Travel Insurance - NI resident travelling from Dublin Airport

funkey_monkey

There has been a lot of stuff in the media over the last year (of which I'm only now being made aware) that if I buy my travel insrance in the UK which is where I am resident (lets not go down the poliical road here please) then I am not covered as my outbound departure will be from a non UK airport.

Does anyone know anything about this? I always thought that my holiday commenced when I left my property, although is commencement only considered upon when you start taking public transport?

i.e. most people would drive themselves tot he airport, therefore holiday commences at the airport - which is in another country hence the invalid insurance. However, I intend to take the Bus Eireann from Belfast to Dublin airport, therefore my holiday does in fact begin in the UK.

Anyone hear about this before?

ScouseMouse

If you take public transport from Belfast(the bus) to connect to public transport (the plane), how can anyone say its invalid?

Post a link to where you think there is an issue.

Sheldons Brain

There may exist a badly worded policy with this effect, whose legality in an EU context is doubtful. But it should not be a general problem.

As possible is some policy associated with departures from Dublin have a requirement to be resident i the Republic. Most policies have no such restrictions and you'll have no problem getting one.

funkey_monkey

It would be invalid as there was a big debate over a period of weeks on a consumer issues programme on Radio Ulster here in NI. People from NI were travelling on holiday with invalid insurance as their policy stated that the trip should commence from UK - however those who departed from Dublin turned out to have invalid insurance.
The presenter spoke on air to customers who had calims for delays and missed departures rejected for this reaon and also to someone from a travel insurance company who confirmed this problem and they were looking into it as it was something unique to customers in NI.

I found this evening on TA a person who was in a similar position: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g186605-i90-k3597829-Travel_insurance_from_Dublin_airport-Dublin_County_Dublin.html

There may exist a badly worded policy with this effect, whose legality in an EU context is doubtful. But it should not be a general problem.

It is never a problem until the insured party registers a claim on the policy. Then it becomes a problem.

If you take public transport from Belfast(the bus) to connect to public transport (the plane), how can anyone say its invalid?

Post a link to where you think there is an issue

I don't think it is an issue for me as I take public transport from NI to Dublin airport. My point above was was that my interpretation is that for those travelling by private means, then they are susceptible to falling foul of the insurers if they need to claim. I think I am okay by my reading of the policy - I was wondering if anyone else knew of this issue more than I do just to confirm for me.

for example, I'm not sure if taking the Aircoach down would meet the criteria (if they wanted to be awkward - Bus Eireann/Translink service is the recognised public operator and I do not know if Aircoach have this status or if they are private company doing a similar route - I thought it would be the latter).


See below taken from http://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/insurance/travel-insurance-policy-wording-09-2013.pdf

Actually re-reading this I am not covered for missed or delayed departure from Dublin Airport, if my interpretation for the policy highlighted in bold is correct:

from page 31

If departure of the scheduled public transport on which you are booked to travel is delayed at the final departure point from or to the United Kingdom for at least 12 hours from the scheduled time of departure due to:
a) strike or
b) industrial action or
c) adverse weather conditions or
d) mechanical breakdown of or a technical fault occurring in the scheduled public transport on which you are booked to travel

We will pay you:
1. £30 for the first full 12 hours and £10 for each following full 12 hours delay after that up to the limit shown above.

You may claim under only one of the following sections: Section 8 - Delayed departure, Section 9 - Holiday abandonment or Section 10 - Missed departure for the same event.

Special conditions relating to claims
1. You must check in according to the itinerary supplied to you.
2. You must get (at your own expense) confirmation from the carriers (or their handling agents) in writing of the number of hours of delay and the reason for the delay.
3. You must comply with the terms of contract of the travel agent, tour operator or provider of transport.

What’s not covered
1. Claims arising directly or indirectly from:
a) Strike or industrial action existing or publicly declared by the date this insurance is purchased by you or the date your trip was booked whichever is the later.
b) Withdrawal from service (temporary or otherwise) of an aircraft or sea vessel on the recommendation of the Civil Aviation Authority or a Port Authority or any such regulatory body in a country to/from which you are travelling.
c) Volcanic eruptions and/or volcanic ash clouds.
2. Anything mentioned in the general exclusions on pages 20–21.

From page 32

If departure of the scheduled public transport on which you are booked to travel is delayed at the final departure point from or to the United Kingdom for at least 24 hours from the scheduled time of departure due to:
a) strike or
b) industrial action or
c) adverse weather conditions or
d) mechanical breakdown

Sheldons Brain

The above would be pretty useless travel insurance in any case, as any delay to a flight that you might connect to, or train in another country etc wouldn't be covered either. I wouldn't purchase such limited insurance regardless.

funkey_monkey

A lot of the UK based policies have this. The one I linked is an AA policy for which the policy and handling is done for the AA by Axa insurance which is a big player in the UK market.

I have however found http://www.direct-travel.co.uk/Documents/st/Current-Policy-Wording.pdf and they seem to cover what I need in Section D2 - Missed Connection. Interesting to note that their Section E1 is almost verbatim what the AA policy states. This policy is underwritten by AIG and I assume uses their policy wording.

keithclancy

Jesus Christ ... that's disgraceful.

I have my Travel Insurance with Delta Lloyd in the Netherlands and it doesn't matter where I travel from or to, only stipulation is that it has to be at least 100 kilometers away from my Home or Work address.

Sheldons Brain

There is surely a question as to whether this type of term in insurance is legal, does insurance not have to be fit for purpose to some extent? If a person goes to what may be his nearest airport and gets on a plane then that is the simple normality and the insurance should support the normal conduct of a trip.