Barclays Travel Insurance: Want the Best Pack?
Will Barclays travel insurance be the premier experience you are looking for? You can make up your mind after reading this handy overview. We’ll share valuable information about their packs, how to claim, useful contact numbers and reviews. Come and embarque on a journey with us and explore more...
Barclays Travel Insurance Packs
Barclays travel insurance works slightly differently to other providers. This is going to sound a little crazy in the world of travel insurance, but you won’t see Barclays pop up on any comparison sites. If you’re asking yourself how on earth you buy Barclays travel insurance then, we’re about to let you know.
The most critical thing to know is that Barclays travel insurance is only available to select customers. There are two options you can go for: Travel Pack and Travel Pack Plus. They are called packs because they include a range of benefits (yippee). We’ll share all the juicy details in a minute. First, how do you know if you qualify to add the insurance? You can add a pack if you have one of the following accounts:
- Barclays Bank Account
- Barclays Basic Current Account
- Student Additions
- Higher Education Account
- Premier Current Account
- If you have another account with Barclays give them a call and they will tell you if you can add a pack
As we mentioned, there are two packs to choose from and they are full of surprises (all good we might add!). To give you a really clear picture of what the packs include we will highlight them below, side by side. Both packs are for annual multi-trip travel insurance and include up to 31 days’ travel at a time.
|
What you will get
|
Travel Pack
|
Travel Pack Plus
|
|---|---|---|
| Cover for the whole family* | ||
| RAC comprehensive breakdown cover | ||
| Covers people up to (and including) 79 years of age at the start date of a trip | ||
| Winter sports cover (maximum 31 days in any calendar year) | ||
| Six free airport lounge visits each year valid at more than 1,000 lounges (one person entering a lounge equals one visit) | ||
| Swap airport lounge visits for free spa treatments (at participating airport spas) | ||
| Save up to 20% on parking at major UK airports | ||
| Save up to 18% on specially selected hotel packages, and up to 13% on all other participating hotels |
Information correct as of August 2019.
*Cover is for you and your partner living at the same address. Your children are also covered when travelling with you if they are under 18, or under 23 if they are in full-time education and living with you outside of term time. Everyone insured must be a UK resident."
Barclays travel insurance will offer you an excellent level of cover with very low excesses! We’ve reviewed the policy and for both the Travel Pack and Travel Pack Plus here are some of the benefits you could get:
|
Benefit
|
Limit (per person)
|
Excess (per person)
|
|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical and repatriation | £10,000,000 | £50 |
| Accidental death or permanent injury | £50,000 (£3,000 for death if aged under 16) | £0 |
| Personal liability | £2,000,000 | £50 for incidents arising from the occupation of temporary holiday accommodation |
| Catastrophe cover* | £750 | £0 |
| Personal baggage cover | £1,500 (£400 single article limit and total valuables) | £50 |
| Personal money | £500 (limit of £100 for under 16’s) | £50 |
| Emergency travel document expenses | £750 | £0 |
| Delayed baggage | £150 | £0 |
| Winter sports cover | £500 equipment £200 avalanche delay £300 piste closure £500 ski pack |
£50 |
Prices correct as of August 2019. Always check the policy wording for the most up to date prices.
*In the event of a catastrophe you will be covered for extra accommodation and/or transport costs if you are forced to move from your accommodation. You must have booked your accommodation directly with the provider, and events covered include avalanche, earthquake, explosion, fire, flood, landslide, storm or tsunami.
How does this compare to other insurers on the market? Cover limits seem to be fairly generous, but you can find higher limits on many of these benefits. However, experts rate Barclays travel insurance highly and customers sing its praise in comparison to other providers (see bottom of page for reviews). The most important person in this story is you, so you need to feel comfortable whichever company you choose.
Is the Barclays Premier Travel Insurance Pack Still Available?
The Barclays Premier Travel Insurance Pack is no longer available to new customers. Don’t worry though, we compared the benefits to the packs currently available and you’ll be getting an even greater level of cover. Barclays recently increased the level of cover across multiple sections too. Nothing is for free though, and with the increased cover, Barclays also raised the price of their packs too.
In the next section you’ll find out exactly how much you would have to pay and we’ll do a price comparison against the industry average to see just how Barclays fares.
Barclays Travel Insurance Prices
There are a lot of factors to bear in mind when choosing travel insurance. While you don’t want to break the bank, travel insurance is one of those things you tend to get what you pay for.
In order to compare Barclays travel insurance prices, we have done a comparison for an annual policy including Europe for a 35-year-old woman with no pre-existing medical conditions.
As you can see, Barclays is much pricier than your average travel insurance provider. Since they operate the pack system though, an exact comparison is difficult. Don’t forget that Barclays includes RAC breakdown cover and even more benefits with Travel Pack Plus.
We did some research and RAC breakdown cover starts at £4.50 a month (£54 per year). That price is if you’re lucky enough to have a brand spanking new car and goes up from there! Depending how much you pay, you could save a bundle with this deal.
If you are sick of overpriced airport food and plastic seats you may want to treat yourself to an airport lounge next trip. This will set you back £15 - £20 on average, but if it’s included in your pack, it would be rude not to accept! See you later toasted sandwiches and hello hors d'oeuvres!
