays, which is great news for UK holiday makers.

From April 30, if you book a flight plus hotel, or a flight plus car hire from the same company your holiday will also be ATOL Protected, as the regulations are being extended to include high street and online retailers where you can choose flights and hotels separately to put together your own ‘package’.

The bad news is that flights or holidays sold by airlines will still be excluded from the ATOL Scheme, therefore if you book a flight plus hotel or flight plus car hire with an airline your holiday will not be protected.

The other thing to be aware of is that booking flights and accommodation through completely separate companies also still falls outside of the ATOL Scheme, so your holiday would be unprotected.

If you have booked elements of your holiday with different providers, or booked direct with an airline adding Scheduled Airline Failure/Dynamic Packaging Cover to your travel insurance policy can help plug the gap and protect the money you have invested in your holiday.

Scheduled Airline Failure/Dynamic Packaging Cover provides additional travel insurance cover to recoup money lost on flight tickets if an airline becomes insolvent before you travel, or recoup the cost of replacement flights home if an airline becomes insolvent whilst you are away. It also provides travel insurance cover for the insolvency or financial failure of other holiday suppliers including hotels and car hire companies.

Looking for travel insurance cover for cancer? We can help!

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

If you are suffering from cancer, or have suffered from cancer in the past, buying travel insurance can be tricky. It’s quite common to find that the travel insurance you had with your bank, or your usual travel insurance provider suddenly won’t cover you because of your cancer. But don’t worry, Goodtogoinsurance.com is here to help.

We are proud that we can offer cancer travel insurance with cover for all types of cancer, up to a high level of severity and sometimes even a terminal prognosis. We can even provide travel insurance cover to cancer patients who are currently on a course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, provided their doctor says it is safe for them to travel.

Worried about the cost of cancer travel insurance?

The cost of cancer travel insurance will largely depend on three things;

- The type of cancer you have, its severity and how recently it was diagnosed

- The country you are travelling to, and

- The length of the trip that you are taking

There are ways that you can try to keep the cost of travel insurance for cancer down.

Firstly think about where you are travelling to and consider getting some travel insurance quotes before you book your holiday. Prices for travel insurance cover, whether you have cancer or not, can vary greatly depending on what country you are visiting, this is down to the cost of obtaining medical treatment in that country and whether that country has a reciprocal agreement with the UK for health care.

For instance, the USA, Canada and the Caribbean are usually the most expensive destinations to get cancer travel insurance for – the medical treatment in the USA and Canada is very good, but it is also very expensive. The Caribbean is also expensive because if you need emergency medical treatment here, you are likely to be taken to hospital in the USA.

Let me give you some figures to illustrate, the average cost of a medical expenses claim in the USA last year was £9142, with the largest claim for medical expenses in USA being £196,500. Compare that with £442 average medical claim and £4999 for the largest medical claim in France and it’s quite clear why travel insurance with cover for cancer costs more if you are travelling to the USA.

So, if you are looking to spend a couple of weeks on a ‘paradise island’ relaxing on the beach, you could save money on your cancer travel insurance by considering the Maldives or Thailand rather than the Caribbean.

One thing to also keep in mind is that the cost of travel insurance for cancer is likely to go down the longer you have been in remission or longer your cancer has been controlled. Therefore travel insurance for cancer for that stateside holiday could be much more affordable in a year or two.

Don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance to cover your cancer

Whatever you do, don’t be tempted to travel without travel insurance cover for your cancer. If your cancer isn’t covered and you need medical treatment abroad for something that is related to the cancer, you could find yourself facing very large medical bills.

Customers sometimes comment that it is not worth buying travel insurance to cover their cancer because the cost of the travel insurance is more than the cost of the holiday, but the thing to remember is that the main purpose of your travel insurance is to provide cover for you, rather than your holiday, against the risk of incurring large medical bills abroad. The cover which travel insurance also provides for cancellation is less important, because the amount of money you can lose, and therefore need to claim from your travel insurance, for cancelling your holiday is limited.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can provide travel insurance with cover for all types of cancer, you can get a quote for cancer travel insurance online or call and speak to one of our team who will be happy to help you.

112 is a number you should know if you are travelling to the EU

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

112 is the universal number to reach the emergency services throughout the EU.

The number was created by the European Commission in order to give easy access to emergency services to people travelling within the European Union. The number, 112, works in all EU member States and connects the caller to the local emergency services hotline.

A recent survey from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office reveals that most people in the UK do not know what number to call in the event of an emergency on holiday in Europe.

The survey of more than 2000 people in the UK found that only 14% knew that dialling 112 would reach the emergency services across the EU. Lynda St Cooke from the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices said:

“Knowing that you can phone 112 can save you time in critical situations. It is an essential number which we would encourage everyone to carry with them when on holiday in Europe, just as they would carry contact details for their hotel or car rental company. With luck you will never have to use it, but being prepared means you don’t have to worry about the local number to call if you or your family find yourselves in an emergency situation.” If you are travelling within the EU, remember, 112 is the number to call to reach the local emergency services.

Other numbers you should take with you on holiday:

Travel Insurance Emergency Medical Assistance

Your travel insurance policy will provide a 24 hour English speaking helpline for emergency medical assistance; you should take this with you when you travel and call it in the event that you fall ill or have an accident and require medical treatment. Your travel insurance provider will be able to offer support and assist you in getting the medical treatment you need.

Consular Assistance Support Team:

If you need help from the British Consulate, you can call the Consular Assistance Team on 020 7008 1500 (+44 20 7008 1500 if calling from overseas). If you are already abroad, you can also find the nearest British Embassy online. The Consular Service will be able to provide assistance for lost passports or help contact friends or family in the event that you are hospitalised abroad or become a victim of crime.

