29 June 2009

Airlines accused of flouting EU laws on insurance sales

Four airlines have come under fire for automatically charging for travel insurance during the booking process.

A report by consumer magazine Which? Holiday claims that Easyjet, Jet2, Monarch and Air Berlin are ignoring an EU ruling which states that they cannot automatically add extras such as insurance at the time of booking.

It says Easyjet, Jet2 and Monarch all automatically add travel insurance policies, costing between £7 and £10.49 per passenger, while cancellation insurance for flights returning on the same day is added automatically by Air Berlin, costing €12.

Consumers have to un-tick a box to opt out of the insurance.

The magazine has also criticised British Airways, Ryanair and Wizz’s websites.

It says although they stick to the rules, the single-trip insurance policies they offer at the time of booking would not meet Which? Best Buy criteria in terms of cover for cancellation or curtailment of the trip, or for lost or stolen baggage.

Easyjet was the only airline to meet Which?’s minimum criteria for travel insurance in terms of the cover offered, with Flybe and Monarch falling just slightly short.

In many cases Which? Holiday also found that restrictions or exclusions on airline single-trip insurance were not made clear at the point of sale and were only explained in the policy small print.

For example, BA, Flybe and Wizz’s single-trip insurance only covers travellers under 65 years old, and on all airline travel insurance there are restrictions for pre-existing medical conditions.

The magazine’s editor Lorna Cowan explained: "With airlines still opting people into insurance, consumers could unwittingly buy a product which is of no use to them, and at up to £10 per person this can add up.

"Buying insurance at the same time as your flights may seem like an easy and convenient option. But if you’ve already got an insurance policy, or it doesn’t provide the right amount of cover for you, it’s as useless as no cover at all."

By Bev Fearis