Travel Insurance Policy EXCESS

Kenya is the business and diplomatic hub for East Africa and also boasts the biggest travel industry both local and international. The largest number of travellers requiring travel insurance are normally compelled by the visa application processes at various embassies and consulates, the commonest being the Schengen visa applications. While most travellers understand the ins and outs of buying a travel insurance, what they miss out is the excesses for the different policies on offer. Much like other general insurance policies on the market, travel policies also have an excess attached to each and everyone of them therefore it is important to consider these before you buy the policies less you get caught off guard. Below are the most common excess terms of each of the benefits.

Emergency Medical Expenses

This is the overall limit of every travel insurance policy available on the market. These limits start from as low as USD 15,000 all the way to over USD 1.5 millions for the world wide covers. In case the insured has to access emergency medical attention during the period of cover, there is usually an excess applicable especially for the outpatient services. This amount depends per policy and is as low as USD 50 for the CIC travel insurances but can go all the way up to USD 100 for some other covers.

Travel Delay and Cancellations

This is perhaps the most common type of claims that are experienced in this insurance class. This is common because of the nature of the airline industry where weather changes and logistics interferences could cause a delay in an airport. IF this happens then a cascade of cancellations and delays can start form one airport and affect flights travelling all across the globe. Common occurrences are during the winter in the West, snow and stormy conditions always cause travel chaos every year causing untold misery for travellers during the festive seasons. Most airlines will normally compensate customers for these delays by providing them with food and beverage vouchers as they wait for the delayed departures. For long delays, some airlines also hotel rooms to spend the night and also shuttles to and from the airline.
For travel insurance, travellers can also benefit from refunds for the expenses incurred as a result of the delays and cancellations. Some policies in the market offer up USD 500 as refunds under these categories. It is important to note that these are refunds for purchase of essential items as a result of the delays. These may include food, drink, spare clothes, medicines, hotel stays etc.

When it comes to the excess, this varies from policy to policy, with the minimum being the first 4 hours of delay. After the first four hours of delay, any extra delays are then compensated by a set amount of money per hour or per 4/6 hour period up to the maximum stated limit on the policy. In Europe for example, under the EU regulation 261/2004, for all flight delays that are more than 3 hours, the travellers are due to be refunded by the airline companies for up to EUR 600. Leading budget airlines like Ryanair in Europe have constantly faced challenges with this regulation as explained in this article as consumers have become more survey and online businesses have sprouted up to help sensitive and help customers seek for these refunds in exchange for commissions.

Baggage Delay and Loss

Similar to the above case of the travel delay and cancellations, the baggage delay and loss is treated much the same way and the limits of liability and excesses don’t vary. This is yet another one of the most common claims for the travel insurance industry. Some international airlines are notorious for baggage loss, damage and delay leaving travellers stranded at their final point of destination. This normally forces the insured into purchasing essentials like personal hygiene accessories, spare clothes etc that are then re-imbursable. It is important to note that these claims don’t apply when one is returning back. If for example the travel insurance is for a Kenyan citizen travelling back from Europe, the claim is not admissible because he/she is coming back home where it is expected this delayed or damaged baggage is not such an inconvenience.

Personal Liability and Legal Expenses

This is far less common claim under travel policies in Kenya. While the insured is overseas, they might get into situations where they require legal representation, which is a high cost in other parts of the world. Additionally they might be liable for damages and losses to third parties and members of the public and any others such as the following :-

• Bodily injury, death, illness or disease to any person who is not in your employment or who is not a close relative or person residing with you but not paying for their accommodation.
• Loss or damage to property that does not belong to and is neither in the charge of or under the control of you, a close relative and, or anyone in your employment other than temporary holiday accommodation occupied by you. For these two instances, the travel insurance excess imposes an excess anywhere from USD 150 all the way up to USD 500

If you are comparing different choices for a travel insurance cover, ensure you pay attention to the excess terms of each policy, give us a call or get in touch on our contacts below to talk to a travel insurance expert or chat online. Check out our online portal where you can compare overseas travel insurances including benefits, rates, providers and most importantly the excess terms for each!
https://www.pesabazaar.com/insurance/travel-insurance