British Airways faces the prospect of strike action as their latest cost cutting talks with unions end in deadlock.  If the dispute is not settled, it could lead to a ballot for industrial action which would threaten disruption during the busy summer period. Pay cuts were agreed with leaders of BA pilots in early June but talks have continued for the past few weeks with unions representing other groups, including cabin crew, baggage handlers and check-in staff. As usual it is the travelling public who are the pawns caught in the middle who will have to put up with a summer of cancellations, delays and frustration.

For those flying from UK airports and who suffer delays or are stranded, then it’s useful to know what rights you have. Under the European directive of Air Passenger Rights, all EU operators have a duty of care to passengers and should be responding to claims for delay by providing at least food and drink vouchers for those caught up in the delays at the airports.   If you are stopped from boarding, you may be entitled to compensation between €125 and €600 depending on flight distance and the delays incurred when re-routed.  For long delays, you may request a refund of your ticket if the delay exceeds five hours, but only if you decide not to travel. The only snag is that, as with so much EU legislation, what is given in one hand is often taken away in the other. Under these rules the airline can claim protection for delays relating to, yes that’s right, “strikes” amongst others. The protection the airlines have is a sting in the tail for passengers as losses from “Weather, Air Traffic Problems, Security & Safety, Political Unrest, and Strikes, are reasons why an airline will not pay out compensation to travellers. So all WASPS have a sting in their tails!

So what about travel insurance? Under the delay section of a policy, most insurers will give some benefit for periods of delay faced at the airport. Do check your individual travel insurance documents as some of the cheaper basic covers do exclude this protection.

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Looking for Gap Year insurance?  Here are some common pitfalls to be aware of when choosing your Gap Year travel insurance policy.

Firstly don’t buy the wrong policy!  It’s easily done.  For instance, a cheap tourist policy is unlikely to cover working abroad, and it would be unwise to rely on your parent’s annual family travel insurance to cover you as this may not cover you at all.  So the advice here is to buy a good quality, specialist Gap Year Travel Insurance policy.

Secondly, beware of exemptions. All policies have them, and there are huge variations.  So you really do need to read and understand the small print to ensure that the cover is sufficient for your circumstances. Check it covers the sports and activities you may want to do, and remember that many of the more risky activities that travellers undertake are ’spur of the moment’ decisions.  Check that you are covered to work, whether paid or voluntary.

Thirdly, you may need to cancel your trip. You should buy your insurance as soon as you book your trip to ensure that you are covered to cancel should you or a close relative become ill or have an accident. Sadly, it is not uncommon for a traveller to suffer a family bereavement during their time away.  Some specialist providers offer cover for the cost of travelling home and back in the event of an unexpected loss of a family member.

And then there is the situation, increasingly common these days, of the airline you are booked to travel on going bust or the FCO issues a warning against all but essential travel as they did when Swine Flu struck Mexico. Remember that it may not be you cancelling the trip. Do check that you are covered if an airline goes bust and what cover is provided should there be a travel warning for a country that you are due to visit.

Finally ‘it’s not the cost that matters but the cover that counts.’ So long as you plan your trip well and take measures to ensure your safety, you are certain to enjoy the wonderful adventure that Gap Year travel offers.

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Some of the best known national airlines still languish at the bottom of the latest ‘lost bags’ league table produced by the Association of European Airlines. Iberia has emerged as the European airline most likely to lose a passenger’s luggage though the airline blames this on a period of heavy snow in January of this year and an industrial ‘work to rule.’ Air France came next worst in the survey followed by the Portuguese carrier, TAP. British Airways, which once used to languish at the bottom of the performance table continued to reap the benefits of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 which, after a disastrous opening, has been functioning well.  Even so, BA have more work to do as their tally of 15 missing bags per 1000 passengers is a long way off from Virgin who fared better at 5 bags lost per 1000 passengers flown.

Whatever the reason, it shows that none of us can safely say these days that it won’t happen to me. Losing a bag can be a distressing experience, made worse by the generally poor customer service at some airport’s lost luggage counters and, if it happens on the outward journey, what do you do? Do you make do with the clothing you have in the hope that the luggage will arrive or buy replacements? Tough decision to make and is all very stressful at a time when you should be enjoying your holiday? There is no magic wand to wave here but you can help yourself by being adequately protected by having travel insurance cover in place before you go.

What travel insurance should provide in these circumstances is an allowance, usually based on each 24 hours the luggage is delayed, for you to buy essential replacement items, such as clothing and toiletries, for you to survive until your bags arrive. There will be an upper limit to this daily allowance and your travel insurance company will be looking for receipts for these items to accompany any claim you make. This still requires you to pay first and claim back later but at least it means you won’t be too much out of pocket.

