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• 75% of British travellers recently surveyed (1) don’t check the terms and conditions of every travel insurance policy purchased
• Over half (56%) of Brits (1) have been on holiday without travel insurance
• Age Concern reminds Brits about the importance of checking the terms and conditions of cover and securing travel insurance before going on holiday

Holiday-makers are being reminded about the pitfalls of not checking the terms and conditions when buying travel insurance. A new survey (1) released today by Age Concern Insurance Services reveals that 75% of British holidaymakers don’t check the terms and conditions when purchasing travel insurance and 56% fail to buy cover at all.

Travellers who assume they are covered for cancellation or curtailment of their holiday‚ travel delay‚ loss of personal luggage‚ medical expenses and personal liability (insurance that covers you in case you cause an accident abroad) can find themselves in expensive and traumatic situations abroad. 

Currently 15% of Britons (1) use travel insurance that they get free with other financial products - for example‚ credit cards or health insurance. The Association of British Insurers states: “Some credit card providers may offer some elements of travel insurance as part of their product‚ but cover may be limited.” (2) Not taking out complete cover can be particularly problematic and very expensive for older people if medical expenses incurred whilst abroad are not included in their policy. 

Age Concern is urging everyone going overseas this summer to make sure they read the terms and conditions of their travel insurance policies to ensure that they don’t end up out of pocket should the worst occur.

Antony Osborne from Age Concern Insurance Services says: “Our research shows just how many people don’t think to check the details of their travel policy before going on holiday and highlights the very good reasons why everyone should do so. Having comprehensive travel cover is so important for holidaymakers - it provides financial security in case the holiday doesn’t go to plan for whatever reason.

“Our travel insurance offers cover tailored for the needs of all older travellers. There are no upper age limits with Age Concern Travel Insurance and we aim to cover most pre-existing medical conditions. This will come as reassurance to the many older people who are well aware of the frustrations involved in obtaining cover.”

Age Concern’s top tips when booking your travel insurance:

• Always check the cover - travel insurance is sold at varying levels. Check carefully to see exactly what you’re covered for‚ a good insurance policy will cover you for cancelling or cutting a trip short.
• Check whether your insurance covers any activities you're planning and also what the maximum age is under the terms of the policy. Many companies only cover those under 65.
• Shop around to find a good price and the right product rather than opting to travel without cover.
• Cheaper policies will usually have less cover – for some the price seems most important‚ but is it worth the initial saving?
• Consider annual multi-trip insurance if you make several trips a year – you could save time and money.
• Ensure your policy will refund the full cost of your holiday and pay out if you need to cancel or cut short a trip because you fall ill.  Check the cover includes‚ for example‚ pre-paid expenses such as excursions and extra costs incurred to get home.

All Age Concern travel insurance is arranged by individuals who are appropriately trained. And unlike customers buying insurance connected with their holiday‚ Age Concern Travel Insurance customers also have access to the Financial Ombudsman Scheme if disputes arise.

Profits generated by Age Concern Insurance Services go directly to Age Concern‚ raising additional funds for invaluable support services such as day centres‚ home visits and transportation as well as helping the charity campaign for the well-being and rights of older people.

To find out more about Age Concern Travel Insurance‚ call 0845 685 1058 * or visit your local Age Concern (3).

Survey results

• 15% of those surveyed get their travel insurance free with other financial services
• 26% of those surveyed book their travel insurance through price comparison sites
• 75% of those surveyed do not read the policy wording of every travel insurance
  policy they buy
• 50% of those surveyed say that the cost of the policy is most important to them
  when buying travel insurance
• 49% of those surveyed say that what the policy covers is most important to them
  when buying travel insurance
• 56% of those surveyed have been on holiday without travel insurance

- Ends -

Notes to editors

* If you call the 0845 number for travel insurance you will be dealing with Fortis Insurance Ltd which provides and manages Age Concern Travel Insurance and is not a member of the Age Concern Group of companies.

For further information please contact Elly Kestenbaum‚ Imogen Davies or Jess Baker at Trimedia on 020 7025 7500 or email elly.kestenbaum@trimediauk.com‚ Imogen.davies@trimediauk.com or jess.baker@trimediauk.com

(1) The independent survey was conducted on behalf of Age Concern Insurance Services by surveymonkey.co.uk (100 respondents) between 19th and 23rd May 2008.

