Why is travel insurance important?
When it comes to booking a holiday, you may be wondering: do I need travel insurance? While it can’t prevent unforeseen events from occurring, it can protect your finances from costs related to certain incidents while on holiday. These are things like cancelled flights, lost luggage, and emergency treatment in a foreign hospital.
If you don’t have travel insurance, you may have to pay to resolve an issue while you are away, or cancel your trip without being able to get your money back. This could cost you thousands of pounds, so making sure you have travel insurance can give you financial reassurance and peace of mind — so you can focus on enjoying your break.
Can I get travel insurance that covers COVID?
Swinton provides comprehensive holiday insurance for Coronavirus or COVID-19-related cancellations or emergencies, including the following:
- Cancellation due to COVID-19 — Swinton Travel Insurance will cover you if you need to cancel your trip due to contracting Coronavirus, or if you are required to self-isolate.
- Cutting your trip short — You will be insured if you need to end your trip early because the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has advised you to return home. Also, you will be covered if you have been denied boarding at your UK departure point because you have Coronavirus symptoms.
- Emergency medical cover for COVID-19 — Your policy will reimburse you if you become ill with Coronavirus and need emergency medical treatment or additional accommodation if you cannot return home as planned.
It’s best to check the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for the latest information in advance of travelling, as entry requirements and travel warnings can change at short notice.
What types of travel insurance policies are there?
We offer two types of Travel Insurance policy so you can find one that suits your trip.
Single Trip
Single-Trip Travel Insurance is coverage for one trip of up to 365 nights, great if you’re planning a one-off holiday. However, the length of your trip cover may be restricted by your age or destination.
The policy includes:
- No age limit — Customers of any age can be covered with Swinton’s Single-Trip Travel Insurance.
- Cruise cover — Coverage for baggage, valuables, and personal liability when on a cruise, all come as standard.
- Sports cover — Coverage for a wide range of sports, such as kayaking and wakeboarding, while on holiday is included as standard.
- 24/7 emergency claims line — If you need urgent assistance, you can contact us any time.
- Pre-existing medical conditions — Our single-trip option can offer cover for pre-existing medical conditions (subject to terms which will be confirmed when you take out your policy).
Annual Multi-trip
Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance offers coverage for several excursions for a year. This may be most cost-effective option if you plan on going on multiple trips within a year.
The policy includes:
- Higher upper age policy — Customers up to the age of 85 will be covered with our multi-trip policy.
- 12 months of cover — Our Multi-Trip Travel Insurance will cover you for up to a year. You can specify which date you wish to start your policy.
- Automatic renewal — Your insurance policy will renew automatically (you can opt in or out of this).
- UK travel — Travel within the UK is included in our multi-trip policy, as long as you have at least two nights planned and have pre-booked accommodation.
- No claims limit — You can make as many claims as required.
Cruise cover
Swinton’s Single and Multi-Trip Travel Insurance includes cover as standard for cruises. However, if you declare that you will be going on a cruise when you purchase your Travel Insurance, your policy will extend to provide additional cruise cover. This includes:
- Baggage — Limit increased to £2,500 if your baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen.
- Valuables — Limit increased to £500 if your valuables are lost, damaged, or stolen.
- Cabin confinement — Limit of £15 per day and up to £300 in total.
- Missed shore trip — Should you miss your pre-paid shore trip due to being unable to dock at the destination, or being confined by the ship’s medical officer, because of medical reasons, you can be covered for up to £25.
What does Swinton Travel Insurance cover?
- Cancellation — We provide holiday cancellation insurance as a result of an illness, incident, or event covered by your policy. You will be able to claim for the amount shown on your insurance certificate.
- COVID cancellation & curtailment — If you have to cancel, cut your trip short, or need medical attention related to COVID-19 during your holiday, we will cover the cost up to the amount shown on your insurance certificate.
- Baggage, personal effects & money — If your baggage is accidentally lost, damaged, or stolen whilst on your trip, we pay you up to the amount shown on your insurance certificate. Personal money is also covered up to £250.
- Delays — We can provide financial cover should you experience delays whilst on your trip. This includes missed departure, travel delay, and travel disruption.
- Medical expenses — If you require unforeseen medical treatment while you are on holiday, you will be able to claim up to the amount shown on your insurance certificate.
