Although the tremor was likely to have been felt by tourists in Bologna and along the coast the Italian State Tourist Board has stated that all airports and transport links are operating normally and that there have been no reports of tourists involved. The main area affected is very rural, with approximately 3000 people being displaced and many historic buildings destroyed or damaged.

In this case the earthquake hasn’t had an impact on any major cities, tourist destinations or major transport systems, although tour operators that cover the area are monitoring the situation carefully to see if there are any aftershocks or tremors.

Get extra protection by adding Natural Catastrophe Cover to your travel insurance?

You can get extra protection from your travel insurance in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster including volcanic eruption, tsunami, hurricane, fire or flood affecting your holiday by adding Natural Catastrophe Cover to your travel insurance policy.

Natural Catastrophe cover (volcanic ash) from insurewithease.com is designed to enhance your travel insurance policy by providing cover for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred due to unexpected natural events such as earthquakes, volcanic ash clouds and other natural disasters including; tsunamis, floods and hurricanes.

Find out more about Natural Catastrophe Cover >>

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Industrial action is planned to take place at the following times:

- 24 hours from 0530hrs on Wednesday 23 May
- 48 hours from 0530hrs on Saturday 26 May
- From 0530hrs on Saturday 2 June to 0529hrs, Wednesday 6 June

Both Stansted Airport and Swissport have stated that they plan to be open as usual and operate a full schedule.

Swissport serve the following airlines: Ryanair, Atlasjet, Thomson, Thomas Cook and Belleair.

Passengers should check with their airline if they are concerned that their flight may be affected.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled due to strike action your first point of call should be your airline or tour operator. You have a contract with them to get you to certain destination at a certain time, if they are unable to do this they are legally required to look after you.

Travel insurance cover for strike action

Insurewithease.com customers will be covered under the travel delay section of their travel insurance policy so longs as they bought they travel insurance and booked their holiday before the strike dates were announced.

The travel delay section of your travel insurance policy pays you a fixed amount for every 12 hours that you are delayed. It is designed to help you with additional expenses, such as food and drink, whilst you are waiting at the airport.

Travel insurance from insurewithease.com also gives you the option to ‘abandon’ the holiday and make a claim to recoup the cost if you are delayed by more than 24 hours. This gives you the freedom to choose not to continue with your trip at this time if you feel the flight delay will eat into your holiday time too much. You can make a claim on your travel insurance to recoup the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions, then use the money to rebook your holiday for another time.

In order to make a claim under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy you must have checked in at the airport, or checked in online and travelled to the airport with the intention of travelling as planned. You must also obtain a letter from your airline stating the length and reason for the delay.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Those of you who have a holiday booked to Greece this summer might understandably be concerned about how the current political and economic uncertainty might affect it. We examine how your holiday could be affected and how travel insurance can help.

Insolvency of a hotel or other holiday supplier – travel insurance can help!

Passenger numbers to Greece were already predicted to be significantly down this year, even before the latest uncertainty after the election result. The failure to create a coalition government and the announcement of further elections next month is likely to put even more travellers off choosing Greece as their holiday destination this summer.

This drop in passenger numbers could mean an increased risk of small hotels or other holiday suppliers becoming insolvent and unable to provide the service you have booked with them. Earlier this year the Sunday Times reported that as many as 1000 hotels in Greece are expected to close or be put up for sales in the coming months.

If you have booked a package holiday with an ATOL bonded tour operator, there is no need to worry, your tour operator has a duty to look after you. They have an obligation to provide you with a suitable alternative, or provide a full refund. You may not get the holiday you originally planned, but you should get an alternative of a similar standard or a full refund.

Travellers who book their holiday independently, for instance direct with a hotel and/or an airline, would not have this kind of financial protection and should make sure that their travel insurance includes insolvency cover.

Insolvency cover often known as Scheduled Airline Failure provides additional travel insurance protection, allowing you to make a claim to recoup costs in the event that your pre-booked airline, accommodation or other holiday supplier becomes insolvent.

This would allow you to claim back the money you paid for your original hotel, enabling you to book an alternative and continue with your holiday as planned.

The good news is that all travel insurance policies from Insurewithease.com include Scheduled Airline Failure (Insolvency Cover) as standard. Remember, this covers the insolvency of hotels, accommodation and other holiday supplier, not just airlines.

Increased risk of strikes in Greece – Travel insurance can help!

With the situation in Greece remaining uncertain and no economic improvement in sight at the moment, there could be an increased risk of strikes impacting flights.

Travel insurance from insurewithease.com provides cover for travel delay due to strikes, so long as your holiday and your travel insurance were booked before dates of a strike were announced.

To make sure you get the full benefit of the travel delay cover in your travel insurance you should buy your policy as soon as you have booked your holiday – it won’t cost you any more than if you bought it at the last minute, and it means that you are much more likely to be covered in the event of a strike being announced.

Get a quote for travel insurance >>

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The importance of financial protection against insolvency has been highlighted again as BA Boss and other airline industry leaders have warned of further airline failures this year.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group, which owns BA has stated that he expects to see consolidation of the airline industry this year including the failure of some weaker airlines who don’t have the ability to ride out high oil prices.

One way of protecting your holiday for the financial failure of an airline or other holiday supplier is to make sure that your travel insurance includes cover for insolvency, often called Scheduled Airline Failure. Scheduled Airline Failure provides cover for the insolvency of a holiday supplier for elements of a holiday that don’t form part of a bonded package.

The good news is that insurewithease.com includes Scheduled Airline Failure (Insolvency Cover) on all of our travel insurance policies. So whether you choose, Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance cover, you will have protection for the insolvency of your airline or other holiday supplier.

Having insolvency cover or scheduled airline failure as part of your travel insurance means that in the event that your airline did become insolvent before you travelled you would be able to makes a claim on your travel insurance to recoup the cost, enabling you to re-book your flights with another airline and still take your holiday as planned.

If a holiday suppler was to become insolvent whilst you were away on holiday, travel insurance with scheduled airline failure would provide cover for additional costs incurred to allow you to continue your holiday or return home to the UK.

Find out more about Scheduled Airline Failure >>

Get a quote for travel insurance including insolvency cover >>

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A Mexican volcano is continuing to rumble and emit gas and ashes after a series of small eruptions which started last month. Popocatepetl is just 50 miles from Mexico City and it’s busy airport, causing fears that airborne volcanic ash could cause flight disruption.

If a more serious eruption does occur, it’s possible that volcanic ash could travel in the atmosphere and affect flights across a much wider area. For instance, in June 2011, volcanic ash from an eruption in the Puyehue Cordon Caulle volcano chain in southern Chile caused significant delays and cancellations to flights in Australia and New Zealand.

This volcanic activity in Mexico is not currently having any impact beyond its immediate area, but it does remind us that a volcanic eruption can occur at any time, causing an ash cloud with the potential to disrupt air travel far away from the volcano itself.

Volcanic activity also continues within Europe, Mount Etna in Sicily, Europe’s most active volcano, erupted as recently as January 2012. Not to mention the constant threat of further eruptions in Iceland, scientists have been monitoring unusual activity around Hekla, one of the island’s largest volcanos since last summer.

Adding Natural Catastrophe (Volcanic Ash) Cover to your travel insurance policy can provide extra peace of mind if you are worried about the possibility of a volcanic ash cloud disrupting your holiday plans.

Under EU law your airline has an obligation to reschedule or refund your flight and provide meals and accommodation if necessary, in addition to this, having Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of your travel insurance policy can give you more freedom.

It can allow you to claim for the cost of alternative travel arrangements if your flight is delayed for more than 24 hours by volcanic ash and no reasonable alternative is provided to you.

Natural Catastrophe cover (volcanic ash) from insurewithease.com is designed to enhance your travel insurance policy by providing cover for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred due to unexpected natural events such as volcanic ash cloud and other natural disasters including; earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes.

Find out more about Natural Catastrophe (Volcanic Ash) Cover >>

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This summer your pound will buy more euro’s than it has for years; great news if you are heading for the continent in search of sunshine and an escape from the rain.

Bureaux de change are currently selling euros at a rate of 1.20 for the first time in 3 and half years, which means British travellers are getting 10% more for their money than they were a year ago. Economists are also predicting that the rate could go as high as 1.28 by the summer as sterling is seen as a safe haven compared to the euro.

Anything that can make your money go further on holiday is always good new, here’s 3 other ways that you can save money on holiday.

Avoid the risk of high medical costs by taking travel insurance

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises British travellers to buy travel insurance every time they travel, even within the EU the cost of emergency medical bills can easily reach thousands of pounds if you fall ill or have an accident. Paying a few pounds for travel insurance cover before you travel could save you thousands.

Get a quote for travel insurance >>

Get an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

An EHIC proves your right to state provided healthcare within the EU, but it doesn’t take away the need for travel insurance cover as it does not cover the cost of all medical treatment or repatriation back to the UK.

Despite the fact that you need to have travel insurance anyway, it is still worth getting an EHIC and taking it with you when you travel, because it can save you money.

We will waive the excess payable on a medical claim if you used your EHIC when obtaining treatment and it resulted in a reduction of the medical costs.

Find out more about the EHIC >>

Book airport parking in advance

Don’t leave organising airport parking to the last minute, booking in advance can save you as much as 60% compared to just turning up at the car park.

Insurewithease.com have partnered with Holiday Extras to help you get the best prices for airport parking.

Get a quote for airport parking >>

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The new cruise safety measures will apply to cruise ships across the world and include:

A requirement to carry extra lifejackets. Every cruise ship will now have to carry more than one life jacket per customer.

Restricting access to the bridge. Passengers will no longer be allowed onto the bridge whilst complicated manoeuvres are being carried out. Bridge tours will still be allowed to go ahead at other times.

More careful planning of a ship’s passage. Every ship’s passage plan will now need to be drafted by a designated officer, approved by a master and briefed to every member of the bridge in advance.

Any improvement in cruise ship safety is always good news for passengers, but it’s not the only thing you need to consider before heading off on a cruise holiday.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise you to have travel insurance in place every time you travel abroad to cover the cost of any unexpected medical treatment. Most cruise ships have medical centres on board, so emergency medical treatment is on hand, however you should ensure that you have cruise travel insurance in place to cover the cost.

If you fall seriously ill whilst the ship is at sea and it is deemed medically necessary the ship’s doctor or captain will change course, or arrange an emergency disembarkation at sea to get you to a hospital on shore. This does not come cheap, so having cruise travel insurance in place before you travel is vital.

Read your travel insurance policy terms and conditions carefully to ensure that cruise holidays are covered.

Insurewithease.com can add cruise insurance cover to any of our single trip or annual travel insurance policies, simply select cruise cover on our policy option page.

When you are buying cruise insurance, another important thing is to make sure that you have travel insurance cover for all of the countries you are visiting.

Get a quote for cruise insurance >>

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The case of a group of holiday makers taking Thomson to court for breach of contract highlights how devastating it can be to experience problems on holiday, but did you know that travel insurance with travel dispute cover can help you pursue legal action in these types of circumstances?

A group of holidaymakers who travelled on a cruise over Christmas are taking legal action against the cruise operator Thomson. They claim that their holiday was ruined by filthy conditions on-board causing vomiting, diarrhoea and fevers.

The passengers are accusing Thomson Holidays of breach of contract and negligence because they did not take adequate steps to limit the spread of disease and monitor standards of cleanliness and food safety.

This case highlights how devastating it can be if your holiday supplier doesn’t deliver what was promised. A holiday from hell not only wastes our money, but also spoils our precious leisure time with our loved ones – a trip we may have been looking forward to for many months. Thankfully, in the majority of cases, problems on holiday or disputes with travel suppliers can be sorted out without having to go to court.

To get the problem resolved you should raise your complaint as soon as possible, preferably whilst you are still on holiday, this gives your holiday supplier an opportunity to put things right so that you can enjoy the rest of your holiday – the best solution for everyone. Failing that, you should make a formal complaint when you get home.

Read our tips on how to resolve disputes and make a complaint.

Add Travel Dispute Cover to your travel insurance for extra protection

Adding Travel Dispute (Professional Fees) Cover to your travel insurance can help if you don’t manage to get a satisfactory resolution from your holiday supplier by helping you to pursue legal action.

Many people don’t pursue legal action because they don’t know how to go about it or they are worried about the cost – if you add Travel Dispute (Professional Fees) Cover to your travel insurance you won’t have that worry.

If you receive an unsatisfactory response you’re your holiday supplier our legal experts will assess whether you have a case for legal action. If you have a legal case, our specialists will take over the claim and appoint a specialist to act on your behalf.

You can add Travel Dispute Cover to any of our single trip travel insurance or annual travel insurance policies.

Find out more about adding Travel Dispute Cover to your travel insurance.

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After recent research showed that over half of British travellers wrongly believe that an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) entitles them to free emergency medical care anywhere in Europe, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is reminding travellers of the importance of taking out travel insurance as well.

The EHIC is important for British travellers to Europe because it proves your right to state provided health care, and in some cases this may be free or at a reduced cost.

Many travel insurance providers, including insurewithease.com will also reduce or waive the excess on a claim for medical costs if an EHIC was used when obtaining treatment.

It is important to remember that the EHIC does not always entitle you to free medical treatment or cover the full cost of medical treatment in Europe. It also does not cover for cost of medical repatriation back to the UK if you need it.

Lynda St Cooke of the Foreign Office’s Know Before You Go Campaign said: “It is worrying that so many British EHIC holders are not aware of what the card entitles them to. If you are travelling in Europe, you should definitely take your EHIC. But it is also important to take out comprehensive travel insurance before you travel”.

Get a quote for travel insurance Europe >>

Find out more about the EHIC >>

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The UK and US authorities are close to reaching an agreement which could give UK visitors the option to fast-track US border checks.

If you travel to the USA regularly having the option to fast-track through security could be very appealing – even if it does mean supplying biometric information and undergoing security checks before you travel.

The perception that gaining entry to the USA through border security is time consuming and onerous means that some British national are put off travelling to the USA altogether.

If you are travelling to the USA it’s vital to have travel insurance USA in place before you leave the UK.

The most important reason to have travel insurance when you go the USA is to cover the cost of any emergency medical treatment you may require if you fall ill or have an accident whilst you are in the USA.

Medical treatment within USA is notoriously expensive, which means that if you don’t have travel insurance cover in place and you find yourself requiring medical treatment, you could easily face bills amounting to thousands of pounds, or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.

A few pounds to buy travel insurance USA before you leave is peanuts compared to the costs you could face for medical treatment in the USA if you are uninsured. Think about it and ask yourself, is it worth the risk?

Get a quote for USA travel insurance >>

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On-going strike action is currently affecting flights to Spain and Portugal, causing delays and cancellations.

With austerity measures continuing to hit areas of the Eurozone, including some of our best loved summer holiday destinations, it looks like we could be set for another summer of strikes causing disruption to our well-earned holidays

The continued risk of strike action is a very good reason to buy travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. Travel insurance can provide cover for flight delays caused by strike action so long as you booked your holiday and bought your insurance before a strike announced.

Your rights if your flight is delayed

If your flight is delayed or cancelled due to strike action your first point of call should be your airline or tour operator.

You have a contract with them to get you to certain destination at a certain time, if they are unable to do this they are legally required to look after you. With a flight delay this takes the form of providing refreshments and overnight accommodation if necessary. In the case of a flight cancellation, they must offer you an alternative flight or a full refund.

Travel insurance can also help if your flight is delayed by strike action

In addition to your rights with your airline, travel insurance can also help if your flight is delayed by strike action, so long as you booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance before the strike dates were announced.

Travel insurance provides cover for flight delays due to strike action under the travel delay section of the policy.

Travel delay is covered as standard on all insurewithease.com travel insurance policies.

The travel delay section of your travel insurance policy pays you a fixed amount for every 12 hours that you are delayed. It is designed to help you with additional expenses, such as food and drink, whilst you are waiting at the airport.

Travel insurance also gives you the option to ‘abandon’ the holiday and make a claim to recoup the cost if you are delayed by more than 24 hours. This gives you the freedom to choose not to continue with your trip at that time if you feel the flight delay will eat into your holiday time too much. You can make a claim on your travel insurance to recoup the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions, then use the money to rebook your holiday for another time.

In order to make a claim under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy you must have checked in at the airport, or checked in online and travelled to the airport with the intention of travelling as planned. You must also obtain a letter from your airline stating the length and reason for the delay.

Get a quote for travel insurance for your next holiday.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The earthquake which had a magnitude of 8.6 struck under the sea off Indonesia’s northern province of Aceh at 08.38 GMT.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said a tsunami had been generated but its likely impact was not yet clear. It advised national authorities across the Indian Ocean region to "take appropriate action".

Resorts on the south-west coast of Thailand and in the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Indonesia have all been placed on tsunami alert.

