Football fans who plan on attending the World Cup Finals in South Africa next year have been urged to purchase travel insurance early to cover themselves for any cancellations.

M&S Money said that many travellers need to use insurance before their holiday begins in case their flights or accommodations are cancelled unexpectedly. The insurer’s premier travel insurance policy offers up to £6,000 cover for any irrecoverable unused travel and accommodation costs in the case of illness, being called for jury service or if eave is withdrawn for customers working in the emergency services or Armed Forces.

Steve Price, M&S head of general insurance, said: “It’s great news that England have qualified for the World Cup and thousands of fans will now be looking forward to heading to South Africa next June.

“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 would be wise to invest in a comprehensive policy now.”

Those who arrange flights and accommodation by themselves rather than through a tour operator may not receive the same level of cover that would come with a package holiday. For example, an independent traveler whose flight is cancelled could find they are unable to receive compensation for subsequent connections.

However, independent travelers are covered as standard under M&S Money’s Premium policy.

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

This entry was posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009 at 3:54 pm and is filed under Insurance, Travel Insurance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.