- Delays caused by a medical incident — If you need to stay beyond your scheduled return due to an unforeseen medical incident, we can cover the cost of the required travel arrangements.
- Repatriation — We can cover the cost of your repatriation If deemed medically necessary.
- Personal liability — Should you be at fault in an incident, for example, if you cause damage to property or injure someone, you will be covered for up to £2 million pounds in legal fees.
- Theft — If your baggage, valuables, personal money and important documents, or cash are stolen, for example, you will be covered for the amount detailed on your insurance certificate.
- Personal belongings — The sum of money you wish to cover your personal belongings for can be chosen to suit you.
- Gadgets — Should your gadgets be lost, damaged, or stolen, you will be covered for up to £250.
- Passports — If your passport is lost, damaged, or stolen, you will be covered for up to £250.
Sports and activities covered with Swinton Travel Insurance
We can offer cover for a wide range of sports and activities; some are optional and incur a fee, others are included in your policy as standard and at no additional cost.
The following sports are just a few that our policies could provide cover for:
Water sports
- Cover for selected water sports like scuba diving, subject to depth restrictions, and surfing is included as standard with Swinton Travel Insurance.
Winter Sports
- By purchasing additional cover for winter sports, you’ll be able to receive financial protection for claims relating to winter sports, like skiing and snow carting.
Cycling
- Travel insurance for cycling activities is included as standard with a single or multi-trip policy.
For a full list of sports, and those which we can provide further cover for at a charge, please see our policy wording (PDF 176KB).
Which countries are covered with Swinton Travel Insurance?
All countries, apart from those which the Travel Advice Unit of the FCDO (or regulatory authority in a country to or from which you are travelling) has advised against travel, are covered with Swinton Travel Insurance.
Who is covered with Swinton Travel Insurance?
Whether you’re looking for travel insurance for over 70s or 80s, you may be able to find cover to suit you with both our single and multi-trip policies. There is no age limit on our single-trip insurance and our multi-trip policies are available for those up to the age of 85.
Get Swinton Travel Insurance for pre-existing medical conditions
Here at Swinton, our Travel Insurance policies can offer cover for pre-existing medical conditions, subject to terms which will be confirmed when you take out your policy. Illnesses such as heart conditions, breathing problems, cancer, and chronic illnesses like coeliac disease can be covered.
When purchasing your insurance, you must tell us of any of your pre-existing medical conditions which you have suffered, or received medical advice or treatment for in the past five years.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition that our travel insurance policies don’t cover, you can view a directory of specialist Travel Insurance providers on the MoneyHelper website or call 0800 138 7777.
Why choose Swinton Insurance?
- A range of policies — We offer single and multi-trip policies, helping you find the best option to suit your trip.
- Flexible cover limits — We offer a range of cover options: you can choose your coverage limit for personal belongings, cancelling or cutting your trip short, and travel disruption. Excess is also flexible to suit you – your chosen amount will be shown on your insurance certificate.
- Multiple benefits included as standard — Personal liability, theft, COVID-19 cover, and more are all included as part of your policy.
- Extensive experience — We have decades of experience providing insurance options for our customers to choose from.
- Customer care — Swinton Group were winners UK Customer Satisfaction Awards 2021.
Frequently asked questions
We offer three options for baggage cover: £1,000, £1,500, and £2,000. Your amount of cover will be shown on your insurance certificate.
We provide £300 for delayed baggage (within your individual baggage limit).
Pregnancy without any complications is not covered for cancellations, cutting your trip short, or medical emergencies, as normal childbirth is not regarded as an unforeseen event.
Pregnancy complications such as toxaemia or miscarriage are covered unless the complication was pre-existing and a medical professional advised you not to travel.
To make a claim, first ensure you have all the evidence required. Telephone 0203 475 3630 as soon as possible, selecting option one for emergency medical claims and option two for all other claims.
Remember to keep copies of all correspondence sent to us for your future reference.
Excess is the amount payable per person, per incident, and per trip in the event of a claim. This is limited to two excess amounts if more than one person is claiming per trip.
For the additional cover to reimburse your excess charges following a claim on your travel insurance, take a look at our Lifestyle Excess Insurance at Swinton.