In Thailand, the government urged people in the Andaman coastal areas to the south west of the country to evacuate. The region includes several popular resorts, including Phuket and Krabi.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising British nationals in the Indian Ocean region to monitor local media for information and to call home to let relatives know they are safe.

If you are due to travel to the area in the next few days you should contact your tour operator or travel agent for more information.

Travel insurance cover for Earthquakes and Tsunami

At the moment it is unclear what impact the earthquake or Tsunami will have on the Indian Ocean region, however in general if a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or Tsunami, strikes whilst you are away on holiday, you may be covered under the Catastrophe section of your travel insurance policy.

Catastrophe cover is designed to provide cover for additional, irrecoverable travel or accommodation costs if you are forced to move from your pre-paid, pre-booked holiday accommodation (outside of the UK) as a result of unforeseen events such as flood, fire, earthquake, hurricane and medical epidemic.

The cover is intended to enable you to continue your holiday in alternative accommodation, or if that’s not possible, return to the UK. Check your travel insurance policy wording for full details.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

On the day that another strike is announced which will impact UK holiday makers on one of the busiest weekends of the year, we look at your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled and the extra help your travel insurance policy can provide.

It has been announced that strikes will go ahead at Stansted Airport in Essex on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday after baggage handlers voted in favour or strike action due to a row over pay with their employer Swissport.

If you are due to fly in to, or out of Stansted over the Easter weekend you should contact your airline for further information.

You have a contract with your airline to get you to your destination at a certain time, if they are unable to do so due to a strike, they have a duty to offer refreshments or accommodation if it is a long delay, and if they cancel the flight due to a strike, they should offer you an alternative flight, or a full refund.

In addition to your rights with your airline your travel insurance policy can give you some more options.

Travel insurance cover for strike action

Insurewithease.com customers who have bought their travel insurance and booked their holiday before the Easter strike was announced will have cover under the travel delay section of their travel insurance.

The travel delay section of a travel insurance policy is designed to cover additional expenses that you might incur whilst waiting for your flight to depart, it pays a fixed benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed.

In addition to this, if your flight is delayed by more than 24 hours you have the option to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

To make a claim under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy you must have checked in for your flight at the airport and you must obtain a letter from the airline or travel company confirming the length and reason for the delay.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Travellers using their mobile phones on holiday in Europe will have to pay no more than 24p a minute to make a call, 8p to send a text, or 59p to download a megabyte of data. These latest cuts are part of an ongoing project to reduce the difference between the rates of roaming and domestic calls to zero by 2015.

The vice president of the EU’s Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, said “Consumers are fed up with being ripped off by high roaming charges. The new roaming deal gives us a long-term structural solution, with lower prices, more choice and a new smart approach for data and internet browsing.”

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have issued travel advice to those planning a getaway this Easter.

As well as reminding travellers of the ways they can access the latest travel advice by country, the FCO are advising travellers to buy comprehensive travel insurance before they travel, no matter where they are going this Easter.

In their latest advice the FCO is reminding UK holiday makers just how expensive an emergency abroad could turn out to be if you don’t have travel insurance cover. Taking the Canary Islands as an example, a very popular destination at this time of year, if you fall ill and are hospitalised, in addition to the costs for your actual medical treatment, it could cost as much as £16,000 for air ambulance transport home.

Buying travel insurance before you travel is vital to avoid this type of unexpected cost; a comprehensive travel insurance policy will provide cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation back to the UK by air ambulance if the medical team decides that is the best course of action for you.

Travel insurance for Sports and Activities

The FCO are also reminding travellers to ensure that they have travel insurance cover for all the sports and activities you want to do whilst you are on holiday.

Insurewithease.com provides cover for 25 sports and adventurous activities as standard e.g. tennis, cycling, scuba diving up to 18m, jet skiing and surfing.

There is also the option to add extra cover for over 100 sports and adventurous activities e.g. rugby, horse riding, bungee jumping, hot air ballooning and white water rafting, so there is no excuse for not having the right cover.

Find out more about travel insurance cover for sports and activities

Travelling to Europe? Get a European Health Insurance Card

If you are travelling within Europe you should also make sure that you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and that it is still valid. An EHIC entitles you to reduced cost medical treatment in EU countries, but it doesn’t replace the need for travel insurance as it won’t cover all medical treatment and it won’t cover the cost of repatriation.

Having a valid EHIC can also save you money in the event that you need to make a claim for medical expenses on your travel insurance, as insurewithease.com will waiver the excess payment on a medical claim if you used your EHIC card when receiving medical treatment, saving you as much as £100 on Silver policies.

Check the latest travel advice

The FCO provides continuously updated travel advice by country and are reminding holiday makers to check the latest information before they leave the UK.

The advice includes information about laws and customs, entry requirements, any upcoming strikes or industrial action and details on any areas which you should avoid.

If you have an Easter break planned, buy travel insurance and check the latest advice from the FCO before you travel. A little bit of extra preparation could save you an enormous amount of time and money once you are away.

There are several ways that you can keep up to date with the latest travel advice from the FCO:

Visit their website: www.fco.gov.uk

Follow @FCOtravel on Twitter

Follow the FCO on Facebook.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The GMB union is balloting 150 members who are employed as baggage handlers by Swissport at the Essex airport to see if they are prepared to walk out over the proposed changes.

The result of the ballot will be announced on 29 March with any resulting action likely to take place over the Easter weekend.

Swissport handles baggage for 11 airlines at Stansted Airport, including Thomson Airways, Monarch and Ryanair.

How can your travel insurance help if you are delayed by strike action?

In the event that union members do vote for industrial action and a strike goes ahead it could affect departing and arriving flights at one of the busiest times of the year.

If you are due to fly in to or out of Stansted at Easter and your flight is delayed by strike action, you should have cover under the travel delay section of your travel insurance, so long as you booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance before any strike dates were announced.

In the event that your flight is delayed by strike action, your first port of call should be your airline or travel supplier, as they are contracted to get you to your destination at a certain time, if they are unable to do so due to a strike, they have a duty to offer refreshments etc. and if they cancel the flight due to a strike, they much offer you an alternative, or a full refund.

In addition to this, the travel delay section of your travel insurance can give you more options, as it entitles you to a benefit payment for every 12 hours that you are delayed, this is designed to help cover any additional expenses, such as food and drink whilst you wait.

Plus, if you are subject to a delay of 24 hours or more you have the option to abandon the holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

So long as you booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance cover before the strike dates were announced you should be covered under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy.

To make a claim under the travel delay section of your policy you must have checked in for your flight and you must obtain a letter from the airline or travel company confirming the length and reason for the delay.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

With air fares set to rise this summer, due to the increased cost of fuel, buying travel insurance to protect your money is becoming increasingly important.

Travellers are being urged to book summer holidays early to avoid rising air fares as aviation analysts warn that flight prices are set to increase as the price of jet fuel continues to rise.

The price of jet fuel has risen 4% since last month and is now 5% higher than it was this time last year. With fears of more conflict in the Middle East oil prices are unlikely to go down in the coming months and airlines will be forced to increase prices to cover costs or risk going out of business.

Booking your holiday early? Be sure to buy travel insurance

If you do choose to book your holiday early to avoid rising prices, be sure to buy travel insurance at the same time to protect the money you’ve invested in your holiday against the risk of cancellation.

Travel insurance can provide cover in the event that you need to cancel your holiday due to illness, redundancy or your home becoming inhabitable. From the moment you pay for your holiday it makes sense to have travel insurance in place to provide cover in case you need to cancel. Otherwise you could find yourself out of pocket if you or a close family member become ill and you are unable to travel on your holiday as planned.

Booking independently? Buy travel insurance with insolvency cover

If you book elements of your holiday independently, for example booking flights direct with an airline and booking your accommodation separately, rather than booking a ‘package’ holiday, it will not be protected under the CAA’s ATOL Protection Scheme.

In this situation it’s important to have insolvency cover or Scheduled Airline Failure included in your travel insurance policy. Scheduled Airline Failure allows you to make a claim to recoup costs in the event that your airline, or other holiday supplier, becomes insolvent either before you travel, or whilst you are away.

As rising fuel costs could cause less well established or weaker airlines to struggle it pays to make sure your holiday is covered in the event of insolvency.

Insurewithease.com includes Scheduled Airline Failure (Insolvency Cover) on all travel insurance policies, so whether you choose to buy single trip travel insurance or annual travel insurance, you will have insolvency cover included.

Get a quote for travel insurance with insolvency cover included.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

A recent survey has highlighted the confusion that exists with regards to financial protection, holidays and travel insurance.

The majority of respondents felt that financial protection was important, however few understood if or how their own holiday was protected in the event of supplier insolvency. The survey, which was conducted on behalf of Travel Weekly by Explore Research, showed that 96% of UK adults considered financial protection ‘extremely important’ or ‘very important’ when booking an overseas holiday, yet only 52% actively considered what financial protection would be in place for their holiday when they made a booking.

When asked how they thought holidays were protected against insolvency, 70% said by travel insurance and only 42% mentioned ATOL (The holiday protection scheme operated by the Civil Aviation Authority, which applies to air package holidays).

Insurewithease.com provides insolvency cover (Scheduled Airline Failure) on all our travel insurance policies, but not all travel insurance is the same.

Many travel insurers allow you to add insolvency cover at an extra cost, but some travel insurance providers don’t provide insolvency cover at all.

If you have booked elements of your holiday independently, rather than booking a package with a bonded tour operator, your holiday is unlikely to be ATOL protected, therefore it’s important to make sure that your travel insurance provides cover for the insolvency of a holiday supplier.

Scheduled Airline Failure (Insolvency Cover) is included on all travel insurance policies from insurewithease.com, enabling our customers to make a claim in the event that one of their holiday suppliers including airlines, hotels and car hire become insolvent either before they travel or whilst they are away.

More information about travel insurance and insolvency cover.

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Experiencing a holiday from hell can be devastating; we give you some top tips to help resolve a complaint with your holiday supplier and tell you how travel insurance can provide extra help if your travel supplier doesn’t respond to your satisfaction.

A holiday from hell not only wastes our hard earned cash, but more importantly it ruins precious leisure time with our loved ones. When we book a holiday we trust our money and our precious leisure time with a tour operator, travel or accommodation supplier and we have to wait and see if they deliver what they promised.

We’ve all seen pictures of hotels that turn out to building sites, or bathrooms covered in damp or cockroaches, but what can we do if it happens on our holiday?

You need to raise your complaint as soon as you can with your holiday supplier, preferably whilst you are still in resort, this gives them the opportunity to put things right so that you can enjoy the rest of your holiday. If they are unable to correct the problem to your satisfaction you should make a formal complaint when you return home.

Read our tips on how to resolve a dispute with your holiday supplier.

Add Travel Dispute Cover to your travel insurance for extra protection

If your holiday supplier does not respond to your satisfaction you can consider independent arbitration or taking legal action.

Adding Travel Dispute (Professional Fees) Cover to your travel insurance can help if you don’t manage to get a satisfactory resolution from your holiday supplier by helping you to pursue legal action.

Many people don’t pursue legal action because they don’t know how to go about it or they are worried about the cost – if you add Travel Dispute (Professional Fees) Cover to your travel insurance you won’t have that worry.

If you receive an unsatisfactory response you’re your holiday supplier our legal experts will assess whether you have a case for legal action. If you have a legal case, our specialists will take over the claim and appoint a specialist to act on your behalf.

You can add Travel Dispute Cover to any of our single trip travel insurance or annual travel insurance policies.

Find out more about adding Travel Dispute Cover to your travel insurance.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The US Embassy in London is advising British Nationals who are travelling to the USA this summer to allow extra time to get authorisation via the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) or apply for a visa, as their services will be limited during July and August 2012.

The majority of British Citizen passport holders can gain entry to the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). This allows visitors to stay in the USA for up to 90 days without a visa.

If you qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme you must get authorisation via the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) prior to leaving the UK. If you do not have ESTA you will be refused entry into the USA.

Although visitors can apply for authorisation via the ESTA up to 72 hours prior to leaving for the USA, the US Embassy is advising visitors to allow more time because if registration via the ESTA is denied, a visa will be required to enter the USA, which could take much longer to be approved.

Obtaining an ESTA should not be confused with the separate requirement for travellers to provide their airline with details of their passport, country of residence and address of their first night's accommodation in the USA.

Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the requirements to enter the USA. If you travel to the USA without the correct authorisation you will be denied entry and forced to return home and lose the money you paid for your holiday. It is very unlikely that your tour operator or airline will refund the cost of your holiday if you were refused entry to the USA.

Although, travel insurance for the USA would be able to help cover additional expenses if you were to lose your passport whilst you were in the USA, in order for you to obtain a replacement and be able return home. Travel insurance would be unable to provide cover for additional expenses if you were refused entry into the USA.

Where ever you are travelling in the USA, remember to buy travel insurance USA before you leave the UK.

The USA is the one of the most expensive places in the world to obtain medical treatment. Falling ill or having an accident which leaves you needing emergency medical treatment in the USA could easily leave with medical bills amounting to thousands of pounds, or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Be careful if you have a late night flight back from the USA. Your travel insurance USA must cover you from the date you depart the UK to the date that you land back in the UK. If it doesn’t cover the entire duration of your trip it could be void. For instance if you leave the USA late at night, but don’t land back in the UK until the following morning, you should buy travel insurance to cover you until you arrive back in the UK. Where ever you are going in the USA this summer we hope you have a great trip.

Get a quote for USA travel insurance.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

ATOL Protection is being extended to include Flight Plus holidays, however many holidays booked independently or booked with an airline will still be unprotected making travel insurance with insolvency cover important for many holiday makers.

The Government has announced reforms to the ATOL Protections Scheme, which provides financial protection for consumers that book air package holidays. If your holiday is ATOL Protected it means that in the event that your airline becomes insolvent before you travel you would be able to make a claim to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to recoup your lost money. Or if the airline becomes insolvent whilst you are away, the CAA would arrange to bring you home so you are not stranded abroad.

The good news is that, from April 30, the scheme is being extended to include what are known as flight plus or dynamically packaged holidays. Currently the scheme only applies to air packages that are sold at one inclusive published price by a tour operator who is ATOL bonded.

From April 30, if you book a flight plus hotel, or a flight plus car hire from the same company your holiday will also be ATOL Protected. This means that the regulations are extended to include high street and online retailers where you can choose flights and hotels separately to put together your own ‘package’.

The bad news is flights or holidays sold by airlines will still be excluded from the ATOL Scheme, therefore if you book a flight plus hotel or flight plus car hire with an airline your holiday will not be protected. This omission is down to the fact that bringing airlines into the regulations would require a change in the law. Although the Government has expressed a commitment to bringing holidays sold by airlines into line with the rest of the industry it has been unable to do so in this round of reforms.

The other thing to be aware of is that booking flights and accommodation through completely separate companies also still falls outside of the ATOL Scheme, so your holiday would be unprotected.

This is where having insolvency cover, often called scheduled airline failure, included in your travel insurance policy becomes important. Having scheduled airline failure included in your travel insurance policy can plug this gap in the financial protection provided by ATOL. It provides travel insurance cover to recoup money lost on flight tickets if an airline becomes insolvent before you travel, or recoup the cost of replacement flights home if an airline becomes insolvent whilst you are away. It also provides travel insurance cover for the insolvency or financial failure of other holiday suppliers including hotels and car hire companies.

Insurewithease.com includes scheduled airline failure in all of our travel insurance policies, regardless of whether you are buying single trip travel insurance, annual travel insurance or backpacker insurance.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The woman from Chorley was badly hurt in a quad bike accident on 30 December whilst doing a year’s work experience on a farm in Tasmania. Although she had travel insurance in place the policy that was purchased did not include cover for manual work of the type being undertaken or the riding of quad bikes. As a result of this her parents are now faced with the mammoth task of raising the money to pay for her medical treatment and repatriation.

This very sad incident highlights the importance of making sure you have the appropriate travel insurance cover in place if you are going to be taking part in any extreme sports or working abroad.

Most travel insurance policies will provide cover for a selection of sports and activities as standard, as well as providing the option to upgrade your travel insurance cover to include more extreme sports and activities.

The obvious one is ski insurance, most people wouldn’t dream of going skiing without making sure that their travel insurance included ski cover. You should treat other sports, activities or manual work abroad in the same way.

If you are unsure about what classes as an extreme sport check the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy.

Insurewithease.com provides travel insurance cover for 25 sports and activities as standard, including cycling, surfing and scuba diving to a depth of 18 metres. There is also the option to add extra cover to your travel insurance policy for over 100 other sports and activities, including quad biking and manual work.