Looking for travel insurance over 80? We can help

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Have you found that once you‘ve turned 80 your usual travel insurance provider suddenly doesn’t want to help you? Don’t worry; if you are having difficulty obtaining travel insurance over 80, we are here to help.

Goodtogoinsurance.com are proud that we can offer fair priced single trip travel insurance and annual travel insurance to travellers who are over 80. In fact we are really proud to say that our travel insurance has no age limits, so the fact that you are over 80 won’t be a barrier to you getting travel insurance and being able to enjoy a relaxing holiday abroad with the peace of mind that you have travel insurance cover in place.

We recognise that our populations is aging and the over 80s are fitter and more active than they have ever been and therefore want to travel. We feel that it is important that the inability to get travel insurance does not become a barrier to the over 80s enjoying a holiday abroad. Even more importantly, the over 80s should not be tempted to travel without insurance cover because they feel it is too expensive.

Goodtogoinsurance.com was created specifically to target the gap in the market that has existed for fair priced travel insurance for travellers over 80. We will not refuse travel insurance cover to over 80s because of their age.

We can also cover all types of medical conditions. When you buy travel insurance over 80, you need to declare any medical conditions that you have visited the doctor for, or take medication for. It is important to remember the medical conditions that are controlled by medication such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or asthma. It can be easy to forget these when asked about pre existing medical conditions, because taking the medication becomes part of your daily life, but it is important that you declare them to ensure that they are covered by your travel insurance.

If you are over 80 and looking for travel insurance, goodtogoinsurance.com are here to help. You can get a quote for travel insurance over 80 online, or talk to us on 0844 334 0160 – we’re waiting to take your call.

Spanair collapse highlights importance of travel insurance with insolvency cover

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

The collapse of two European airlines within just over a week of each other highlights the importance of having travel insurance with insolvency cover, sometimes known as Scheduled Airline Failure.

Spanish airline Spanair ceased trading on Friday, after running out of financial options. It had been in talks with Qatar Airways about a possible takeover, but talks were halted and the regional government also refused to provide further funding.

Spanair was the 2nd European airline to cease trading in recent weeks; German regional airline Cirrus Airlines filed for bankruptcy at a German court on 20 January.

The collapse of a scheduled carrier has led to suggestions that Europe's debt crisis may spark airlines from the Mediterranean to the Baltic to consider mergers or risk failure.

Insolvency: How can you protect your holiday?

One way to make sure your holiday is financially protected is to book a package holiday through an ATOL bonded tour operator. This means that you have protection if your airline or tour operator ceased trading. If they were to cease trading before you depart the UK you would be able to make a claim to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to get your money back, or if you were overseas, the CAA would ensure that you got home safely.

Alternatively, if you prefer the freedom of booking your holiday independently, you should consider adding Scheduled Airline Failure and Dynamic Packaging Cover to your travel insurance. This extends your travel insurance policy to provide cover in the event that your airline, or other holiday supplier, such as hotel, coach, train, car hire company become insolvent.

If the insolvency occurs before departure:
Travel insurance cover is provided for irrecoverable sums lost as a result of the insolvency or financial failure of a travel or accommodation supplier, with whom you had made a booking and paid in advance.

If the insolvency occurs after departure:
Travel insurance cover is provided for additional pro rata costs incurred in replacing that part of the travel arrangements to a similar standard to that originally booked or if curtailment of the holiday is unavoidable - the cost of return transportation to the United Kingdom to a similar standard to that originally booked.

More information about travel insurance and insolvency cover (Scheduled Airline Failure)

Death rate from heart attack halved: Heart attack travel insurance

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

On the day a new report showing the death rate from heart attack has halved in last decade, we talk about the importance of getting the right travel insurance after a heart attack.

An Oxford University study, which looked at more than 800,000 men and women who suffered heart attacks between 2002 and 2010, has shown that the death rate from heart attacks in England has halved in the last 10 years.

The research showed that fewer heart attacks occurred in later years and fewer were fatal. Improvements have been put down to better NHS care after a heart attack and better prevention measures.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation said “This impressive fall in death rates is due partly to prevention of heart attacks by better management of risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol and due partly to better treatment of heart attack patients when they reach hospital”.

If you’ve recently survived a heart attack a recuperation holiday could be just the thing you need, providing your doctor says it is safe for you to travel. If you are able to get away on holiday, make sure that you have appropriate travel insurance cover before you depart and declare that you have had a heart attack. In fact, regardless of whether your heart attack was a few months or a few years ago it should be declared when you buy travel insurance.

If you don’t declare that you have had a heart attack when you buy travel insurance you run the risk of incurring high medical bills if you fall ill abroad, because you won’t be covered for any medical treatment that is related back to your heart attack.

These days it is very easy to get travel insurance for heart attack, simply declare the heart attack and answer the multiple choice medical questions – you should be able to get instant travel insurance cover online or by phone, without the need for a doctor’s certificate.

Holidays are all about taking time out to relax. If you have suffered from a heart attack there's no reason why you can't travel – provided your doctor says that it is safe for you to do so.

Even if your heart attack was many years ago it can still pay to visit your doctor for a check-up before you travel to make sure that you are fit and healthy, particularly if you intend to fly. Your doctor may also be able to provide you with some tips to make your journey more comfortable.

Remember, if you have had a heart attack you need to declare it when you buy travel insurance.

Travel insurance cover for your travelling companions medical conditions

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

You might be ok to travel, but are your travelling companions? If you are going away with a family member or friend with a medical condition it makes getting the right travel insurance essential.

