Monday 12 January 2015

Tropical Cyclone Bansi on track for Mauritius and Rodriguez Island today


The FCO have issued a warning today (12th January 2015) about Tropical Cyclone Bansi which is expected to hit Mauritius and Rodriguez Island later today.

Onestop4: experts in the provision of Travel Insurance, would expect a storm of this nature to significantly cause inconvenience to travellers. Cover under the section of a comprehensive travel policy for Natural Catastrophe will make provision for travellers affected by a storm of this nature. Please check your policy wording to establish if this cover has been included. If you are affected and need to make a claim you should contact the claim handlers detailed in your Policy Wording as soon as possible.

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. 

Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by names such as hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, and simply cyclone.
Tropical cyclones typically form over large bodies of relatively warm water. They derive their energy through the evaporation of water from the ocean surface, which ultimately recondenses into clouds and rain when moist air rises and cools to saturation. This energy source differs from that of mid-latitude cyclonic storms, such as nor'easters and European windstorms, which are fueled primarily by horizontal temperature contrasts

The strong rotating winds of a tropical cyclone are a result of the conservation of angular momentum imparted by the Earth's rotation as air flows inwards toward the axis of rotation. As a result, they rarely form within 5° of the equator. Tropical cyclones are typically between 100 and 4,000 km (62 and 2,485 mi) in diameter.

Tropical refers to the geographical origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively over tropical seas. Cyclone refers to their cyclonic nature, with wind blowing counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. The opposite direction of circulation is due to the Coriolis effect.

In addition to strong winds and rain, tropical cyclones are capable of generating high waves, damaging storm surge, and tornadoes. They typically weaken rapidly over land where they are cut off from their primary energy source. For this reason, coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to damage from a tropical cyclone as compared to inland regions. Heavy rains, however, can cause significant flooding inland, and storm surges can produce extensive coastal flooding up to 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the coastline. Though their effects on human populations are often devastating, tropical cyclones can relieve drought conditions. They also carry heat energy away from the tropics and transport it toward temperate latitudes, which may play an important role in modulating regional and global climate.

Saturday 13 December 2014

Winter sports and travel insurance: a myth busted

Recent newspaper reports of winter sports holidaymakers having problems claiming on their travel insurance are greatly exaggerated.

12 million UK people will head for the slopes in the 2014-15 season according to the Association of British Travel Agents. How many complaints about disputed travel insurance claims does the Financial Ombudsman Service receive per year? Around four thousand.

Get the full story here

Thursday 20 November 2014

Check that the cancellation cover on your travel insurance covers the pre-travel period

Having to cancel a holiday, whatever the reason, is bad enough. But what makes it worse is having to cancel, then finding that you don't have a claim for  a refund under your travel insurance.

We find that a surprising number of people opt for cancellation cover that only becomes active the day they travel. When you think about it, the likeliest time to cancel is between booking and travelling, so it's common sense to ensure that your cancellation cover is valid for that period.

Read more here

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Winter holidaying this year? Here's how to choose the right travel insurance policy.

Onestop4's Annual Multi-Trip policy is ideal if your trip to the snowy slopes is just one of your holidays in a twelve month period. It's perfect for ski fans aged 65 or under because you'll be covered free of charge for up to 31 days winter sports activity each time you travel. That's pretty much unheard of at no extra charge. And of course all your other non-winter holiday trips will be covered as well.

If, on the other hand, you only need cover for the one holiday, our Single Trip policy gives you the flexibility to keep costs down by just selecting cover for the activities you need and excluding the rest.

There's also our Fit-4-Travel policy - the right option for anyone with a pre-existing medical condition before taking off on any kind of holiday.

Here's a quick guide to the remarkably comprehensive specialist winter sports cover you'll get whichever Onestop4 policy you choose:

  • Cover for on-piste skiing and snowboarding, plus off-piste skiing and snowboarding when accompanied by a professionally qualified guide
  • Generous equipment cover for accidental loss, damage or theft
  • Cover for hired equipment
  • Compensation for winter sports lessons, hired equipment and lift pass if you are prevented from taking part in winter sports due to accident, illness or injury during your holiday
  • Compensation for winter sports lessons, hired equipment and lift pass if you are prevented from taking part in winer sports by adverse snow conditions or an avalanche in your resort resulting in piste closure
  • Avalanche which causes delays to your outward or return journey
Get full details of all our policies at onestop4.co.uk or call free 0800 848 8448 for a confidential chat with one of our travel and health experts.