More information about insurewithease.com travel insurance for sports and activities.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what activities you might take part in before you go away, we appreciates that this can be difficult, particularly if you are buying backpacker insurance to cover a gap your or long stay abroad. You can call us to add additional cover for sports and activities after you have bought your travel insurance policy, even whilst you away. It may seem like a hassle, but it could save you thousands of pounds of medical fees if you have an accident.

In summary, before you take part in any sport or activity whilst you are away, just spend a minute to check whether you have travel insurance cover for it – if you don’t, think carefully about whether it’s worth the risk of taking part.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

According to popular website Mumsnet.com British families are turning away from traditional holidays in favour of cheaper and more flexible options such as camping and house exchanges.

Whichever type of holiday you choose for your family this year, remember that travel insurance isn’t something to cut back on. Family travel insurance doesn’t have to be expensive, children under 18 are insured free of charge on single trip policies with insurewithease.com, regardless of whether you are a one parent or two parent family.

It seems that the expense of a traditional holiday and the lack of flexible accommodation for both larger families and single parent families is driving modern parents to look for alternatives.

Camping and home swaps have grown in popularity over recent years because they are affordable and flexible, allowing a family to holiday on their own terms and not be forced to fit into somebody else’s idea of what the average family is and wants.

Affordability and suitability of accommodation can be just as much of a problem for larger families as it is for single parent families, albeit for different reasons. With single parents often having to pay a single supplement, or not qualifying for free child places. And larger families struggling to find hotels that can accommodate them all in a suitable way.

Once you have booked your family holiday it pays to buy family travel insurance as soon as possible to get the full benefit of the cancellation cover which travel insurance provides.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Following political demonstrations and unrest, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are advising British Nationals against all but essential travel to the capital of the Maldives, Male.

If you are in Male already, you should exercise caution, avoid demonstrations and beware of spontaneous gatherings.

If you choose to travel to Male against FCO advice you should be aware that your travel insurance will not provide cover.

There are currently no reports of social unrest or demonstrations at Male International Airport (which is on the island of Hulhule), or in the tourist resorts and other islands. The FCO has stated that their advice against all but essential travel to Male Island does not include Male International Airport or travel from the airport to any part of the country other than Male Island.

Travel insurance for the Maldives will be valid, so long as you do not travel against FCO advice, which at the moment is only advising against travel to the capital, Male.

This advice could change, so if you are travelling to the Maldives contact your tour operator for further information and keep up to date with the latest advice from the FCO.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

A general strike is taking place in Belgium today, Monday 30 January: Trains, Metro and buses are likely to be seriously disrupted or cancelled entirely. If you are due to travel today you should contact your travel supplier for the latest information. If you are delayed for more than 12 hours you may able to make a claim under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy.

The strike action officially begins at 22:00 on Sunday 29 January until 22:00 on Monday 30 January, but public transports services are likely to be disrupted for longer.

Eurostar will not be running any trains to Belgium today, instead they are running a revised service to Lille, and a bus service will be provided to take passengers on to Brussels Midi. However, due to the increased journey time they are strongly advising customers not to travel unless absolutely necessary, and are offering the option to re-book for another date or a full refund.

Ryanair has cancelled dozens of flights to and from Brussels Charleroi airport today. British Airways said it planned to operate a normal schedule, although they are recommending that passengers check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.

If you are due to travel to Belgium today you should check with your airline or travel company before travelling.

Travel insurance and strike cover

Your airline or travel supplier is contracted to get you to your destination, if they are unable to do so due to a strike, they have a duty to offer you an alternative, or a full refund.

In addition to this, the travel delay section of your travel insurance can give you more options, as it entitles you to a benefit payment for every 12 hours that you are delayed, this is designed to help cover any additional expenses, such as food and drink whilst you wait.

Plus, if you are subject to a delay of 24 hours you have the option to abandon the holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

So long as you booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance cover before the strike dates were announced you should be covered under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy.

To make a claim under the travel delay section of your policy you must have checked in for your flight and you must obtain a letter from the airline or travel company confirming the length and reason for the delay.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

To help ensure the safety of British National abroad, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes continually updated travel advice for every country in the world. You should check the latest travel advice before you travel, every time you travel.

When you are planning a trip abroad, here’s one thing to keep in mind:

‘Just because you can buy a flight to a particular destination, doesn’t mean that it’s safe to go there’

Travelling to a country or specific area of a country against Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice is likely to make your travel insurance void, whoever you buy your travel insurance from.

This may sound harsh, but it is fair. Travel insurance is designed to provide protection against unexpected and unforeseen risks, travelling to a country or area that the FCO has advised against going to because it is dangerous, is a very different risk from taking a holiday in a country that is considered generally safe.

British Airways announced this week that they will be resuming flights to Tripoli, the Libyan capital from 1st May. Flights were suspended almost a year ago amid rising tensions in the North African country. From 1st May there will be three flights a week from London Heathrow to Tripoli.

This is quite an extreme example, as I’m sure that not many of you are planning a trip to Libya for your summer holiday this year, but it does illustrate the point well. It will be easy to book a flight direct from Heathrow to Libya, but the FCO are currently advising against all but essential travel to some areas of the country, and against all travel to other areas. If you chose to travel to Libya against this advice, a standard travel insurance policy would not provide cover.

Recent events in Kenya and the revolution in Egypt last year highlight the need to check travel advice before you travel, wherever you’re going. Both these countries are popular with UK tourists and although the FCO didn’t advise against all travel, they did and do advise against travel to specific regions, so if you are travelling to these countries you should be aware of which areas should be avoided.

In addition to advising against travel to countries or areas that are deemed dangerous the FCO advice by country also includes information on customs and laws as well as any planned strikes or industrial action which could affect your travel plans – so it’s well worth a look before you travel.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

2012 looks set to be one of the best ski seasons for snow conditions in a number of years – great news for ski and snow board enthusiasts.

Some ski resorts have even complained of having ‘too much snow’. Zermatt was cut off for a number of days, preventing skiers departing or arriving, perhaps not such a bad thing to be stuck in a ski resort with great snow conditions! Val d’Isere enforced a lock-in on one evening due to the risk of avanlanche and snow falling from roofs.

Although there has been a break in snow fall over the last week or so the sheer amount that fell throughout the 2nd half of December and 1st week in January means that there is a great base for this ski season, plus more heavy snow is expected again across most of the Alps this weekend.

All this snow and fresh powder makes it even more tempting for skiers and snowboarders to venture off-piste. But before you do decide to ski off-piste you should check whether your ski insurance provides cover.

Ski insurance from Insurewithease.com provides cover for the following activities:

• Cross country skiing
• Curling
• Downhill Skiing/Snowboarding
• Iceskating
• Off-piste skiing and snowboarding is covered providing you are skiing within the boundaries of a recognised resort area designed for public use, and are not skiing in areas marked out of bounds or hazardous by the piste authorities.

If you have checked that your ski insurance provides cover and you do decide to take advantage of this year’s great snow conditions and ski off-piste, it is important to take care. Even if you are only skiing off-piste by the edge of a marked run, you still need be very careful, if there is fresh snow around you never know what is underneath. Unless you are experienced it is safest to stick to the piste or go with a professional guide.

Whether you are skiing on or off-piste it is very important you keep your wits about you when you are in the mountains. Take notice of relevant signs and notices around the resort and on the mountain. The resort authorities will generally post the latest information about the current avalanche risk and weather conditions at the main lift stations – you should read these and take note.

For more information about staying safe in the mountains read our ski safety check list from the FCO.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Mount Etna erupts fairly regularly, usually for several days and sometimes causing the closure of the nearby Catania airport in Sicily. Currently flights are not being affected by this volcanic eruption.

For the latest information on air travel within Europe follow @eurocontrol on twitter

At the moment it looks like we can be hopeful that flights won’t be affected by the volcanic ash from Etna’s eruption.

However since the volcanic ash cloud crisis in April 2010, there seems to be an ever present threat of travel plans being affected by volcanic ash. Last year, flights were delayed due to volcanic ash in South America and Australia; add this to the constant fear of another Icelandic volcanic ash cloud and it pays to be prepared.

Does your travel insurance cover volcanic ash?

Travellers who are concerned about the risk of their holiday being affected by a volcanic ash cloud should consider adding Natural Catastrophe Cover to their travel insurance.

Natural Catastrophe cover (volcanic ash) from insurewithease.com is designed to enhance your policy by providing cover for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred due to unexpected events such as volcanic ash cloud and other natural disasters including; earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes.

If a travel insurance policy with natural catastrophe cover is bought before a volcano erupts, you will be able to make a claim for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Of course with so much snow around there could be a danger of avalanches so if you are about to head off on a ski trip be sure to follow local guidance carefully, particularly if you are planning to ski off-piste.

Check out these ski and snowboard safety tips from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before you travel: Ski and Snowboard Checklist

Ski insurance is vital to ski trip

If you are heading off on a ski trip, ski insurance is as vital to your trip as skis, boots and a warm jacket. It is an unfortunate fact that skiing is a more risky past time than lying on a beach, therefore you need to ensure that your travel insurance provides cover for medical treatment as a result of an accident whilst skiing.

Ski insurance from insurewithease.com extends the medical section of your travel insurance policy to cover skiing and snowboarding. It also provides cover for loss, theft or damage to your ski equipment, unused ski lessons and ski hire, piste closure and avalanche closure.

If you are a real ski enthusiast you may also want to consider our new option for Winter Sports with Increased Equipment Cover. This increases your travel insurance cover for your ski equipment to £2000, with a single article limit of £1000 – ideal of you have the latest ski equipment.

If you are about to hit the slopes, get a quote for ski insurance now.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Figures published by the CAA today show that flight punctuality during the peak summer months improved year on year, however with 21% of scheduled flights and 27% of charter flights suffering a delay of 15 minutes or more there is still room for further improvement.

From July to September 2011, 79% of scheduled flights were on-time, compared to 72% for the same period on 2010. The most significant improvements were seen on scheduled flights from Stansted, Gatwick and Luton.

Punctuality on charter flights improved across the board, 73% of charter flights were on-time compared to just 62% for the same period of 2010.

Under EU law, if your flight is delayed for a long period of time your airline has a duty to look after you, providing refreshments and accommodation if necessary. Your entitlement varies according the length of your delay and the distance you are due to fly. For more information on air passenger rights visit: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passenger-rights/en/index.html

If you do experience a long flight delay travel insurance can also help. Insurewithease.com provides cover under the Travel Delay section of our travel insurance policies if your outbound flight from the UK or your return flight into the UK is delayed due to bad weather, strike or industrial action or mechanical breakdown.

If your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours, you will be entitled to claim a fixed benefit, the amount will differ depending on whether you bought our Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance cover. This travel delay benefit is designed to help you cover the cost of extra, unexpected expenses, such as food and drink, whilst you are waiting at the airport.

If your outbound flight is delayed by more than 24 hours, your travel insurance policy allows you to ‘abandon’ your holiday and make a claim for the cost of the holiday, up to the limit stated in the Cancellation section of your travel insurance policy. Again, this amount will depending on whether you chose Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance cover.

In order to make a claim for travel delay on your travel insurance policy you must have checked in at the airport with the intention of travelling and you will need to obtain a letter from your airline detailing the length and reason for the delay.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

At last there is some positive news for the British holiday maker. After pressure from the Office of Fair Trading, banks and credit card companies have agreed to drop some of the charges they levy to holidaymakers buying foreign currency.

The banks and credit card companies have also promised to display other costs relating to foreign currency more clearly in their monthly statements. The OFT investigation which also found that companies offering 0% commission on foreign currency often build a mark-up in the exchange rate, so they are not actually providing the service free of charge, follows a super-complaint by the watchdog Customer Focus.

The watchdog's complaint said that converting £500 into euros could cost anything between £10 and £30, even though the service provided was essentially the same.

The changes announced today include:

Five companies - Lloyds, Barclays, RBS, Santander and the Co-op – which currently impose charges of between 1.5 and 2% if customers use their debit cards before leaving the UK to buy foreign currency, have agreed to scrap this charge. Consumer Focus estimates that this will save consumers £20m a year. Nationwide, HSBC, First Direct and Halifax Bank of Scotland do not charge such a fee.

Banks and card companies will also show separately on statements those charges which are incurred overseas, including the typical "loading fee" of nearly 3%, rather than hiding them in the cost of the items travellers have bought.

Lloyds Banking Group, including HBOS, HSBC, Co-op, Capital One, RBS and NatWest and American Express have agreed to implement this change by the end of 2013.

Nationwide, Barclays, Santander, RBS and NatWest - for debit cards only - already provide this information.

The OFT is also forcing currency businesses to review 0% commission offers and reveal what the costs true costs are to holiday makers.

At a time when many costs for British holidaymakers are escalating, this is very welcome news.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

If you are setting off on holiday in the next few days, news that more high winds and storms are heading our way might put you on edge a bit. The prospect of storms and bad weather is never good if you need to travel somewhere.

High winds battered the UK, particularly Scotland and Northern England, causing difficulties for airports last week, and earlier this week Brittany Ferries were forced to cancel some departures because of the dangers of getting into port in high winds.

The Met Office has already issued an early warning of high winds for later this week. Rapidly strengthening winds and heavy rain are likely to reach the west later on Thursday and extend quickly eastwards overnight into Friday bringing another potentially stormy period. Areas most likely to be affected are England and Wales.

How can travel insurance help if bad weather, such as high winds, means that your flight is delayed?

Travel Insurance cover for flight delay due to bad weather

Insurewithease.com provides cover under the Travel Delay section of our travel insurance policies if your outbound flight from the UK or your return flight into the UK is delayed due to bad weather.

If your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours, you will be entitled to claim a fixed benefit, the amount will differ depending on whether you bought our Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance cover. This travel delay benefit is designed to help you cover the cost of extra, unexpected expenses, such as food and drink, whilst you are waiting at the airport.

If your outbound flight is delayed by more than 24 hours, your travel insurance policy allows you to ‘abandon’ your holiday and make a claim for the cost of the holiday, up to the limit stated in the Cancellation section of your travel insurance policy. Again, this amount will depending on whether you chose Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance cover.

In order to make a claim for travel delay on your travel insurance policy you must have checked in at the airport with the intention of travelling and you will need to obtain a letter from your airline detailing the length and reason for the delay.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Ski insurance cover for your ski and snowboard equipment up to £2000!*

If you are a keen skier or snowboarder and you take your own skis or snowboard with you when you hit the slopes, you want to make sure they are properly insured.

Most ski insurance does provide cover for the loss, theft or damage of your own ski equipment, but the cover can be limited. This may be fine for the majority of skiers and boarders who rent their equipment or have had a pair of skis or snowboard for a number of years. But if you are a real enthusiast with top quality, up to date equipment, you may find that standard ski insurance falls short in this area.

Think about what your skis or snowboard, boots and bindings cost. Is £500 really enough insurance cover if they were lost, stolen or damaged?

Insurewithease.com has introduced a new option, Winter Sports with Increased Equipment Cover, which provides up to £2000 of insurance cover for your own ski or snowboard equipment. If you shop around for ski insurance you will soon find that this level of cover for your ski equipment is hard to beat.

We still sell our standard ski insurance, with cover for ski equipment up to £500, because that is suitable for many skiers, and there’s no point paying for ski insurance cover that you don’t need.

But if you are a real enthusiast with the latest equipment, choose our Winter Sports with Increased Equipment Cover option to get cover for your skis or board etc. up to £2000. For only a few pounds extra you will have the peace of mind that your beloved skis or snowboard are insured for loss, theft or accidental damage.

Simply get a quote for ski insurance, choose between Silver, Gold or Platinum cover, then when you get to the policy options page add Winter Sports with Increased Equipment Cover to your policy, it’s just a few pounds more than our standard cover.

Get a quote for ski insurance >>

*Claims under the winter sports equipment section of the policy are subject to a depreciation scale, please see our policy wording for full details.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Alpine ski resorts have effectively gone from autumn to mid-winter in the space of a couple of days – and just in time too, as this week is the start of the 2011/12 ski season for many European resorts. Skiers and snowboarders can now look forward to a fun time on the slopes this winter and local businesses are looking forward to welcoming an influx of visitors.

Recent negative reports in the media about the warm temperatures and lack of snow in the Alps had put ski enthusiasts off booking holidays, leaving ski tour operators forced to slash prices. If you haven’t booked your ski holiday yet, the news that plenty of fresh snow has now fallen could mean that you have left it too late to snap up a bargain.

If you do have a ski holiday planned, it’s important to make sure you have appropriate ski insurance in place before you travel. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued advice to skiers and snowboarders earlier this week to make sure they buy travel insurance. Its report suggested that as many as 1 in 5 skiers are still hitting the slopes uninsured, putting themselves at risk of being hit with expensive medical bills if they have an accident.

When you are buying ski insurance you should also check that it provides insurance cover for all of the winter sports activities you intend take part in whilst you are away eg. Off-piste skiing, or heli-skiing. If your chosen activity is not covered as standard in the ski insurance check to see if you can upgrade your policy to ensure that you are covered.

