Trip Cancellation—Ideal for Winter Travellers

This winter, over 13 million Canadians will vacation abroad. With more disposable income to spend than in previous years, on average, they’ll be spending $3,700. What’s more, 80% have planned these vacations 3 to 6 months in advance. But as you know, a lot can happen in that period of time whether it’s health, job or weather related.

Trip Cancellation offers great protection for your vacation investment, especially when you consider this recent claim:
 
75-year-old Marge and 46-year-old Julie purchased a 1-week river cruise through Europe. They also extended their trip and purchased a week of land tours, accommodation and rail travel. However, one month prior to departure, Marge fell and fractured her hip. Due to her injury, both women cancelled the trip. The accommodation charges were 100% refundable and both women claimed for the unused non-refundable portions of the remainder of their travel expenses.
 
Cruise Cost…………..………………………………………………….......... $2,300.00 each
Return Airfare………………………………………………….............…...... $1,750.00 each
Rail Tickets……………………………………………………………….............$156.00 each
Land Tours……………………………………………………………........…..$2,743.95 each
Total Amount Paid by Trip Cancellation Insurance……………....……...... $13,899.90 

Questions?

The Power Of Twitter?

The larger travel companies have been slow to accept that Social Networking can have a huge impact on the reputation and accountability of their everyday dealings and can, in fact, even affect their annual profits. We have seen the growth of Facebook, Twitter, Trip Advisor and many more, and the propensity for people to photograph meals in restaurants with amateur criticism of the fare on offer or relate dire stories of mistreatment by staff and management in all service areas.  There have been clever letters to company, individual and government departments, which once seen have gone viral and had huge impacts on reputations, rankings and custom.

One bad review on e-bay, one poor criticism on Amazon or Trip Advisor can affect a seller’s ability to repeat sell and many go to huge lengths to ensure that their service is such that no complaint can be made against them – this is the positive impact of the Internet and Social Networking. The negative impact was felt recently by the irrepressible Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s Chief Executive – never one to turn away from controversy – who appeared on Twitter for an hour to answer questions from travellers.  A brave move given that Ryanair offer a no frills package that polarises views across the globe.

With comments ranging from the downright rude to the completely perplexed, O’Leary was not short of questions to answer – some about his company, many about his lineage and ancestry, but the consensus agreed that he failed to address many of the questions regarding the Ryanair systems which aggrieve so many.

Although forthright on the question of London’s next terminal, he avoided questions regarding ‘manipulative’ sales of Travel Insurance policies and ‘unjustified’ hidden charges on booking flights and booking in.

Overall, it seems O’Leary missed an opportunity and spent much of his hour sidestepping accusations of sexism from one ‘Phwoaaarr!’ comment regarding a questioner’s photograph, he should think twice before attempting this line of marketing again.

You can follow us on Twitter @HolSureTravel or take a look at our Web Site HERE

In Flight Gadgetry

It seems incongruous and not a little annoying that in this day and age our phones, laptops, iPads, iPods and other devices have to be turned off during flight landings, taxiing and take off. A little like those well placed signs in Service Stations that say mobile phones must not be used while attending the pumps - one may ask why, but until now it was believed that these devices could interfere with the electronic circuitry on aircraft, thereby endangering life - and indeed there have been incidences where cell-phone and Internet may have caused circuitry failure on occasion.

However, the FAA (The US Federal Aviation Administration) are considering a report which recommends that these restrictions could be lifted. If the FAA accept the report, it seems likely that the British Civil Aviation Authority will be pressed to do the same. It appears that aircraft technology can now cope with Transmitting Portable Electronic Devices, but a situation where hundreds of devices are being used simultaneously on landing and take off - critical times during any flight - has not yet been fully tested.

Naturally, lifting these constraints opens up a whole new set of problems; do we really want people all around us holding shouted conversations with friends, family and work colleagues while we're trying to read our Kindles? Will "I'm on a Plane!" soon replace the ubiquitous "I'm on a Train!"? Certainly, it will open up  the provision of in-flight Internet Access - for a, no doubt, exorbitant fee and Airlines may even start to provide work stations at the seat. 

I'm not sure that the relative peace and quiet that is now forced upon us by these restrictions is not preferrable to a free-for-all unrestrained availability of access to everything, that will be ill-used by the ignorant and uncaring, and one may hope that the Authorities will think hard and long before lifting them. 

There may, of course, be some pressure from the Airlines themselves who will wish to take the opportunity to provide premium internet access during flight for a charge, but I'm sure that the safety aspects will take priority - they have thus far.

If travelling abroad - please check out our website for affordable, robust and comprehensive Travel Insurance - HERE

Keeping Travel Insurance Cheap

Whether you only travel abroad once a year or do so several times a year, there really is no need for expensive Travel Insurance - and remember - if the policies are expensive, you may be tempted to travel without them and we really don't believe that travel - any form of travel - should be left uncovered by a robust and affordable travel insurance policy.

It's not in Holsure's interest to deter people from taking out insurance and so we do try very hard to maintain a low premium profile. For example - a single, three day trip to Europe could be covered for about the price of a coffee and croissant in the airport terminal and a family of four travelling to Europe for a fortnight could be covered from as little as £20.51 - that's less than the price of one fast food lunch for the same family. Axa would charge nearly three times as much and Direct Line over 4 times as much.