January is one of the peak holiday booking periods of the year. If you are making plans for your summer holiday, getting the right travel insurance should be part of that plan.

For those of you who are travelling with a friend or family member who has a pre-existing medical condition, getting the right travel insurance becomes even more important. It is vital to ensure that even though you are healthy, you will be covered if your holiday has to be cancelled due to your companion’s medical condition.

This important element of travel insurance can be overlooked by healthy travellers who are simply looking for the cheapest travel insurance cover for their holiday. Yet, if your travelling companion falls ill before the holiday starts due to a pre-existing medical condition, causing your trip to be cancelled, you may find it difficult to get reimbursement if you are insured on separate travel insurance policies.

Goodtogoinsurance.com specialises in travel insurance cover for pre-existing medical conditions – we can cover healthy friends and family on the same policy as those with medical conditions which will ensure that everyone in the party will be compensated if there’s an unexpected cancellation due to illness.

Everyone needs to declare their pre-existing medical conditions to make sure they have full travel insurance cover for medical expenses. And those travelling in a group with someone with a pre-existing condition should consider being covered on the same travel insurance policy so that they are properly covered for cancellation and curtailment.

Ash Cloud fears as Etna Erupts: Travel insurance volcanic ash

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano started erupting on Wednesday night, spewing volcanic ash in to the sky.

The volcano, which is situated on the Italian Island of Sicily is one of the most active in Europe, regularly erupts blasting lava and ash into the atmosphere. Eruptions can last for several days and can force the closure of nearby Catania airport. Fortunately no flights have been affected yet by this latest eruption.

For the latest information on air travel within Europe follow @eurocontrol on twitter

At the moment it looks like we can be hopeful that flights won’t be affected by the volcanic ash from Etna’s eruption.

Last year flights were delayed due to volcanic ash in South America and Australia, add this to the constant fear of another Icelandic volcanic ash cloud and it pays to be aware of your rights if your flight is affected by volcanic ash and what travel insurance cover is available.

Travellers who are concerned about the risk of their holiday being affected by a volcanic ash cloud should consider adding Natural Catastrophe Cover to their travel insurance.

It can allow you to claim for the cost of alternative travel arrangements if your flight is delayed for more than 24 hours and no reasonable alternative is provided to you.

Natural Catastrophe cover (volcanic ash) from goodtogoinsurance.com is designed to enhance your policy by providing cover for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred due to unexpected events such as volcanic ash cloud and other natural disasters including; earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes.

If a travel insurance policy with natural catastrophe cover is bought before a volcano erupts, you will be able to make a claim for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption.

How does the country you visit affect the price of your travel insurance?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Did you know that your holiday destination can have a significant impact on the price of travel insurance?

There are 4 main criteria taken into account when you get a quote for travel insurance over 65 or travel insurance for medical conditions. The duration of your holiday, your age, any medical conditions that you need to have covered by the travel insurance and the severity of those pre-existing conditions, and lastly the destination that you are planning to travel to.

To keep your travel insurance costs down, choose your holiday destination carefully

You can’t do much about your age or your medical conditions, but you can keep the price of your travel insurance down by choosing your holiday destination carefully.

The country you travel to can have a big impact on the price of travel insurance, no matter what your age, but if you are over 65 or have pre-existing medical conditions that need to be covered, the difference in the price of travel insurance cover can become much more dramatic.

This price difference is generally down to the cost of medical treatment in that country. For instance, medical treatment in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean is notoriously expensive, this means that if you fall ill in any of those countries and subsequently make a claim on your travel insurance, the cost to the insurer is going to be significantly higher – therefore this is reflected in the price of your policy.

Even within Europe, the country you travel to could have an impact on the price of your travel insurance. Spain or the Spanish Islands, including the Canaries is often more expensive for travel insurance than other European countries. This is because tourists are often sent to private hospitals where the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) is not accepted, resulting in the cost of medical treatment for British tourists in Spain being higher than in other European Countries.

Which countries might increase the price or your travel insurance?

Within Europe, countries which can be more expensive include Spain, the Canary Islands, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta and Switzerland. Outside of Europe, USA, Canada, the Caribbean are the ones to avoid if you want to keep the cost of your travel insurance to a minimum.

Unless there is a reason why you want to travel to a particular destination, why not get a quick quote for travel insurance cover before you commit to a holiday destination? That way you can see what impact the destination country has on the price of your travel insurance. If you have more severe pre-existing medical conditions, such as cancer, the country you travel to could change the price of travel insurance by as much as a few hundreds of pounds, so it can be worth doing a bit of research before you book your holiday.

Report highlights that 24,000 deaths from Diabetes can be avoided

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

A report has concluded today that up to 24,000 deaths related to diabetes in England and Wales could be avoided each year if patients and doctors managed the condition better.

Around 70-75,000 patients with diabetes die each year, but report estimates that a third of these deaths could be avoided if their diabetes was managed better.

Managing diabetes better would include better basic health checks from doctors, as well as diabetes patients themselves taking better care of themselves by taking their diabetes medication as prescribed and leading a more healthy lifestyle, including sticking to a healthy diet.

Diabetes UK says that although the statistics in the report are up setting it highlights the importance of self-management of diabetes. With the right care and support people with diabetes can and do live long healthy lives.

Diabetics can self-manage their condition through blood glucose monitoring, eating sensibly, taking medication appropriately, leading a healthy lifestyle and attending all their healthcare appointments.

The importance of the self-management of diabetes applies equally when you are on holiday as when you are at home. If you are a diabetic you can travel and enjoy a holiday abroad the same as any other person, but you might have to do a bit more planning before you travel to ensure that you can manage your diabetes safely whilst you are away.

