For information relating to policies purchased prior to 27 June 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased from 27 June 2024 please see below.
If an immediate relative at home suffers an accidental injury, serious illness or dies suddenly, then your travel insurance policy may be able to help get you home.
What exactly is a close relative?
Sometimes it’s very hard to tell who is an immediate relative and who is not. Some relatives we would travel with anywhere in the world, others not so much. But for our insurance purposes and to clear up any confusion, we’ve defined it for you in the policy.
Immediate relative means your mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, civil partner, fiancé/e, your children (including adopted and fostered), grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, niece, step-parent, step-child, step-brother, step-sister or legal guardian parent.
What’s covered
- There’s cover available under this travel insurance policy for your cancellation costs incurred for any pre-booked and non-refundable portion of your transport, accommodation and tuition/course fees if you have no option but to cancel before leaving home;
- If you’re already travelling, there’s also cover available for your reasonable, additional travelling expenses (Economy class) to end your trip and return home early provided you have a return ticket;
- If your close relative is diagnosed with COVID-19 after you’ve started your trip and is then hospitalised or dies, and you have to curtail your trip, you may have cover for your non-refundable, pre-paid travel arrangements.
How it works
If you need to end your trip earlier than planned, you must:
- Contact your airline and change your return flight and contact any travel provider to minimise any expenses and gain refunds before making a claim on the policy;
- You must also contact our 24/7 Emergency Medical Assistance team to let them know your situation and your need to curtail your trip;
- You can make a claim through your online membership for your additional expenses. You’ll also need a written medical diagnosis from the attending medical practitioner and, if applicable, the death certificate to support your claim.
Also be aware that any cancellation or trip curtailment claim submitted will have the policy excess applied. There is an excess applicable per person, per event.
What’s not covered
Here are some of the main things that aren’t covered:
- When it’s foreseeable your close relative might be hospitalised, sick or injured and you book travel arrangements anyway;
- Any expenses relating to a pre-existing medical condition as explained in the Policy Wording;
- Cancellation expenses for anything booked after you leave home;
- Any costs which can be recovered somewhere else (e.g. refunds from your travel providers);
- The cost of a return flight home if you don’t already have one. Why? Because the cost of a return flight is considered part of any normal trip cost;
- Any expenses for which the waiting period applies, if you buy your travel insurance policy after leaving home (for trips solely in the UK) or after you board your transport for international departure;
- Anything else that’s listed in the Benefit Exclusions.
The policy isn’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered, get in touch.
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