Travel insurance options with natural catastrophe add on?

[2Tiggies]

As per the title, which travel insurance companies offer the optional add-on for natural disaster? I've been using Direct Travel for a number of years now and have added the above optional extra ever since all that volcanic malarky. But their prices since last year's trip are

I got a good quote from Columbus Direct (similar level of cover, slightly cheaper and double the amount of cashback as DT are offering). However the only additional add on option seems to be winter sports so I assume that they don't offer anything beyond that.

Any suggestions would be great.

 

[wayneg]

Columbus probably have more add ons than any other company, if you had clicked to the next page after choosing your level of cover it comes up with Baggage cover, cancellation cover & volcanic ash cover.

I bought mine last weekend and considered Columbus, around £110 (after Quidco) but as Matt is over 18(but under 22 in full time education) it said in the small print he was only covered while travelling with us, we needed cover for him travelling alone so we opted to pay a bit more (£135 total for 2 policies) and go with the AA, I got 10% off being a member & 18% Quidco, tracked immediately.

Ash cloud cover is not something I add on and I was affected last time. The chances of another happening is tiny, affecting your route is tiny, and then to happen on your dates... considering they have also changed flying rules since and still developing planes to deal with it you have more chance of winning the lottery than it ever being a problem again in your lifetime.

ETA my renewal with Post Office was almost £350

 

[2Tiggies]

Thanks for that Wayne. You're probably right - I must admit it was seconds after I had hit the submit button on my post when it occurred to me that opting for ash cover has become a habit based on an initial panic a few years ago. I will price up a few other quotes and see how they compare. Columbus is a bit cheaper and the cashback is 27% which is nearly double the cashback on Direct Travel.

£350? Thats nuts!

Fortunately DD is still covered under mine with most of them as she's under 18.

 

[gavvy]

I use AXA, they cover it as part of the policy, but do check the policy first. For me it cost £55 for a year including Migrane and vertigo as a pre existing condition.

The best thing you can do is shop around and read the policy wording very carefully, they seem to differ a lot.

 

[wayneg]

I use AXA, they cover it as part of the policy, but do check the policy first. For me it cost £55 for a year including Migrane and vertigo as a pre existing condition.

The best thing you can do is shop around and read the policy wording very carefully, they seem to differ a lot.

Is that a family policy or just 1 person?
Just got a quick quote £182.34 for similar level to AA policy I took out and thats before medical screening, it was also Matt on our policy where AA he has his own so they seem quite expensive for us.

 

[gavvy]

That was just for me, doubt its the cheapest but it has good cover and only a £25 excess, i've used them for 2 years now and had to claim once, was fairly straight forward except they wanted proof of everything, tickets hotel doc report etc. took about 2 weeks for them to pay out.

I just did a quick quote now on their site and its coming up at £65.60 for the premier, so maybe they have put their prices up!

To be honest I look at cover over the price, I was using American express travel insurance until I worked out they were underwritten by AXA and the cover was the same, only 1/3 cheaper.

AXA also underwrite LloydsTSB insurance that comes with their package accounts, and quite a few others too.

 

[wayneg]

I believe they underwrite AA also, it looked very similar cover to what I bought but didn't do into detail as I have already bought AA now. There are plenty cheaper policies out there but I prefer these with better cover.

 

[2Tiggies]

I used AXA in (I think it was) 2009. I also check cover over price and their cover level was excellent and the excess fairly low which is always an attraction but I remember paying over £100 for a 15 day single trip for myself and my then 7 year old so it wasn't cheap.

There are plenty cheaper policies out there but I prefer these with better cover.

Same here. I do also check excess because there is little point having a high excess to me when if it makes it not worth making a claim, deems having a policy a little less worthwhile. There are certain things that are important to me to have really well covered - and then others where I am happy to just take the risk and accept it as annoying and live with it. It's finding an insurer that provides a good mix of those so I'm paying for as few of the not so important things and am well covered for the ones that do matter to me.

So far Columbus is coming up tops for me

 

[wayneg]

I don't mind a higher excess if the premium is lower, never claimed in 30 years of travel (twice tried but denied, incl ash cloud) I couldn't be bothered with paperwork if under £200-300, there has been a few occasions I am sure others would have claimed, like seeing Doc on Disney cruise. So I might as well get the lower premium.

 

[scoobydooby]

I still find the cover I receive by paying for my banking the most comprehensive. By the time I've paid banking charges it still works out less (by a lot) than paying for insurance for x2 mobile phones, annual holiday insurance for 4 and AA for 2. Check your bank policy out. Might be worth it?

 

[duffdo]

I used Club Direct travel insurance during my last trip. No catastrophe cover, but unlimited medical, $1m liability and a few other bits. Only £45 the 2 of us for a 14 night vacation. Wasn't too bad.

 

[2Tiggies]

I still find the cover I receive by paying for my banking the most comprehensive. By the time I've paid banking charges it still works out less (by a lot) than paying for insurance for x2 mobile phones, annual holiday insurance for 4 and AA for 2. Check your bank policy out. Might be worth it?

Thanks Scoobydooby

I looked at upgrading my account to one of those with the travel insurance included but it didn't actually work out cheaper for us and the cover wasn't quite as much as I'd like in certain areas. I think for me the cost comes in because if I buy it as a standalone policy there is just me and DD (who is free under my cover with most of them) so that may be why comparatively, the savings aren't reflected in there for me.

I used Club Direct travel insurance during my last trip. No catastrophe cover, but unlimited medical, $1m liability and a few other bits. Only £45 the 2 of us for a 14 night vacation. Wasn't too bad.

I'd never heard of them but I will go check them out. I'm looking for cover for next year's trip and can't actually buy for a couple of weeks yet because it seems they all require you to be a year or less from your travel date to take out a policy, so I have time to shop around (and confuse myself )

 

[aneka]

I used Club Direct travel insurance during my last trip. No catastrophe cover, but unlimited medical, $1m liability and a few other bits. Only £45 the 2 of us for a 14 night vacation. Wasn't too bad.

I booked with club direct for my November holiday it was £75 for 2 adults and one child