FAQ
There are some activity holidays we are unable to provide cover for. Please refer to this link for the current list https://www.snowcard.co.uk/excluded-activities
Annual ‘Multi trip’ policies only cover holidays in the UK with at least one nights pre-paid accommodation.
Airlines have a legal responsibility for damage to any property in their care, custody and control, this includes bikes or any sports equipment you have paid to travel in the aircraft hold. If you take the optional 'equipment' section of cover you will be insured for any 'irrecoverable' expenses resulting from damage to your equipment in transit. This means that in the first instance you must seek what is known as a 'property irregularity report' or 'PIR' from the airline if your equipment or baggage is damaged and you wish to make a claim. If you are able to obtain compensation from the airline for damage to equipment you can only claim for any expenses in excess of any compensation award. If you do not obtain a PIR, you will not be able to make a claim against your travel insurance, it is a policy condition that a PIR is requested from the airline. NOTE: CHECK EQUIPMENT BEFORE LEAVING THE AIRPORT - airlines are unlikely to issue a PIR after you have left the airport and this will mean you can not claim against your insurance policy.
The policy is subject to certain health exclusions for pre existing conditions. You may call Snowcard to discuss any uncertainties or email [email protected]. If you or anyone you are buying insurance for has a pre existing medical condition, you must refer to the health statement (your-pre-existing-medical-conditions) to see if it is covered. Some conditions will be covered, others not. If your condition is not covered by the Snowcard policy, you can still purchase a policy which will cover any new accidents or illnesses happening on holiday. If you require cover for a pre existing medical condition that is excluded by the Snowcard policy, you must seek alternative cover with an insurer specializing in pre existing condition insurance. Please refer to the British Insurance Brokers’ Association website at: www.biba.org.uk
Please refer to page 13 of the policy wording for specific exclusions regarding the health of close relatives/business associates or other travel companions.
Children up to and including age 18 can travel independently on a family policy. Children over the age of 18 travelling independently are classified as adults and require their own policy.
Yes
If you have an annual policy with another insurer and you require cover for just a short duration of higher risk activity with Snowcard, you CAN NOT purchase a few days of cover in the middle of a longer trip insured by another policy. For a Snowcard policy to be valid, you must insure the full duration of your trip from UK departure to UK return for your cover to be valid.
There are no policy restrictions or exclusions relating to pregnancy but you must not be travelling or taking part in high risk sports against medical advice or experiencing any complications relating to pregnancy. Please consult the policy health statement before proceeding https://www.snowcard.co.uk/health-statement and speak with your GP about whether they feel you are okay to engage in adventure sports whilst pregnant.
Please refer to this link https://www.snowcard.co.uk/content/cancellations-and-refunds
If because of the pandemic your destination country moves from the green list to the red list or the destination country refuses entry to UK travellers these are your options:
If your trip is postponed we would be able to reissue the policy for later dates. Within the 14 day cooling off period, if you don’t travel and do not make a claim you would get a full refund. Outside of the 14 day cooling off period, there is no refund of premium although as noted we can reissue the policy for later dates at no charge.
For policies issued after 6 November 2020 Snowcard provides cover for certain claims for Covid-19 as detailed on https://www.snowcard.co.uk/content/coronavirus-covid-19-information
If you have a European Single Trip Policy and you are travelling against FCDO advice you will be covered for certain Covid19 risks as detailed on the above link. For worldwide travel and for annual multi trip policies, cover for Covid19 is only provided if you are travelling to a country the FCDO are advising it is safe to visit.
No. You only need to call if your single trip is likely to exceed your selected trip limit or you need a higher level policy.
No. If you call the 24 hour emergency number on your Snowcard, Assistance International will guarantee and arrange to pay your bills for you. For smaller amounts which you have paid yourself, simply call the claims number (0345 122 3280) on your return to the UK and ask for the appropriate claim form.
SKI RACING - there is no cover for ski race training and competitions for any formal teams, squads or national bodies or professional level events. Organised amateur ski races forming part of a recreational winter sports holiday are coveerd by the Pro Adventure activity level. This does not affect end of week ski school races forming part of a normal package winter sports holiday with ski lessons which are covered by Adventure Plus and above.
e-biking is treated the same as non-powered bikes providing the e-bike is used as per the manufacturers specification and has not been modified.
e biking e bikes e-bikes
For specialist expeditions which are self organised, or exploratory or part of a research project, we will not provide cover unless a full submission regarding the expedition organisation has been agreed by the insurers. We do not normally agree cover for specialist expeditions which are not recreational adventure holidays and normally refer proposals to the insurers of the appropriate organisation or governing sports body.
A number of insurance companies impose a higher excess for helicopter rescue in Nepal. This is because helicopters are increasingly being used in the region without establishing the medical necessity for air ambulance call out. This has resulted in insurers being asked to pay for helicopter call outs where there is no medical need for an evacuation. The UK insurance market has reacted to this by either imposing higher excess charges or increasing insurance premiums. Insurers will only pay for valid claims where there is a medical need for a helicopter evacuation.
Adventure Basic policies cover up to 4 weeks of Nordic cross country skiing only, that is langlauf style cross country skiing on marked resort trails (not back country ski touring).
Adventure Plus and Max Adventure policies cover up to 4 weeks of winter sports holidays.
These policies are intended for persons who go on no more than 4 weeks of winter sports holidays a year. The ‘4 weeks’ does not refer to the number of days skiing but the travelling time on a winter sports holiday. A week’s winter sports travel will span two weekends, usually travelling Friday or Saturday to the following Saturday or Sunday. This in practice involves 7, 8, 9 or even 10 days of travel but for the avoidance of doubt we count this weekend to weekend travel pattern as being ‘one week’ of winter sports travel. The same principle applies to 2, 3 or 4 week holidays and holidays that start mid-week.
Weekend winter sports trips are normally of 3, 4 or 5 days in duration, e.g. Wednesday or Thursday to Sunday (or similar time spans). For the avoidance of doubt, we count two weekend trips as being equal to one week of winter sports holidays.
If you are going on a two or three week trip but only one week includes winter sports activity, we will just count that as being one week of the policy entitlement. If you are only skiing for one or two days on a week or longer trip, we will count that as being one weekend of winter sports activity.
In the event of a claim we might require evidence of your winter sports activity and might ask you for your ski pass as such evidence.
If you ski for more than 4 weeks in a policy year, you must take the Extreme Adventure policy, which does not limit the number of winter sports holidays although there is a 31 day single trip limit which can be extended up to 90 days. The maximum number of winter sports days in any 12 month period is 90 days.
If you have an annual policy with another insurer and you require cover for just a short duration of higher risk activity with Snowcard, you CAN NOT purchase a few days of cover in the middle of a longer trip insured by your other policy. For a Snowcard policy to be valid, you must insure the full duration of your trip from UK departure to UK return for your cover to be valid.
Unfortunately we are unable to offer travel insurance quotation for persons aged over 75. For information on obtaining a quotation from an alternative provider, please visit the British Insurance Brokers’ Association website at: www.biba.org.uk
No. Account is taken of age and current market value.