It’s important to note that if you purchase a pack you are locked in for at least six months. As of August 2019, the actual price per month is:
- Travel Pack = £12.50
- Travel Pack Plus = £18.00
Overall, do we think Barclays travel insurance is good value? If you don’t have a car, you shouldn’t even consider it because you will be paying for something you don’t need. Barclays does have a comprehensive level of travel insurance cover but you can find the same cover elsewhere (minus the breakdown cover). If you have a car and a family, plus love to travel a lot, then it could be an interesting option for you.
Faced with so many decisions, you need a holiday soon! Don’t worry, we are here to help. We’ve reviewed a lot of the top insurers. If you don’t want the breakdown cover, but want a more flexible provider with competitive prices, you could check out our guide on Admiral travel insurance.
Barclays Travel Insurance Claims
We hope you have a lovely trip wherever you are going. Unfortunately, accidents do happen though. If the unthinkable happens to you or one of your loved ones here is how to make a claim for a non-medical emergency:
Travel Pack
Please check with your provider if you don't know how much a call will cost.
0800 158 2685 or
(+44) 1603 604 977 if calling from abroad
Travel Pack Plus
Please check with your provider if you don't know how much a call will cost.
0800 404 6856 or
(+44) 1603 604 964 if calling from abroad
If you need emergency medical assistance, please call:
Travel Pack
Please check with your provider if you don't know how much a call will cost.
(+44) 1603 604 976 (from abroad)
0800 158 2684 (UK)
Travel Pack Plus
Please check with your provider if you don't know how much a call will cost.
(+44) 1603 604 961 (from abroad)
0800 404 6853 (UK)
We recommend you read these top tips on making a claim before you go on holiday. There are a few things you should do before you even pack, which will make your life easier if you do have to claim. It could be the difference between a payout and you footing a hefty bill!
Barclays Travel Insurance Contact Numbers
Barclays provides you with a general helpline service, Travel Assistant, available 24 hours a day. You can even ask for travel advice before you jet off. To use the service, please call the helpline on:
Travel Pack
Please check with your provider if you don't know how much a call will cost.
0800 158 2687
Travel Pack Plus
Please check with your provider if you don't know how much a call will cost.
0800 404 6854
If you have purchased the Travel Pack Plus, congratulations and hopefully you make the most of it! You will probably want to be using your free airport lounge passes on your next trip to reward yourself in style. In order to do so, you need to:
- Download the Barclays Traveller Plus App, which can be found through iTunes or Google Play
- Visit the dedicated website
- Call 03 332 205 599
Travel Pack Plus customers can also take advantage of discounted airport parking and hotels. You can do this by:
- Booking online
- Calling 01342 859548, quoting 'TPLUS'
How do I Cancel my Barclays Travel Insurance?
If you have purchased a pack, you have the statutory 14 day cooling off period where you can cancel. The period begins on the date that your travel pack is added to your qualifying account or the date you receive your policy documents (whichever is later). If you cancel within the 14 day period, you will receive a refund as long as you haven’t made a claim and no incident has happened which is likely to cause you to claim.
After the 14 day period, you must hold the pack for a minimum of six months. After six months, you can then cancel at any time.
Barclays Travel Insurance Reviews
Now that we’ve given you all the facts and nitty-gritty detail, let’s see what customers and the exerts say about Barclays travel insurance packs. First up, customer reviews. While we found some reviews stated the claims process is lengthy, comments were generally quite positive. In the world of travel insurance, this isn’t always easy to come across!
|
Customer review site
|
Star Rating (one being the lowest and five the highest) |
Customer Comment
|
|---|---|---|
| TheDibb.co.uk | Forum with no rating system used | "We have used this for a few years, our family are with Barclays and also use the travel insurance. One of our daughters had a ski-ing accident in Austria two years ago, the standard of service provided by them was really excellent. They arranged transport, hospital treatments and they also paid for three seats for her on the plane home as it was a leg injury. They kept in touch with her throughout and reassured us with any concerns we all had. Brilliant from our experience." |
| Review Centre | 1.5 stars (out of 28 reviews) | "Had to cancel our holiday because of the death of my wife's mother. The claims process is very complicated and has been delayed by contradictory requests for more and more information from the insurer so far the process has taken six weeks and we seem to be no nearer getting our money. I will not be renewing Barclays additions." |
| Smart Money People | 4.25 stars (out of 12 reviews) | "Excellent product. Easy to understand terms and conditions. No fuss claims process and good value for money." |
That’s what the customers are saying and it sounds like Barclays are doing something right! What about the experts then? Defaqto independently reviews travel policies in the UK based on quality and policy features. It gives the Travel Pack and Travel Pack Plus five stars, the highest rating a product can receive. In our opinion, this travel insurance is of a high standard and offers that extra bit of protection for you and your family.
Like we said before though, the most important thing when choosing travel insurance is that it suits your needs. You’re the master of your destiny here so have the final say. If you’ve read this overview and don’t think Barclays travel insurance is for you, shop around. There is more choice than ever on the market at the moment which is great news for you. You can tailor a package with a click of your mouse. Read our guide on choosing travel insurance for more help.
Data and information correct as of August 2019.
All material on this page and the selectra.co.uk website is for information purposes only and does not constitute any form of financial advice. Selectra.co.uk is not responsible for any consequences that might arise from your use of the information provided.
Other providers are available and the best deal for you will depend on your individual circumstances. Please do your own research and seek professional advice if necessary (moneyadviceservice.org.uk offers free, independent advice on all financial issues).