A single trip travel insurance policy is designed to provide insurance coverage for a one-off return journey trip to one or more overseas destinations.
This policy will run for a specified time, with some insurers offering a maximum of 30/31 days, and others offering up to around 3 months.
The idea of a single trip normally implies a journey to a specific country, either for a holiday, possibly a wedding or even a short weekend break.
It can also include trips to several different countries so long as they are all part of the same holiday.
As insurance companies issue this type of policy on a geographical basis, it is important to remember to take the widest possible range of geographical cover provided.
Level of cover
A single trip travel insurance policy will provide a range of different benefits, although the extent of that coverage will vary with different insurance companies.
Also, most insurance companies will offer different plans within the context of a single trip policy, often labelling them with titles such as Standard, Premiere, Premier Plus, Platinum, Sapphire, Emerald, Gold, Diamond etc.
Most of these plans will offer the same type of cover but with differing financial limits and different levels of policy excesses or deductibles.
Below is a general idea of the type of insurance cover at a single trip insurance policy is likely to offer :
- Cancellation of trip
- Delay or missed departure
- Abandonment of trip whilst overseas
- Emergency medical treatment abroad
- Medical evacuation – need to be returned home
- Some financial benefits for time spent in hospital
- Delay or loss of baggage
- Loss or damage to valuables or gadgets
- Some type of personal accident insurance
It is worth noting that most insurance companies will put very specific limits in place regarding the cancellation of a trip, or a trip being missed through a delay or missed departure.
Limits of Cover
There are so many reasons this type of thing can happen, that the insurance company will put in place time limits and event limits about paying any benefits.
They may also insist on other people taking responsibility for cancellations or missed departures, such as tour operators, rail companies etc.
This type of claim can prove to be one of the most contentious in single travel insurance policies, and people should check carefully exactly what the conditions are when taking the policy out.
Many insurance companies will provide specimen policies and policy wordings on their website which can be downloaded as a free pdf.
Also, many countries have consumer laws allowing for what is known as a cooling-off period after a policy is taken out, normally 14/21 days.
This gives people time to look through the policy, check if it is appropriate for their needs and if not cancel it and obtain a refund of premiums paid.
