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To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That is the question The answer is vaccinate – or at least, it should be. However, research from travel insurance provider Columbus Direct has shown that British travellers are placing themselves at risk of contracting a serious illness while on holiday abroad by not having vital vaccinations
JUNE 2017 • ISSUE 197
IT failure causes flight chaos for BA British Airways (BA) had a tough time of it over the final weekend in May, when an IT system failure meant it was forced to cancel hundreds of flights around the world, leaving passengers stranded
Statistics from the insurer reveal that only six out of 10 British travellers would always get the necessary inoculations prior to heading abroad, with a fear of unpleasant side effects enough to put 13 per cent off being inoculated pre-holiday. The growth in last-minute holiday breaks, especially to tropical long-haul destinations, is also posing a health risk, as 13 per cent of Brits claimed a lack of time between booking and travelling meant they couldn’t be inoculated. For some, meanwhile, it’s a question of cost: the expense of vaccinations would deter some travellers (11 per cent) from getting the appropriate vaccinations before heading abroad. Younger people (18-25 year olds) in particular are much less inclined to get inoculated because of costs (23 per cent), compared to just four per cent of those aged between 56 and 65. Other reasons that could prevent travellers from getting
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Concerns weigh heavy for cruisers InsureMyTrip, a US-based travel insurance comparison website, has announced the results of its travel survey of 568 US respondents, which found that the vast majority of cruisers have experienced some kind of travel itinerary disruption during a trip Twenty-five per cent of those polled had filed a travel insurance claim for a cruise-related issue, with health reasons cited as being responsible for the majority of those claims. According to the company’s poll, cruisers are more concerned about an illness or injury affecting
a trip than bad weather or terrorism; 49 per cent of those surveyed worry most about a family member or themselves getting sick or injured; 26 per cent worry most about bad weather affecting a cruise; and 26 per cent also experienced seasickness or a stomach illness during a voyage. During a cruise, 46 per cent experienced an unexpected itinerary change. Despite these types of disruptions, cruisers are generally pleased with their overall experience, with 62 per cent stating a cruise always met their expectations. The travellers who participated in this survey
In a statement made during the disruption, which took place on 28, 29 and 30 May, the airline said that it was meeting its obligations in providing hotel accommodation and refreshments for customers whose journeys had been affected. A spokesman clarified: “We are refunding or rebooking customers who suffered cancellations onto new services as quickly as possible and have also introduced more flexible rebooking policies. Customers on flights that have been cancelled can claim a full refund or rebook to a future date for travel up until the end of November 2017.” Under European Union (EU) law, customers displaced by flight cancellations can claim up to £200 a day for a room (based on two people sharing), £50 for transport between the hotel and airport, and £25 a day per adult for meals and refreshments. Cancellation of flights in the EU result in different compensation amounts depending on how long the flight was meant to be – for passengers flying long haul, it can be €600 per person. For travel insurers, hopefully the impact of claims will not be too severe, as BA will take the biggest hit, but the cancellations caused serious problems for passengers whose repatriation flights were cancelled, as assistance companies had to quickly confirm more overnight stays in hospitals and hotels for their clients.
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