Insurance shouldn't be the gap in your year-long holiday

As thousands of young Britons await the results of their A level exams, hundreds of thousands more get ready to take off on an adventure to fill the gap between high school and university. Gap year students going abroad, whether to work, volunteer or travel the world should educate themselves about their insurance options before they leave to make sure they have a policy that adequately covers them while they are away from home.

The marketing manager of American Express Insurance Services, Joanne Field says: Students need to be smart about the insurance choices they make to ensure they are well protected. One in four gap year students has a bad experience whilst traveling and with over 450 travel insurance policies on the market, they need to educate themselves about the specific gap policies that would best help in a crisis.

Most travel insurance policies provide coverage in three major areas and these are the areas in which the most number of insurance claims are made every year. Students going abroad will require adequate coverage in the areas of lost luggage, medical and cancellation and interruption.

When purchasing a policy, it's always a good idea to check the fine print. In addition to the three major areas of coverage, a good policy will include the following:

1).24 hour global emergency assistance: every good insurance company has a hotline which you should be able to call collect at any time of day for assistance filing a claim or finding medical assistance.

2).Full destination coverage: the price of a policy often depends on the locations where you will be travelling, particularly when it comes to medical coverage. You should be able to pay only for those areas where you are travelling.

3).Policy length: the price of a policy also depends on how long you plan on travelling. A good insurance company offers policies tailored to the exact number of days you will be out of the country or the closest three month block of days.

4).Work cover: for those who plan to work abroad or who run out of money and get a quick job, you should be aware if your policy's fine print excludes claims occurring while working.

5).Sport cover: some policies do not include certain adventure sports such as jet skiing. For travellers planning more adventurous vacations including white water rafting, for example, check the fine print to find out if you are covered or if you need to purchase an additional insurance supplement.

A survey of 10,000 customers of American Express Insurance Services earlier this year discovered that the most popular destinations for gap year students this year are: New Zealand, Australia, South America, Thailand and India. Before you pack your bags and head to the airport, however, don't forget to ring an insurance agent and discuss your policy.

Follow these links to find out more or to get a quote on Travel insurance, UK airport parking, UK airport hotels or UK airport lounges.



Jennifer Jones Editorial

15/08/2007




Related Travel News:

 
 



Read more Gap Year Travel News