(2) http://www.abi.org.uk/display/default.asp?menu_id=1140&menu_all=1‚946‚1140&child_id=425
The ABI is the trade association for Britain’s insurance industry. Its nearly 400 member companies provide over 94% of the insurance business in the UK. It represents insurance companies to the Government‚ and to the regulatory and other agencies‚ and is an influential voice on public policy and financial services issues. ABI member companies hold up to a sixth of all investments traded on the London Stock Exchange‚ on behalf of millions of pensioners and savers.

(3) Not all Age Concerns offer all Age Concern products. Please check by telephoning your local office‚ before arranging a visit. Trading Age Concerns are Appointed Representatives of Age Concern Enterprises Limited (ACEnt) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for insurance mediation (311438).  ACEnt is registered in England and Wales No. 3156159. Registered Office: Astral House‚ 1268 London Road‚ SW16 4ER. Age Concern Insurance Services is a trading name of ACEnt‚ which is a trading company of Age Concern England and gives any profits to that registered charity.

Age Concern Travel Insurance provides a choice of policies: Single-Trip Insurance (for individual trips) and Annual Multi-Trip Insurance (for any number of trips taken in a year‚ of up to 31 days for each trip). There is no upper age limit for Age Concern Travel Insurance.

Special features include:

• Cover for travel costs of up to £4‚000 including irrecoverable costs if the trip is cancelled as a result of unforeseen event
• Bond Plus Financial Failure which protects customers for the financial impact of failure of travel providers (airlines‚ hotels etc) for self organised holidays
• Claims will be subject to the standard £50 policy excess. The excess for medical and emergency expenses is £75
• Available for all the family
• Free cover for children (up to the age of 17) subject to terms and conditions
• No upper age limit
• Annual multi-trip travel insurance including an Annual UK only option
• £250 for mugging involving hospitalisation
• ‘New for old’ cover for personal possessions but subject to original proof of purchase/receipts being provided (subject to limits of policy)
• Pre-Travel Advice Line
• 24 hours a day‚ 7 days a week access to helpline in case of medical emergencies whilst abroad
• Discount for deleting personal baggage cover

Age Concern Insurance Services:

Age Concern Insurance Services was created in 1983 to offer better value insurance for older people. General insurance was an area in which over-50s had been ill served for a long time. Starting as a local service‚ it has grown to be one of the UK’s leading brands regarding general insurance for older people.

Today Age Concern Insurance Services plays a dual role. It endeavours to offer some of the best value policies available while ensuring that these products are designed to meet the specific needs of older customers. All profits generated by Age Concern from selling products and services go directly to support Age Concern’s charitable activities.

Age Concern Insurance Services’ product has developed through demand to include home‚ contents‚ travel‚ motor‚ and motor breakdown insurance.

Policies can be bought either direct by phone‚ or through any of the around 250 trading locations operated by participating Age Concerns. In an age which is becoming more technology-driven‚ Age Concern is invaluable in offering older people a personal service at a local level with which many feel most comfortable.

Age Concern & why it trades:

At a local level‚ Age Concern offers a range of services for older people‚ such as day centres‚ luncheon clubs‚ and advice and information services.

At a national level‚ Age Concern campaigns with and for older people: developing policy; influencing Government; training care professionals; supporting local Age Concern bodies‚ financially and professionally.

To fund this work‚ Age Concern needs a constant flow of independent income. It seeks to achieve this through a balance of traditional fund-raising and trading activities.

Age Concern’s trading activities enable it to meet the needs of older people‚ through products specifically designed to meet these needs - quality products such as General Insurance and Energy Services.

About Fortis:

Fortis (Insurance UK) is a leading provider of award-winning personal and commercial lines insurance solutions in the UK and was named 2007 General Insurer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards. Its customer-centric strategy has been to align its activities to how customers want to buy insurance‚ based on delivering high-quality products‚ manufactured at costs better than market norms.
 
Its unique multi-distribution capability enables Fortis to deliver products face-to-face‚ by phone (inbound and outbound)‚ over the Internet and via SMS technology. Aligning its business activities with its partners' general insurance strategies enables Fortis to offer end-to-end white label and branded capabilities in product development‚ marketing‚ campaign management‚ sales‚ fulfilment and award-winning claims management‚ providing a seamless integration with partner brands. 
 
Insuring in excess of 6.6 million customers and working with a range of partners‚ Fortis is recognised for delivering consistent and high-quality customer experiences. It employs 2748 people as of 31/03/07 with a head office based in Eastleigh and others in Gloucester‚ Bournemouth‚ Stoke-on-Trent and Haywards Heath. In 2006‚ its profit before tax was £77.5 million and its GWP was 688.3 million. More information is available on http://www.fortisinsurance.co.uk/

For more information about our products‚ please contact us.

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