Posts Tagged ‘AllClear’

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What can you do about flight delays?

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but here you go. Basically, according to this article in Insurance Daily, UK air passengers can no longer claim compensation from airlines for long flight delays.

According to a BBC report, the right has been suspended by the High Court. In November 2009, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the damage sustained by air passengers in cases of long delay is comparable with that of cancellation, unless the delay is caused by “extraordinary circumstances” beyond the control of the airline. However, the High Court has referred the matter back to the ECJ for a further hearing and has put a stay on new rulings in the UK, until the ECJ has time to reconsider.

This new judgment from the ECJ could be delayed until the first half of 2012 so that leaves a while to wait for a decision.

Oh dear! Now we all know how annoying it is when you are at an airport and your flight is delayed. All you want is to get to your holiday destination  (or get home) and start relaxing. It is especially problematic when you have a short break and then a large proportion of your holiday might be lost. So what can you do about this?

Well unfortunately, not much. We all know that some airlines seem to be worst offenders for delays than others, so you might want to be a bit choosy with the flights you book. Alternatively, you could always consider a cruise as a least if there are any delays (although this is unlikely) you are still enjoying your holiday at the same time!

One other big consideration should be your travel insurance. If you opt for a comprehensive travel insurance, then you can still claim for travel delays. For example, AllClear offer up to £100 benefit if you experience delays (depending on the length of delay). This is the case if your trip is delayed by industrial action (provided industrial action wasn’t expected when the policy was taken out); adverse weather or technical fault.

So what do you need to do if the worst should happen and you are delayed? Well first of all stay calm, and try and not let the delays spoil your holiday! And then secondly make sure you obtain written confirmation from the airline stating the period of delay and the reason for it.

If you have any other questions about travel delay, or claiming for it, please do ask them below and we will try to help…

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster | No Comments »

Do we understand the EHIC?

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

We have all probably heard the very sad story in the news over the last week or so, about the honeymooning couple. 

Carrie-Anne Dudbridge broke her spine in three places after falling 20ft from a balcony while on her honeymoon in Corfu. The honeymoon was a surprise gift from wedding guests.

Unfortunately, the couple were then left stranded because they travelled without any travel insurance. They wrongly believed they were covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), formally known as the E111.Thankfully, an appeal to raise the £16,000 required for a specially equipped air ambulance has reached its target. An appeal was also placed on the Millwall FC website, as the couple are fans.

Do you know what your EHIC card really means when you require treatment while on holiday abroad?

We are very pleased that the couple are now getting to go home, but this tragedy really does raise the important point of EHIC. Unfortunately, it is quite confusing what is, and is not covered, so I just wanted to open the forum for a bit of a discussion around this. 

Basically the card guarantees the holder will “receive the same level of medical health care as a local resident”, but the important distinction is that it does not cover any travel costs to come back to the UK. Therefore, given the costs of medical transport back to the UK, it is clear that the EHIC is not a substitute for private travel insurance. – you need both.

So I just wondered what other people’s experiences were of the EHIC card? Have you ever used it when you were away? Has it helped? Or have you had problems trying to use it?

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster, Travel Health News, Travellers Experience | 3 Comments »

Goldtrail Fail

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

So I have picked up lots of information on this Goldtrail story on Twitter and on the news, and I am sure that you have probably heard something about it too, so I thought I would just share my thoughts on the matter! Basically, I am talking about the collapse of Goldtrail, a Greece and Turkey specialist tour operator based in New Malden, south-west London (website not operating but the link provides detail on the administration).

It is something about holiday problems that gets people really riled up (does anyone remember that TV show ‘Holiday Nightmares’ or something, that should give you an idea!). And I can definitely see why – after all the stresses and strains of everyday life, and saving up all year for a holiday, people deserve to have a relaxing, enjoyable break. People really put themselves into the shoes of others who have had their holiday cancelled, and imagine their own disappointment, and the media goes wild. Thousands of British holidaymakers caught up in the Goldtrail crash have been told to either pay extra money or face being thrown out of their rooms by hoteliers who fear they will not be compensated following the holiday firm’s collapse. There are now lots of individual stories about people’s individual experiences of the Goldtrail collapse.

Take this article,  where a British couple on holiday in Turkey were forced to sleep outside their hotel on deckchairs after the collapse of tour operator Goldtrail left them stranded. The hotel they were booked into was demanding £1,000 before allowing anyone to enter. At another hotel, staff confiscated guests’ passports and refused to return them unless they paid an extra £400.

One couple had to sleep outside their hotel in deckchairs following Goldtrail collapse

One couple had to sleep outside their hotel in deckchairs following Goldtrail collapse

The CAA (UK Aviation regulator) said that it was contacting hoteliers in both Turkey and Greece to assure them that bookings will be paid for through ATOL, the CAA’s financial protection scheme.