If you are real ski or board enthusiast with the latest equipment check out our Winter Sports with Increased Equipment Cover option. It increases the insurance cover for loss, theft or damage to your own ski or snow board equipment to £2000. If you’re proud of your ski equipment, make sure it is properly insured before you hit the slopes.

Once you have the right ski insurance in place, get out on the slopes and enjoy the snow!

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The Government confirmed last week that Air Passenger Duty (APD) will increase by 8-10% from April 2012. They have also confirmed that passengers who have already booked and paid for their flights will not escape the increased cost.

The twice the rate of inflation increase will be applied to all departures from the UK from 1st April, regardless of the date the flight was booked. Hundreds of thousands of passengers who have already booked travel to depart after April 1st could be contacted by their airline for an additional payment to cover the increased tax.

Some airlines and tour operators, including Thompson and First Choice are currently considering whether they are able to absorb the cost or will have to pass it on to customers. TUI Travel which owns both Thompson and First Choice have said that they will not announce until the New Year whether they will pass on the cost to customers.

You may be surprised at how much of the cost of your flight or package holiday is actually tax. It’s not too bad for economy, short-haul flights (Europe, Tunisia and Morocco), which will rise from £12 to £13. But if you travel long haul or upgrade to premium economy or business class the cost rises significantly.

Tax on economy departures to the US, Egypt, Dubai and other destinations in band B will increase from £60 to £65.

Tax on economy flights to the Caribbean, Mexico, East Asia, Thailand and other countries in band C will go up from £75 to £81.

And tax on departures to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and other destinations in band D will rise from £85 to £92.

APD is charged per person, which means the cost soon adds up if are paying for a family holiday, with a family of four planning to enjoy a holiday in Florida next summer paying £260 in Airport Departure Tax.

You might also think twice about upgrading to premium economy or business class as APD on these fares is likely to be double the rates listed above.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued advice to ski and snowboard enthusiasts today, to ensure that they have ski insurance before they travel.

We’ve reached that time of year again, the ski resorts of Europe and North America are starting to open and many Brits are will soon be heading off for a great time on the ski slopes.

The FCO advice quotes new research which shows that one in five travellers are not taking out ski insurance when they go on a winter sports holiday. This is a big risk because the costs of an accident on the ski slopes can be huge.

The number of uninsured skiers and snowboarders rises to a quarter when you look at just the 15-24 age group.

Every year there are numerous incidents where families are faced with huge medical bills following an accident on the slopes. This is often because people have not taken out ski insurance, or have not read the small print of their ski insurance policy. The costs of an accident on the slopes can be significant – a fractured leg in the United States could land you with a medical bill of up to £40,000. A knee injury in Austria could set you back £8,000. Not getting covered or not training beforehand is just not worth the risk.

Lynda St Cooke from the Foreign Office, said:

“We strongly advise anyone hitting the slopes this winter to take out comprehensive travel insurance and make sure you have an up to date EHIC card. Don’t forget to check the small print – most insurance policies will not cover you if you’re under the influence of alcohol. If you’re unlucky enough to have an accident and you’re not covered, you could find yourself thousands of pounds out of pocket.”

Check out these tips for enjoying a safe ski holiday.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Heathrow airport has warned of delays of up to 12 hours and is asking airlines to reduce their capacity for the day. In response to this request some airlines, such as BA and Virgin, have given their passengers the option to switch to an alternative flight at no extra cost.

If you are due to fly into or out of the UK on Wednesday you should contact your airline for further information.

Travel insurance for travel delay due to strike action

Insurewithease.com provides cover for disruption due to strike action under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy. You will have cover for travel delay due to strike action according to the terms and conditions of the policy, so long as you bought your travel insurance policy before the strike dates were announced.

Travel delay provides a fixed benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed. The amount varies according to whether you purchased a Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance policy. Check your schedule of cover for details.

In addition to the fixed benefit, if your flight is delayed by more than 24 hours you can abandon your holiday and make a claim for any irrecoverable costs, up to the limit specified in the cancellation section of the policy. Again this varies according to whether you purchased a Silver, Gold or Platinum travel insurance policy.

In order to make a claim for travel delay on your travel insurance you must have checked in for your flight and you will need a letter from the airline confirming the length of the delay.

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Insurewithease.com includes Scheduled Airline Failure cover on all policies.

Under the current ATOL (air travel operator’s license) regulations, your holiday is only financially protected if it is bought as a traditional package. If you book elements of your holiday separately they will not be protected under the ATOL scheme.

Booking your holiday independently gives you the freedom to choose exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it and it can save you money. The downside is that you don’t get the same level of financial protection as when you book a package.

Although the Government has plans to extend that ATOL protection scheme to include holiday components bought separately, such as hotels and flights, this now doesn’t look likely to come in to force until April 2012.

In the meantime, if you do book elements of your holiday separately, travel insurance with Scheduled Airline Failure (insolvency cover) can help plug the gap in the financial protection available for your holiday.

Scheduled Airline Failure Cover provides cover for irrecoverable sums lost as a result of the insolvency or financial failure of a travel or accommodation supplier, with whom you had made a booking and paid in advance, for elements of your holiday which don't form part of a bonded holiday package.

Despite the name, Scheduled airline failure provides cover for much more than just the insolvency of an airline, it provides cover for the insolvency or financial failure of:

Scheduled airlines, Hotels, Car ferries, Villa's abroad & cottages in the UK, Railway journeys, Coach journeys, Cruises not bonded, Car hire, Caravan sites / campsites / mobile homes, Camper rental, Safaris, Excursions, Theme parks.

The good news is Scheduled Airline Failure Cover is included as standard on all policies from insurewithease.com

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Passengers are being warned of flight disruptions today due to dense fog at several UK and European Airports.

Heathrow and London City Airport have both been forced to cancel more than 100 flights this morning. However, Gatwick has stated that although it is experiencing low visibility, flights are currently operating normally, Stansted is also operating as normal.

Passengers who are concerned about the status of their flights are advised to contact their airlines.

Travel insurance and flight delays due to fog

If your flight is delayed due to bad weather, such as fog, you should have cover under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy, so long as you have checked in for your flight.

The travel delay section of your travel insurance policy is designed to offer a benefit, to help cover additional expenses, such as food and drink, incurred whilst you are waiting at the airport. It pays a fixed benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed – check your policy schedule for the amount.

If your delay exceeds 24 hours, you have the option to abandon the holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the policy. You will need to obtain a letter from your airline confirming the length of the delay.

For up to date information on the status of flights across Europe follow @eurocontrol on twitter

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

A 10 year old boy is in hospital with serious head injuries after a quad biking accident in the popular holiday resort of Bodrum, Turkey. The boy’s family is trying to raise the £15,000 to pay for his care as their travel insurance policy did not cover quad biking because it is classed as an extreme sport.

This accident highlights the importance of buying appropriate travel insurance for your holiday and checking that any sports or activities you intend to take part in are covered on your policy.

Travel insurance for extreme sports and hazardous activities

Whichever travel insurance provider you choose, it’s vital to check the terms and conditions to make sure that you have travel insurance cover for the sports and activities you want to enjoy on holiday.

Insurewithease.com covers 25 sports and activities as standard, including jet-skiing, snorkeling and scuba diving up to 18 metres. You also get the option to upgrade your travel insurance to include cover for more dangerous sports, quad biking for instance can be covered under hazardous activities category B. Up to 100 sports and activities that can be covered including camel riding, dog sledging and white water rafting.

If you know what activities you intend to take part in before you travel it’s really easy to get the right cover. Just check the policy wording to see if the activities you need are covered as standard, or whether you need to purchase an upgrade. A few minutes spent checking and a few extra pounds spent on travel insurance for extreme sports before you go could save you thousands in the event of an accident abroad.

Sudden urge for adventure? Upgrade your travel insurance cover whilst you’re away.

If you hadn’t planned on doing anything more dangerous than lying on a beach, but whilst away suddenly get the urge for a bit of adventure, check to see if your travel insurance provides cover for the activity before you take part. Don’t worry if the activity isn’t included as standard, you can call us whilst you are away to add additional cover for more extreme sports and hazardous activities. It may seem like a hassle, but it could save you thousands of pounds of medical fees if you have an accident.

In summary, before you take part in any sport or activity, just spend a minute to check whether you have travel insurance cover – if you don’t, think carefully about whether it’s worth the risk of taking part.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

It seems we Brits are in love with Spain again, with UK visitors numbers booming in 2011. According to figures published by the Spanish Tourist Board, Spain has seen a 9.2% increase in UK visitors for the first nine months of this year compared to 2010.

Buy travel insurance Spain whenever you travel to Spain to get cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation, cancellation, baggage and travel delay.

The surge in bookings to Spain may not be entirely down to our love of Spain and more to do with us being put off the other destinations which may have tempted us away from Spain in recent years. Egypt and Tunisia have seen visitor numbers plummet due to political turmoil, and even nearby Morocco, although unaffected by the Arab Spring, has seen numbers drop significantly. Not to mention the economic situation and continuing industrial action in Greece which is affecting visitor numbers.

Figures also show that there has been an increase in package holidays to Spain, with 35.5% of all UK tourists to Spain booking a package holiday; this could be a result of recent travel disruption and insolvencies in the travel industry and customers starting to recognise the benefits of booking a bonded package holiday.

In the current economic climate, it’s more important than ever to buy travel insurance Spain as soon as you book your holiday. This will give you the maximum protection under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy in the event of strike action. To be covered for delay due to strike action you must have booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance before any strike dates were announced.

With the recent action by Qantas staff causing them to ground all flights this weekend, and Thomas Cook cabin crew voting overwhelmingly in favour of strike action last week, it could definitely pay buy travel insurance cover as soon as possible, you never know when a strike could be announced.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The latest threat is from the Katla volcano in Iceland, where clusters of small earthquakes have been detected over the last couple of weeks, which according to some seismologists could indicate that an eruption is imminent. “It is definitely showing signs of restlessness” said Einarsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland.

Civil defence authorities at nearby towns such as Vik, which has a population of 300, are drafting evacuation plans and holding regular meetings with scientists. Seismologists say that the longer pressure builds up, the more catastrophic an eruption could be. With the last eruption over 90 years ago and Katla usually erupting twice a century, it is long overdue for another eruption.

Katla is not the only Icelandic volcano sparking fears of eruption, in July it was reported that the Hekla Volcano could erupt imminently - the mountain has been expanding slowly over the past few years, possibly due to magma build up.

Add these fears of further Icelandic volcanic eruptions to actual disruption caused by volcanic ash from the Puyehue volcano in Chile to flights in Argentina last week and disruption in Australia and New Zealand caused by an ash cloud from the Cordon Caulle volcano in southern Chile earlier in the year, it’s not surprising that volcanic ash is still on our minds.

Changes in the flying restrictions imposed by the CAA mean the blanket closure of European Airspace is unlikely to happen again, although of course it is not impossible. However, flights and travel continue to be disrupted by volcanic ash, and if you are affected, there is little comfort in knowing that you are one of a select few. Buying travel insurance with cover for volcanic ash cloud disruption could at least give you some peace of mind.

Travellers who are looking for volcanic ash travel insurance should consider purchasing Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of their travel insurance policy. If a travel insurance policy with natural catastrophe cover is bought before a volcano erupts, you will be able to make a claim for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption.

You should read your travel insurance policy wording for full terms and conditions.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The FCO now advises against all but essential travel to the city of Bangkok and the twenty-six provinces in Thailand currently affected by widespread flooding.

The change of advice from the FCO reflects the large volume of flood water expected to reach Bangkok later this week, which is likely to disrupt transport, close tourist attractions and may affect electricity and water supplies.

The Government of Thailand has announced a public holiday in all flood-affected areas, including the city of Bangkok, to run from 27 to 31 October. Some services may not be available during this period.

British Nationals who are already in Thailand are advised to exercise caution and following the advice of the local authorities.

If you are due to travel to Thailand you should contact your airline or tour operator for more information.

Please note: The advice against all but essential travel to the city of Bangkok does not include transit through Suvarnabhumi airport, although Don Muang domestic airport closed on 25 October due to the effects flooding.

You should be aware that if you travel against FCO advise your travel insurance could become invalid.

The FCO are continually updating their advice and you should check their website for the latest details before you travel.

Travel Advice Thailand

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Volcanic ash from the Puyehue volcano in Chile has caused the suspension of flights in Argentina and Uruguay over the last couple of days. Volcanic ash drifted into Argentinian and Uruguayan airspace on Sunday causing Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires was shut down affected both international and domestic flights.

British Airways confirmed that it had cancelled its daily flights to Buenos Aires on Sunday, American Airlines and Lufthansa were also forced to cancel a number of flights.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised people in the affected area, or those due to travel in the next few days to follow the advice of the local authorities and contact their airline/travel agent for the latest information.

Does your travel insurance cover volcanic ash?

Insurewithease.com customers, who purchased Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of their travel insurance, before the volcano erupted, will be covered for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption. You should read your travel insurance policy wording for full terms and conditions. If you are departing on a flight this week, it is advisable to keep up to date with the volcanic ash situation, contact your airline or travel agent for the latest information.

Insurewithease.com’s Natural Catastrophe Cover extension provides travel insurance cover for disruption due to volcanic ash. However, to get the most benefit from your cover you should buy travel insurance with volcanic ash cloud cover as soon as you book your holiday. You never know when another volcanic ash incident will occur and you must have travel insurance cover in place before an eruption takes place in order to be covered.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Last week Twickenham based Geo-Dive collapsed; becoming the 6th tour operator in a month to go bust, and the 19th this year. This is a stark illustration that the travel industry is suffering some of the worst trading conditions for 30 years. As holiday makers tighten their belts in the face of rising inflation there are fears of further failures in the coming months.

Under the current ATOL (air travel operator’s license) regulations, your holiday is only financially protected if it is bought as a traditional package. If you book elements of your holiday separately they will not be protected under the ATOL scheme.

Booking your holiday independently gives you the freedom to choose exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it and it can save you money. The downside is that you don’t get the same level of financial protection as when you book a traditional package.

Although the Government has plans to extend that ATOL protection scheme to include holiday components bought separately, such as hotels and flights, this now doesn’t look likely to come in to force until April 2012.

In the meantime, if you do book elements of your holiday separately, travel insurance with Scheduled Airline Failure (insolvency cover) can help plug the gap in the financial protection available for your holiday.

Scheduled Airline Failure Cover provides cover for irrecoverable sums lost as a result of the insolvency or financial failure of a travel or accommodation supplier, with whom you had made a booking and paid in advance, for elements of your holiday which don't form part of a bonded holiday package.

Despite the name, Scheduled airline failure provides cover for much more than just the insolvency of an airline, it provides cover for the insolvency or financial failure of:

Scheduled airlines, Hotels, Car ferries, Villa's abroad & cottages in the UK, Railway journeys, Coach journeys, Cruises not bonded, Car hire, Caravan sites / campsites / mobile homes, Camper rental, Safaris, Excursions, Theme parks.

The good news is Scheduled Airline Failure Cover is included as standard on all policies from insurewithease.com

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

In the Consumer Moneyfacts Survey!

We are really proud to announce that insurewithease.com has been shortlisted for ‘Best Travel Insurance Provider’ by the Consumer Moneyfacts Survey.

The Consumer Moneyfacts Survey is conducted annually and is the only survey that combines honest consumer feedback with the technical merits of a range of financial products.

The organisations which make the shortlist are selected because their products in the respective categories are amongst the best in their field, as verified by the extensive research departments of Moneyfacts Group.

Insurewithease.com has been shortlisted for Best Travel Insurance Provider and now goes forward to stage two – the consumer survey, where customers vote.

The survey closed on 25 November and the results will be announced in January 2012.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are advising holiday makers and travellers who think they may be affected to contact their airlines for further information about flight timings. Visitors should also consider alternative methods of transport to reach ports or airports in Greece as buses and trains may not be running as expected. Demonstrations are expected and central Athens and the FCO is advising British nationals to avoid large crowds and keep an eye on local media reporting. Road closures can be expected in Athens and are often not announced in advance.

If you think your travel plans may be affected you should contact your airline or tour operator for the more information.

Travel insurance and strike cover

If you booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance cover before the strike dates were announced you should be covered under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy. This usually means that you can claim a benefit for every 12 or 24 hours that your flight is delayed, this benefit is intended to help cover additional expenses such as food and drink if you are stuck at the airport for longer than expected.

Often, if your flight is delayed by more than 24 hours you have the option with your travel insurance policy to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

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A highly rated agency have analysed over 40 airlines by judging them on 15 criteria including the age of the airline, the number of cabin crew available, pilot training and the number of accidents that they have been involved in during the last ten years.

