At a glance: Financial experts recommend buying travel insurance as soon as you book to protect flights, accommodation and prepaid activities. Buying early means you’re covered if something unexpected – like illness, injury, or a family emergency– forces you to cancel before you go.
You’ve confirmed your flights, packed your bags (at least in your head) and started planning your itinerary. Before the excitement takes over, it’s worth asking – have you sorted your travel insurance yet?
In this blog, you’ll learn why getting travel insurance as soon as you book might be one of the smartest moves you can make to protect your trip and your wallet.
Why the best time to buy is ‘as soon as you book’
Booking a trip isn’t just about flights and hotels – it’s a financial commitment, too. The moment you confirm your plans, your money’s tied up in deposits, tickets and accommodation.
That’s why many financial experts, including the UK’s leading money-saving expert Martin Lewis, recommend buying travel insurance as soon as you’ve booked (ASAB).
Having a policy in place from the start means you’re protected if the unexpected happens before you travel – for example, if you need to cancel due to illness, injury or another unforeseen reason that’s covered by your policy.
For annual multi-trip policies, your cover can start from a date you choose (within 90 days of purchase), but it’s often still best to arrange it early, so everything’s ready before your first trip.
When a late policy could cost you
We’ve all been there, but leaving travel insurance to the very last minute could end up costing you more than you think.
1. Falling ill before your trip
If you fall ill or have an accident before you travel, you might need to cancel. With Avanti, cancellation cover can help with costs you’ve already paid (like flights, hotels or excursions) if the reason is included in your policy.
2. Family emergencies
If a close relative becomes seriously unwell or there’s another family emergency, being insured early could help cover the cost of cancelling or rearranging your plans.
3. Weather disruptions and travel strikes
Storms, snow and industrial action can get in the way of trips. Your policy could help with costs from delays or cancellations – as long as the disruption wasn’t already announced when you bought your cover.
4. Work changes and civil duties
Your policy could help if you or your travelling companion are made redundant, called for jury service, or asked to appear as a witness in court, provided you qualify under current UK law.
5. Emergencies at home
If your home becomes uninhabitable due to fire, flood or burglary, or the police ask you to stay home after an incident, your policy could help with cancelling your trip or rearranging your plans.
Remember, you’ll find the full list of what’s covered in your policy documents.
When is it too late to buy travel insurance?
You can usually buy travel insurance right up until the day you leave your home country. But if you wait until the last minute, you won’t be covered for cancellations or anything that happens before your trip begins.
For single trip policies, cover starts from the moment of purchase. For annual multi-trip policies, it begins from your chosen start date – up to 90 days in advance – giving you protection for any trips you take within the policy year.
To get the most out of your cover, it’s often best to buy as soon as your trip is confirmed.
How Avanti helps you get ahead
Buying early isn’t just about timing. It’s about having the right cover in place from the moment your trip is confirmed.
Whether it’s cancellation cover that starts as soon as your policy does, or round-the-clock medical support once you’re away, you’ll have dependable protection with Avanti. In fact, you’ll benefit from:
- £7,500 cancellation cover on our Deluxe policy
- 24/7 medical emergency support
- cover for most pre-existing medical conditions
- no upper age limit
- flexible single trip and annual multi-trip options
- customer care whenever you need it
You can arrange your travel insurance online with ease – and the earlier you buy, the sooner your policy can start protecting what you’ve paid for.
Remember, if you’re buying an annual multi-trip policy, your cover starts from the date you choose and only applies to trips booked from that date onwards. You can set your start date up to 90 days in advance.
Experts recommend: buy as soon as you book
The best time to get travel insurance? According to experts, it’s as soon as you’ve booked your trip:
“Travel insurance is not just to cover you while you’re away. It’s also very important to cover you in case something happens before you go that stops you going. So, I have a rule – you should get your travel insurance ASAB – as soon as you book.”
– Martin Lewis, MoneySavingExpert
Get your quote and secure your travel insurance with Avanti today.
