Travel agent travel insurance costs extra
Holiday budgets squeezed by higher travel insurance costs
Thursday, 14, May 2009 11:43
Buying travel insurance from a travel agent rather than shopping around could cost six times as much.
As travel industry insiders report Brits are delaying buying this year's summer holiday until the last moment, consumers are being warned in the last minute rush to find a deal they should not accept travel insurance from the travel agent at the last minute.
Last year, 40 per cent of travel insurance policies were sold by travel agents - but buying with a holiday is costly.
Research by Confused.com reveals the cheapest policy for an adult for a week in Europe is £9.17.
A similar policy at Thomas Cook is 85 per cent more expensive at £16.99 - and across the high street travel agents the most expensive week's cover is at £18.
Travel insurance cover for a family of four in Europe at its cheapest could come in at £14.75 - compared to the dearest travel agent price of £54.
Buying annual cover from a travel agent also comes with similar mark-ups.
Steve Williams, head of travel insurance at Confused, said: "Even if consumers choose to purchase their holiday through a travel agent, they should not feel obligated to take their travel insurance out with them too.
"While holiday insurance is a must-have, it makes little sense to pay through the nose for it, especially when shopping around for a better deal is likely to save consumers money."
However, holidaymakers are also urged not to just focus on the price of a policy when buying travel insurance but also the cover it provides.
When looking for cover, it is recommended people have £2 million for medical expenses, £1 million personal liability, enough cancellation to cover the total cost of your holiday, £1,500 for baggage and £250 for cash.
Some home contents insurance policies may cover baggage, so it is worth checking if protection for possessions is necessary.