Frequently asked questions
Should I choose an annual multi-trip, single trip or extended trip policy?
Our annual multi-trip policy is great if you take more than one trip a year and it could save you money on your travel insurance. The extended trip policy is designed for anyone who is out of the country for long periods of time, for example, an around the world trip, and is tailored accordingly.
What is Travel Disruption Cover?
If you make your own holiday arrangements and book your flights, accommodation and car hire separately, our Travel Disruption Cover included at no extra cost with our Standard insurance, will cover you for unexpected events such as: natural disasters, airline insolvency, airport and airspace closures and other similar events.
Our cover provides up to €5,000 if your trip is cancelled or cut short as a result of:
- The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advising against travel to or evacuation from your holiday destination
- Insolvency of accommodation providers
- Insolvency of / strike action by the airline
- Airport / port or air space being closed for 24 hour
As well as cover for cancelling or cutting short your trip the insurance also provides cover for:
- Reasonable additional accommodation and transport costs incurred, up to the standard of your original booking, up to €5,000 if you can’t use your accommodation due to the insolvency of the provider or the accommodation is made uninhabitable due to fire, flood, tsunami, hurricane or infectious disease
- Replacement flight up to €1,500 for each insured person– if your scheduled airline becomes insolvent
- Enforced stay - €100 per 24 hour delay up to €1,500 – in the event that you are stuck abroad due to airspace or the airport/port or channel tunnel being closed for more than 24 hours.
What is not covered?
We will not pay if costs are recoverable from elsewhere or for any claims arising directly or indirectly from circumstances known to you prior to the date the insurance is purchased by you or the time of booking any trip which could reasonably have been expected to give rise to cancellation or cutting short the trip.
Before I go on holiday, where can I get information and advice on the country I intend to visit?
In addition to the advice you can receive as a policyholder from the IrishSavings 24 hour Travel Insurance helpline, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website offers a wealth of travel advice and tips, and up-to-date, country-specific information.
Do I need baggage cover?
If your baggage is covered outside your home by your household insurance then you may want to consider excluding baggage cover. You should check with your household insurance provider to make sure you have the appropriate level of cover.
I am currently suffering from a medical problem; will this be covered under my travel policy?
We offer a medical screening process, which will confirm whether claims that relate to an existing medical condition will be covered. We've tried to ensure that only a very small number of customers will not qualify for cover, but some conditions may mean that you have to pay a bit more to make sure you are fully covered.
I want to go on holiday for eight weeks. Will such a long break be covered under your annual policy?
Our annual insurance allows up to 60 days for any one trip, therefore an eight week holiday is fine.
I live with my partner, but we are not married, are we still eligible for the family rates?
Yes, you can get family cover.
As a single parent do I have to pay the standard family rate?
No, premiums are based on the individuals who are travelling.
One of my children has turned 18 but we would like to go on a family holiday this year - would he be covered?
If your child is travelling with you, then they'll be fully covered with us, if they are under 16 years of age or under 23 years of age and in full-time education at the start of the insurance period.
Is there anything I won't be covered for?
Yes, the main exclusions are:
- Travelling against medical advice
- Pre-existing medical conditions that have not been agreed by us
- Hazardous sports or activities that have not been agreed by us
- Pregnancy or childbirth, if the due date is less than 12 weeks (16 weeks for a multiple birth) after the end of the trip
- Theft from unattended vehicles in some circumstances
- Loss of, or damage to baggage not reported within 24 hours
- Flying, except as a fare-paying passenger
- An excess - the amount you have to pay towards a claim - will apply to some sections.
I want to pay by credit / debit card, how secure is the payment online?
The IrishSavings Travel Insurance site uses 128 bit SSL encryption on the payment pages. This is the highest level of protection possible and therefore the one used by all sites where financial transactions occur. IrishSavings Travel Insurance has also implemented 3D Secure for Maestro cards. 3D Secure is the online capability developed by MasterCard for their cardholders. It is designed to make Internet transactions safer by creating a virtual 'card present' environment. You may be more familiar with this capability as MasterCard SecureCode.
How does it work?
When purchasing your IrishSavings Travel Insurance online with your Maestro card you will be asked to enter your card number on the payment page. At this point in the purchase, you will be re-directed to your issuing bank and asked to enter your Mastercard Securecode password for your card. If the password is correct then your payment will be authorised. You will have three attempts to type in the correct password.
When and how do I get my documents?
Your personalised documents are securely saved online. Once your purchase is complete we will email you to let you know where and how to access them. To protect your security, we will provide you with a unique username and password. You can view and/or print out your documents, whichever you prefer.
What if I delete the email telling me where my documents are?
If you accidentally delete the email telling you how to access your documents, you can call us and we will re-send the email.
I need my documents in large print so I won’t be able to read the documents you email me. What should I do?
We are committed to meeting the needs of all our customers. For visually impaired customers, we can provide documents in large print, Braille or on audio cassette. Simply call and we will arrange to send the documents in a format that suits you. In addition, if you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use Typetalk whenever you contact us.
How long will my documents be available online?
You can access your insurance documents online for the duration of your policy. If you need to access your documents after this time please call us.
How secure is my personal information?
All customer information, including your personal and medical information, is stored securely on our systems. The link we give you allows you to access our system. We provide you with a unique password and will ask you a security question that only you will know to access your data.
We use 128 bit SSL encryption on the secure link. 128 bit SSL encryption is the highest level of protection possible and therefore the one used by all sites where financial transactions occur.
*Telephone calls may be recorded for security purposes and monitored under our quality control procedures.