Diabetes UK publishes a guide to travelling with diabetes which can help you prepare for a travelling abroad. Information about travelling with diabetes can be found on their website.

The most important thing to do before you travel with diabetes is ensure that you have travel insurance that covers your diabetes; Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover diabetes on annual and single trip travel insurance policies. Simply declare your diabetes when you get a travel insurance quote, either online or by phone and answer the multiple choice questions.

Holiday makers to pay more tax from April 2012

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The Government has confirmed Air Passenger Duty (APD) will increase by 8-10% from 1st April 2012.

The increase, which is twice the current rate of inflation, is to be applied to all flight departures from UK airports from 1st April 2012, regardless of when the flight was booked.

This means that you can’t escape the increased charges by booking your holiday early, and even those that have already booked will be faced with an additional charge to cover the increased tax.

If you have already booked a flight, you can expect to be contacted before your departure with a bill for the increased charge. Although you may be lucky, as some airlines and tour operators, including Thompson and First Choice are currently considering whether they are able to absorb the cost or will have to pass it on to customers.

You could be shocked to learn just how much of the cost of your flight is actually tax being passed on to the Government.

For economy, short haul flights it’s not too bad, with APD rising from £12 to £13. But if you are planning to travel long haul or upgrade your seat to premium economy or business class the proportion you are paying in tax can rise significantly.

Tax on economy departures to the US, Egypt, Dubai and other destinations in band B will increase from £60 to £65.

Tax on economy flights to the Caribbean, Mexico, East Asia, Thailand and other countries in band C will go up from £75 to £81.

And tax on departures to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and other destinations in band D will rise from £85 to £92.

You might also think twice about upgrading to premium economy or business class as APD on these fares is likely to be double the rates listed above.

UK Public Sector Strike: Travel insurance cover for flight delays

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Passengers are being warned to expect delays at airports across the UK on Wednesday as UK Border Agency staff join the biggest public sector strike in the UK for a generation.

With UK Border Agency staff on strike they could be long delays for passengers flying into the UK trying to get through passport control. This in turn could have a knock on effect on departing flights.

If you are due to fly into or out of the UK on Wednesday you should contact your airline for further information.

Travel insurance for travel delay due to strike action

Goodtogoinsurance.com.com provides cover for disruption due to strike action under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy. You will have cover for travel delay due to strike action according to the terms and conditions of the policy, so long as you bought your travel insurance policy before the strike dates were announced.

Travel delay provides a fixed benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed. The amount varies according to whether you purchased a Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance policy. Check your schedule of cover for details.

Alternatively, you can choose to abandon your holiday and make a claim for any irrecoverable costs, up to the limit specified in the cancellation section of the policy. Again this varies according to whether you purchased a Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance policy.

In order to make a claim for travel delay on your travel insurance you must have checked in for your flight and you will need a letter from the airline confirming the length of the delay.

Flight delays due to fog: Travel insurance fog

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT

This morning, passengers are facing a second day of flight disruptions due to dense fog at UK and European Airports.

European flight management agency Eurocontrol was reporting severe delays because of the weather across Europe - especially at airports in Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna, Oslo, Paris and Zurich

The worst affected airports in the UK have been Heathrow and London City Airport, being forced to cancel more than 100 flights this morning. Gatwick and Stansted have stated that although they are experiencing poor visibility they are operating without disruption.

A weather warning for dense fog also has been issued for Yorkshire and Humberside, the East and West Midlands, the East of England and the South East. Passengers who are concerned about the status of their flights are advised to contact their airlines.

Travel insurance cover for delays caused by fog

If you do suffer a flight delay due to adverse weather, such as fog, you should have cover under the travel delay section of your travel insurance.

The travel delay section of your travel insurance policy is designed to offer a fixed benefit, to help cover additional expenses, such as food and drink, incurred whilst you are waiting at the airport. It pays a fixed benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed – check your policy schedule for the amount. You also have the option to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the policy.

Please note: In order to make a claim you must have checked in for your flight and you will need to provide evidence of the delay. Obtain a letter from your airline stating the scheduled departure time along with the actual departure time of your flight.

For up to date information on the status of flights across Europe follow @eurocontrol on twitter

Could your holiday souvenir get you a 5000 pound fine and a prison sentence?

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Just because they sell it at the airport, doesn’t mean that you’re allowed to bring it back into the UK.

Although whale meat is freely available for sale in souvenir packs at Iceland’s Keflavik airport, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued a stern warning to UK travellers who may be tempted bring back some back as a souvenir.

The FCO said “Whale meat is available in Iceland, but tourists should be aware that its importation into the UK/EU is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Any importation of whale meat to the UK will result in seizure of goods, possibly a fine of up to £5000 and a custodial sentence”. Although this is perhaps an extreme example it does illustrate the point that when you travel abroad, particularly outside the EU, you shouldn’t just assume that you are allowed to bring anything you fancy back into the UK.

You should definitely think twice before buying a souvenir made from an endangered species, as you may not be allowed to bring it back to the UK and may even face prosecution as described above.

Endangered species include:
Animals such as elephants, rhinos, whales, turtles, coral and many reptiles
Plants such as orchids, cacti and mahogany and ramin trees

So, before you buy one of the beautiful orchids on sales in Bangkok airport, think about whether you are allowed to bring it back into the country. The person selling it to you in Bangkok doesn’t know or care whether you are allowed to take plants into your destination country. That responsibility falls to you.

