Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance Before You Fly

AA Travel Insurance

Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance Before You Fly

Published 11th March 2018Read Time 4 min

Almost 1 in 3 travel insurance claims made by Irish customers are lodged before the holiday has even begun, recent research has found.

30% of Travel Insurance Claims Are Made Before Departure

In an analysis of its own claims data since 2012, AA Travel Insurance found that on average 30% of claims made each year are lodged as a result of the holiday-goer needing to cancel or curtail their holiday pre-departure. In 2017 alone, 859 of the 2822 travel insurance claims received by the AA were filed before the customer’s planned departure date. “It’s very easy to fall into the trap of assuming you only need travel insurance while you’re actually abroad and leaving it until the very last minute before your departure to purchase cover. Unfortunately, taking that approach can prove exceptionally risky as you could be left with a significant hole in your wallet if you’re forced to cancel your holiday at short notice for any reason,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “If your airline cancels your flights they will have to cover any costs you incur, but if, for example, an illness were to leave you unable to travel and you’ve avoided taking out travel insurance you could find yourself still having to pay considerable amounts for a holiday you won’t get to enjoy. Instead, for a very low cost, travel insurance would help protect you if anything unexpected were to happen before you travel.” “Like with any insurance product there are a number of options available to Irish customers depending on their individual needs, where they’re travelling to or even how often they travel in any given year so shopping around and comparing the cover on offer is vital. The most important thing for holiday-goers, wherever they choose to buy their travel insurance, is to ensure that it includes cover pre-departure.” AA Travel Insurance’s analysis also found that one in 5 claims made by Irish holiday-goers related to unexpected medical expenses incurred while abroad. Meanwhile, over 1 in 7 claims lodged in 2017 were in relation to lost baggage. “If you look into it travel insurance covers so many of the ‘worst nightmares’ we have when it comes to going on holiday, yet many people opt to take an exceptionally large risk by going abroad without any cover. When you consider how much many of us spend on our annual holiday or even short trips abroad during mid-term in comparison to the cost of travel insurance it almost becomes common sense that you should have cover in place,” Faughnan added. “While we’re still a few months away from the true holiday season, many of us have either already booked our summer holiday or might be planning a romantic trip abroad this week for Valentine’s Day. If you’re in this cohort now’s the time to start arranging your travel insurance, not when you’re in the car on route to the airport. Planning a trip abroad in the coming months? Don't forget that AA Annual Travel Insurance is available from as low as €20.

Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance Before You Fly

30% of Travel Insurance Claims Are Made Before Departure

Have a question? Get in touch with our customer service 👌

0818 227 228

Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance Before You Fly

30% of Travel Insurance Claims Are Made Before Departure

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Have a question? Get in touch with our customer service 👌

0818 227 228