Martin urges people to buy travel insurance immediately after booking a trip in order to safeguard against cancellations before departure
Martin Lewis has issued advice to travellers(Image: ITV)
A major warning has been issued to anyone planning to go on a group holiday this year, whether that’s with friends or family. Martin Lewis highlighted the matter during an episode of ITV’s The Martin Lewis Money Show.
He also shared a clip from the episode to his TikTok account, with the caption: “Think carefully before buying solo travel insurance if you’re travelling with a group.” His warning centres on securing the right kind of travel insurance — not only as soon as a trip is booked, but also ensuring the correct type is chosen should something go wrong within the group.
Martin urges people to exercise caution when taking out solo travel insurance for group trips. He warns that it typically fails to cover cancellations when one person’s misfortune forces the entire group to pull out. This comes as a major passport warning was issued to anyone planning to travel abroad for a holiday, as reported by ChronicleLive.
Regarding group travel, Martin recommends taking out a shared or comprehensive group policy so that if one member of the party cannot travel, everybody remains protected. He also advises purchasing insurance “ASAB” (As Soon As You Book).
Should a solo traveller be forced to cancel due to a personal emergency, their individual policy will not cover the losses incurred by friends or family who are subsequently unable to travel. Opting for a single group policy ensures that if one person’s emergency results in the whole trip being cancelled, every member of the party is covered.
Regardless of which policy you opt for, Martin urges people to purchase insurance immediately after booking, in order to safeguard against cancellations before departure, reports the Express. If you are buying insurance separately, ensure the policy caters to the specific requirements of a group holiday, should someone else’s circumstances affect your trip.
During The Martin Lewis Money Show, viewer David shared his personal experience with travel insurance for a group holiday. He said: “I booked flights to Australia for a family group of seven to travel in March next year. I took out insurance immediately.
“One of our group is now pregnant and can’t travel on the dates planned. It costs £5,000 to reschedule, which I’m happy to report the insurance covered.”
In response, Martin offered advice on what larger groups ought to bear in mind. “Think of who you’re booking for,” he said. “So, if it’s a family group and one can’t go, they’ll often cover you.
“But, if there’s a large group of friends going, you often all get independent travel insurance. Well, then if one can’t go or and you can’t all go on the trip, it’s only the person who’s got that cover. So, you’d need a group insurance policy so that if one can’t go, you all can’t go.”
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