General Travel Insurance Questions

Why does my customer need travel insurance?
Travel Insurance will cover your customers for those unfortunate eventualities that can happen when travelling. Our standard and deluxe policies will cover cancellation, medical expenses, damage or theft of personal belongings, plus much more. Our basic policy isn’t as comprehensive as standard and deluxe (the price reflects this) but does still cover medical expenses amongst other things. Check out the Cover Summary within the policy wording document for a full listing of cover and sums insured.

When should customers purchase travel insurance?
As soon as your customer books their trip they are at risk of having to cancel, therefore you should recommend they buy their travel insurance as soon as they book their holiday/travel arrangements or soon after and be sure that the policy they are purchasing covers them for cancellation. Standard and Deluxe policies cover cancellation.

What is an excess?
An excess is the first portion of a claim that your customer must pay. The amount varies depending on the policy section. Where your customer submits a successful claim, the excess is deducted from any payment made to them.

What should my customer do if their passport is lost or stolen abroad?
If your customers passport is lost or stolen they should report it to the nearest police authority within 24 hours of discovery and obtain a written police report. They will need the crime reference details the police provide for the LS01 (which is the Lost or Stolen Passport Notification) form. They should also report the loss or theft to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) embassy, consulate or high commission of the country they are in. They can get details of their local FCO office wherever they are by calling +44 (0)20 7008 1500 (0870 606 0290 within the UK) or by visiting the FCO website. The FCO should issue them with replacement travel documents so they are able to travel back to the UK.

What is an EHIC? And if my customer has one, why do they need travel insurance as well?
An EHIC is a European Health Insurance Card, it will enable your customer to access state-provided healthcare in European Economic Area (EEA) countries, including Switzerland, at a reduced cost, or sometimes for free. It will cover their treatment until they return to the UK. Some people make the mistake of assuming that if they have an EHIC then they are fully covered for travel in Europe. This is not the case. If your customer needs to be flown back home their flight and any medical equipment required for the transport won’t be covered. If their property is lost or stolen they won’t be covered. If they need mountain rescue at a ski resort they won’t be covered. Therefore, it is important to have both an EHIC and a valid travel insurance policy. Some insurers now insist that you hold an EHIC, and many including Journeys Travel Insurance will waive the excess under the Medical & Other expenses section of the policy, if the EHIC is utilised.

Buying a Policy with Journeys Travel Insurance

Why buy a policy with Journeys Travel Insurance?
Journeys Travel Insurance have been providing travel insurance to millions of customers since 1991 and we pride ourselves on our products and service. When arranging your customers travel insurance through Journeys Travel Insurance you can be confident you are dealing with a reputable company. We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registered number 312339. You can check this on the FCA’s register. Our insurance policies are underwritten by ETI – International Travel Protection who are travel insurance specialists and members of the Financial Ombudsman Scheme (FOS).

How do I purchase my customers insurance policy with Journeys Travel Insurance?
It’s simple, either buy their policy online www.journeystravel.co.uk where you will benefit from a quick and easy booking process, or if you prefer to speak to someone about your customers travel insurance needs you can call our friendly call centre team on 01784 772668.

What type of policy should my customer buy?
When purchasing a travel insurance policy there are a number of things your customer should consider. Who they you are travelling with, how many times they plan to travel and what level of cover they are looking for. Below we explain in more detail how you can help them decide what is best for them: For example, if they are a couple it may be cheaper to purchase the ‘couple’ option but you should note that for single trip policies they must travel together, however on annual trip policies they may travel independently. There are other criteria they must meet too, below we explain in brief but please refer to our ‘policy wording document’ for a full explanation and terms and conditions.

Individual – anyone over the age of 18 may purchase our policy

Family – 2 adults or legal guardians (under 66) travelling with unlimited dependent children plus up to 2 non-family children (single trip), under 18 years pf age at departure and in full time education. Children under 3 must be accompanied by parents. Children must travel with one of the insured adults.

One Parent Family – 1 parent or legal guardian (under 66) travelling with unlimited dependent children under 18 years at departure date and in full time education. Children must travel with adult.

Couple – 2 adults (under 66) living together as if husband/wife (including same sex partner) for at least 6 consecutive months. No children allowed on couple policies.

Basic Cover – please refer to the ‘schedule of cover on page 3 of our policy wording document for a full list of cover

Standard Cover – please refer to the ‘schedule of cover’ on page 3 of our policy wording document for a full list of cover

Deluxe Cover – please refer to the ‘schedule of cover’ on page 3 of our policy wording document for a full list of cover

Single Trip – if your customer only intends on travelling on one trip (out and back) then you probably just need to recommend a single trip policy however if they are going to be travelling on more than two trips in a twelve-month period it maybe more cost effective for them to purchase an annual multi trip policy. Please note there is a maximum duration of 365 days for persons up to the age of 65, or for persons 66 and over the maximum duration is 120 days.

Annual Multi Trip – our annual multi trip policy allows your customer to go away as many times as they want in a twelve-month period. Please note there is a maximum per trip duration, the length of which depends on your age:

Age 65 and under – max 45 days per trip leisure or 90 days business

Age 66 and over – 31 days per trip leisure or 31 days business.

When should I start my customers annual multi trip policy?
Our annual multi trip policy (standard and deluxe) cancellation cover commences on the date you choose for your customers policy to start, this can be up to 2 months in advance, however if they need to cancel before the policy has started they will not be covered. If you have booked any part of a trip for your customer, you should set the insurance start date from the day you booked the trip to ensure they’re cancellation cover begins right away.

