When it gets cold, gray and slushy, many people leave Sweden for the sun and swimming.
At the same time, it seems that every second person has been affected by the flu or winter vomiting disease. What happens to the trip if you get sick and can you get your money back? We'll find out.
In the midst of the holiday excitement, many people fear that something must not happen: that the trip will not happen. In the worst case, they will lose both the opportunity to go on holiday and the money they spent on it.
Regardless of whether the trip is stopped due to death, illness or a change in employment situation, travel and accommodation are not covered by the right of withdrawal, which otherwise applies for 14 days when shopping online or by phone. This means that no law is on the consumer's side regardless of what unpredictable event has happened. Instead, it is the consumer's own responsibility to have a "plan B" that is adapted to their wishes.
If you become ill before the trip and do not have cancellation insurance from the travel company or private insurance, there is unfortunately no possibility of getting your money back if the trip does not take place.
And if you have purchased the travel company's cancellation insurance, you may be entitled to some of the money back.
– It varies depending on how far in advance you book, and there must always be a medical certificate, says Barbro Holmberg, information officer at the travel company Ving.
But the conditions differ between travel companies.
– If a customer is sick before the trip and still travels, our travel insurance does not apply. However, in some cases the customer can receive compensation through their home insurance with a doctor's certificate, says Adam Györki, press contact at the travel company TUI and adds:
– Our insurance only begins to apply upon departure.
And if you have home insurance but no cancellation insurance, you can in some cases get some of the travel costs back, and sometimes even be entitled to a replacement trip. However, the conditions vary between insurance companies, where cancellation protection is usually offered in an extended travel insurance. In some extended home insurance, you can also get compensation if your animal suddenly becomes ill and the trip therefore has to be canceled, provided that the animal is insured with the company.
This is what you should do if you get sick before your trip.
And if you are completely uninsured, you as an EU citizen can get emergency medical care if you are in a country that is a member of the EU, regardless of what private insurance you have. If you are outside the EU, everything becomes more difficult. Travel protection in home insurance covers costs for care, and any additional costs for travel and accommodation as a result of accidents and sudden illness.
– If you are traveling outside the EU and something happens to you, in other words, those costs, if you do not have home insurance, must be paid out of your own pocket. And these can be large sums – hospital stays are expensive in many countries and an ambulance flight from Thailand, for example, can cost over 700,000 kronor. This is one of many reasons why it is very important that everyone has home insurance, says Osvald Wiklander, press officer at If, to Aftonbladet.
And if you have home insurance, you can get help in the event of accidents and sudden illnesses. However, if you were already sick before you go and the symptoms have worsened, it may be difficult to get compensation through your home insurance.
– You can't insure something that has already happened or something that is very likely to happen. Travel coverage in home insurance applies to accidents and sudden illnesses, so you don't get compensation for things that have already happened to you before you leave, says Osvald Wiklander.
Keep in mind that
Visit a doctor at your destination and ask for a certificate in cases where your symptoms have worsened or you have been injured or become ill. Ving and Folksam, among others, offer compensation if you miss a holiday due to illness or accident.
Check your insurance policies, their terms and conditions before booking your trip.
Book rebooking and cancellation protection through the travel company when booking your trip. This is the only opportunity to take advantage of the travel company's insurance, which is usually very generous.
Report that you have become ill, otherwise you may miss your chance to get your trip refunded.
– First of all, you have to go to the doctor because you must have a medical certificate confirming that you are sick. Then you contact us before you go. You can't just not show up, you have to contact us before the trip departs, says Barbro Holmberg at Ving.
What is your advice for traveling abroad?
It is important that the doctor is careful and describes the details in the certificate.
– A very common mistake is not going to see a doctor at all. We encourage everyone who is affected by an illness to do this. Once you have done the right thing and gone to a doctor, you should ask the doctor to describe in detail what has happened and what consequences it has for your holiday, says Adam Györki.
– I think you should be very careful to review your insurance before you go on a trip so that you really have insurance that is valid. Go through your insurance coverage so that you don't discover when you have already gone that you don't have valid travel insurance because then it can be very, very expensive. I would definitely advise against traveling completely uninsured, says Barbro Holmberg.
Source: aftonbladet.se