British Airways came out on top and were closely followed by Air France-KLM and Lufthansa as being the safest airlines in Europe. US carriers that rated well include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines.

ATRA, who operate independently, says that the study was carried out to ‘provide the aviation sector with rigorous and transparent information, liable to encourage airlines to track, interpret and discuss any criteria in the organisation contributing to flight safety’.

If you are thinking of jetting off somewhere make sure you buy Travel Insurance before you go away. Buy your travel insurance policy as soon as you have booked your holiday, that way you’ll get the benefit of cancellation cover before you go and your travel insurance will be in place ready for your holiday.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

New research has emerged about the rising cost of medical bills abroad; this has urged the Foreign Office to advise travellers to prioritise travel insurance when planning a trip abroad.

The findings of the research carried out by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance shows that the average medical claim made by British tourists who fell ill abroad in 2010 was £1,333.41. Countries where the cost of medical care can be high such as the USA had average claims of £4,725.

Last month we reported about a man from Kent who was seriously ill in a hospital in Indonesia following a motorbike accident; as he did not have travel insurance, his parents were facing a bill of tens of thousands of pounds to fly him home. Following a similar incident, involving a man from Leicestershire, who was also involved in a motorcycle accident and also uninsured, Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, has called for a change in the law to make travel insurance compulsory. The man’s family are facing costs of over £120,000 for medical treatment after the motorcycle accident in Bali, and they need to raise another £110,000 to fly him back to the UK by air ambulance.

If you have comprehensive travel insurance these types of costs are usually covered by the policy, if however no travel insurance has been taken out, holidaymakers are left to pay medical bills and other associated costs from their own pockets.

Phil Lords from the Foreign Offices ‘Know Before You Go’ Campaign says:

“These findings highlight the importance of taking out insurance before you travel. Many people try to cut holiday costs, only to discover that when things go wrong they are obliged to pay thousands of pounds in bills. Getting comprehensive travel insurance means that whilst an accident may disrupt your holiday, it won’t bankrupt you.”

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Last week the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) published its latest British Behaviour abroad report. The report, which is published annually, analyses how many Brits have been helped by the FCO’s overseas consular service during the course of the year.

The number of Brits requiring hospitalisation whilst abroad, or requiring help with lost or stolen passports, highlights the importance of having travel insurance every time you travel.

This year’s report shows that the total number of Brits being hospitalised abroad, in the year from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 was 3752. That’s an increase of 1.7% on the previous year.

This increase is despite the fact that fewer people from the UK travelled abroad last year.

Spain has the highest cases of hospitalisations (1,024), this is due to the sheer number of people visiting, and next in the list is Greece (452). However, as a proportion of the number of visitors, Brits are most likely to be hospitalised in Thailand - 246 cases, an increase of 24% on the previous year.

Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive and to avoid being faced with large bills if taken ill or after having an accident, the Foreign Office is urging people to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy before they go away this summer. Previous research suggests that 15% of Britons travel abroad uninsured.

An important point to remember is that although the FCO can provide assistance when someone is hospitalised abroad, it won’t pick up the cost – that’s where your travel insurance comes in.

A recent case of an uninsured man having a motorcycle accident Bali draws attention to how high those costs can be. The man’s family are facing bills in excess of £120,000 for medical treatment and a further £110,000 for an air ambulance to fly him home.

The FCO also dealt with 25,969 cases of lost and stolen passports over the last year. Again, the FCO are able to issue emergency documentation, but there is a charge for this, which can be covered by your travel insurance.

Other key findings from the British Behaviour Abroad report include:

Spain continues to be the country where most Britons require assistance (4,971 cases) but when you take visitor and resident numbers into account, you are most likely to need consular assistance in the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan. The Philippines has overtaken Thailand as the country where Brits are proportionally most likely to require consular assistance.

In total Foreign Office staff handled 19,228 serious consular cases last year, that’s down 3% on the previous year.

See our infographic for an illustration of the key facts of last year’s report – the importance of travel insurance. Look out for an updated version illustrating this year’s report.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Following a similar incident, involving a man from Leicestershire, who was also involved in a motorcycle accident and also uninsured, Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, has called for a change in the law to make travel insurance compulsory. The man’s family are facing costs of over £120,000 for medical treatment after the motorcycle accident in Bali, and they need to raise another £110,000 to fly him back to the UK by air ambulance.

Andrew Bridgen MP said: "At the request of the family, I will be raising this issue with the Government in the coming months to see what more can be done to highlight the importance of travel and medical insurance abroad and the feasibility of operating the same procedures as when you take a car out of the country."

These cases highlight the importance of buying travel insurance every time you go on holiday and reminds us how high medical costs can be overseas. We may complain about our National Health Service, but the fact that we have it means that we have little idea of the actual cost of emergency medical treatment.

Travel insurance can cost as little a few pounds and it could save you hundreds of thousands if you have an accident or fall ill when you’re on holiday.

Our thoughts go out to these two men and their families at this extremely difficult time.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The collapse of Brighton based holiday specialist Holidays 4 U has meant that thousands of holidaymakers might be left out of pocket, and face despair as their long awaited for holiday plans to Turkey are no more.

The Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that all flights and packages sold by Holidays 4 U, who also traded as Aegean Flights, will be protected under its ATOL. Customers who have bought flight only deals will not be refunded for the accommodation they bought separately.

When you book individual elements of your holiday, such as flights and accommodation, independently, you don't automatically get the same level of financial protection as you would if you booked a package holiday through a tour operator or travel agent. This is when having Scheduled Airline Failure cover as part of your Travel Insurance becomes important. All insurewithease.com policies come with Scheduled Airline Failure as standard.

Travel association ABTA have said that 12,800 travellers were abroad with the company and they were all in Turkey. An additional 20,000 bookings had been taken by the company prior to the announcement that they had gone into administration.

The CAA have said that those who are already abroad will be able to continue their holidays and will still be able to fly home as planned. All future departures to Turkey for passengers who booked through the operator have been cancelled.

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The parents of Richard Plummer, 32 who is currently in a coma have been told that it will cost £98,000 to bring their son home; this is on top of the £22,000 they have already spent on medical bills as their son didn’t have travel insurance. The cost includes flying Richard on a plane equipped with specialist medical equipment.

An important element of travel insurance is that it provides cover should you need medical assistance, or repatriation back to the UK. Accidents or illness when abroad can leave a serious financial burden so make sure you are prepared and buy travel insurance before you travel.

Malcolm Tarling from the Association of British Insurers has said ‘As this case highlights, if you fall seriously ill abroad, medical bills can be absolutely horrendous, it’s this risk that makes travel insurance essential for anyone travelling overseas’.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The Hekla volcano is situated nearby the Eyjafjoell volcano which caused the world’s biggest airspace shutdown last year, affecting more than 100,000 flights and millions of passengers.

Does your travel insurance cover volcanic ash?

Travellers who are looking for volcanic ash travel insurance should consider purchasing Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of their travel insurance policy. If a policy is bought before the volcano erupts, you will be covered for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption. You should read your travel insurance policy wording for full terms and conditions. The latest volcanic ash information is available from the FCO website.

A Geophysicist from the University of Iceland has said that there has been ‘unusual movement’ around Hekla, this may not indicate an immediate blast however ‘the volcano is ready to erupt’.

It is not yet clear when the volcano is set to erupt however the mountain has been slowly expanding over the past few years which is thought to be due to magma build up, the mountain is being watched very carefully as eruption fears continue to grow.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Each the year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provide help and assistance to thousands of British travellers abroad in incidents such as hospitalisation, lost passports and arrests.

If you do require consular assistance, the chances are you will also incur unexpected expenses such as medical fees or the cost of replacing a passport – that’s where your travel insurance comes in.

Our illustration, the importance of travel insurance, uses figures from the FCO, the CAA and the Association of European Airlines to highlight why travel insurance is important.

Brits Abroad - The importance of travel insurance

Here are a few highlights:

- Over 19,000 British travellers required FCO assistance in one year

- The FCO dealt with 27,272 lost passports in one year

- 3689 British travellers were hospitalised abroad in one year

- 12,374 flights from British Airports were delayed by more the 3 hours in 2010

- You have a 1 in 77 chance of your bag going missing when you fly with a European Airline (according to the Association of European Airlines).

Brits Abroad - The importance of travel insurance

Be prepared whenever you go away - make sure you buy appropriate travel insurance for your trip, and check the latest travel advice on the FCO website before you depart.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The ash cloud is expected to cause further disruption to regional air travel for several more days. Thousands of passengers have been stranded as hundreds of planes have had to be grounded in the last week due to the ash cloud. An estimated 40,000 people have been forced to wait at airports or find other means of travel as flights have been cancelled.

Passengers are being advised to check with their airlines before going to the airport.

Does your travel insurance cover volcanic ash?

Insurewithease.com customers, who purchased Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of their travel insurance, before the volcano erupted, will be covered for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption. You should read your travel insurance policy wording for full terms and conditions. If you are departing on a flight this week, it is advisable to keep up to date with the volcanic ash situation, for the latest volcanic ash information visit the FCO website.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The public sector union Public and Commercial Services (PCS) have announced that 250,000 members will be striking on 30th June over a battle against the government over pensions, retirement age and wages.

If your holiday is booked, and your travel insurance purchased before the strike dates or the intention to strike are announced you will be covered under the travel delay section of your policy.

The strike which is due to take place on 30th June will also now include airport immigration officials and some air traffic controllers, as they are also represented by the PCS. Approximately 61% of the unions members agreed to walk out after a national ballot was held.

A spokesperson for BAA seemed unsure about how the strike action by airport workers would affect the UK’s air travel on the 30th as it’s believed that very few of their employees were involved in the strike.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

A recent survey carried out by Skyscanner has revealed that 59% of those surveyed felt that airports didn’t cater for families and a lack of facilities lead to unnecessary stress and affected overall holiday enjoyment.

Over 1000 travellers were surveyed and almost two thirds of parents felt that airports did not cater for passengers travelling with children. Long queues, lack of entertainment, long walks to departure gates, and lack of suitable food options were the main areas that they wanted to be improved.

The services that families would like likes to see offered were:

1. Soft play areas 2. Kids TV/cinema area
3. Play area with toys and books for under fives
4. Dedicated security queue for adults travelling with children
5. Kids cafe and bar with complimentary refreshments
6. Bottle warming facilities
7. Video game zone
8. Staffed crèche
9. Ball pool
10. Pram rental
11. Pre order baby food service
12. Story telling

If you are planning a holiday with the kids having family travel insurance is essential. Kids under 18 go free on all single trip family policies from insurewithease.com, and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that you are covered in the event of medical emergencies, travel delay and stolen belongings.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Gatwick airport expects that approximately 550,000 passengers will be leaving its terminals over the half term break, this will mean a 6% rise in passenger numbers. Malaga is coming in as the favourite destination with almost 12,000 holidaymakers choosing it ahead of Palma de Mallorca, Dublin and Faro.

Paul Fitch, who is the head of terminals at Gatwick said: ‘The combination of the spring bank holiday and school half term offers a great opportunities for families to enjoy some quality time together in popular hot spots abroad’.

The top ten holiday destinations for this half term are:

1. Malaga
2. Palma de Mallorca
3. Dublin
4. Faro
5. Dalaman
6. Madrid
7. Alicante
8. Orlando
9. Edinburgh
10. Jersey

Wherever you’re planning on going this half term break make sure you buy Travel Insurance before you go away. Buy your travel insurance policy as soon as you have booked your holiday, that way you’ll get the benefit of cancellation cover before you go and your travel insurance will be in place ready for your holiday.

E.coli outbreak in Europe – make sure you have Travel Insurance

Germany is currently experiencing an outbreak of E.coli, which is mostly affecting adults. The cases are mainly in northern Germany with England only seeing a few cases so far. Other European countries are seeing cases among returning travellers, authorities are advising holidaymakers to seek urgent medical attention if they think that they may have the illness.

The Food Standards Agency has advised to wash fruit and vegetables before you eat them to ensure that they are clean, and to help remove germs that might be on the outside. Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove these germs.

Don’t let the threat of E.coli stop you from having a great time on your half term break-make sure you have the protection of Travel Insurance before you go away.

Travel Insurance can provide cover for medical expenses if you fall ill when on holiday and can give you access to a 24 hour worldwide emergency assistance helpline.

Further updates are available from the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

If you think that you might be affected by the ash cloud contact your airline, travel agent or the airport that you are due to fly from for the latest travel information. If unfortunately your flight is cancelled, the airline should offer you either a full refund of your unused ticket or an alternative flight. EU based airlines are required to offer you accommodation and meals if you are delayed in getting home to the UK.

Does your travel insurance cover volcanic ash?

Insurewithease.com customers, who purchased Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of their travel insurance, before the volcano erupted, will be covered for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption. You should read your travel insurance policy wording for full terms and conditions.

If you are departing on a flight this week, it is advisable to keep up to date with the volcanic ash situation, for the latest volcanic ash information visit the FCO website.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Travel insurance cover for delays and cancellations due to volcanic ash

If your flight is cancelled, the airline should offer you either a full refund of your unused ticket or an alternative flight. EU based airlines are also required to offer you accommodation and meals if you are delayed in getting home to the UK. You should contact your airline or tour operator for details.

If you added Natural Catastrophe Cover to your policy before the volcano erupted on 21 May 2011, you will be covered according to the terms and conditions of the policy. Please check the policy wording for details.

There is no cover under insurewithease.com’s standard policies for cancellation or additional expenses incurred due to the ash cloud. If you flight is delayed due to the ash cloud, the underwriter will consider claims on an individual basis in line with the terms and conditions of the policy.

If your trip is cancelled by the provider and there are no outstanding claims on the policy, customers can transfer their single trip insurance to a new trip at no extra charge (bar additional premium if destination or duration changes) provided the policy transfer is made within 31 days.

If you are stuck abroad and delayed returning, your insurance will be automatically extended at no extra charge until you can get the first flight home, meaning that you will continue to be covered for emergency medical expenses etc. until you are able to return home.

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A volcano in Iceland began erupting at the weekend, sparking fears of a repeat of 2010’s air space shutdown and resulting travel chaos.

Although there is unlikely to be any disruption to flights from the UK today, the volcanic ash is expected to reach parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland in the next 48 hours.

Does your travel insurance cover volcanic ash?

Insurewithease.com customers, who purchased Natural Catastrophe Cover as part of their travel insurance, before the volcano erupted, will be covered for cancellation, delay and additional expenses incurred, as a result of the eruption. You should read your travel insurance policy wording for full terms and conditions.

The Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland erupted on Saturday with ash rising up to 20km in to the air.

EUROCONTROL, The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, has stated that it doesn’t expect to see any significant impact on fights today as a result of the eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano in Iceland.

According to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) in London, which is run by the Met Office, depending on the continuing eruption of the volcano and the meteorological conditions, the cloud could reach parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the next 48 hours and the rest of the UK later in the week.

The volcanic ash doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a repeat of last year’s air space closure, but it does mean that disruption to flights could be more likely.

The Civil Aviation Authority has stated “we do not envisage the same kind of blanket closures of airspace we experienced last year. Airlines will be able to operate in lower concentrations of ash providing they can present us with a safety case.”

If you departing on a flight this week, it is advisable to keep up to date with the volcanic ash situation and check your airline’s website for update before you travel to the airport.

For the latest volcanic ash information visit the Eurocontrol website.

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We can all recall the travel chaos that followed the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud disaster, however Ryanair believes that the disruption caused to travellers could have been avoided.

The airline has said that there was no evidence of volcanic ash, which followed the eruption in April 2010, over large areas of the UK, Spain, France, Germany, Portugal or the Canary Islands.

A report which has been published by Icelandic and Danish scientists which justifies the closure of airspace has been criticised by the airline, who have called the report ‘nonsensical’.

The airline claimed that the report had been written to “cover up the embarrassment” of scientists and regulators who’s recommendations resulted in the closure of much of Europe’s airspace.

Many travellers were left out of pocket following the volcanic ash cloud chaos last year, so make sure you are prepared before you travel and buy the right Travel Insurance policy for your trip. A policy that includes Natural Catastrophe could protect you by covering the cost of cancellation, unplanned expenses and travel delay due to a natural disaster.

Volcanic ash detection coming soon!

Easyjet are urging airlines to work together to create a system to detect volcanic ash which in turn they believe will avoid a repeat of last year’s disruption.

The detector, AVOID, is essentially a radar for volcanic ash. The product will enable pilots to alter their flight paths if ash is detected. The technology will also be useful for ground staff who can keep passengers notified of changes therefore hoping to limit disruption.

Easyjet plans to install the equipment on 20 of its aircrafts, but will need the support from other airlines to move the project forward.

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Gap years have become increasingly popular over the last 20 years with a quarter of a million school leavers thought to take a gap year prior to going to university.