How many times can my customer go away if they purchase an annual multi-trip policy?
When your customer buys an annual multi trip policy with Journeys Travel Insurance they are covered to go away as many times as they wish during the twelve months of cover. Don’t forget however, that there is a maximum per trip duration, the length of which depends on your customers age:

Age 65 and under max 45 days per trip(leisure) or 90 days per trip(business)

Age 66 and over 31 days per trip (leisure or business)

How many children can my customer insure on their ‘family’ travel insurance policy?
When purchasing a family policy, providing 2 adults or legal guardians are travelling we cover an unlimited number of dependent children providing they are under 18 years of age at time of departure and are in full time education. Children must travel with one of the insured adults. Children under 3 years of age must be accompanied by parents.

Does my customers family policy cover them, or anyone else named on the policy, for independent travel (i.e. on their own)?
The adults (over 18’s) are permitted to travel independently on a family policy however children under the age of 18 are not covered to travel alone, they must travel with one of the named adults on the policy.

What is the maximum age you can insure up to?
Our online policies are available to persons up to and including the age of 79 years, providing they meet the criteria of the policy and those that require medical screening have been medically screened and advised of any exclusions or additional premiums. Customers who are over the age of 66 will only be offered deluxe cover.

What is a UK resident? Are you able to cover non-UK residents?
For the purposes of our policies a UK resident is deemed as someone who has been legally resident in the UK for a minimum of 6 months and who is registered with a UK registered General Practitioner.

Can you insure non-UK residents?
Our policies are only available to persons who are legal residents in the UK and have been for a minimum of 6 months and who are registered with a UK Registered General Practitioner. Cover must be purchased prior to travel.

What are my customers covered for?
Depending on what policy your customer chooses will determine what cover they have. For a full list of benefits and levels of cover please refer to the ‘schedule of benefits’ on page 3 of the policy wording document. Full terms and conditions can also be found within the policy wording document.

What are the terms and conditions when purchasing a policy with Journeys Travel Insurance?
Our terms of business along with our policy wording document are detailed on our website and are also attached to your customers confirmation email. It is essential that your customer reads through these documents very carefully, so they know what they are/are not covered for.

Are there any exclusions to a Journeys Travel insurance policy?
There are some exclusions that apply to the policies we offer. To check the policy exclusions, please take a look at the policy wording document on our website.

What is an excess?
An excess is the amount that your customer would need to pay towards a claim. The excess amounts vary depending on the section your customer is claiming under. Excess amounts are detailed on page 3 of our policy wording document.

Can my customer waive the excess on their policy?
When your customer buys a policy with Journeys Travel insurance they can opt to waive the excess on the policy. If they waive the policy excess the policy price is slightly higher. This option is offered on the quote page when booking online, simply tick the box if you wish to add excess waiver.

My customer is going on a cruise, how do I find a policy?
Our ‘deluxe’ policy covers cruise trips for up to 30 days in length – please check policy wording for full details of cover. Cruise cover is not available on basic or standard policies.

My customer is going on a ski holiday, what policy do they need?
Our basic and standard policies will not cover you for skiing or any winter sports, your customer will need to purchase a deluxe policy and add on the appropriate winter sports package. There are 2 options, level 1 (basic) or level 2 (advanced incl piste closure) – please refer to the section M on pages 23/24 of our policy wording document.

Is cover available for pre-existing medical conditions?
Like most travel policies, please note that a Journeys Travel insurance policy will not cover your customer for anything that arises from, is related to, or has been caused by, ANY pre-existing medical conditions your customer, anyone in their party or a close relative or someone upon the trip depends has, unless they have told us about ALL of these conditions and we have agreed to cover them.

Should your customer, anyone on the policy or a close relative have a pre-existing medical condition/s, we may still be able to offer cover, but you will need to speak with our medical screening team. Please call them on 01784 772670. They will ask you a few questions regarding the condition/s and let you know if we are able to offer cover for any claims relating to the condition/s.

Our medical screening team are available Monday-Friday 9.00 -5.15

Who is classed as a close relative?
The following are deemed as close relatives: Spouse, Parent, Step Parent, Parent in law, grandparent, legal guardian, stepchild, grandchild, brother, sister, brother/sister in law, son/daughter(including adopted and fostered), son/daughter in law, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces or fiancé(e), Common Law Partner being the person living with You as if husband or wife, including same sex partner, for at least six consecutive months.

What does my customer need to take on holiday with them?
Please advise your customer to take their travel insurance certificate and the relevant policy wording booklet away with them. These documents contain full details of their insurance cover along with emergency contact details whilst they are away. If you do not have these documents, please click on search certificates, find your customers policy and then click re-issue documents. If your customer is travelling to Europe please advise them to carry a EHIC card.

Policy Admin (Making a Change/Cancelling a Policy)

Who do I contact to make changes to my customers policy?
If you need to make any amendments to your customers policy, simply give our friendly call centre staff a call on 01784 772668 who will be happy to assist you.

Can I cancel my customers policy?
Your customers insurance policy contains a ‘cooling off’ period which allows them to return the insurance policy and certificate within 14 days of the date of issue or prior to travel (whichever is sooner) and obtain a full refund providing no claims have been made or are pending.

What do I do if I don’t receive my customers documents or I need another copy?
When purchasing your customers policy online their policy documents will be emailed to them or you immediately, depending on what email address you inputted during the buying process. Should you not receive their documents simply search for their certificate and re-issue documents accordingly. If you continue to have problems, please call us on 01784 772668.

Making a Claim

How do my customers make a claim?
Should your customers need to make a claim on their policy simply ask them to call our friendly claim team on 01403 788983 or email info@ervinssvs.co.uk