If you're travelling frequently - and that means more than once a year  - then world wide cover for a family of four could cost less than Direct Line would like to charge you for a single trip to Europe for that same family - and you can travel Worldwide for as many days as you wish and we can even provide cover for up to 80 year olds.

It's important to us at Holsure, and we sincerely hope it's important to you as travellers, that any trips should be comprehensively covered to ensure that accidents, medical emergencies, losses and thefts do not become holiday spoilers - we hope that you will agree, by checking out our website HERE, that we have strived to maintain some of the lowest premiums available - whilst offering cover that will make sure that your holiday  package also offers you peace of mind for however long and however often you travel. 

Whether it's golfing holidays, business trips, holidays of a lifetime, winter sports or a welcome break with the family, we hope that you will see Holsure as your best option when it comes to Travel Insurance.

Have a great trip.

Don't Give Up On Kenya

After the recent atrocity at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi it may seem reasonable to suppose that tourists will stay away from the country that has always offered so much to both the itinerant traveller and the once in a lifetime, holiday of a lifetime couple.

Safaris, open air trips, hikes, top of the range hotels and package deals all have given wonderful memories to so many, yet the Massacre at the Mall is another major incident in a series of problems that have beset Kenya recently. In 2007- 2008 the disputed elections and the violence that followed saw a large reduction in tourist numbers and the abduction of tourists that continued into 2011 also had an affect. 

But to a country that makes 12 - 13% of its GDP from Travel and Tourism, and has over 600,000 of its population earning a living from it, a significant drop in numbers could have a drastic effect on the economy - something that could resonate for years. 

According to a recent article in The Telegraph, most Britons still intend to complete their booked holidays and have been urged to use Social Media websites to encourage and inform other travellers upon their return. The British Foreign Office has been slow to issue blanket warnings although other governments have not been so reticent. 

As always, at Holsure we urge travellers to complete their own research, make their own enquiries and to make sure that inoculations and travel documents are all up to date. 

For travel Insurance covering Kenya and all other countries, please check out our website HERE

Road/Rail Travel and Travel Insurance

For many, the journey is as important as the arrival...

Did you know that the majority of Travel Insurance Claims are based around Air Travel? Lost baggage, delayed or cancelled flights, incidents at airports or on the way to or from airports, lost deposits, lost passports, phones, laptops, ipads - all these incidents revolve around the one part of the holiday that most of us hate.

Travelling to the Continent by road/ferry or road/rail removes a huge part of stress for many travellers and at Holsure we have returning customers who travel by road purely to avoid airports and air travel. For some too, the journey is part of the break, the driving, the organisation of the accommodation and even the mapping out of the route is all a part of the holiday - you can't often say that about the two hour check in wait at the UK's airports or the mad scramble for trolleys at Baggage Reclaim. Air Travel doesn't have the romance of Road Travel - after all who dreams of flying across the United States - wouldn't you rather drive on Route 66, or cruise through the Rockies in an RV, or take the Amtrak across the Continental US?

So, for some the dream of seeing the real Europe involves the driving option, the need to get among the locals and stop where and when the fancy takes you. For some the journey is the holiday, the driving, the planning, the local involvement at ground level and the integration with ones surroundings - not just at the Package Holiday Hotel. I have always enjoyed the drive to our friends in Holland and would much prefer to drive to Scotland than fly. For me, part of this is the convenience of taking what I need on holiday rather than what baggage weight restrictions dictate, but I also love the ability to stop where I want - and the greatest tip I can give anyone in this position is to come OFF the Motorway, Highway or Autobahn and take your coffee and lunch breaks in a TOWN and not in some Motorway Service Area. It doesn't add much extra time to the journey but it can add some magical memories. Have you ever, and I mean, EVER had a wonderful meal or magical memory in a Service Station?

The other good news about road travel is that Travel Insurance is very reasonable. Without the need to cover the Air and Airport problem areas, insurance policies are cheap, whether you require one day or one month travel insurance we, at Holsure, can provide you with full Insurance Cover and European Breakdown Cover for minimal cost ensuring that your holiday plans -  including the memorable journey - are fully covered.

Brazil, The World Cup and Some Booking Tips

2014 Sees The World Cup visiting Rio but visiting fans are being warned about rocketing room and accommodation rates during the Tournament.

Based on figures from Trivago, hotel room costs averaged around £145 per night in June and July 2013 but advanced bookings for Summer 2014 are averaging at around £300 per night. This is according to The Brazilian Tourist Board who have lodged a complaint with Fifa.

Fifa's accommodation agency, Match, have been criticised for charging booking fees of up to 40% a claim the company denies. But concerns are also raised that elevated hotel costs during the tournament could see a slump in tourism both before and after the World Cup events as happened in London in 2012 both before and after the Olympic Games.

However, the Brazilian Tourist Board Embratur, are attempting to tackle this problem through negotiations with both the Brazilian Justice Ministry and Fifa.

If you intend to visit the Tournament you may be best placed to check with your Travel Agent and avoid bookings through Match if at all possible. Waiting for last minute bookings obviously has its own inherent problems but as always, Holsure recommends that you carry out your research thoroughly before booking. Check Fan websites for extra tips and help.

It is also important to see your GP regarding any precautions or inoculations you may require before your visit. Please also visit our WEBSITE and make sure you are insured for your trip to the wonderfully vibrant country of Brazil.

Can you imagine the celebrations if they win?