If you are looking for some inspiration on where to visit during your year abroad have a look at the top ten list as revealed by TripAdvisor editors:

1. Tibet
2. Indonesia
3. Taiwan
4. Eastern Europe
5. Canada
6. Kerala
7. The Middle East
8. North Brazil
9. Trans Siberian Railway
10. American South

Whether you are looking for a gap year full of activities or rest and relaxation make sure you’ve got the right gap year travel insurance. To make sure you avoid expensive medical bills you need to make sure you get the right cover for what you plan to do. For further information on planning a year abroad have a look at the new pages on the FCO website.

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We can all remember the images of Heathrow airport grounding to a halt last December as a result of the heavy snowfall and it looks like they might have found a solution.

Bosses at the airport are looking to invest in underground heating in an attempt to avoid the travel chaos which forced the cancellation of 4,000 flights.

The system will involve capturing the geothermal energy from the surface of the tarmac during the summer which will in turn provide a heating capability for the winter. This is just one of the options being looked into by BAA and they have already promised to spend £50m at the airport to avoid a repeat of last year’s problems.

BAA has said that the project which is expected to be very costly could be paid for with the money that has been put aside for a facelift of the airports terminals.

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It looks like some Brits are looking to escape the royal wedding hype and opt for an Easter break in Spain. According to flight comparison site Skyscanner, searches for Tenerife, Malaga and Alicante have all risen significantly compared to the same time last year. According to the site Tenerife has quickly become one of the most sought after destinations, although searches for Malaga and Alicante have also risen compared to this time last year.

The results have also shown that Brits are making the most of only having to take three days off work to have an eleven day break and are opting for a slightly longer break, with mid-haul flights becoming increasingly popular. Most popular Easter destinations 2011 and how they have moved up or down in popularity compared to 2010:

1. Malaga (+1)
2. Tenerife (+21)
3. Alicante (+3)
4. New York (+1)
5. Istanbul (+11)
6. Faro (+7)
7. Amsterdam (-4)
8. Barcelona (-4)
9. Rome (-2)
10. Palma (+1)

A combination of cheap holiday deals and a falling Euro has given the British holidaymakers more for their money. If you are hoping to get away more than once this year an annual travel insurance policy could work out better value for money for you and your family than buying a single trip policy every time you go away.

If you are looking for some fun in the sun in Spain, Travel Insurance is essential. As long as you buy travel insurance before you depart you can be sure to have the maximum protection for your holiday.

Ryanair to cut flights to Alicante

Just as Alicante is growing in popularity with tourists Ryanair has decided to cut the number of flights to Alicante airport from eleven to two, cutting flights from over 600 to less than 200 a week. The reason for this dramatic reduction is due to airport demanding that the airline pay over €2 million for what Ryanair has called ‘unnecessary facilities’.

Flights from Bournemouth and Cork will be cancelled completely with routes from other airports scaled back.

Have a great Easter break!

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A recent survey by You Gov has found that visitors to London find it to be the second most unfriendly city in the world however visitors to New York found it to be the friendliest.

London came in at equal fifth place on the table with only 3% of those surveyed planning a trip to the capital however New York boosted its way to the number one spot by grabbing 10% of the votes.

April is a great time to get away from it all, with two bank holidays in a row why not treat yourself and your family to a great Easter break? If you are looking to get away and want to go somewhere that will keep all of the family entertained New York is an ideal destination with plenty of places to stay, eat and visit.

Don’t forget to have a look at our USA Travel Insurance as soon as you book your holiday, this will ensure that you get the maximum amount of protection for your holiday.

If you are curious about which other cities ranked well in the survey have a look at the table below:

Top ten cities people planned to visit in 2011 are:

1. New York
2. Paris
3. Rome
4. Barcelona
= 5. London
= 5. Berlin
=5. Amsterdam
=5. Venice
=9. Dublin
=9. Prague

Whatever you decide to do have a great Easter break!

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It's not just far flung countries that need research to make your holiday go smoother. For instance, in France and Spain the shops often close for around 3 hours for lunch or Siesta, if you don't eat lunch during this time, you could find yourself going hungry.

Here's some local customs to look out for:

In Brazil: Avoid giving anything purple or black as these are mourning colours.

In the Netherlands: People greet one another by kissing on the cheek three times.

In Italy: Avoid arriving early for a dinner party as this is considered rude.

In China: The Chinese believe that statues in the temples are ‘allergic’ to camera flashes and their images are not supposed to be captured.

In the Middle East: generally in Muslim countries it is best to dress modestly and avoid consuming alcohol outside in public places.

In mosques: Remove your shoes and perform ablutions by washing hands, face and neck. Women should cover their head.

In Japan: Never stick chopsticks into a bowl of rice, as it is a symbol of death

In India: Always eat food with your right hand, never your left.

In Quatar: Homosexual behaviour is illegal. The import of religious books and pork into Quatar is illegal, as is drinking alcohol or being drunk in public.

In Thailand: Never touch another person’s head and never point your feet at anyone. Also, the king is highly respected, so never joke about the monarchy as we may do in the UK.

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As a battle continues between management and cabin crew thousands of union members have been voting in favour of a walk out. Unite, the trade union for British Airways, has announced that its strike ballot has closed in favour of strike action.

If your holiday is booked, and your travel insurance purchased before the strike dates or the intention to strike are announced you will be covered under the travel delay section of your policy.

The dispute originated back in 2009 when BA announced staffing cuts and has encouraged thousands of cabin crew to join the strike action.

A statement from British Airways issued after the news broke said “This is a time for co-operation, not confrontation. We hope our talks with Unite will bring an end to this dispute, which is what the overwhelming majority of our cabin crew want.”

British Airways cabin crew have voted for strike action for the fourth time in less than 18 months, Unite said 8 out of 10 employees who took part in the poll backed the strikes. They feel that BA needs to think again about how to regain the trust and confidence of a significant part of their cabin crew operation.

Unite are yet to announce strike dates.

On a more positive note AENA, which is the Spanish Airport Authority, has managed to reach agreement with the unions to ensure the working rights of its employees. Airport staff had threatened 22 days of industrial action, beginning in the run up to Easter and would have involved security staff, baggage handlers, and cabin crew. Union leaders said approximately 70% of their members voted to call off the industrial action.

Union members have voted to cancel the strike after receiving guarantees which include job security and working conditions. The settlement follows many hours of talks and will hopefully remain valid until December 2019.

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With fears about the radiation levels in Tokyo growing, British Airways is giving passengers with tickets to Tokyo the option of cancelling or altering their flights.

Despite commercial flights by airlines, such as BA, continuing to operate in and out of Tokyo, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is still advising against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and the North East of Japan and states that British nationals in these areas should consider leaving.

Travellers should be aware that if they choose to travel against Foreign and Commonwealth Office they will not be covered by their travel insurance policy.

British Airways is operating its flights to Tokyo via Seoul in South Korea to avoid crew staying overnight in Japan. Its services to Haneda airport will operate from Narita instead until March 27. Passengers booked to travel to and from Tokyo up to March 31 can claim a refund, re-book for a later date or switch to another destination if they bought their tickets before March 11. Those with tickets for travel from March 31 to April 10 can delay their flights or switch to another destination. Passengers due to travel in the upcoming weeks should check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport.

Travellers should visit the FCO website for the latest travel advice before departing on any trip.

If you are in Japan, the FCO has published information about a number of ways in which you can protect yourself from increased levels of radiation, for example by taking shelter, assessing water and food or, in certain circumstances, taking stable (non-radioactive) iodine.

For the latest information visit the FCO website
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/japan/

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The table, which has been put together using arrival and departure times recorded by the Civil Aviation Authority, shows the average delay in minutes, as well as the percentage of arrivals and departures within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

Bmi Regional has topped the league table, which details on-time airlines from UK airports for January to December 2010.

Know your rights if your flight is delayed.

If you do experience a long flight delay or cancellation, EU regulation 0261/2004 sets out your rights as a passenger. Essentially, you have a contract with your airline for them to get you to a certain destination, at a certain time, if they are unable to do that, they have a duty to look after you.

You may also be able to claim a benefit from your travel insurance, if you are delayed for more than 12 hours, to help with reasonable necessary expenses such as food and drink.

Under EU Relations you are entitled to the following from your airline:

These rules cover flights within the EU, as well as people flying into the European Union from overseas, as long as they are

travelling on a European airline, and passengers on a non-EU carrier leaving from an EU airport.

For more information on your rights visit the Air Transport Users Council
http://www.auc.org.uk/default.aspx?catid=306

Airline punctuality league table.

2010 Ranking by Jan-Dec average delay (ascending). Analysis includes arrivals and departures at UK reporting airports.

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If you have a trip to Japan planned you should contact your tour operator or travel agent for information. Please be aware that if you travel against FCO advice you will not be covered by your travel insurance. Check the FCO website for latest updates or follow @britishabroad on Twitter

Helping British Nationals in Japan

The FCO are working hard to ascertain the whereabouts and safety of British Nationals in Japan. British nationals who are currently in Japan should contact the Foreign Office if they need assistance, or to report that they are safe. Friends and family in the UK can call the FCO helpline for information. They should also contact the FCO to let them know if they know their loved ones to be safe.

The FCO are urging British Nationals to observe any advice they are being given by the Japanese authorities on the ground, including the 20km exclusion zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Getting the latest information

FCO helpline in the UK 020 7008 0000

Email address: japan.earthquake@fco.gov.uk

@britishabroad on Twitter

FCO travel advice

Continued risk of aftershocks

There continues to be a risk of aftershocks and tsunamis throughout the Asia Pacific region. The nature of the disaster means that the threat of a tsunami is changing regularly.

The FCO are advising people in the region are to check the regular threat updates on the following websites:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre

How can you help – make a donation

The British Red Cross have started an appeal to raise money to help with the crisis in Japan. If you would like to donate please visit their website.

Make a donation to the Japan Tsunami Appeal

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Are British holiday makers in for another spring and summer of transport chaos? I’m afraid the answer could be ‘yes’. A series of strikes has been announced by Spanish Airport workers. Ground staff employed by AENA, the Spanish state-owned firm which operates key airports, are set to strike on 22 days during the peak spring and summer holiday seasons. This could affect millions of British holiday makers.

If your holiday was booked, and your travel insurance purchased before the strike dates were announced you will be covered under the travel delay section of your travel insurance spain, in the event that your flight is affected.

The dates set for the strikes are:

20, 21, 24, 25 and 30 April;
2, 14, 15, 19 and 20 May;
13, 23 and 30 June;
1, 2, 3, 4, 15 and 31 July;
1, 15 and 31 August

These dates will affect key holiday periods including Easter, the Royal Wedding weekend, and the peak months of July and August. The European Commission has been urged to step in to prevent air traffic chaos for British travellers this Easter and summer. Although AENA have said that baggage handlers and air traffic controllers will not be affected, Ryanair have demanded that the EU take action to prevent a repeat of the air travel misery across Europe last year.

The Spanish government in Madrid have indicated in the past that it will take a hard line with any group of workers threatening to disrupt tourism. It is believed to be drafting plans to bring the military in to provide emergency cover.

The news of more strikes on the way will no doubt encourage holiday makers to avoid Spain this year, but with tour operators cutting back on holidays to Egypt and Tunisia after last month’s civil unrest, this could result in prices to other short haul, summer sun destinations rising.

When there is disruption, a good place to keep up to date with how airports are affected is the Euro Control Twitter page, which posts the latest information on airports across Europe.

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In further blow to cash strapped UK holiday makers, fuel surcharges are making a comeback in 2011, as the cost of crude oil passed $115 a barrel. This comes hot on the heels of the airport departure tax increase, which saw a 50% increase on some long haul destinations late last year.

Holiday makers beware; the combined effect of fuel surcharges and the increased airport departure tax could add a significant amount to the cost of your next holiday.

Thomas Cook and Tui brands Thomson, First Choice and Thomson Airways are the latest to announce the introduction of fuel surcharges in an attempt to claw back rising fuel costs.

Thomas Cook was the first major operator to introduce fuel supplements on 1st March, but it was quickly followed by Tui on 2nd March.

The supplement, which will apply to new Thomas Cook holidays and flight-only bookings made with immediate effect, sees £15 added to short-haul holidays, £25 to mid-haul trips and £40 to long-haul destinations.

Tui supplements are going to at the same level but they don’t come into effect until March 4, when they will be added to all new bookings.

So the lesson is, if you’re thinking about booking a holiday, don’t hang around, because you might see the prices rising before your eyes.

Many airlines have already added fuel surcharges to all bookings; British Airways announced an increase in its fuel surcharge on long haul services at the beginning of February. Qantas and Singapore Airlines have also announced increases to their fuel surcharges this year.

The price rises have not been limited to airlines, a number of cruise operators have also announced plans to apply a fuel surcharge on to all new bookings.

Cash strapped holiday makers should do their research before deciding on their holiday destination to see how the level of airport departure tax and fuel supplements will affect the costs.

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Although it is unlikely that many people were planning a holiday to Libya, there were certainly many holiday makers with holidays planned to Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain when the FCO updated its travel advice and either advised against all but essential travel to the whole country or in the case of Egypt, specific towns and cities.

Morocco is another country which could be affected in the coming weeks and months as political demonstrations take place in Tangier and Marrakesh.

The spread of unrest and the fluidity of the situation in countries, which would previously have been considered safe holiday destinations, highlights the importance of checking the latest FCO advice before you travel – no matter where you are going.

Before you travel you should check the FCO website to see if it’s safe to visit your chosen destination. If the FCO has advised against travel, your travel insurance policy will no longer provide cover if you travel against their advice. In this situation you should contact your tour operator for the latest information.

If you are already in a country or resort and civil unrest has broken out during your trip (and you travelled before FCO advice changed) you will be covered as normal under the medical and personal accident sections of your policy, so long as you follow current FCO advice and do not intentionally get involved in any demonstrations

The FCO has now lifted its travel ban for Tunisia and the affected parts of Egypt, however it is still advising people to be alert and avoid public gatherings and demonstrations. This advice is also the same for Morocco.

For the latest travel advice, wherever you are travelling, check the FCO website.

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Did you know that booking a package holiday or booking elements of your holiday independently can affect the level of travel insurance cover you may require?

A recent survey of 27,000 Brits has found that an increased number of holiday makers are returning to travel agents to book their holidays, rather than booking independently online.

The TravelVision survey, conducted by the British Travel Awards, found that 18% of respondents said that they would use a travel agent for advice and to book their holiday. This is up from 13% in 2009.

It appears that UK holiday makers are seeking the extra protection and security offered by a package holiday. This could be due to several high profile travel companies ceasing trading over the last few years and the volcanic ash crisis last April.

When you book a package holiday your holiday, and your money, is protected by the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tour Regulations 1992 which require organisers of package holidays to provide protection for your money and to bring you home if necessary. A package holiday is a holiday that consists of two or more elements, e.g. transport and accommodation, that are sold to you as a package at an inclusive price.

When you book elements of your holiday independently, you don’t receive the same level of financial protection, so you should consider some of the optional extras that are available when buying travel insurance to add to your cover.

For instance, if you have booked a package holiday including flights and the airline ceases trading your money should be protected under the ATOL (Air Travel Operators License) scheme, this means that you would be able to apply to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to get your money back.

If you have booked a flight direct with an airline and/or booked the other elements of your holiday separately they will not be protected under the ATOL scheme and you may want to add cover for scheduled airline failure to your travel insurance policy.

Disruption to travel due to airport and/or airspace closure has also been in the news in the last 12 months, with the chaos caused by the volcanic ash cloud crisis in April 2010. When you have a package holiday, it is the responsibility of your tour operator or travel agent to make alternative arrangements for your holiday or offer a refund if they are unable to fulfil your holiday as originally booked.

If you have booked independently you should consider adding Natural Catastrophe cover to your travel insurance policy which can provide financial protection for this type of event.

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Fly drive holidays to Florida have been popular with British holiday makers for years. Simply fly into Orlando, pick up a car at the airport and spend a couple of weeks visiting the vast array of theme parks that the USA’s sunshine state has to offer. (Remembering to buy your travel insurance USA before you travel, of course).

There have been instances in the past, where British tourists have found themselves to be easy targets for local criminals. The latest scam to come to light uses bogus pizza menus and has affected tourists staying in hotel s and motels in the Orlando area.

According to the Sunday Times there have been an increasing number of reports of local criminals using bogus take away pizza menus to trick tourists into handing over their credit card details, or rob unlocked hotel rooms.

When you stay at a hotel in Florida it is very common for pizza menus and other flyers to be put under your door, so it could be hard to tell the real ones from those that are bogus. When you call the number on a bogus flyer, thinking you are calling a pizza restaurant, a criminal on the end of the line will take down your order and your credit card number. You’ll probably still get your pizza, because they will send someone to a restaurant to get it, but in return they will keep your credit card details.