Do remember to obtain what the airlines call a ‘Property Irregularity Report’ from the Lost Luggage Section at the airport at the time your bags go missing. You will need to send this to your travel insurance company to substantiate your claim and they will also be looking for proof of when the bags were returned to you, so a signed and dated receipt will also be expected. If you don’t have these, then it is very possible that the insurers will not pay your claim. If your bags become ‘irretrievably’ lost, then the insurance company will need a letter from the airline confirming this and you will then be able to claim for all the lost items under the Lost Baggage Section of your policy. But don’t let the thought of losing your luggage overly worry you. Just get the required paperwork, know what you can claim for and get on with your holiday.

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Millions of commuters and visitors to London face travel chaos and major delays after talks aimed at averting a 48 hour strike by Tube workers broke down. Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out from 7pm today, Tuesday 9th, until 7pm on Thursday 11th, bringing the network to a standstill. Boris Johnson, the London mayor, and Transport for London have put in place a series of contingency plans aimed at helping commuters get to work, including extra buses, taxi-sharing and schemes to lead cyclists across the capital and a free River shuttle service.

If you are using London Underground to get to the airport, are you covered if you have taken out a travel insurance policy? Well, for those taking trips abroad and caught up on their way to the airport, then yes you may well be. Under most travel insurance policies, insurers will respond to claims for Delay and Abandonment as well as Missed Departure. Some insurers provide cover for events beyond your control so if you have been delayed by the Underground disruption, then your travel insurance should cover you for additional accommodation and travel expenses incurred to get you to your destination, so all is not lost. The proviso here, of course, is that you need to have bought your travel insurance before the strike was announced.

Do also obtain a written report from London Transport if your journey to the airport is delayed or cancelled, which you should include in any claim you make.

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According to the FCO, over 200,000 people in the UK, of all ages, are now taking gap years or sabbaticals abroad and the trend to take a gap year is set to grow even more. One estimate puts the global market to be worth a staggering £11 billion pounds by 2011. Whilst the undoubted life enriching experience that a gap year gives to most people is not in question, on the down side, there will inevitably be some level of risk taking when going off for an extended period abroad, often to places well off the beaten track. However,  just because the risk might be greater, that is no reason not to take a gap year because mishaps can and do happen closer to home but gap years do generally involve extended travel to remoter parts of the globe and thereby lies the problem.

Popular gap year destinations over the past five years proves this with the Andean regions of South America and the remoter areas of South East Asia being top of the gap year destination list. So how do you reduce the potential risks involved?  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does offer very useful advice on their website at www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas and they do keep up to date travel advice information on most, if not all countries.

What is still surprising though is that 25% of all travellers go abroad without adequate travel insurance but why take this unnecessary risk?  Although travel insurance will not prevent something happening to you, it can certainly help to reduce some of the stresses in the aftermath.  Medical expenses including repatriation, loss of baggage, legal assistance, and curtailment are just some of the essential benefits that come with most policies and it is now possible to buy tailored policies from specialist providers to cover almost every combination of gap year.

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First, British Airways announces record losses and then ‘no frills’ airline Ryanair does the same.  Now we have Richard Branson announcing that he expects the current economic downturn and decline in business travel will result in the collapse of a major American airline in 2009. His own airline, Virgin, seems to have bucked the trend, doubling its profits in the last twelve months but Virgin does appear to be a rare exception in this difficult market.

Competition is fierce between airlines trying to attract a dwindling travelling public leading to bargain basement prices, so much so that there has never been a better time for passengers to travel. Richard Branson put it very well when he reminded everyone that British travellers are currently paying the same price for fares as they were when Virgin launched the airline 25 years ago.

But will this lead to further airlines going out of business? In the past 18 months around 25 airlines have gone under, including Silverjet, Maxjet, XL Airways and Oasis Hong Kong. When this happens, people who book their flights through travel agents might receive a refund but those travellers, who make direct bookings through company’s website, may not be so fortunate.  In this instance, the only real hope for passengers who buy flights directly is to seek cash back from their credit card company, assuming they used a credit card for the transaction, but anyone who paid using a debit card, cash or a cheque to can only hope that their holiday travel insurance provides protection against the collapse of an airline failing.

Not all travel insurance policies will offer this but some insurers offer Passenger Protection Insurance sold separately or part of a travel insurance policy but always check the small print if this is offered because these are quite often restrictive in their cover.

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Most people taking out a new travel insurance policy are confused by the term pre-existing medical condition.  And it’s not surprising when medical conditions tend to be technically expressed, not always explained well and, if the condition is cured or controlled, often forgotten about over time. But this is just the area where holidaymakers get caught out because all policies will have clauses on whether certain medical conditions need to be declared before cover can be given.  This is so easily overlooked at the time of purchase, more so for those who have free annual insurance through premium bank accounts.

Travel insurance companies argue that the medical cover provided by a travel insurance policy is there for emergency cover and is not a substitute for private medical insurance and all that travel insurance is covering for is the unforeseen medical emergency that might occur whilst on holiday and provide for hospital care in country and repatriation if required. Once back in the UK, patients can then use the NHS or individual private health care plan they may have in place. This allows travel insurance policies to have lower premiums than their private medical insurance equivalent though these premiums do vary considerably by area visited and the much higher medical costs in the USA will see North American destinations more costly than elsewhere. What travel insurance medical cover does have in its favour though is the wide network of specialist medical assistance companies to call in when an emergency does occur.