Sunday 2 November 2014

On a cruise this winter? Plan your healthcare needs first

There are doctors and pharmacies aplenty on board a cruise ship, but it's the costs that may make you queasy. Over the counter remedies are far dearer than at your local shops, and a consultation with a doctor can cost around £300, plus the cost of the medicines!

Our tips are:


  • Take a medicine chest with plenty of everyday products for tummy upsets, colds, headaches etc
  • Get your GP to prescribe enough of anything prescription medicines to take to last the whole journey
  • Double check that your travel insurance covers all pre-existing medical conditions, otherwise you could find yourself marooned in mid-ocean without insurance
  • Get an EHIC card - they're free from NHS Choices, so avoid the websites that try to charge you
Check out our Cruise Insurance policy, especially if you're planning a long winter cruise. It can cover anyone up to the age of 99, all pre-existing medical conditions are covered subject to screening acceptance. We also extend cancellation cover to the whole holiday, including flights, hotels and excursions, so you're less likely to be out of pocket. And the maximum duration of the holiday under our policy is a very generous 183 days.

Friday 24 October 2014

Ebola could affect your travel plans more than you think

South Africa, Kenya, Cape Verde, Seychelles and Mauritius are among the popular destinations that have closed their borders to anyone who was recently in an Ebola affected country.

Travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia is extremely unwise of course, and the UK Foreign Office advises against such journeys until the epidemic is over.

But trips to popular African destinations like South Africa, and holiday islands including Cape Verde, the Seychelles and Mauritius can also be affected. All these countries have closed their borders to anyone arriving from the Ebola zone - and to passengers whose passport shows they have passed through those countries in recent weeks. In fact similar restrictions are in place for most countries worldwide, including the popular Caribbean resorts such as Antigua and Jamaica. The period varies, it's 30 days in the case of Cape Verde for example.

Don't travel if these restrictions apply to you. Your travel insurance policy won't be valid, and chances are you'll need to be repatriated at your own expense.

And now, with so much rumour and misinformation swirling around the subject, here's a quick guide to what travellers need to know about Ebola.

First and foremost, as the official World Health Organisation fact sheet confirms, Ebola is a very difficult disease to catch. The virus cannot spread by air or water, and can only be transmitted by physical contact with blood, sweat or other bodily fluids from an infected person or animal. WHO also states that there is very low risk of the disease being contracted during air travel.

Is Ebola spreading? The good news is that Nigeria and Senegal have now been declared Ebola free by WHO. However a worrying sign is that Kenya (which has never had a single case of Ebola, like most African countries) closed a border crossing from Uganda on 10 October following reports of an Ebola-related death there. There is also a confirmed but unrelated outbreak of a different version of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tourism to parts of Africa unaffected by Ebola is certainly being hit by fear of the epidemic. According to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, reported in the Daily Telegraph on 20 October, there is "alarm in the market" because people misunderstand how the virus spreads and where the affected countries are. In fact Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are closer to London than to South Africa.

It's essential to remember that if you cancel a holiday because of misplaced fears about Ebola, your travel insurance company won't consider your claim valid.




Monday 20 October 2014

Taking your technology on holiday? Check your insurance first

Your gadgets are not necessarily covered by your travel or home insurance policies.

A recent Daily Mail story points out that most travel insurance has a single item limit on technology. And this won't even cover the cost of replacing the average smartphone. 

"No problem, I'm covered by my home insurance". Think again. Items taken out of the home are not usually included unless you pay an extra premium for extra cover.

Onestop4's Fit-4-Travel policy could be the solution. It provides up to £300 cover for any single item and up to £3000 in total for all possessions - well above average for travel insurance. Still not enough for all your technology? We suggest you either look at specialist gadget insurance, or ensure that your items are covered on an "all risks basis" within your home content insurance policy.

And do check your bank account. Some added value accounts now include travel and gadget cover.