To help put an end to this scam, the state of Florida has passed the Tourist Safety Act of 2011, which uses property seizure legislation more commonly used against drug traffickers.

If you are concerned that you may have been a victim of this type of scam you should contact your credit card provider immediately.

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In the first instance, you should check the Foreign Office website to see if it’s safe to travel to your chosen destination. If the Foreign Office has advised against travel, your travel insurance policy will no longer provide cover if you travel against their advice. In this situation you should contact your tour operator for the latest information.

If your tour operator is unable to operate the holiday due to FCO advice they have a duty to offer an alternative holiday or a full refund.

If you are forced to rearrange your trip you can simply transfer your insurewithease.com travel insurance policy to your new holiday. There is no administration charge, although it may be subject to any additional premium due to a change in destination or duration.

If you are already in Egypt and the civil unrest has broken out during your trip, you will be covered as normal under the medical and personal accident sections of your policy, so long as you follow current FCO advice and do not intentionally get involved in any demonstrations.

The FCO is currently advising against travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez.

Travel insurance cover outside of these areas, for instance the Red Sea resorts, therefore, remains unaffected. However, the situation in Egypt is subject to change so you should make sure you get up to date information before you travel.

The FCO have announced today that they are to charter a flight to help bring British nationals back from Cairo. British nationals who wish to use this service should register with the Foreign Office by calling 020 7008 8765 if you are in the UK or 0020227916000 if you are in Egypt.

The situation in Egypt is unpredictable and may change quickly. You should keep up to date with the latest advice from the Foreign Office, monitor the situation carefully and follow any instructions given to you by the local authorities or tour operators. For the latest travel advice for Egypt check the FCO website.

FCO travel advice

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If your travel plans are affected you may be able to claim on your travel insurance USA under the travel delay section of your policy.

In the first instance passengers are advised to contact their tour operator or airline for the latest information. For the latest information on airport closures and flight delays in the United States, see the Federal Aviation Authority flight delay information website.

How can travel insurance help?

As we all found out before Christmas, disruption to travel plans due to snow and other extreme weather is not limited to destinations abroad, it can happen at home too.

Extreme weather can cause disruption whilst you are away, or even prevent you from leaving the UK in the first place so it’s important to know what your travel insurance will cover you for.

Most travel insurance policies will provide cover under the travel delay section, providing a benefit to cover reasonable expenses, if your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours, and often the option to abandon your holiday and claim a full refund after a long delay. Exact terms and conditions will vary between different insurance providers, so it’s important to read your policy wording carefully.

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If you are about to depart on a holiday to Tunisia you should contact your travel agent or tour operator for the latest information. You should also be aware that your travel insurance may not cover you if you travel to a country against FCO advice.

The FCO advises British tourists who are already in Tunisia to monitor the news and stay in touch with their tour operator, they should any avoid rallies and demonstrations and listen carefully to local advice. If they are in any doubt about the safety of their location they should stay in their accommodation.

Thomson/First Choice states that customers who are already in Tunisia are able to continue their holiday as planned and return home as scheduled, however as a precautionary measure they are advising customers to stay within their hotel resorts and all excursions for Friday 14th January have been cancelled.

The situation in Tunisia is unpredictable, there have been demonstrations, some violent, in multiple locations across the country, including Tunis, Sousse, Sfax, Nabul, Hammamet, Douze, Kasserine, Requeb and Thia. There is a risk that tourists could get caught up in these demonstrations which could turn violent. A nightly curfew has been imposed in the Greater Tunis area and a general strike has been called on 14 January where further violence is expected.

The foreign and Commonwealth office publishes up to date travel advice, always check this before you travel.

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How could travel insurance help in the event of extreme weather?

Wherever and whenever you travel it’s important to make sure you have adequate travel insurance cover for your destination, and Australia is no different. It may feel like a home from home, but travel insurance Australia is vital, most importantly to cover medical costs and it can also provide cover in the event of extreme weather or floods.

When choosing your travel insurance, check that it will cover you for delayed departure or abandonment of a holiday due to extreme weather conditions preventing your departure from the UK.

Travel insurance can also help if extreme weather, such as the current floods in Queensland, strike whilst you are away. Check to see if you travel insurance policy includes catastrophe cover.

Catastrophe cover is designed to provide cover for additional, irrecoverable travel or accommodation costs if you are forced to move from your pre-paid, pre-booked holiday accommodation as a result of unforeseen events such as flood, fire, earthquake, hurricane and medical epidemic. The cover is intended to enable you to continue your holiday in alternative accommodation, or if that’s not possible, return to the UK. Check your travel insurance policy before you travel for full details.

Insurewithease.com includes catastrophe cover in all its single trip and annual policies.

Keep up to date and get the latest travel advice

If you are planning to travel to Australia, or are out there at the moment you should keep up to date with the latest developments. A good place to start is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which regularly publishes up to date travel advice on their website.

FCO Travel News & Advice

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In a report published by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), three quarters of travellers believe that getting the greatest value for money is either essential or important.

One way of keeping costs down is to travel to destinations that are outside the Eurozone where we can get more for our money. The report predicts that Turkey and Egypt will continue to be popular destinations, and increasingly so will Tunisia, Syria and Abu Dhabi. In these types of mid-haul destinations, where cultures can be very different from our own, it is important to be prepared. A little knowledge about the local laws or customs can go a long way if things don’t go exactly to plan when you’re away. For up to date travel advice on your holiday destination visit the FCO website.

Another way people keep costs to a minimum is to stay with friends or relatives abroad, rather than in hotels. In this type of situation it’s easy to overlook the importance of travel insurance. But, as the FCO warns, travel insurance is important to avoid the risk of you or your family being billed thousands of pounds for medical treatment abroad if you fall ill or have an accident.

Increased costs could hit travellers in 2011

Airport departure tax went up in November last year, but that’s not the only increased tax that tourists could be hit by in 2011 as popular holiday destinations around the world look to increase their revenue from tourism.

Visitors to the historic city of Rome are set to be hit by a new tax on tourism from the 1st January as the local municipality puts a new levy on hotel stays.

All visitors are now asked to pay a per-person per-night tax on the first ten nights of their stay in Rome. Tourists staying in one to three star hotels will be charged €2 per night, while those in four or five star hotels will be expected to pay €3.

Travellers to the Maldives, could also see prices rise after the government introduced a 3.5% tax on tourism.

Some of these extra costs may not be immediately apparent when you are planning a holiday, so it is important to do your research before you book. It is possible to save money by avoiding destinations where the cost of living is expensive, or destinations with extra taxes, but where ever you choose to go it is important to be prepared, do your research before you travel and buy adequate travel insurance.

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The severe weather conditions, including widespread snow and ice, is continuing to disrupt travel today and is likely to do so right up until Christmas. Airports across the country are still experiencing varying degrees of disruption; passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

Eurostar hasn’t escaped the weather, with passengers queuing for several hours at St Pancras Station. Passengers are advised to stay at home and exchange their tickets for travel at a later date.

If your journey only requires you to get to the continent and not further afield you could try a ferry. According to the Passenger Shipping Association, Ferry operators are currently operating without significant delays and are confident that they can run a good service up until Christmas. It is of course advisable to book before heading to the port.

Where to find the latest information

If you are about to embark on a trip, check with your travel provider to ensure your chosen mode of transport is operating before you leave home.

Foreign & commonwealth Office

A full list of UK airport websites where you will be able to find up to date information

You can also get the latest updates on air travel across Europe from @eurocontrol on Twitter

It a good idea to check the travel advice pages of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who are providing up to date information on the situation in other effected countries. FCO – Travel Advice by country.

Travel disruption across Europe

It may seem that the UK is the only country that grinds to a halt when we get a bit of snow, but this time we’re not on our own.

There is disruption to travel in parts of France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland.

There are problems on the roads in Northern France due to restrictions imposed on HGV Lorries.

Brussels airport will be closed until at least the morning of Wednesday 22 December due to a shortage of de-icing liquid.

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If you have a holiday planned you should allow plenty of time to get to the airport, and contact your airline before you travel.

Flights have been suspended at Exeter, City of Derry, Belfast City and Belfast International airports.

Norwich, Aberdeen, Inverness and Isle of Man airports have reopened after earlier closures, but flights are subject to delays and cancellations. Disruption is also possible at other airports, including Gatwick and Heathrow.

Contact your airline before you set off to get the latest news on any delays or cancellations.

Travel Insurance Cover

If you are unable to travel due to the bad weather you may be covered by the following sections of your travel insurance policy:

Travel Delay

If your flight is delayed due to the bad weather conditions, Insurewithease.com offers customers a fixed benefit following a specified length of delay at your international departure point. A benefit is payable after a 12 hour delay and a further amount for each further 12 hours. The amount varies according to your level of cover. Please check your policy schedule for details. For this cover to apply you must have checked-in for your flight/journey in line with your original booking conditions.

After a delay of 24 hours or more you have the option to cancel your holiday and make a claim for the full amount. Again, for this cover to apply you must have checked-in for your flight/journey in line with your original booking conditions.

Missed Departure due to snow conditions

If you arrive too late to board your booked transport on the international outward departure, as a result of either:

1. (a) public transport services failing to get you to your point of international departure due to snow fall, either by services being cancelled, delayed or the public service vehicle being involved in an accident; or
2. (b) the private motor vehicle in which you are travelling being directly involved in an accident or breakdown;

then we will pay reasonable and necessary additional travel and accommodation costs to allow you to get to your intended destination, up to a maximum amount, as specified in your policy schedule.

If the airline or tour operator cancels your flight

In these instances most airlines/tour operators will offer you an alternative. If the alternative is not acceptable, you have a right to a refund from the airline/tour operator. If you have other associated costs that cannot be cancelled without charge, like accommodation or car hire costs, if you are able to obtain a letter from the airline to confirm your flight was cancelled due to the inclement weather, you will be able to submit a claim for these additional costs.

NB. Under the ‘Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992’ Tour Operators must repay all monies relating to the holiday contract if an alternative is not offered and accepted by the customer.

You miss your flight due to delays when driving to the airport

Unless the vehicle you are travelling in is involved in an accident or breaks down, no cover applies. You must leave sufficient time to travel to the airport to allow you to check-in for your flight in line with your original booking conditions. In weather conditions of this nature, plenty of extra time should be allowed for your journey to the airport.

If you are stuck overseas because your flight home has been cancelled?

This is a matter for your airline or tour operator, so please speak with them directly. If you had already checked-in on your international return journey to the UK and your delay is of 12 hours or more, you are able to claim for Travel Delay. In addition as the circumstances are beyond your control, your insurance cover automatically extends, without charge, until such time as you are able to return to the UK.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is the setting for an impressive lights display, while the Champs-Elysees is the place to head if you are looking for a great party atmosphere. You can get a pretty decent view of the Eiffel Tower from the Champs-Elysees. The Metro offers free services on New Year’s Eve, but it could get quite busy so you should consider walking to the festivities.

Prague is a beautiful city to enjoy at any time of year and it’s a great place to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Head down to the river or to the Old Town Square to enjoy the midnight fireworks. If you are enjoying an evening meal in one of Prague’s restaurants, they may offer you a bottle of champagne to take with you whilst you watch the fireworks.

Times Square in New York City is famous for its New Year’s Eve entertainment. Around one million people attend the celebrations. Each year, the New Year’s Eve Ball descends on the square – a tradition dating back to 1907.

Sydney has one of the most impressive New Year’s Eve fireworks displays. The boats in the harbour are illuminated with colourful lights, and at midnight, Sydney Harbour Bridge appears to explode as rockets take off from the structure.

If you are spending New Year in South Africa, the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town will be the venue for live music and street performers, and of course an obligatory firework display at midnight.

Wherever you are spending New Year abroad, try to book your accommodation in advance so that you are close to the action. Arrive at your destination a day or two before New Year’s Eve so that you have time to acclimatise before the main event.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Now, 24 years after the disaster, tourists can have the chance to visit Chernobyl and experience the devastation that the explosion caused. But is Chernobyl a place for tourists and are the radiation levels a health risk?

A tour operator in Kiev now offers day trips to people who want to visit Chernobyl. For £139 you can visit Chernobyl which includes a military permit that entitles you to enter the exclusion zone. The Ukrainian government is assuring tourists that a visit to Chernobyl is perfectly safe.

Controlled guided tours of Chernobyl will ensure that tourists are kept safe. The tours will take visitors to see reactor four, the source of the explosion.

Visitors will also be shown round the Chernobyl community, which takes in thousands of deserted homes. Pripyat is like a ghost town – thousands evacuated after the explosion, and never returned. A tour of Pripyat is an eerie experience. You can wander around deserted shops, schools and hospitals that are slowly starting to decay. There is a creepy, post-apocalyptic feel about the place.

Many of the people that lived in and around Chernobyl worked in the power station. In some parts, people have returned to their homes, years after they were evacuated.

While many parts of Chernobyl are deserted of people, wildlife is thriving. Plants and animals have taken over areas where humans used to live. Herds of Przewalski's horses are thriving, eagle owls are roosting and the rare lynx has made Chernobyl its home. Many species that lived in the area before the explosion have multiplied since the disaster.

A visit to Chernobyl might not be for everyone, but a tour of Chernobyl would be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Chernobyl is around 70 kilometres north of Kiev making it a convenient excursion if you are taking a holiday in the Ukrainian capital.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Many tour operators have received an increase in the number of searches for winter sun holidays on their websites. The number of people searching for winter sun holidays on Travelsupermarket has risen by 35% in the last couple of weeks, while searches for Spanish holidays with Co-operative Travel have risen by 12%.

Even Sharm el Sheik has experienced a rise in visitor numbers this winter in spite of the recent shark attacks that devastated the Red Sea resort. The shark attacks injured three and left an elderly German woman dead.

To make winter sun holidays even more appealing, some destinations have lowered their prices on package holidays due to a slump in business over the summer months as the economic downturn put some people off travelling. Some hotels along the Spanish coastline are offering some great family deals. A family of four can stay for as little as £388 per week.

Cold weather in Britain often encourages people to take holidays in warmer climates, but not everyone is on the hunt for winter sun this year. While the cold weather is encouraging some to take winter sun holidays, the weather has put others off travelling. When snow earlier in the month closed UK airports, many holidaymakers experienced severe disruption to their journeys. With more snow predicted, some people would rather not risk taking a holiday abroad.

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Some believe that the shark attacks occurred due to overfishing and that a white tip shark was responsible. Two sharks have been captured, a mako and a white tip, but reports have suggested that neither of them carried out the shark attacks. Neither shark matched the image of a photograph that was taken of a shark that carried out one of the attacks.

There is another theory as to why the shark attacks occurred. Some believe that sharks may have been attracted to the area after sheep that died on a ship during transportation were dumped into the sea, and the carcasses attracted the sharks.

The shark attacks led to beach closures and cancelled diving excursions. Today, all of the beaches in Sharm el Sheik have been reopened. Strict safety measures have been put in place to ensure further tourists aren’t injured by shark attacks. Beaches will now have manned watch towers and speed boat patrols to keep an eye out for sharks. Bathers will also need to stick to designated swimming areas to ensure their safety.

The tourist industry is concerned that the shark attacks will have put people off booking a holiday to Sharm el Sheik. Sharm el Sheik is a popular destination for British holidaymakers seeking sun, sand and sea. Sharm el Sheik is also one of the biggest diving hotspots in the world – the shark attacks will certainly have put some people off diving in the area.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Four inches of snow fell on Wednesday, and many people on holiday in Paris were unable to return home when flights were cancelled at Charles de Gaulle airport. Many holidaymakers were forced to spend the night in the airport. The airport resumed its services on Thursday night.

People on holiday in Paris hoping to visit the top floor of the Eiffel Tower were disappointed yesterday when it was closed for safety reasons. Slippery surfaces made the tower unsafe. Authorities weren’t able to use grit to clear the ice and snow because it’s thought the salt would damage the iron structure. At this time of year, there are thousands of visitors that wish to visit the Eiffel Tower.

The roads were severely affected by the snowfall which would have had an impact on people on holiday in Paris as buses won’t have been running. Many residents were stranded on the roads and were advised not to travel in their cars unless absolutely necessary.

If you are on holiday in Paris or thinking of taking a holiday in Paris this winter, check the local weather reports and consider how the snow might affect your trip. Before leaving for the airport, in Paris or at home, contact your airline to find out if your flight has been affected by any adverse weather. While Charles de Gaulle airport is currently open, it’s still best to check.

Those that have benefited from the early snowfall are skiers and snowboarders taking early winter holidays on the slopes.

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Backpackers can use their high-tech gadgets to access Wi-Fi at hostels, pubs and cafes all over the world, making it even easier for them to let their parents know they are safe. Access to the internet also ensures that backpackers can keep their travel blog up to date.