It’s not just products made from endangered species that you should be careful of, there are strict rules around other products particularly from outside the EU. Alcohol and tobacco are the obvious ones but also be aware that there are also the import of food and plant products are restricted. Although unlikely to lead to a prison sentence, the items would be confiscated and you could be prosecuted.

You are not allowed to bring in any meat or dairy products from most countries outside the EU. The majority of fruits, vegetables, seeds and bulbs are subject to weight or quantity restrictions. Some plants and plant products (including potatoes) and loose soil may not be brought into the UK unless you have obtained the relevant licence. So long as items are for your own personal use, bringing products back from other EU countries is largely unrestricted.

Check the Home Office or Directgov websites for a detailed guide on which food and plants you can and can’t bring back to the UK.

Protect the money youve invested in your holiday - buy travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday.

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Many people leave buying travel insurance to the last minute, perhaps just a day or two before they travel, but if you do leave it to the last minute you are putting the money you’ve invested in your holiday at risk.

Think about the cost of your holiday, could you afford to lose it, if for reasons such as illness or redundancy you are forced to cancel. If you’d already bought travel insurance with cancellation cover, you’d be able to make a claim for the cost of the holiday under the cancellation section of the travel insurance policy, then re-book your holiday for a convenient date.

If you hadn’t already bought travel insurance, you’d be forced to cancel; you’d be out of pocket and may not be able to afford to book another holiday.

Buying travel insurance with cancellation cover as soon as you’ve booked your holiday can provide financial protection for your holiday before you travel, as well as providing cover for you when you're away.

Another reason to buy travel insurance cover as early as possible is to ensure that you are covered for travel delays due to strike action. For example the recent general strikes in Italy and Greece which affected air traffic control and caused cancellation and delays for many travellers.

If you booked your holiday and bought a travel insurance policy before strike dates are announced you should be covered for travel delay and abandonment due to strike action.

Goodtogoinsurance.com provides a benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed; this is designed to help cover additional expenses, such as food and drink when you’re stuck at the airport. You also get the option to ‘abandon’ your holiday after a delay of 12 hours and make a claim for the cost. This will be up to the amount specified in the policy, so make sure you buy the right level of cover which reflects the cost of your holiday.

Goodtogoinsurance.com’s Gold and Platinum policies include cover for cancellation and delays due to strike, make sure you get the full benefit by buying you travel insurance policy as soon as you’ve booked your holiday.

20% of holiday makers without travel insurance

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT

A recent poll by ABTA has found that as many as 20% of UK holidaymakers are still going abroad without taking out travel insurance.

According to the survey which polled 2018 customers, more than 1 in 4 mistakenly believed that the UK Government will cover their bills if something goes wrong.

This could be a costly mistake to make, because although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can provide support and assistance, if you are hospitalised abroad due to illness or injury, they do not cover the cost. This is why it is vital to have travel insurance every time you travel, particularly if you are travelling with a pre-existing medical condition.

Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive and to avoid being faced with large bills if taken ill or after having an accident, the Foreign Office urges people to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy every time they go away.

A recent case of an uninsured man having a motorcycle accident Bali draws attention to how high those costs can be. The man’s family are facing bills in excess of £120,000 for medical treatment and a further £110,000 for an air ambulance to fly him home.

Good news for air passengers

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:00 GMT

A highly rated agency have analysed over 40 airlines by judging them on 15 criteria including the age of the airline, the number of cabin crew available, pilot training and the number of accidents that they have been involved in during the last ten years.

British Airways came out on top and were closely followed by Air France-KLM and Lufthansa as being the safest airlines in Europe. US carriers that rated well include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines.

ATRA, who operate independently, says that the study was carried out to ‘provide the aviation sector with rigorous and transparent information, liable to encourage airlines to track, interpret and discuss any criteria in the organisation contributing to flight safety’.

Air passengers-know your rights

If you are jetting off on your holiday it is important that you are aware of your rights as an air passenger.

The European Union have created regulations to protect air passengers whose flights may be delayed or cancelled. The regulations have been created to protect air passengers who travel on domestic and international flights taking off from any airport in the European Union. People flying into the EU from overseas will also be covered by the legislations as long as they are travelling on a European airline. Find out more information here .

The real cost of no travel insurance for UK holidaymakers

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT

New research has emerged about the rising cost of medical bills abroad; this has urged the Foreign Office to advise travellers to prioritise travel insurance when planning a trip abroad.

The findings of the research carried out by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance shows that the average medical claim made by British tourists who fell ill abroad in 2010 was £1,333.41. Countries where the cost of medical care can be high such as the USA had average claims of £4,725.

Last month we reported about a man from Kent who was seriously ill in a hospital in Indonesia following a motorbike accident; as he did not have travel insurance, his parents were facing a bill of tens of thousands of pounds to fly him home.

Following a similar incident, involving a man from Leicestershire, who was also involved in a motorcycle accident and also uninsured, Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, has called for a change in the law to make travel insurance compulsory. The man’s family are facing costs of over £120,000 for medical treatment after the motorcycle accident in Bali, and they need to raise another £110,000 to fly him back to the UK by air ambulance.

If you have comprehensive travel insurance these types of costs are usually covered by the policy, if however no travel insurance has been taken out, holidaymakers are left to pay medical bills and other associated costs from their own pockets.

The Foreign Office also advises tourists to buy an insurance policy with adequate health cover for the destination, it is important that this is done before you depart. The medical cover of your policy should be at least £1m for European travel and £2m for the rest of the world. It is also important to declare any pre-existing medical conditions , you may not be covered by your policy if you don’t declare these when asked.

