Finally – on holiday! In order for the trip to go smoothly and with happy faces, it is worth considering the important details carefully before the trip. What to do if the flight is cancelled? What rights do you have as a passenger? Aleksei Žemkov, Head of Risk Insurance at Swedbank, shares useful advice.
- Check with the airline
It is understandable that when planning a trip, the urge to quickly add flight tickets to the shopping cart is insane, especially if the price of the ticket is tempting at the moment. Take a moment to catch your breath in this tumult and check whether the airline you are planning to travel with is not on strike at the moment or is planning to do so. If the trip is postponed or canceled due to a pre-planned strike, the insurance will not cover the purchase of new air tickets. However, if a strike occurs unexpectedly after purchasing flight tickets, Swedbank’s travel insurance will compensate its customers for the loss. - Save time
It is a good idea to check-in for your flight online to avoid waiting at the airport check inwaiting in line, especially if you only travel with hand luggage. Nevertheless, you should not leave going to the airport to the last minute. Many city airports around the world are huge and sometimes it can take more than half an hour to get to your gate. Also, traffic in cities and highways can be unpredictable and affect getting to the flight.
It is not uncommon for workers to strike, flight cancellations or delays. These situations lead to long queues at airports at security, passport and baggage control. Even if you need to change trains in another country to reach your destination, it is worth checking how much time is left for this. So reserve enough time, because travel insurance does not compensate for additional costs incurred due to incorrect time planning.
3. Check the travel documents
Do your travel documents meet the requirements of the destination country? There are countries that require the passport to be valid for at least 6 months or even longer after the end of the trip. Some countries require a visa or vaccination certificate to enter. Make sure that the documents of your travel companions are also in order for the trip. Good advice can be found on the Reisi smartly website.
4. Check the accommodation conditions
Before your trip, check the check-in and check-out times of your accommodation and find out under what conditions it is possible to cancel the reservation. Not every hotel or guest apartment has 24-hour service, so you have to arrive at the agreed time or before the specified time. To avoid being stranded in the middle of the night, be sure to let the property know if you will be arriving later.
5. Get travel insurance
An unexpected illness or transportation breakdown on the way to the airport can derail travel plans despite excellent planning. However, the situation can get especially awkward if you get sick in a foreign country or get injured in an accident. On such occasions travel insurance is really helpful, as medical expenses can reach thousands and sometimes even tens of thousands of euros in a foreign country.
It is reasonable to take out travel insurance as soon as you have made the first expenses for the trip.
If you travel several times a year and often with your family, travel insurance linked to a credit card is a reasonable and convenient choice. For example, a Swedbank Gold or Platinum credit card comes with travel insurance free of charge, which applies to both the cardholder and his companion/partner, minor children and grandchildren traveling with him. Read more about the benefits of the card here.
Be sure to find out whether the travel insurance protections meet your needs. Swedbank’s travel insurance compensates for an emergency flight delay or non-departure, but the passenger must first contact his travel or airline company to find out the cause of the situation and whether the airline company has provided compensation for it.
6. Familiarize yourself with the passenger’s rights
Did you know that the European Union has developed a number of rights for passengers and that the airline company is responsible for the passenger and his luggage? A passenger who is left behind, whose flight is canceled or delayed for at least two hours, must receive a written notice from the air carrier stating the rules for payment of compensation and assistance. In case of flight cancellation, the airline company must offer the passenger either a refund of the ticket price or other ways to reach the final destination of the trip.
On the consumer.ee website of the EU consumer advisory center, you can find valuable information about the rights of a passenger if the flight is delayed, canceled, the passenger is not allowed to travel, the luggage is lost, delayed or damaged.
7. Report your trip
Register your trip on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is necessary so that if something unexpected should happen at the travel destination, for example a natural disaster, an act of terrorism or something else unexpected, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can contact you and help you if necessary.
No one is safe from the unexpected. Travel insurance is like an airbag that prevents you and your travel companions from falling painfully and gives you confidence for every trip.
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