Missed departure
If you miss your ferry, train or flight through no fault of your own - perhaps your car or the bus or train you were travelling in broke down - your travel insurance policy will normally cover the extra cost of onward travel. You’ll need supporting evidence such as a receipt for roadside assistance or repair work on your car, or confirmation of delay from the public transport company. It’s vital too to contact your airline or ferry company and explain that you missed the flight, otherwise the return leg might be cancelled automatically.
Lost Luggage
If your baggage doesn’t turn up on the carousel when you arrive report it straight away, before you leave the baggage hall. Ask for a property irregularity report (PIR) and record the details of what you have lost. If you can’t get one (because there is no one at the airport desk, for example) you are still entitled to claim but it is much more straightforward with a PIR. You should then write to the airline, enclosing the a copy of the PIR, within seven days of the flight.
If there’s no sign of your bag after three weeks, it will be declared lost, but if your bag is returned to you even only a couple of days after arrival on the outbound flight, airlines are still obliged to cover costs of “essential items” such as toiletries and clothing to tide you over in the meantime. This terminology is unhelpfully vague, so ask the airline what its policy is and keep receipts for anything you buy. Compensation policy varies: it can be an upfront cash payment, a fixed daily budget, or remittance once your claim and receipts have been submitted. This must be done within 21 days of recovering a delayed bag. Airlines will often suggest you claim on your travel insurance. Depending on your policy, you may get a higher level of cover this way (the maximum payout from an airline is around £1,000). But check your insurer’s excess charge and small print first - some policies provide minimal or no cover for luggage while in the care of an airline.
Hire car issues
Such is the dysfunctional nature of the car hire market at present, this could be the most stressful experience of your trip. First rule at peak times is to get ahead in the queue by sending one of your party to go straight through customs rather than wait for the baggage. Second is to be alert to all the potential sales pitches and pitfalls. Here is a summary checklist:
* Research the insurance excess and the cost of waiving it. It is usually cheaper to buy a policy in the UK before your leave, rather than pay on arrival.
* Check the fuel policy - are you being charged for a full tank and so are expected to return it empty for example, or will a re-filling charge be levied if you don’t return it full?
* Inspect your car carefully and report and photograph any damage before your drive it away.
* Photograph all sides of the car when you return it so you have clear evidence of the condition it was in.
Effective complaining
The most common cause of complaints on holiday is accommodation. Usually you know as soon as you arrive whether there is a problem, but whenever it crops up, the key thing is to let the operator, agent, hotelier or villa owner know straightaway as soon as you are aware of an issue. After all, they may not realise something has gone wrong, and may be delighted to help. And if you don’t give them the chance to sort things out, your chances of compensation at a later date will be undermined.
Your rights depend on two key principles - the accommodation must be safe, and it must match what you were promised in the brochure or booking website. Referring to this will help make your point. Do, however, keep a sense of perspective. How bad is it really? Are you blowing a small thing out of proportion?
If you do feel genuinely aggrieved, still try to hang on to that sense of perspective. If you are perceived as having been calm and reasonable, you are also much more likely to resolve the situation before it starts to spoil your holiday. Confrontation is probably counter-productive. It’s a good idea to get the most conciliatory member of your party to negotiate - at least at first.
If there is a serious problem which is not satisfactorily resolved, keep written, photographic and video evidence, and, if possible contact details of any witnesses. This could be absolutely crucial if you have to take your case to court or arbitration.
Police problems
If you are arrested or in desperate straits, British citizens should turn to the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate. There is a limit to what they can do, but they will endeavour to represent your interests and put you in touch with legal help.
Lost passport
You’ll need to visit the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate (see above) - phone in advance. You must report the loss (government website here), and take an “emergency travel document application form” (from here), a passport photo, proof of your travel plans and a police report, if your passport was stolen. There is a non-refundable fee of £95 (often covered by travel insurance policies) and if your case is straightforward you may receive a replacement on the same day. The emergency travel document will allow you to leave the country you’re in and get to your destination via up to five countries (which must be named on your itinerary) within a specified time. Insurance claims
Travel insurance policies cover quite a few eventualities, but two areas attract by far the highest number of claims:
Loss or theft: When claiming be aware that there will a time limit within which a loss or theft has to be reported to the police - usually 24 hours. The key thing is to ensure you get a copy of a police report confirming the loss or crime. If you lose money you may need to produce cash withdrawal slips or receipts.
Medical claims: once any immediate emergencies have been dealt with, and excepting minor claims for more routine visits to a GP, it’s vital to contact the assistance line given on your policy. They will assess your case, authorise and organise treatment and, normally, settle bills directly. To back up any claims, keep proof of purchase of any medicine or treatment.
Potential pitfalls: Policies usually specify an excess charge (typically £50) on most claims, but some will waive this on medical claims in Europe if you have an EHIC card (available free from here). And there are plenty of exclusions which it's as well to be aware of before you travel. Valuables left unattended in a car, in a hotel room or on the beach may not be covered, and all sorts of activities may be proscribed - including the sort of thing that you might organise on the spur of the moment without thinking about insurance cover, such as horse-riding, white-water rafting, parascending etc.
For Free Travel Insurance Information and quotes, click HERE 