Phil Lords from the Foreign Offices ‘Know Before You Go’ Campaign says:

“These findings highlight the importance of taking out insurance before you travel. Many people try to cut holiday costs, only to discover that when things go wrong they are obliged to pay thousands of pounds in bills. Getting comprehensive travel insurance means that whilst an accident may disrupt your holiday, it won’t bankrupt you.”

MP calls for travel insurance to be mandatory

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Last month a man from Kent who was seriously ill in a hospital in Indonesia following a motorbike accident; as he did not have travel insurance his parents were facing a bill of tens of thousands of pounds to fly him home.

Andrew Bridgen MP said: "At the request of the family, I will be raising this issue with the Government in the coming months to see what more can be done to highlight the importance of travel and medical insurance abroad and the feasibility of operating the same procedures as when you take a car out of the country."

These two recent cases highlight the need for travel insurance whenever you go away and reminds us how high medical costs can be overseas.

If you have a pre existing medical condition it is vital to ensure that you have appropriate travel insurance with your medical conditions covered, in case you fall ill abroad. You should declare any medical conditions when you purchase your policy to make sure they are covered. It doesn’t take long to buy appropriate travel insurance cover and it could save you hundreds of thousands.

Our thoughts go out to these two men and their families at this extremely difficult time.

Virgin Atlantic ready for Strike

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Weekend reports have showed that there is strong support for the pilot walk-out which will affect Virgin Atlantic passengers. This will be the first walkout in the airlines history and it is thought that the strike action will take place at the end of June or beginning of July, actual dates have not yet been announced.

The strike is said to cause disruption to many of the airlines destinations around the world which includes the USA, Tokyo, and the Caribbean.

If your holiday is booked, and your travel insurance purchased before the strike dates or the intention to strike are announced you will be covered under the travel delay section of your policy.

If the 750 pilots who are in a row over pay cannot come to an agreement with management it is expected that many transatlantic routes will be affected during the strike. Reports have suggested that there is overwhelming support for the strike action and that any walk out by pilots can begin as soon as one weeks’ notice is given.

Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the BALPA has said that pilots had not had a pay increase since 2008 in the belief that they were helping out the airline during tough times and that they would be rewarded later-looks like this hasn’t been the case!

Airport workers to join strike, does your travel insurance cover you?

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The public sector union Public and Commercial Services (PCS) have announced that 250,000 members will be striking on 30th June over a battle against the government over pensions, retirement age and wages.

If your holiday is booked, and your travel insurance purchased before the strike dates or the intention to strike are announced you will be covered under the travel delay section of your policy.

The strike which is due to take place on 30th June will also now include airport immigration officials and some air traffic controllers, as they are also represented by the PCS. Approximately 61% of the unions members agreed to walk out after a national ballot was held.

A spokesperson for BAA seemed unsure about how the strike action by airport workers would affect the UK’s air travel on the 30th as it’s believed that very few of their employees were involved in the strike.

Foreign office warns of attacks in Algarve

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The death of a tourist in the popular resort of Albufeira has been followed by a Foreign Office warning to holidaymakers of the danger of violent attacks in the Algarve. Two men have been attacked in the Montechoro neighbourhood by a gang, one of these attacks sadly resulting in the death of Mr Haggarth who died in hospital last Wednesday.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for the Algarve to warn that street crime in the region can occasionally turn violent. A spokesman for the Foreign Office has said that the change in advice is ‘very minor’ and aimed to alert holidaymakers about street crime in the area.

We hope that your visit abroad is trouble free and that you have an enjoyable trip. If you do become a victim of theft or assault consular staff should be able to help you by offering assistance and advice. Check the Foreign Office website for the contact details you might need when travelling abroad. The FCO website also contains some useful information on staying safe when abroad along with the latest travel advice and alerts.

If you are planning a holiday or trip abroad don’t forget to buy travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. Most policies will provide cover for medical expenses, personal possessions and legal expenses.

Kids on holiday? No thanks!

Tue, 31 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Does the thought of kids on holiday make you cringe? Well you’ll be pleased to hear that Thomson Holidays has launched its adult-only brand ‘Thomson Couples’, and are claiming to be the first mainstream travel company to be able to offer child free holidays around the world.

The new brand is said to be a result of a survey carried out by the tour operator which showed that 79% of holidaymakers were ‘affected’ by kids when on holiday. 31% even went on to say that other people’s children had ‘ruined’ their break. However other people’s offspring are not the only ones to blame, 40% of those surveyed said that their own kids affect their time on holiday.

The new holidays are due to be launched in the summer and will include 19 hotels exclusively for adults only, destinations will include the Algarve, Crete, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

If you are thinking of planning a summer break without the kids don’t forget to buy Travel Insurance . Buy your travel insurance policy as soon as you have booked your holiday, that way you’ll get the benefit of cancellation cover before you go and your travel insurance will be in place ready for your holiday.

Goodtogoinsurance.com provides single trip travel insurance to travellers of any age, with or without pre existing medical conditions.

Volcanic Ash Cloud Update

Tue, 24 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The volcano in Iceland that erupted over the weekend could cause serious disruption if it spreads across the UK. Due to changing wind conditions, the Met Office has said that it is difficult to predict whether the ash cloud will spread to other parts of the UK.

If you think that you might be affected by the ash cloud contact your airline, travel agent or the airport that you are due to fly from for the latest travel information. If unfortunately your flight is cancelled, the airline should offer you either a full refund of your unused ticket or an alternative flight. EU based airlines are required to offer you accommodation and meals if you are delayed in getting home to the UK.

The CAA have said that they will give permission for airlines to fly in medium to high density ash as long as they have completed sufficient risk assessments, this will hopefully reduce the number of cancelled or delayed flights.