In another story,  a brother and sister, Laura North and Andrew Coleridge, missed their nephew’s wedding in Turkey this weekend due to the collapse of Goldtrail. The siblings managed to rebook their flights with Thomson travel agents, but said they were left £400 out of pocket due to inflated prices.

Overall, 50,000 customers have been affected by the collapse of Goldtrail. So what can you say for these people who have been affected? Well I doubt there is anything that can be really said to make them feel better, but hopefully at least their experience can act as a warning for next time. In fact, the customers are lucky in one respect as they booked through a travel agents, they get some financial protection from regulatory bodies, like ATOL.

However, more and more people now book their holidays online and therefore independently, rather than through a travel agents. The consequences of a financial failure in this situation could be even worse. For example, you may book a flight, excursion, car hire, a ferry crossing or even a camp site, hotel or villa online. If any of these service providers could go bust, this could leave you with little realistic chance of getting all your money back, or possibly even stranded abroad.

So is there anything you can do to help yourself in this situation? Well it is said a lot but it really is always worth checking the small print of your insurance policy to see exactly what cover you have, because this Goldtrail incident reminds us that there is always a risk of financial failure by the airlines and tour operators etc, particularly in the current economic climate.  For example, AllClear Travel, include ‘Dynamic Packaging Insurance’ as part of their policy which protects you in the event of financial failure of holiday providers. This means you are covered against the insolvency of a supplier, even if you book your travel on the internet in separate transactions – Accommodation, Flight, Car Hire, Excursions, etc. The policy will pay up to £5000 per person for irrecoverable sums paid in advance in the event of insolvency.

If you have been affected by the Goldtrail incident, and would like to share your story, please do so in the comments box below. If you have any questions, we will try to answer them. I hope this blog has helped you out a little bit when you are next preparing for your holiday…

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster, Travellers Experience | 1 Comment »

Travelling with Cancer

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

It is that time of the year when we are all thinking about holidays – exams are almost over, and the kids have nearly broken up from school for the year. What is more, we have actually been having some sunny weather, which makes us even more inclined to daydream about a holiday abroad. But at AllClear we know that sometimes when you are planning a holiday there is more to think about than just going on a relaxing break….

If you have cancer, or are recovering from it, a holiday may be essential for you.  Indeed, you may want to plan a holiday at the end of your cancer treatment to relax and recuperate. But if you are travelling with cancer there are a number of extra things that you need to think about. Here are some of the tips we have put together which you may find useful.

Travel Insurance: You will need to arrange specialist cancer travel insurance. This is vital in case you fall ill and have to be brought home, or have unexpected further cancer treatment abroad, as this could be very expensive. Your cancer travel insurance will give you complete peace of mind so you can get on with enjoying your holiday. You may have had difficulty in finding travel insurance to cover your cancer in the past but because AllClear specialize in medical travel insurance, we can provide annual or single trip cancer travel insurance to worldwide destinations.

Talk to a Medical Professional: They may be able to suggest a good time to go, as well as helping to decide what is realistic for you. They can let you know if you are fit to travel.

Destination Decisions: For many, travelling with cancer will have little effect on their holiday. However, you may feel more tired following cancer treatment so you should check that the facilities you need are close to where you are staying. Also, certain cancer treatments, such as radiotherapy, leave the skin more sensitive to the sun. Consider your flight length, because some people with cancer are at greater risk of developing blood clots or DVT.

Vaccinations: If you are having certain cancer drugs or have a weakened immune system, you may not be able to have the required vaccinations for your holiday destination, so check with your doctor.

Medication: If you are taking any cancer medication, you should plan how much you need to take with you and get make sure you have extra in case you lose any.

 We hope that this information is useful for you. Please share any other tips in the comments box below that may be useful for people travelling with cancer.

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer | 2 Comments »

Travelling the Ocean Waves

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Cruising has definitely become a more popular holiday in the UK over the last few years. And problems with flying, things like the ash cloud and the British Airways strike have really helped to increase the popularity of cruises as well.

According to this article in the Daily Telegraph, Britain’s cruise holiday industry, which is worth £2 billion a year, has received a major boost.  Cruise operators have experienced a  surge in bookings by up to 50% in some cases, following recent  flight cancellations and airport closures. The prediction is that cruise holidays will continue to increase as travellers choose to avoid air travel this year.

