November 24th is fast approaching and bargain-mad shoppers are anxiously counting down the days, hours, even minutes to this year’s Black Friday.

For many, Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to buy Christmas presents for the family, bag that ‘must have’ television or simply snatch up those shoes you’ve had your eye on for a while… for others, Black Friday will be about dashing to the local travel agents in hope of securing a dream holiday for next to nothing.

2016’s Black Friday saw five-star holidays go on sale for just over £1000 per person and this year The Independent has confirmed a holiday to the Maldives or Jamaica will be half-price, as well as delivering good news for those planning a staycation – apparently, you could save up to 50% off a cottage in Devon… perfect for a family summer break.
Fingers crossed you will be able to bag yourself a last-minute travel bargain but in all the excitement, let’s not forget about travel insurance.

It’s safe to assume many people that book last-minute trips, to Europe in particular, do not feel the need to buy travel insurance, their reasoning being they leave in a few days so are not going to cancel and if they need medical treatment, the EHIC will be accepted. But what about if you need to be repatriated (brought home following a medical emergency), your bag is stolen or most importantly, need to come home as soon as possible? Without the appropriate cover, you could be left out of pocket.

Coming home early is not something that usually crosses our minds when we head off on our holiday but no matter how careful you are, there are a number of reasons that could cause you cut short your trip (often referred to as ‘curtailment’ in travel insurance policies) – including a relative at home falling ill.

Most standard travel insurance policies will cover you to cancel your holiday or come home early if a close relative at home falls ill provided the reason for medical treatment is not related to an existing medical condition.

Having said that, there are some policies out there that will offer cover for a non-travelling close relative if they fall ill and it is found to be related to an existing condition, as long as the condition was stable when you arranged the holidays and the need for medical treatment was unforeseen. For example, your relative has previously suffered from Angina but the condition is now well-controlled (with or without medication) and they suffer from a sudden heart attack.

As the colder months draw in, many people – particularly the elderly – will suffer from cold or flu, with arthritis and lung conditions often worsening. If you are planning to travel and are worried that a close relative at home may unexpectedly fall ill, then we recommend looking for a policy that will cover for this.

Bagged a Black Friday travel deal? (we’re jealous!)