If you are departing on a flight this week, it is advisable to keep up to date with the volcanic ash situation, for the latest volcanic ash information visit the FCO website.

Volcanic Ash - Travel Insurance Cover Update

Tue, 24 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

If you think that your journey might be affected by the ash cloud you should contact your airline, travel agent or the airport for the latest travel information.

Travel insurance cover for delays and cancellations due to volcanic ash

If your flight is cancelled, the airline should offer you either a full refund of your unused ticket or an alternative flight. EU based airlines are also required to offer you accommodation and meals if you are delayed in getting home to the UK. You should contact your airline or tour operator for details.

There is no cover under goodtogoinsurance.com policies for cancellations due to the ash cloud, as this should be covered by your airline, as detailed above.

If you flight is delayed due to the ash cloud, the underwriter will consider claims on an individual basis in line with the terms and conditions of the policy.

If your trip is cancelled by the provider and there are no outstanding claims on the policy, customers can transfer their single trip insurance to a new trip at no extra charge (bar additional premium if destination or duration changes) provided the policy transfer is made within 31 days.

If you are stuck abroad and delayed returning, your insurance will be automatically extended at no extra charge until you can get the first flight home, meaning that you will continue to be covered for emergency medical expenses etc. until you are able to return home.

Do you tip enough when on holiday?

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

In a recent survey by TripAdvisor over 6,000 people from five different countries were quizzed on their knowledge of tipping when abroad. Embarrassingly 60% of Britons had no idea about how much to tip in foreign countries, whilst our European neighbours did better with 55% knowing what was expected. Italy ranked the highest as they showed the most confidence of how much to tip whilst abroad.

The rules for tipping in some countries is constantly changing, in some countries its common practice whilst in others it just isn’t seen as necessary. Did you know that tipping in Japan is seen as an insult? And that the majority of European hotels and restaurants already add gratuity to your bill?

If you find tipping when away on holiday a bit too confusing have a look at the below general tipping information:

Asia and the Pacific: Best thing to do is observe what the locals are doing and follow suit, some countries in Asia may take your kind gesture as an insult. If you are unsure it might be best not to leave a tip.

Europe: In most cases a service charge will already be added to your bill, therefore it won’t be necessary to leave a further tip. If you notice that no service charge has been added 10% gratuity is a general rule.

Middle East/Africa: In this part of the world tipping is seen as being unnecessary, however if you do wish to tip, small amounts will be appreciated more than large sums.

Central/South America: Most hotels and restaurants will already add a service charge to a bill, however really good service is generally rewarded with an additional 10%.

If you are looking for further travel advice the FCO is a great place to start.

Where will your next Golf Break take you?

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Planning a golfing break abroad? Well soon you’ll be able to add the Maldives to your list of golf course options.

The island nation has signed a deal with a building firm to investigate the possibility of developing the world’s first permanent floating golf course, which will also come with a convention centre and residential rooms.

If the golf course does go ahead, the Maldives government hope that it will attract more business and tourists to the island. The plan is for the golf course to be permanently anchored to the main island of Male and will be designed to have minimal environmental impact.

The new course will be located five miles from Male International Airport, and one of only a few courses that will be able to claim that it’s right next to both luxury hotels and a coral reef.

If you are planning to play golf whist abroad and are taking your own golf clubs with you make sure you extend your travel insurance policy to provide cover for golf equipment and non refundable green fees.

Presenter considers suing airline after heart attack!

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Singapore Airlines had better watch out, it looks like a presenter from the BBC is considering suing the airline after he suffered a heart attached during one of their flights.

According to reports the airline refused to carry out an emergency landing so that the presenter Max Pearson could be taken directly to hospital. Instead he was forced to endure a 14 hour flight from Singapore to Heathrow airport. As soon as he landed the presenter was rushed to Harefield hospital, where he received emergency medical treatment.

A spokesperson for the airline made the following statement:

“An in-flight diversion may be carried out based on medical recommendations. Our pilots will take considerations, including the recommendations of MedAire, into account on whether to divert to the nearest suitable airport with medical facilities”.

In addition to the above Singapore Airlines claim that their aircrafts are equipped with Emergency Medical Kits and say that their cabin crew are trained in First Aid and CPR.

If you suffer from a pre existing medical condition there’s no reason why you can’t go away on holiday as long as you declare your conditions when taking out travel insurance. For travel insurance which specialises in matter of the heart have a look at travel insurance heart conditions.

If you are concerned about travelling with a heart condition or any other medical condition, contact your GP before going away. For some useful travel tips check out travelling with a heart condition. .

Does your travel companion have a medical condition?

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Are you making plans for an Easter break? If you are, making sure that you have the right travel insurance cover should be an essential step. If you are travelling with a family member or friend who has an existing medical condition, it’s vital to ensure that you have travel insurance that will cover you should the trip be cancelled or cut short because of your companion’s illness.

We believe this vital element of the holiday is often overlooked by healthy travellers. Yet, if a member of a travelling party falls ill before the holiday starts due to a pre-existing condition, causing the trip to be cancelled, the other travellers may find it difficult to get reimbursement if they are insured separately.

If you are travelling with someone who has a pre existing medical condition it might be a good idea to buy one travel insurance policy to cover the whole group, this will make it easier to make a claim if you are unfortunate enough to have to cancel your holiday in the event that is was deemed medically necessary to cancel or cut short the holiday due to your companions illness.

If you would like to know more about buying a policy which covers medical conditions have a look at Medical Questions Answered.

Have a great Easter!

Easter Getaway - make sure you get value for money!

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 GMT

With Easter just around the corner you might be thinking of escaping the UK and opting for some April sun, well it looks like holidaymakers on a budget might find that their spending money will go further if they stick to city breaks in Eastern European cities.