Cruise travel over fly travel

More people are avoiding fly travel and going cruising instead

 Latest figures from the Passenger Shipping Association forecast that, despite the recent recession, 1.65 million Britons will book a cruise this year – more than ever before – representing a 7% increase on last year. A large proportion of these people are expected to be the newly-named “Vavs” – Volcanic Ash Victims -  air travellers whose travel plans were been disrupted by Iceland’s eruptions.

One cruise line currently experiencing “unprecedented demand” is Cruise and Maritime Voyages, based in Dartford, Kent, that sails from eight British ports including Tilbury. Britain’s largest online cruise specialist, wwww.cruise.co.uk, reported “a significant increase” in cruise bookings since the BA strikes and volcanic eruptions began. MSC Cruises, one of the world’s fastest-growing cruise lines with a fleet of 10 ships, also reported an increase in bookings for cruises leaving UK ports, attributing this current trend to “passengers showing a lack of confidence in flying”.

Cruises including the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Fjords and the Baltic, are especially popular. The good thing is that people can visit all of these destinations, by leaving main UK ports, such as Southampton, Dover, Portsmouth, Newcastle and Liverpool, without ever needing to set foot in an airport. There are 19 cruise lines sailing direct from British ports this summer.

So given the fact that cruising is set to increase more than ever before. The question is have you ever cruised before? Or do you fit the bill for a typical cruiser if you decide to try something different this year? As a matter of fact, we would agree with this article, that there is no such thing as a typical cruiser. Back in the 1960′s and 70′s, when cruising was in its infancy, the majority of cruisers were more mature, had plenty of money and plenty of time. Now cruises have evolved and there are a variety of ships to suit different people and ages.

On a typical 7-night Caribbean cruise, you are likely to find the majority of the passengers in the 35-55 age range, but a good rule of thumb is that the longer the cruise, the older the average age will be.

So cruising is definitely a specialised type of holiday, but it is also growing in popularity. You tend to plan for it a long time in advance, choosing your destination and the ship that will best suit you with care. So imagine if the worst should happen, and you need to cancel your cruise or cut your trip short. Make sure then that you have dedicated cruise insurance  that covers your special trip.

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Posted in Cruises | 1 Comment »

An Ash cloud future??

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

The time has come again for the results of the Globebloggers poll. And as you know it is all about the ash cloud. I am sorry to bring this all up again when the media frenzy finally appears to have subsided, but this is more about future holiday plans, than the ash cloud effect now. Luggage 3D

So the results are in. And the biggest impact of the ash cloud, with over 55% of the votes, is that people will check the small print of their insurance details more carefully. So this is actually a good result to have come out of the ash cloud problems. At AllClear we always say that it’s worth reading the small print to check the detail of the cover, whether for medical conditions or winter sports cover etc.

The second result, at 44%, is that the ash cloud has had no impact on future holiday decisions, which obviously is another positive! And there were no votes at all for the ash cloud causing people to stay in the UK for their next holiday, or to not book their holiday so far in advance. There was also no votes for people booking their travel insurance earlier.

So we are glad that the British spirit is winning through, and you are not letting it beat you for the enjoyment of your future holidays!

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Posted in Travellers Experience | 2 Comments »

Take a deep breath

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Breathe Easy week is a British Lung Foundation campaign which will take place between Monday 14 June and Sunday 20 June 2010. The theme for this year’s Breathe Easy Week is ‘Lungs are for life’.

This week is all about promoting lung health and lung testing. Many Breathe Easy groups will be holding talks, teas, quiz nights and many other activities. You can always find a group near you and join in.

This is a matter that is very important to us here at AllClear and we support the aims of the British Lung Foundation. One in 7 people in the UK is affected by lung disease and we believe that anyone of these people should have the same opportunities as anyone else. We believe people should be able to travel with lung disease and pursue their life as actively and as enjoyably as possible. So we provide travel insurance tailored specifically to the needs of people travelling with a lung condition.

If you are going on holiday, particularly to somewhere warm, you might also want to check out the British Lung Foundation’s tips on looking after your lungs in hot weather. And you can also check out our further information about travelling with a lung condition on AllClear. 

Tips for travelling with a lung condition in hot weather

Tips for travelling with a lung condition in hot weather

Please do let us know your experience of travelling with a lung condition, and share any tips that may help others.

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Posted in Travelling with Medical Conditions, Travelling with a lung condition | 1 Comment »

Stars in their eyes

Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Accessible travel for travellers with impaired vision

Accessible travel for travellers with impaired vision

You might find it hard to believe, given Alison Steadman’s ditzy cheerful character in Gavin and Stacey, but over 20 years ago, Alison real life was far more complicated when she suffered a severe threat to her eyes.

According to this article in the Daily Mail, Alison was struck down with flu while she was acting in a play. She was recovering from the flu, but then started getting pain in her eyes.

