26 May 2010

Travel Insurance A Priority For Football Fans Heading To South Africa

• Fans heading to South Africa should not wait until the last minute to buy travel insurance
• M&S Premier travel insurance provides up to £6000 for any irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation costs

England football fans heading to South Africa should not wait until the last minute to buy travel insurance, according to M&S Money.

Thousands of England fans are finalising their plans for their trip to the World Cup finals in the hope that the team will repeat the success of 1966.

Tickets, flights and hotels are not the only items that should be on all fans shopping lists – travel insurance should also be a priority.

Supporters should not wait until the last minute to think about travel insurance as travellers often claim on their policy before the holiday has begun.

The M&S Premier Travel Insurance policy provides up to £6000 of cover for any irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation costs if*:

• you, a travel partner or close relative becomes ill or injured before the holiday
• you or a travel partner are called up for jury service while you are meant to be on holiday
• you or a travel partner are made redundant
• leave is withdrawn for members of the Armed Forces, Police, Fire, Nursing or Ambulance Services or employees of a Government Department.

Andrew Ferguson, M&S Head of General Insurance, said: “Football fever is sweeping the nation and those fans fortunate to be heading to South Africa will be making sure everything is in place for what is set to be the trip of a lifetime. 

“Tickets for the matches will no doubt be hot property, but fans should also think about what they would do if the worst happens. Travel insurance can provide financial support long before you step on to a flight, so England fans should make it a priority to invest in a comprehensive policy now.”

Those fans planning to travel independently from a package tour should remember that they may not benefit from the protection provided via a package tour.

For example, an independent traveller whose flight is cancelled could find they are unable to claim for subsequent connections, facing the cost of new flights or accommodation.

Independent Traveller cover is included as standard in M&S Premier annual multi-trip insurance, and is available as an optional extra with single trip travel insurance .

Andrew added: “Holidaymakers who have booked flights as part of a package holiday enjoy protection in the event of an airline collapse. However, travellers booking flights independently can often find themselves stranded and out of pocket and should make sure they have adequate insurance.”

Marks and Spencer has created the official suit to be worn by the England football team in South Africa.

For more information about M&S Travel Insurance or to apply, customers can visit www.marksandspencer.com/travelinsurance or telephone 0800 731 2424.

Ends

For further information please call the M&S Money press office:

Liz Neild on 01244 686 068
liz.a.neild@mandsmoney.com

Simon Coughlin on 020 7992 1574
simon.coughlin@mandsmoney.com

An ISDN line is available for broadcast interviews

Notes to Editors

* For full policy details

Independent Traveller cover – summary of additional cover provided:

• Cancellation or curtailment cover extended to include cover for loss of travel and accommodation costs and travel expenses incurred if the Foreign & Commonwealth Office or the World Health Organisation advise that it is not safe to travel, or recommend evacuation from the country or specific area or event to which you were travelling. This does not cover cancellation or curtailment if the FCO advice is in response to war and/or terrorism at the destination.

• Delayed departure cover extends to:
  Loss of booked accommodation if you choose to cancel your trip because your flight was cancelled, delayed for more than 12 hours or you were denied boarding, or
  Additional accommodation or travel expenses incurred in reaching your destination if you choose to make other travel arrangements because your flight was cancelled, delayed for more than 12 hours, diverted or re-directed after take-off or you were denied boarding.
• Missed departure cover extended to include cover for additional accommodation or travel expenses incurred in reaching your destination if you miss any connections including those within the UK on the return journey.

• Accommodation cover extended to provide insurance for:
  Loss of booked accommodation if you are unable to travel, or
  Additional accommodation or travel expenses incurred if you need to move to other accommodation, or the cost of your repatriation if it becomes necessary to curtail the trip
  As a result of insolvency of the providers of the accommodation, fire, flood, earthquake, explosion, tsunami, landslide, avalanche, hurricane, storm or an outbreak of food poisoning or an infectious disease affecting your accommodation or resort.

M&S Travel Insurance - Key Features

• UK, European and Worldwide cover available
• Single trip or annual multi trip travel insurance policies
• Premier and Standard cover available
• Up to £10m medical emergency cover and up to £6,000 cancellation cover with the Premier policy
• Independent Traveller Cover (option on single trip and standard annual multi-trip policies)
• M&S Travel Insurance Premier Cover has been Five-Star Rated for features and benefits by Defaqto, an independent research company
• Save 20% when you buy online (Available to new customers only)
• M&S Cardholders will receive 150 M&S points when they take out a new annual multi trip or 50 M&S points for a new single trip policy

M&S Money (the trading name of Marks & Spencer Financial Services) was founded in 1985 as the financial services division of Marks and Spencer Group plc, making 2010 the company's 25th anniversary.

The company is a top-ten credit card provider and the second-largest travel money retailer in the UK.  M&S Money also offers a range of insurance cover, including home insurance and car insurance, as well as loans, savings and investment products.

In November 2004, Marks & Spencer sold M&S Money to HSBC. HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 8,000 offices in 88 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of US$2,364 billion at 31 December 2009, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as ‘the world’s local bank’.

M&S Money has an executive committee comprising an equal number of representatives from HSBC and Marks & Spencer.

M&S travel insurance policies are provided by AXA Insurance UK plc. Terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations apply. Calls may be monitored and recorded.