The big question will always be “will I be covered if I have a medical history and what does that mean exactly?” All policies have similar interpretations but you should read the medical section of a policy before taking out that travel insurance. A medical history of heart, kidney, respiratory conditions or cancer should be always declared and this may very well be expanded to the medical history of close family members and travelling companions. The reason for this is to allow the insurance company to see what the potential risk is of you cancelling or curtailing your trip or falling ill whilst abroad. An insurance provider may well decline you insurance at this point or may offer to cover you for an additional premium or may even insure you but void any subsequent claims if related to the declared condition.

Certainly you will not be covered if you travel against the medical advice of your doctor. So do you need to declare? Yes you do, though not all declarations will result in a higher premium but, provided you have done so and the insurer has provided you cover, then it will greatly simplify the process if you ever have to make a claim.

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Forecasters are predicting the hottest temperatures so far this year over this Bank Holiday weekend but whatever the weather, the usual Bank Holiday getaway is expected to cause gridlock on the roads and bustling air and sea ports. Airport operator BAA said 1.68 million passengers would pass through its seven UK airports in the period from Friday to Bank Holiday Monday. The AA has said that road journey times could increase by 50 per cent on Friday with a third more traffic than normal expected on popular routes. Congestion is expected on the M5 from the West Midlands to Exeter; the M6 from Lancaster to the Lake District; the M4, A40 and A48 to Wales and the A1 from Wetherby to Scotch Corner in north east England.Engineering works will also make train travel arduous. The worst day on the railways is likely to be Sunday when there are 38 separate engineering work projects taking place. Train routes and companies affected include the West Coast Main Line, South West Trains, Arriva Trains Wales, First Capital Connect, Northern Rail and the Southern train company.

For those opting to to take a short break this weekend, it’s worth remembering that the same rules though apply to holidays in the UK as they do elsewhere. So do make sure you are properly covered in case of emergencies. Travel insurance, for example, is not always thought of as a necessity if you take a break in the UK, being so close to home and under the safety net of the NHS should you have an accident but travel insurance covers much more than medical emergencies. Most people buy travel insurance for trips and holidays abroad but these policies do generally provide cover for travel within the UK, though do check the small print rather than assuming that this is always the case.

So is travel insurance that covers holidays in the UK worth considering? It can be very useful to have insurance should you subsequently cancel a trip, say for illness, as your holiday costs will be reimbursed subject to any excesses to pay. Your personal effects will probably be covered too, which is an important point to consider as theft and loss is not just confined to holidays on the ‘Costas’ – these things happen at home too. What you will almost certainly not be covered for will be for medical expenses as the NHS is available for such instances. One final word of advice though is do check the small print as many, if not most, insurers do require you to have proof of booked accommodation, or a campsite booking in the case of camping and caravanning, for a minimum stay of normally 2 nights away for the policy to be in force so the one night weekend trip away is definitely outside this definition.

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Could the worst be over for Mexico? After the near total shutdown in April over Swine Flu, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has lifted its advisory against all but essential travel to Mexico stating on its website that “Following a decline in the number of reported new swine influenza cases in Mexico since its peak on 26 April, we no longer advise against all but essential travel.”

This now means that tour operators can resume outbound holidays to the country. Thomson and First Choice have cancelled all outbound holidays to the beach resorts of Cancún and Cozumel until 22 May but, in light of the updated advice, are planning to begin operations to Mexico as soon as they can. Thomas Cook, which also flies to Cancún, has indicated they will resume flights on May 23. The reason for the delay is that before tour operators can resume flights, they will need to have confirmation of when hotels and resorts will be re-opening, as many were closed due to lack of guests and visitors during the country-wide swine flu epidemic.

The easing of the FCO travel advice is good news for another reason.  Such advice is critical in maintaining travel insurance cover for holidaymakers which can be invalidated if the FCO warn against all but essential travel. Holidaymakers need to be aware that most travel insurance providers cite travel against FCO advice as as a general exclusion in their policies.

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What a difference a year makes!  With a backdrop of economic uncertainty and a pound that has slumped in value, British holidaymakers appear to be avoiding the eurozone in their droves in favour of long-haul destinations and non-euro countries. Thailand, the USA, Turkey and Egypt have seen a huge increase in bookings whilst traditional destinations such as Spain, France and Italy have seen their market share fall, hardly surprising with sterling having fallen 13% since May 2008. Nor have global fears over swine flu deterred holidaymakers with travel companies reporting increased demand for long-haul holidays in recent weeks.  Where once it was the Spanish Costas, it is now the Egyptian resorts, such as Sharm-el Sheikh, that head the destination leader board of choice.

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Wherever you decide to go on holiday this year, don’t forget to take out travel insurance to cover the holiday money and belongings you take abroad. Pickpocketing and theft is fairly commonplace these days so it pays to be protected.

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