stardust2000,
I for one will be watching these posts with interest. We too pay straight out of our bank account and our policy number is our bank account number too.
Is this only Thomas Cook?
I hope the replies are quick and fast as we travel next Friday with JET2.

Linsi

I am not sure Linsi, they said that it's because having insurance is part of their terms and conditions and many people try to travel without it which is fair enough I guess but not fair enough if they don't tell you that you need to produce the certificate to actually check in.

I have not travelled since last year and then it was with Easyjet and Jet2 and neither asked to see the documents.

I wonder if this is new with Thomas Cook? I travelled with them in January and wasn't asked, although I did happen to have my certificate with the passports/tickets.

Interesting indeed!

We just been away with First Choice and were not asked to produce our Insurance Documents at check-in

Are you by any chance travelling to Cuba - the immigration authorities there are now asking that you produce proof of insurance on arrival?

I too have an annual policy as part of my current account package and I don't know whether this is good news or bad news for those of you that this might effect but my attempts to get HBOS to send me the required confirmation that I do have travel insurance has turned into a bit of saga. I first phoned up about this 3 weeks ago and was assured that they knew exactly what it was I needed and that they would send it out in the post to me. Great, one more thing ticked off the 'to do' list -except it never arrived! I have since had to phone up on a weekly basis and by this morning I was getting panicky as I leave home on Tuesday on route to Cuba via Gatwick. After a very long time kept on hold and being passed from one person to another, they agreed that if I went to my local branch and got them to phone, that they would fax it to them to pass on to me. They refused to fax it direct to me. This I duly did and when it eventually came through I did think that it wasn't quite was I was expecting - it was mainly a definition of who counted as 'family' which is irrelevant to me because I'm single and have no kids! However, having been assured by the branch staff that this was what they'd been assured was all I needed, I was just glad to get back to work.

However when I got home late this afternoon and looked at it more closely, I realised that it actually also contained all the information re my full address details, sort code and bank account no that anybody would need to access my account details! Out of curiousity I did just that - phoned the tel no on the faxed letter and yes, all the questions I was asked could be answered by looking for the info on the letter. I pointed out that given the stern warnings the bank issues to customers about keeping their account details secure, they had now provided all that info on a letter that I might have to allow Cuban Immigration officials to photocopy for all I know because I don't know anybody who ha been out there since this new rule was introduced and the small independent TO I'm booked with wasn't sure about the procedure either. I insisted that I wanted my complaint logged and that if I had to handover this letter and I found that my account had been defrauded then I would hold them responsible.

Luckily, soon after this the post arrived and lo and behold! There was a letter (dated the 18th June so it's taken 6 days to arrive) confirming the details of my insurance cover as originally reqested 3 weeks ago and WITHOUT any of my account details on it and a separate policy number instead. So that is what I will take with me to Cuba but what a palaver to get it out of HBOS!

I feel so much better for getting that whinge of my chest but a bit alarming for anybody who hasn't got 3 weeks to get it sorted before they go on holiday!

SM

I am travelling to Cyprus this year but the destination in question is Turkey. I popped into the bank this afternoon and was told that emergency contact numbers and my bank account number are all I need to claim any assistance anyway(that bits true as I had an accident on holiday a couple of years ago).

According to the bank the onus is still on me to provide any assistance if need be and if I ticked to say that I have my own cover when booking then Thomas Cook nor I have any come back.

As it's bugging me now I will try to get through to Thomas Cook and try to get a straight answer.

On a Thomson holiday I was required to tell them who I was insured with and the policy number. We have annual cover and amongst the various bits of paper we carry with us is a copy of the cover note with the policy number and emergency contact number. I don't carry the policy itself.

It is in the T&Cs that you must have insurance cover but apart from the Thomson incident I have never been asked for it. According to a survey some time ago there are a lot of people who do not bother - fools!

fwh

I can think of a reason why the tour ops are interested (and insist you have insurance) and the scheduled airlines who don't ask.

If you collapse on a package the reps are going to get dragged in (cost to company) so having insurance means they can simply pass the hassle on, maybe make the first phone call on your behalf. If you aren't insured it will give them work.

If you're just on a scheduled airline once you're off the plane you're not a liability to them.

Does this apply with portland holidays (thomson) I fly out on aug 5th and we have bought seperate travel insurance all they do is send us an email with the policy number and info on it,would this be enough,,bit concerned now

I'm a bit concerned also as my policy was sent to me by e-mail which I saved on my old computer. I do have my policy number and insurance medical emergency contact number to hand (which I take with me) but no paperwork with all the details. After reading this I've sent an e-mail to my insurance company to see if I can have a copy of the policy. I bet I'll have to pay for it though

I think it's bad that Thomas Cook don't inform you that you need the insurance documentation to check-in. If I wouldn't have been a member here, I would have gone with just my piece of paper with the bare details scribbled down- Would I have been denied boarding I wonder

I have always had to give my policy number before I pick up our tickets at our local TC shop. Doesn't everybody? It is a requirement by TC if your insurance is not with them.

Denny

I got my tickets last week, and was asked to sign to state, that I had other travel insurance, I even told the girl I did not have it yet, but would be getting it prior to me going on holiday, after I see the doctor to see if I am fit to fly, which I am

I know thomson cooks are now looking for api for some destinations, and this seems now include italy

flew with them at the end of May and I did not need to produce insurance docs for Tunisia and my friend went to Ibiza and she didn't either

I have always had to give my policy number before I pick up our tickets at our local TC shop. Doesn't everybody?

Denny, I've been booking on-line and receiving my tickets through the post for many years now and nowhere have I been asked to provide my insurance details. All you're required to do is to tick a box (during the booking process) to say you have your own insurance.

I have always had to give my policy number before I pick up our tickets at our local TC shop. Doesn't everybody? It is a requirement by TC if your insurance is not with them

I've never been asked for them but then it's been years since I've used a high street branch . mostly I either book online or get a price match direct from the T/O and book over the phone . Never been asked for insurance details and when booking online there is always a selection to tick to purchase insurance or untick if you Dont . At that point I believe there are some T+C to accept that you take responsibility for your own insurance bla bla.

Thinking about it a couple of years ago I got a price match over the phone with our local Thomson shop . When the paperwork came there was a form included to send back with insurance details . I never bothered and it was never mentioned again.

As we are travelling to cuba I have mine ready as per SMa's post above . The last time we flew with TC was to Egypt at Easter . Nothing was requested but then we only had flights booked and not a package.

When did this take effect? I flew with them to Turkey 3 weeks ago and wasn't asked to produce my insurance documents and I wasn't either when I went to Cuba 6 months ago.

We have been asked for our insurance company and policy number in the past.

We were told that in case of an accident or such like, the company/reps can contact your insurance company should any of your party be unable to do so..........

Sort of makes sense really?

John

Reading some of the tales of woe here on HT in the past perhaps it is not a bad idea. How many leave the insurance until the last minute and then have a problem?

Anybody who does not bother with insurance as means of saving a few pounds deserve all they get. We get regular posts from people complaining they were never told about something and then moan. There is of course another side to this. If the TOs were not so keen on charging excessive prices for their own insurance people would not object.

fwh

When we have gone on coach holidays with Siesta if you book online and tick that you have your own insurance policy you have to put in the policy number and who it is with.

A few years ago on holiday I fell over on my ankle and it ballooned up, I told hubby I would go back to the hotel and soak it in cold water/ice and if not better by morning I would go to hospital.

He booked the holiday last minute and he told me when we were there that he didn't take the insurance, I could have killed him.

Luckily the swelling went down and was just a sprain. Though he has never been allowed to book a holiday again!

Helen