Smart phones now have lots of useful apps for backpackers. There are apps to book hostel rooms, find restaurants in the area and learn more about local tourist attractions. Lonely Planet has an app for their guide books, which is much more convenient than lugging a huge book around. High-tech gadgets also enable backpackers to carry several novels with them in electronic form, saving even more space.

Many backpackers use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and upload photographs of their travels. Twitter and online forums are great tools for backpackers to hook up with fellow travellers in different countries. One man actually used Twitter to fund his travels by calling on the kindness of strangers to help him travel around. He later wrote a book about his adventures called Twitchhiker.

There are many internet cafes all over the world, but having your own high-tech gadgets ensures that you can access the web whenever you want without having to queue up or deal with international keyboards, which can often be quite confusing and time consuming!

Backpackers should remember to check that their backpacker travel insurance includes cover for all their high-tech gadgets. Check the policy wording as sometimes mobile phones won’t be covered and some gadgets are only covered up to a certain value.

If you are a backpacker abroad, keep your high-tech gadgets hidden when not in use and be discreet when you do use them. If you flash your fancy gear around you could become a target for thieves.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The death of a German woman at the weekend, the first shark fatality in Sharm el Sheik in five years, has led to a decline in the number of people searching for a holiday in Sharm el Sheik. Price comparison website, Skyscanner, has experienced a 13% decrease in searches for the Red Sea destination.

Anyone that has booked a holiday in Sharm el Sheik and wishes to cancel will only receive a refund if they have booked a special diving holiday. A spokesman for ABTA commented: "Unless a product is clearly sold as a diving or water sports holiday, normal booking conditions will apply. Travellers who have booked a diving holiday should be entitled to a refund or given the option of rearranging their itinerary."

If you are already on holiday in Sharm el Sheik, pay close attention to the advice of the local authorities and only enter the water if it is safe to do so. While some dive spots have been opened, most swimming areas remain closed.

It was thought that the shark attacks were carried out by a white tip shark, but attacks on humans by these creatures is extremely rare. Two sharks were caught last week, a white tip and a mako, but reports suggest that neither of them matched a photograph of the shark that carried out one of the attacks.

The number of shark attacks that have taken place in such a short space of time in Sharm el Sheik is very unusual, which has led experts to believe the attacks were carried out by one animal with some kind of sensory problem.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The winter weather continues to affect thousands of travellers across the UK with further heavy snow warnings in place for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, the East, London and the South East, the South West, Grampian, Strathclyde, Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife, Southwest Scotland, Lothian and the Borders.

Gatwick Airport has now reopened, but there will still be delays or cancellations to certain flights. Edinburgh Airport has also reopened, but expect delays. Durham Tees Valley Airport remains closed and hopes to open at 4.00 pm today. Robin Hood Airport (Doncaster/Sheffield) remains closed and expects to be closed until 10.00 am on Sunday. Southampton Airport is closed until at least noon today. London City Airport has reopened but is still experiencing delays. And finally at present, Humberside Airport is open.

Leeds Bradford, Heathrow, Lands End, Newcastle and Aberdeen Airports are experiencing severe delays, whilst most other airports are experiencing some delays, so you are advised to contact your airline/tour operator or departure airport directly to obtain up to the minute information on your travel plans.

Eurotunnel are experiencing delays and are operating a reduced service with 1 departure expected per hour in both directions.

Eurostar services are also affected and will be operating a significantly reduced service until Sunday 5 December.

Travel Insurance Cover

If you are unable to travel due to the bad weather you may be covered by the following sections of your travel insurance policy:

Travel Delay

If your flight is delayed due to the bad weather conditions, Insurewithease.com offers customers a fixed benefit following a specified length of delay at your international departure point. A benefit is payable after a 12 hour delay and a further amount for each further 12 hours. The amount varies according to your level of cover. Please check your policy schedule for details. For this cover to apply you must have checked-in for your flight/journey in line with your original booking conditions.

After a delay of 24 hours or more you have the option to cancel your holiday and make a claim for the full amount. Again, for this cover to apply you must have checked-in for your flight/journey in line with your original booking conditions.

Missed Departure due to snow conditions

If you arrive too late to board your booked transport on the international outward departure, as a result of either:

1. (a) public transport services failing to get you to your point of international departure due to snow fall, either by services being cancelled, delayed or the public service vehicle being involved in an accident; or
2. (b) the private motor vehicle in which you are travelling being directly involved in an accident or breakdown;

then we will pay reasonable and necessary additional travel and accommodation costs to allow you to get to your intended destination, up to a maximum amount, as specified in your policy schedule.

If the airline or tour operator cancels your flight

In these instances most airlines/tour operators will offer you an alternative. If the alternative is not acceptable, you have a right to a refund from the airline/tour operator. If you have other associated costs that cannot be cancelled without charge, like accommodation or car hire costs, if you are able to obtain a letter from the airline to confirm your flight was cancelled due to the inclement weather, you will be able to submit a claim for these additional costs.

NB. Under the ‘Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992’ Tour Operators must repay all monies relating to the holiday contract if an alternative is not offered and accepted by the customer.

You miss your flight due to delays when driving to the airport

Unless the vehicle you are travelling in is involved in an accident or breaks down, no cover applies. You must leave sufficient time to travel to the airport to allow you to check-in for your flight in line with your original booking conditions. In weather conditions of this nature, plenty of extra time should be allowed for your journey to the airport.

If you are stuck overseas because your flight home has been cancelled?

This is a matter for your airline or tour operator, so please speak with them directly. If you had already checked-in on your international return journey to the UK and your delay is of 12 hours or more, you are able to claim for Travel Delay. In addition as the circumstances are beyond your control, your insurance cover automatically extends, without charge, until such time as you are able to return to the UK.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Two of the tourists sustained severe injuries. An elderly woman lost her hand when he was attacked, while another suffered a severed leg. One of the injured tourists is in a critical condition at a hospital in Cairo.

Now not one, but two white tip sharks have been caught in the Red Sea resort. The smaller of the two is 7 feet long, weighing 330 pounds, while the larger is 8 feet long and weighs 550 pounds. The sharks were caught using liver as bait.

The animals have been taken away to be dissected to find out if both or either are responsible for the attacks, but there is some confusion as to whether or not the attacks were carried out by a white tip. As it is very unusual for a white tip to attack, could it have been a different type of shark that was responsible? There have only been nine recorded white tip shark attacks on humans.

Attacks by white tip sharks on humans are rare. Authorities in Sharm el Sheik have been speculating why the predators attacked the unsuspecting tourists. One theory is that the sharks were attracted to the area by a transport ship that had dumped dead sheep into the sea.

Meanwhile, environmentalists believe the white tip sharks could have been encouraged closer to the shoreline due to overfishing in their feeding grounds.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

The winter weather continues to affect thousands of travellers across the UK with further heavy snow warnings in place for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, the East, London and the South East, the South West, Grampian, Strathclyde, Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife, Southwest Scotland, Lothian and the Borders.

Due to heavy snow fall over night Gatwick Airport is to remain closed until 6.00 am tomorrow (Friday 3rd December). Edinburgh Airport remains closed and hopes to open at 4.00 pm today. Durham Tees Valley Airport remains closed and hopes to open at 2.00 pm today. Robin Hood Airport (Doncaster/Sheffield) remains closed and expects to be closed all of today. Southampton Airport is closed and hopes to open at 2.00 pm today. London City Airport is closed and expects to re-open at 12.00 pm today. And finally at present, Humberside Airport is closed and expects to open at 3.00 pm today.

Leeds Bradford, Heathrow, Lands End, Newcastle and Aberdeen Airports are experiencing severe delays, whilst most other airports are experiencing some delays, so you are advised to contact your airline/tour operator or departure airport directly to obtain up to the minute information on your travel plans.

Eurotunnel are experiencing delays and are operating a reduced service with 1 departure expected per hour in both directions.

Eurostar services are also affected and will be operating a significantly reduced service today.

Travel Insurance Cover

If you are unable to travel due to the bad weather you may be covered by the following sections of your travel insurance policy:

Travel Delay

If your flight is delayed due to the bad weather conditions, Insurewithease.com offers customers a fixed benefit following a specified length of delay at your international departure point. A benefit is payable after a 12 hour delay and a further amount for each further 12 hours. The amount varies according to your level of cover. Please check your policy schedule for details. For this cover to apply you must have checked-in for your flight/journey in line with your original booking conditions.

After a delay of 24 hours or more you have the option to cancel your holiday and make a claim for the full amount. Again, for this cover to apply you must have checked-in for your flight/journey in line with your original booking conditions.

Missed Departure due to snow conditions

If you arrive too late to board your booked transport on the international outward departure, as a result of either:

1. (a) public transport services failing to get you to your point of international departure due to snow fall, either by services being cancelled, delayed or the public service vehicle being involved in an accident; or
2. (b) the private motor vehicle in which you are travelling being directly involved in an accident or breakdown;

then we will pay reasonable and necessary additional travel and accommodation costs to allow you to get to your intended destination, up to a maximum amount, as specified in your policy schedule.

If the airline or tour operator cancels your flight

In these instances most airlines/tour operators will offer you an alternative. If the alternative is not acceptable, you have a right to a refund from the airline/tour operator.

NB. Under the ‘Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992’ Tour Operators must repay all monies relating to the holiday contract if an alternative is not offered and accepted by the customer.

You miss your flight due to delays when driving to the airport

Unless the vehicle you are travelling in is involved in an accident or breaks down, no cover applies. You must leave sufficient time to travel to the airport to allow you to check-in for your flight in line with your original booking conditions. In weather conditions of this nature, plenty of extra time should be allowed for your journey to the airport.

If you are stuck overseas because your flight home has been cancelled?

This is a matter for your airline or tour operator, so please speak with them directly. If you had already checked-in on your international return journey to the UK and your delay is of 12 hours or more, you are able to claim for Travel Delay. In addition as the circumstances are beyond your control, your insurance cover automatically extends, without charge, until such time as you are able to return to the UK.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Mohammed Salem, a local conservation official, has reported that all the victims were Russian tourists. He claims to have seen the shark before it attacked one of the victims. It swam up to him, but he scared it away by blowing bubbles into its face.

A British man on holiday in Sharm el Sheik had a snorkelling trip booked just hours after a serious attack took place in the stretch of water he would have been snorkelling in. He believes he made a lucky escape.

The hunt is now on to find the white tip shark in the Red Sea resort. Authorities aim to catch it and release it into the open sea. Diving and water sports have temporarily been suspended in Sharm el Sheik whilst they look for the predator.

Sharm el Sheik is one of the most popular places in the world to go diving. Suspending diving activities will have an impact on tourists on holiday in Sharm el Sheik, but the decision was necessary to ensure their safety.

White tip sharks rarely attack people, and shark attacks in general in Sharm el Sheik are uncommon. It’s unusual for sharks to swim close to the shoreline, which is where the victims were attacked. There are only around one or two fatal shark attacks each year in Egypt.

If you are on holiday in Sharm el Sheik, pay close attention to the advice of the local authorities and only go into the sea if it is safe to do so.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Profits at Thomas Cook were down £4 million this year compared to last year's figures. Thomas Cook knew that the economic downturn would have an effect on sales, but they were hit harder than they first anticipated.

The chief executive of Thomas Cook commented on the decision to axe the jobs: "Because we're not 100 per cent sure how things will turn out, all those measures that we've undertaken means that we're in good shape should it get worse, and if it doesn't then we're in even better shape."

In addition to axing hundreds of jobs, Thomas Cook is taking steps to reduce their annual costs in the UK, including undertaking renegotiations with suppliers and overhauling their IT operations.

Many UK tour operators have seen a drop in sales this year and some smaller companies have gone bust, particularly in the wake of the volcanic ash crisis. Thomas Cook incurred over £52 million following the closure of airspace in April.

In spite of the setbacks, Thomas Cook has made positive business ventures this year, including merging with The Co-operative Group in October and purchasing 12 new Airbus A320s, which will eventually replace the current aircraft in the Thomas Cook fleet.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Flight delays at Gatwick Airport are expected today, and in the coming weeks if the bad weather continues. Anyone that is flying into or out of Gatwick Airport today is advised to contact their airline before leaving for the airport to find out about and flight delays or cancellations.

Last winter, hundreds of flights had to be cancelled when heavy snowfall hit Gatwick Airport. Are air passengers heading for a similar fate this winter at Gatwick Airport and at other airports across the country?

After the snow disruption in January, Gatwick Airport invested £300,000 in de-icing and snow clearing vehicles to prevent a similar level of disruption this year.

The snowy conditions have also made it difficult for travellers to get to the airport as in parts of the country the roads are treacherous and some train services have experienced delays. If you are travelling to the airport, allow extra time in case you are met with delays.

To keep up to date with any travel disruptions at Gatwick Airport, visit their website for details. You can also follow the Gatwick Airport Twitter page for up to date information.

Other airports around Britain have experienced disruption to their services due to the bad weather. Wherever you are travelling to or from, contact your airline before setting off for the airport to make sure your flight hasn't been delayed or cancelled.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Edinburgh Airport has been closed since last night and will remain so until further notice. With the big freeze set to last at least another week, how long will Edinburgh stay closed? To find out when Edinburgh Airport will reopen, visit their website for details.

In addition to Edinburgh Airport, there have been flight disruptions at Luton, Newcastle, Inverness, Glasgow, Derry and Durham-Tees Valley airports due to the cold weather.

Edinburgh Airport is advising travellers to contact their airlines for further information about how airport closures might affect their travel plans.

Even if the airport you are travelling from is open during the bad weather, you will need to consider your journey to the airport. Though runways might be clear at certain airports in Britain, roads to the airport might not be. Allow plenty of time to get to the airport and travel along main roads if you can, as they may be clearer than country roads.

For information about road closures in England, visit the Highways Agency website. For information about road closures in Scotland visit the Traffic Scotland website, or the Traffic Wales website for details of road closures in Wales.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Yes, it can be cold in Rome in December, but the sky takes on glorious colours and the low sun lights the Colosseum with a pleasing amber hue. If snow starts to fall, Rome becomes an even more romantic destination.

This December, take advantage of some of the great events on offer in Rome. In the Complesso del Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia, a special Van Gogh exhibition is on from now until 6 February. Meanwhile, an exhibition of Lucas Cranach’s artwork runs until 13 February at the Galleria Borghese.

One event not to be missed is the opening of Palazzo Farnese from 17 December to 10 April. Normally only small, pre-booked groups are permitted inside the building, part of which was designed by the great Michelangelo. Over 150 works of art will be on display to demonstrate the history of this magnificent building.

In the run up to Christmas, the streets of Rome can get quite busy, but that’s just because the locals are doing their Christmas shopping – the tourist spots will still be quiet. Consider staying at a hotel in the city centre so that you can walk everywhere and avoid getting stuck in traffic jams.

If your trip to Rome in December falls around Christmas Day, your evenings out won’t be disrupted by closures as most of the restaurants and bars remain open, though many museums and other tourist attractions will be closed. Stick around for New Year’s Eve and at midnight you can watch the spectacular fireworks displays that kick off all around the city. Try to view the fireworks from a tall building if you can to get the best view.

When you’re looking for somewhere to stay, consider staying in more luxurious accommodation that may have discounted prices (though not around Christmas time when the rates are hiked up once again).

During your stay in Rome in December, you might want to buy Christmas gifts for loved ones back at home. Make sure your travel insurance covers the gifts you plan to buy – often breakable items won’t be covered. On the way home, store gifts in your hand luggage to keep them safe.

Travel insurance from Insurewithease.com - © 2010 - insurewithease.com

Meanwhile, some holidaymakers have received compensation from airlines for the volcanic ash cloud incident, but some feel that they haven’t been given a sufficient amount to cover the cost of food and accommodation that they had to pay out for when they were stranded abroad for several days.

Certain airlines, such as Ryanair and easyJet have recently reported good profits, which makes it even more frustrating for holidaymakers that have received low compensation for the volcanic ash cloud.

To compound people’s frustration, Ryanair and Monarch have made it very difficult for holidaymakers to contact them. They have expensive phone lines, but if customers get through, they are then asked to either email or write in order to submit their volcanic ash cloud claim.

Some holidaymakers have been promised compensation by their airlines, but in spite of submitting their claims, and chasing them up, they are still yet to receive compensation.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has stepped in to try to ensure airlines offer sufficient volcanic ash cloud compensation, but as airlines aren’t obliged to have a customer complaints department, some of their pleas are falling on deaf ears.

If you are a holidaymaker that is having trouble seeking compensation for the volcanic ash cloud incident, you can contact the Air Transport Users Council (AUC) for help. Call them on: 020 7240 6061, email them at: complaints@auc.org.uk or write a letter to: Air Transport Users Council, CAA House, 45-59 Kingsway, London WC2B 6TE.

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