With the summer months fast approaching, over three quarters (85%) of Brits want to jet off to warmer climates after two years of putting travel plans on hold, according to new research .
According to YouGov, over one in 5 (21%) Brits don't take out travel insurance when going abroad.[1] Statistics also show that 1 in 3 Brits have had their valuables stolen on holiday, and on average, Brits lose personal items with a value of £55 per holiday.[2]
With that in mind, Richard Gray at Insurance2go reveals the money-saving travel tips that you will need when jetting off this summer.
When going on holiday, packing tech such as phones and iPads is a top priority for most Brits. However, there can be risks that come with taking expensive gadgets abroad, so it is important to consider insurance for these items.
There are several ways to cover your gadgets from damage and theft. General travel insurance will often let you add gadget cover to your policy for high value tech such as phones, cameras and laptops.
For families travelling with lots of smartphones, tablets and even the household laptop, it is more likely that you will require a separate travel policy for your gadgets – That’s because most travel insurers have single item limits or a maximum limit on how much you can claim. Some regular gadget insurance policies might cover international travel already, so check your paperwork!
Richard Gray, Head of Digital Marketing at Insurance2go explains:
“Regardless of the option you select, it’s vital to check your policy paperwork for details of the cover provided. For example, there will most likely be a single item claim limit - the maximum you can claim for any given gadget.
Try this test. Add up the value of all the phones and gadgets you go on holiday with. We think a typical family of 4* probably travels with approx. £1,700 worth of kit – that’s probably an under-estimate. Now ask your travel insurer whether they will cover that, how much they will pay out of each item and what the excess is. I bet you’ll be surprised”.
Since 2015, 2,068 incidents of lost, damaged or delayed luggage have occurred from people flying to or from a UK airport.[3]
In case your suitcase ends up in Dublin instead of Dubai, make sure your essential items are packed with your carry-on luggage and not crammed at the bottom of your suitcase, so you can still enjoy your time away.
Richard said: “Ideally, your hand luggage should contain essentials such as your toothbrush and other toiletries, spare underwear, phone and laptop chargers, and a couple of outfit changes.
“If your checked in luggage does happen to get damaged, lost, or delayed; you have the legal right to claim compensation from the airline by reporting the issue to the airline immediately.”
If worse comes to worst and your luggage does go missing; a luggage tag which has your contact details on it could be a lifesaver. Luggage tags reduce the chances of you getting your bag picked up by someone else; and with a personalised one, it can help your bag stand out from the crowd making it easier to identify.
Richard commented: “Whilst it’s great that airlines have tags that they will use on your luggage, it isn’t enough. These sticky tags can get easily ripped off or printed with mistakes on there. More people are using AirTags, Tiles or SmartTags to attach to their luggage. We’ve heard a few people now being reunited with their luggage at Airports because of these ingenious little devices.
Purchasing a well-made, strong luggage tag will help you distinguish your luggage among the sea of other suitcases at airports.”
The best way to keep your valuables safe on holiday is typically to hide them in the most common items in the room. You can utilise everyday items; from rolling notes into an empty lip balm or placing valuables into empty bottles.
Whilst placing your valuables deep in drawers, at the back of the wardrobe or leaving them in the hotel room safe seem like the right thing to do; they are the first places thieves will think to search if you have been targeted. Any small valuables you have should be kept as close to you as possible.
Richard stated: “Leaving valuable items in your hotel is a dangerous habit to get into. Keeping valuables in the same places put you at risk when on holiday. Only take valuables you need with you and prioritise based on that. Travelling without some of these items can help to lower your travel insurance policy cost, also meaning you are at less risk of losing them.”
With the joy of travel comes the stress of endless travel documents. A dedicated travel folder is an easy way to ensure you are as organised as possible and can help keep your valuables safe and in one place when on the move.
Richard explains: “Purchasing a folder to store your essential documents will not only make travelling easier but minimise the chance of losing items such as your passport. The perfectly organised travel folder will be home to not only your passport, but your flight details and tickets, cash in multiple currencies, hotel keys and insurance policies.
“This is especially handy if you are travelling as a large family, to keep everyone's items in one easily accessible and safe location.”
Finally, roaming fees for travelling across the European Union ended in June 2017, but they are back for some networks – all thanks to Brexit!
Depending on who your provider is, it’s possible you’re likely to face increased charges if you choose to use your data package whilst you’re abroad. Not all networks are charging data roaming fees. Make sure you check out what yours charges before you start streaming Netflix for entertainment whilst your by the pool.
For more information about insurance2go’s mobile phone insurance options, which provide unlimited worldwide cover for your gadgets whilst you are travelling, please visit: https://www.insurance2go.co.uk/mobile-phone-insurance
Notes
*Our typical family includes; mum owning a Google Pixel 4A (£499), Dad owns an iPhone 11 (£599), Child #1 owns Samsung A71 (£419) and child #2 own iPhone 8 (£229), and also an iPad Air (£579). Other families might also own smartphones, cameras and games consoles.! So we may be underestimating this cost. When you insure with insurance2go each policy covers an individual device.