A survey carried out by the Post Office which examined where visitors money would go the furthest found that out of the 19 city break destination that they examined the top five cities ended up being in Eastern Europe. The results also found that a strong UK pound makes half of the cities listed cheaper than last year.

Meals, drinks, accommodation, sightseeing and transport were all rated with Stockholm coming in as the most expensive with Barcelona, Germany and Dublin all coming in as better value.

Did you know that holidaymakers can pre-order their currency for collection or home delivery at Travelex and the Postoffice?

As well as getting your currency sorted don’t forget to arrange for your European Travel Insurance, the sooner you get it the sooner you will be protected so make sure it’s on your to do list!

Another reason to stay in Europe

Unfortunately British Airways has increased the cost of their long haul flights and are blaming this on the high rise of oil.

This isn’t the first raise that BA is passing onto its customers; in fact it’s the second rise in two months. The new costs will see £10 added to economy tickets and £20 to business and first class.

On a positive note the increase will not affect those of you planning to travel on short haul flights.

If you are planning on going away don’t forget to take out Travel Insurance as soon as you book your holiday, this will ensure that you get the maximum amount of protection for your holiday.

Whatever you decide to do have a great Easter break!

Spanish airport strikes to be called off

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Following on from our previous story on the possibility of Spanish airport strikes we’re pleased to advise that this may no longer be the case!

AENA, which is the Spanish Airport Authority, has managed to reach agreement with the unions to ensure the working rights of its employees. Airport staff had threatened 22 days of industrial action, beginning in the run up to Easter and would have involved security staff, baggage handlers, and cabin crew. Union leaders said approximately 70% of their members voted to call off the industrial action

The walkouts which have hopefully now been avoided would have forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from Spain along with other flights which may have had to fly through Spanish airspace.

Union members have voted to cancel the strike after receiving guarantees which include job security and working conditions. The settlement follows many hours of talks and will hopefully remain valid until December 2019.

If your holiday is booked, and your travel insurance purchased before the strike dates or the intention to strike are announced you will be covered under the travel delay section of your policy booklet.

If only BA had as much luck-it seems that a vote that was organised by their union Unite will see members vote in favour of another series of strikes. As a battle continues between management and cabin crew thousands of union members have been voting in favour of a walk out, Unite are yet to announce strike dates.

A statement from British Airways issued after the news broker said “This is a time for co-operation, not confrontation. We hope our talks with Unite will bring an end to this dispute, which is what the overwhelming majority of our cabin crew want.”

Good news for holiday makers: No rise in Air Passenger Duty this year

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The planned increase in Air Passenger Duty for this April has been deferred until 2012.

There was some good news for UK holidaymakers yesterday, when the Chancellor George Osborne delayed the planned with-inflation rise in Air Passenger Duty (APD) until April 2012. The Chancellor stated that he proposes to recoup some of the income by imposing a new tax on users of private jets, who are currently exempt from APD.

UK air passengers are currently charged £12 in Air Passenger Duty on economy short haul flights (£24 business class) and up to £170 per person on business class long haul flights over 6000 miles (£85 economy class).

These rates were due to rise this April, putting the tax on a long haul flight up to as much as £186 for business class passengers flying over 6000 miles. The increased tax rates are now due to come into force in April 2012.

After lobbying by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, the Chancellor has also announced plans to reform anomolies in the distance bands of Airport Passenger Duty, which results in flights to the Caribbean attracting a higher tax than flights to California, even though California is further away.

Whats the likelihood of your flight being on time? Airline punctuality 2010 published.

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT

If you’ve got a flight booked, or you are currently shopping around for a flight, don’t just think about the price, you can also check out an airline’s record on timings and delays before you make a decision.

The latest league table showing airline punctuality has just been published by flightontime.info.

Bmi Regional has topped the league table, which details on-time airlines from UK airports for January to December 2010. The table, which has been put together using arrival and departure times recorded by the Civil Aviation Authority, shows the average delay in minutes, as well as the percentage of arrivals and departures within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

Ryanair, the low cost airline we all love to hate, was in 15th position with an average delay of 13.7 minutes and 75.9% of flights within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. This beat British Airways, who came 20th in the table, with an average delay time of 15.1 minutes and only 74% of flights arriving and departing within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

	Rank	Average delay in minutes	Within 15 mins (%)	More than 1 hour late (%)
bmi Regional	1st	7.1	89.7	3.2
Eastern Airways	2nd	8.3	89.2	3.9
City Jet / Scot Airways	3rd	8.8	85.6	3.4
VLM Airlines	4th	8.9	86	3.8
KLM (incl Cityhopper)	5th	9.3	84.7	3.2
Scandinavian SAS	6th	10.1	81.8	4
Loganair	7th	10.2	86.4	4.6
Air Southwest	8th	10.3	82	4.4
Air Berlin	9th	11.7	79.1	4.2
bmi British Midland	10th	11.7	79.2	4.3
Brussels Airlines	11th	12	79.1	4.8
Swiss Airlines	12th	12.3	75.8	4.2
Flybe	13th	13.3	81	5.8
BA CityFlyer	14th	13.5	78.5	6.3
Ryanair	15th	13.7	75.9	4.4
Aer Lingus	16th	13.7	77.9	5.5
Air France	17th	13.9	75.1	4.8
United Airlines	18th	14.4	76	5.8
Alitalia	19th	15.1	68.6	5.1
British Airways	20th	15.1	74	5.5

2010 Ranking by Jan-Dec average delay (ascending). Analysis includes arrivals and departures at UK reporting airports.