School Travel Insurance: Frequently Asked Questions

Coronavirus/Covid19

For full details about our travel insurance policies and Coronavirus/Covid19 please see our dedicated page:

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Getting a Quote/Purchasing School Travel Insurance

• When getting a quote, you ask for the number of individuals in an age range, is that the age at the time of purchase or the time of travel?

• We need the children’s and adults’ ages at the time of purchasing the school travel insurance.

• Can you provide travel insurance cover for pupils or teachers with medical conditions?

• Yes, we can cover a number of medical conditions as standard on our school travel insurance.

  For more complex medical conditions we can refer you to our sister company, Goodtogoinsurance.com who can provide an individual or small group travel insurance policy which can cover all types of medical conditions.

  Visit our Medical Condition page for more information.

• Does being pregnant affect travel insurance cover?

• We provide cover under this policy if something unexpected happens. In particular, we provide cover under the Emergency Medical and Repatriation Expenses section for accidental bodily injury or illness. We don’t consider pregnancy or childbirth to be an illness or accidental bodily injury.

  To be clear, we only provide cover for Cancellation, Curtailment and Emergency Medical and Repatriation Expenses for claims that come from Complications of Pregnancy and Childbirth.

  Complications of pregnancy and childbirth only includes the following:

  Toxaemia (toxins in the blood), Bicornuate uterus, Gestational diabetes (diabetes arising as a result of pregnancy), Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure arising as a result of pregnancy), Pre-eclampsia (where you develop high blood pressure, carry abnormal fluid and have protein in your urine during the second half of pregnancy), Ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that develops outside of the uterus), Foetal Growth Retardation due to Placental Insufficiency, Molar pregnancy or hydatidiform mole (a pregnancy in which a tumour develops from the placental tissue), Post-partum haemorrhage (excessive bleeding following childbirth), Retained placenta membrane (part or all of the placenta is left behind in the uterus after delivery), Placental abruption (part or all of the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus), Hyperemesis gravidarum (excessive vomiting as a result of pregnancy), Obstetric cholestasis, Placenta praevia (when the placenta is in the lower part of the uterus and covers part or all of the cervix), Stillbirth, Miscarriage, Emergency Caesarean section, A termination needed for medical reasons, or Premature birth more than 8 weeks (or 16 weeks if you know you are having more than one baby) before the expected delivery date.

  We will not cover denial of boarding by your carrier, so you should check that you will be able to travel with the carrier/airline in advance. If at the time of booking your trip you are aware that you are pregnant, you must ensure that you are able to have the recommended vaccinations and inoculations by the UK government for that trip; no cover will be provided for cancellation in the event that, after booking you discover travel is advised against, or you are unable to receive the appropriate and recommended vaccinations and inoculations for that country.

  Please make sure your Medical Practitioner and Midwife are aware of your travel plans, and that there are no known complications and you are fit to undertake the planned trip

• Is there an upper or lower age limit?

• We can cover children aged 0-18 and teachers/carers up to age 75.

• What is the maximum trip duration?

• We can cover school trips of up to 22 days.

• How far in advance can I buy school travel insurance?

• We enable you to get a quote and purchase school travel insurance cover up to 365 days before the start of the trip.

• What countries can you cover?

• We can cover any country in the world, so long as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) does not advise against all travel or all but essential travel to that destination.

  We recommend that you check the latest advice for the country you are visiting before you travel.

  Travel advice from the FCDO

• How can I pay for my school travel insurance?

• There are two ways to pay for your school travel insurance. 

  We can accept a credit card payment online; if you choose this method your travel insurance will be in place immediately.

  Alternatively you can select to pay by invoice and bacs payment; if you choose this method your travel insurance cover will be in place once we have received payment.  Simply complete your quotation, proceed to the payment page and download an invoice to pass on to your accounts team.

Questions about cover

• Is private medical treatment covered abroad?

• You should be aware that travel Insurance is not private medical insurance, in that it only covers unavoidable, unexpected emergency treatment. You are not covered for private medical treatment if there are medically capable public facilities available.

  If you become unwell, or sustain a minor injury whilst abroad, you must call our 24/7 assistance team so that they can help you find appropriate treatment locally.

  However, you should call the local emergency services immediately, 112 in Europe, 911 in the USA and Canada or the local equivalent to 999, if you have any symptoms that might require emergency treatment including, but not limited to, difficulty breathing, chest pain, seizure (fit) activity, decreased level of consciousness, heavy bleeding, sudden swelling of the face and lips, signs of a stroke or any other life-threatening condition. You must, in all cases call our 24/7 assistance team to authorise cover. Failure to do so may invalidate your claim.

• What sports and activities can be covered?

• School Trip Cover can cover over 90 sports and activities as standard, including; football, swimming, orienteering, trekking up to 2000 metres, pony trekking, sailing and rowing.  More hazardous sports and activities such as kayaking, white water rafting and abseiling can also be covered on payment of an additional premium.