The pain got so bad, especially when looking at light, that she started worrying that she was going blind. Eventually, she was examined by a consultant and it was discovered that a virus had attacked her eyes. Left untreated, it is a condition that can leave you with permanent impaired vision.

Alison was prescribed two sets of drops to be taken four times every day for six weeks. One dose of antibiotic drops was used to kill off the virus, while dilating drops enlarged the pupils, effectively freezing the muscles in the eye so they were not straining to work so hard.

According to Alistair Laidlaw, consultant eye surgeon at the London Clinic and St Thomas’ Hospital, Alison almost certainly had adenovirus which brings with it all the traditional flu symptoms of aches, pains, a temperature and which goes on to affect the eyes in 10% of cases.

Her experience really heightened her awareness of blind and visually impaired people. Alison is patron for a small local charity called the Haringey Phoenix Group, which helps the blind and visually impaired in the borough. A big focus for them at the moment is the Losing Patients campaign.  This is an initiative launched by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. It aims to ensure that appointment letters, test results and medical warning etc can be printed in a type size that visually impaired people can read. There are 1.8 million people in the UK that are visually impaired and it is all about making information available in an accessible form.

At AllClear, we completely agree with the importance of accessibility for blind people, particularly when it is do with peoples medical information. We also believe that it is important that all visually impaired people have the right to travel. You can look here for more information on accessible travel or check out AllClear to book travel insurance for travelling with a medical condition.

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Posted in Travelling with Medical Conditions, Travelling with a disability | 3 Comments »

Changes in Cuba

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

We do not normally focus on particular countries in this blog, but I just wanted to let you know some information that is very important for you if your next holiday is in Cuba.

 Since the start of May, travellers to Cuba must have comprehensive travel insurance, including medical insurance, before entering the country.  You will be expected to present a copy of your insurance on arrival in Cuba.

 In exceptional cases, if  you are unable to show proof of cover on arrival, you will be directed to an office at the airport or other port of entry where you will be able to purchase standard cover from Cuban insurance companies. You will need to present your travel insurance documents when you arrive in Cuba

Now obviously you don’ t want that hassle of sorting out your insurance when you have arrived in Cuba and are ready to start your holiday. Instead, it is probably a good idea to double check that sorting out your travel insurance is something that is on your long list of things to prepare before you go away. Remember to check the small print when you book your insurance, because some insurers may exclude Cuba as a destination. You should also check that your policy covers you all for the activities you want to undertake.

 For more information on this development, go here http://www.cubaminrex.cu/.

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Posted in Travel Health News | 4 Comments »

World Cup Travel

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

Well the World Cup season is almost upon us. For some that thought will leave you excited, and looking forward to hours spent in front of the TV, yelling at the screen. Others of you may not be looking forward to the World Cup at all, and will be avoiding all reference to ‘the beautiful game’ until it is over. Football_3D_isolated

But what about if you are lucky enough to actually be travelling to South Africa for the World Cup?

Well, as we often say on Globebloggers, the key to having a great trip, is preparation.

  • Travel Insurance: Ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance all booked up, just in case of any unexpected circumstances. Health care is very expensive in South Africa so make sure your travel insurance covers you for everything that you want to do while you are out there
  • Driving: If you’re planning to drive to World Cup matches in South Africa be aware of local traffic laws. Remember South Africans drive on the SAME side of the road as the UK.  South Africa is a vast country and the driving distances on straight roads can be lengthy. Journeys between World Cup venues can take up to 15 hours. You should aim to take regular breaks, and be prepared for driving in unfamiliar conditions
  • Crime: South Africa has a high crime rate so always keep your valuables out of sight. Keep your football tickets in a zipped pocket until you reach the turnstiles. Tickets may be ID specific so be prepared with photo ID and the credit/debit card that you used to pay for the tickets. Always travel in groups and avoid walking around town after dark. Only take out as much cash as you need and only use cashpoints in busy places. Consider using travellers cheques as well to mitigate some of those problems.
  • Timing: Turn up early on match day to avoid problems with overcrowding at the gate which could lead to you missing the kick off
  • Weather: You might not expect it, but temperatures in South Africa in May to August will be cool with light showers, so you might want to pack accordingly. There is nothing worse than standing freezing cold watching a match!

 For more information, you might want to check out the FCO World Cup travel advice, travel advice for South Africa or information for football travellers. You might want to register your details with www.fco.gov.uk/locate so they can provide you help more quickly in the event of an emergency.

If you are going to South Africa, we hope that these preparation tips help you have a great time. Please think of us all back at home, watching the games on the small screen or packed pubs! Although one thing we can’t help you with is getting a ticket to the final if England make it that far!

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster | 3 Comments »

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