BIBA Travel Insurance

BIBA Travel Insurance: underwriting-backed travel cover for UK residents

BIBA Travel Insurance is the travel insurance scheme operated by a team of underwriting specialists who describe good customer outcomes as the basis of every decision and every policy they issue. The operation states that it is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and that its products are underwritten by "A" rated UK insurers. Since 2021 it has been the exclusive scheme provider for Holiday and Sports Travel Insurance of BIBA, the British Insurance Brokers Association.

The scheme is aimed at customers and brokers alike: the underwriting team presents itself as serving both, with staff available to answer questions about its products and services. Two product lines are documented in the material: Holiday Travel+ and Sports Travel+.

Holiday Travel+

The Holiday Travel+ policy insures travellers up to 85 years of age on single trips and up to 75 years of age on annual multi-trip cover. An annual multi-trip policy allows an unlimited number of trips within the year, subject to a maximum duration per trip of 45 days, which can be upgraded to 60 days per trip for travellers up to 75 years old.

Eligibility is restricted to UK residents, defined as someone who has lived in the UK or the Channel Islands for at least six months, holds a permanent UK address and is registered with a GP. The scheme does not cover people who do not meet these criteria, nor travellers who have already left the UK without cover in place. On timing, the insurer recommends buying the policy as soon as a trip is booked, so that cancellation cover applies under the policy terms.

Medical disclosure and excess

The material sets out the medical conditions that should be declared, including cardiovascular or heart-related conditions, lung or respiratory conditions (excluding stable, well-controlled asthma with no other condition), any form of cancer whether in remission or not, cerebro-vascular conditions such as stroke or T.I.A., renal conditions and diabetes. It also asks about treatment, regular medication, organ transplant or dialysis in the twelve months before purchase and up to the start of the insured journey, and about medical conditions affecting relatives, colleagues or travelling companions that could reasonably give rise to a claim. Failure to declare pre-existing conditions is described as a risk that can void the insurance and lead to a declined claim.

An excess is defined as the agreed amount the policyholder pays towards a claim, applied per person and per section claimed. The policy wording details the excess applicable to each section.

Strikes, delays and claims

Cover for strike or industrial action operates through the Missed Departure and the Travel Delay and Abandonment sections, up to the sums insured in the Table of Benefits. Missed Departure applies where scheduled public transport fails to deliver the insured person to the departure point in time to board. Delay and Abandonment applies to an unavoidable delay of at least 12 hours from the original scheduled departure. Circumstances known or reasonably foreseeable at the time of booking or purchase are excluded.

For emergency medical treatment abroad, claims are directed to the 24-hour assistance company named in the policy wording; other claims go to the claims handler identified there or through a claim form. Adventure activities and sports are covered as standard according to a list in the policy wording, and COVID-19 is covered for cancellation, curtailment and medical expenses within the terms and limitations of the policy.

Sports Travel+

Sports Travel+ insures travellers up to 65 years of age on both single trip and annual multi-trip policies. As with Holiday Travel+, annual multi-trip cover allows unlimited trips with a maximum of 45 days per trip, upgradable to 60 days.

For competition and training, the winter sports cover listed includes alpine and para alpine skiing, snowboarding, banked slalom, giant slalom, parallel slalom, parallel giant slalom, slalom, combined, downhill, super G and terrain park skiing and snowboarding limited to small jumps. Personal liability is excluded while participating in these or related activities.

Activities covered as standard

The policy lists a broad set of adventure activities and sports covered as standard, among them:

• Water activities such as canoeing and kayaking on rivers up to grade 2, river tubing under the same limit, sailing on inland waters or within 12 miles of land, windsurfing, paddle boarding, wakeboarding by cable, water skiing without jumping, snorkelling, skin diving and SCUBA diving to 30 metres accompanied by a qualified diver or instructor.
• Land and mountain activities including hiking and trekking on established, documented routes (trekking up to 2,500 metres with a professional local guide), mountain biking for recreational cross-country and off-road cycling, fell running and walking, orienteering, rambling and via ferrata.
• Team and racket sports such as football and soccer (non-competitive), basketball, baseball, softball, cricket, netball, handball, volleyball, water polo, badminton, squash, table tennis, tennis and racket ball.
• Other pursuits including golf, curling, ice skating (non-competitive), gymnastics (non-competitive), martial art forms (non-contact), high ropes and tree canopy walking with a licensed operator, sand surfing, sand safaris with a licensed operator, safari tours professionally organised, sleigh rides as a passenger with a professional driver, and underground activities as part of an organised excursion.
• Non-manual work during the trip, covering administrative and clerical duties, bar and restaurant work, fruit picking without machinery, and musicians and singers.

Cycling is covered for recreational use only, not as the main purpose of the trip and without racing or competitions. The full list and its conditions appear in the policy wording.

Claims contacts published by the scheme

The material lists separate addresses for emergency and non-emergency claims handling, alongside enquiry addresses for the underwriting operation and its partners. These are shown in the contact fields of this listing.