  See our Sports and Activities page for more information.

• Can you cover sports competitions and tournaments?

• Yes. Our school travel insurance cover includes participation in amateur tournaments, so long as the appropriate premium has been paid for the sport or activity you are taking part in.

  See our Sports and Activities page for more information.

• Do you cover winter sports?

• Yes, we can cover on-piste skiing and snowboarding.

  See our Winter Sports page for more information.

• Do you cover teacher liability?

• Yes.  We cover teacher liability up to £5 million per teacher. Please note there is an excess of £50 per person in the event of a claim.

• Can I talk to someone about my requirements?

• Yes.  Our UK based team are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.   Call us on 0330 094 5789

• What is covered in the event of a terrorist attack?

• In the event of a terrorist attack you are covered under the Emergency Medical Expenses section of the policy.

  In addition to this, you can choose to add our Terrorism (Cancellation) Cover extension. This provides additional insurance to enable you to cancel or cut short your school trip if a terrorist act occurs within a 40 mile radius of your pre-booked accommodation.

  See our Terrorism Cover page for more information.

• Are gadgets such as mobile phones or tablets covered?

• Gadgets such as mobile phones and tablets are not covered under personal possessions

• What if my trip is cancelled by my travel provider?

• There is no cover under the policy to make a claim if your trip is cancelled or postponed by your travel provider. In this situation you should contact your travel provider, please see the further information below about your legal rights if you have had a package holiday or a flight cancelled.
  
  Cancellation of Package Holiday Arrangements: If you booked via a travel agent or tour operator or have booked more than one element including a flight from the same provider, then the trip is considered as packaged and package travel regulations apply. You should contact your travel provider about a obtaining a refund or an alternative trip.
  Further information:
  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/regulation/1/made
  https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/package-travel-regulations
  https://www.abtot.com/regulation/civil-aviation-authority-caa-atol
  
  Cancellation of Flights and Air Passenger Rights: Flight cancellations by the airline need to be claimed directly from them and are not covered by travel insurance. Flight companies are regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority. If your flight operator cancels or can’t fulfil your flight then there is protection available under something called the ‘Montreal Convention’. All around the world, passenger rights for international flights are protected under the Montreal Convention. Essentially, this piece of law states that the airline is responsible for you if your flight is cancelled and/or you are left stranded at an airport waiting for a flight. These measures of care include: Meals and refreshments, Communication to the outside world (two occasions), Hotel accommodations when necessary, Rerouting to your final destination. In countries like Canada, Israel and the Member States of the European Union, your rights are protected even further. Like any piece of law, it is complicated and not that easy to read! But below is a link and if you google CAA and Montreal Convention then you will find some useful information online that may help you.
  https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Resolving-travel-problems/How-the-CAA-can-help/Consumer-protection-law/

Administration/making changes to your school travel insurance

• Do I need to tell you all of the children’s full names and dates of birth?

• No, we don’t need to know the children’s names or dates of birth.  We simply need to know the total number of people in each age range who will be going on the trip.

  The age ranges for children are: 0-11, 12-18

  The age ranges for adults/teachers are: 19-55, 56-64, 65-75

• What do I do if the children on the trip change?

• Because we don’t need the names and dates of birth of individual travellers, you only need to tell us if the total number of individuals in each age range changes.

  You can do this by calling us on 0330 094 5789, we are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

• How can I make a change to the policy?

• If you need to make a change to the policy, for example to the lead traveller, the start or return date or add some optional cover, please call us on 0330 094 5789, we are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

• Can I get a refund if I have to cancel the policy?

• We offer a 14 day money back guarantee which means that provided you haven’t travelled or made a claim you are entitled to a full refund within 14 days on purchasing the cover.

  Should you wish to cancel the policy after this date you will be entitled to a pro rata refund and may be subject to an administration charge.

Making a claim

• How do I make a claim?

• If you require medical help whilst abroad, please see the details below.

  To make a claim once you return home please download and complete a claims form.

  For full information visit our Claims Information page.

  Full details can also be found in your policy wording.

• What do I do if someone requires medical treatment whilst on the trip?

• If a pupil or teacher/carer becomes unwell or sustains a minor injury whilst you are abroad you must call our 24/7 assistance team so that they can help you find appropriate treatment locally. Tell them that you are insured by School Trip Cover and give them your policy number.
  
  However, you should call the local emergency services immediately, 112 in Europe, 911 in the USA and Canada or the local equivalent to 999, if you have any symptoms that might require emergency treatment including, but not limited to, difficulty breathing, chest pain, seizure (fit) activity, decreased level of consciousness, heavy bleeding, sudden swelling of the face and lips, signs of a stroke or any other life-threatening condition.
  
  You must, in all cases call our 24/7 assistance team to authorise cover. Failure to do so may invalidate your claim.