Travel woes: Top reasons people claim on travel insurance revealed
Jet-setters most often claim for transport delays, medical costs and lost baggage
New research from Go.Compare travel insurance has revealed the most common reasons people claim on their insurance policy, with transport delays topping the list.
The data has revealed that of the travel insurance claims made in the past year, more than a third (34%) included money back due to transport delays, and 3 in 10 (30%) claimed to help cover the cost of medical treatment abroad.* Lost baggage was the third most common reason that travellers made a claim, with 26% saying they had done so.
|
Type of claim |
% who claimed |
|
Transport delays |
34% |
|
Medical costs / expenses |
30% |
|
Lost baggage |
26% |
|
Theft / loss of belongings |
23% |
|
Cancellation |
22% |
|
Missed departure |
17% |
|
Winter sports |
11% |
The research also revealed that while the majority of jet-setters (76%) secured travel insurance before their holiday, a fifth of people (21%) didn’t bother, with nearly half of uninsured travellers (47%) saying they didn’t think they needed it, 24% saying it was too expensive, and a further 1 in 10 (10%) saying they simply forgot.
Rhys Jones, travel insurance spokesperson for Go.Compare, said: “With stories hitting the news recently about uninsured travellers facing eye-watering medical costs, it goes without saying that travel insurance could be an important safety net. Travel insurance can protect you against a range of other unexpected costs too, depending on the scope of your policy.
“Our research shows that transport delays, medical costs and lost baggage are the top reasons people claim on their insurance policy - and these are all things that can be really costly if you don’t have the right protections in place. Purchasing a travel insurance policy the moment you book a trip will give you peace of mind that if any of your travel arrangements don’t go to plan whether in the airport or while you are away, you won’t be left out of pocket.
“With cover starting at 91p per day,** a travel insurance policy might be cheaper than you think - so it’s always worth taking a look before your trip. Whether it’s a two-week beach vacation, a long weekend away or a business trip, we always recommend using a comparison site to look at all the options available, as the cover offered by each policy will vary - as well as the prices. Remember to read the fine print before you purchase, and keep the details handy after you leave, just in case you do need to make a claim.”
For more information about travel insurance, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/travel-insurance/.
-Ends-
Contact Information
Rosie Johns
Notes to editors
Notes to editors
*These findings are from a study released by Sago between June 28th to July 1st, among a random selection of 2,129 GB adults ages 18+, of which 1,337 travelled abroad in the past 12 months. The results were weighted by age, gender, region, and ethnicity to match the population, according to Census data. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding. Excerpts from this release of findings should be properly attributed, with interpretation subject to clarification or correction.
**10% of customers were quoted 91p for single trip travel insurance between 1 Jan and 31 March 2024. Excludes customers with pre-existing conditions, 90% of sales are expected to have daily prices greater than the price stated above. The daily price is based on the length of cover.
For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden on lynsey.walden@Gocompare.com, or Kath Chadwick on Kathryn.chadwick@Gocompare.com.
Keep up-to-date with Go.Compare on Twitter; @Go.Compare
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.Go.Compare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.