Big Cat Travel Insurance Review

Children are classified as those aged 18 or under (21 or under if in full time education). Children are covered free of charge under annual multi trip policies.

To be eligible for Standard or Premier cover, you must be under the age of 70. To be eligible for the budget cover, you must be under the age of 51.

Budget cover is not available as a annual multi-trip policy.

The single trip policy may be taken out for up to 24 months.

The annual multi trip policy allows for unlimited trips. Each trip is restricted to a maximum of 30 days in respect of the standard policy and 70 days in respect of the Premier policy.

Up to four persons can insure themselves on one policy, either as individuals or a family of up to two adults and two children.

Winter Sports can be added as an option (subject to payment of the correct additional premium).

The winter sport section covers Cat skiing, Cross country skiing, Off piste skiing / snowboarding, Snow skiiing, Snowboarding, and Snow mobiling.

Cover excludes the participating in ski-racing, ski-jumping, ice hockey, freestyle winter sports or the use of bob sleighs or skeletons. Random off piste winter sports activities will only be insured if you are with a qualified instructor or in a group of not less than 3 persons in possession of working communications or portable telephones. No cover for winter sports activities against local authority advice.

In terms of how long you can take part in winter sports, the website is a little confusing. Under the annual policy, you have the option for 14 days cover. However under the single trip policy, you have the option of 14 non consecutive days, 28 non consecutive days, 56 non consecutive days, or unlimited (for the duration of the policy ), which seems a bit strange. (why would you want to cover yourself for 14, 28, 56 days if you are only taking a trip lasting 7 days). I would recommend checking with the Insurer direct for clarification.

Valuables under the baggage section does not include mobile phones and there is no option to include these under the policy.

There is no option to extend cover if you are planning to take a cruise.

Sports and activities are split into four sections. Standard 64 different sports and activities, automatically covered under the Big Cat Policy.

The "Activity Pack" which covers an additional 46 higher risk activities, such as Jet skiing, Kayaking and Tandem Sky diving. The "Extreme Activity Pack", a further 10 extreme activities to satisfy any adrenaline junkies Paragliding, Parascending and trekking over 4500 metres.

Finally there is an option, for anyone intending to trek in Nepal up to 7,000 metres altitude. This includes helicopter mountain medical rescue (subject to an excess of £1500). This option is only available to those under the age of 60.

The European Health Insurance Card is recommended and if any medical expense claim is reduced as a result of reciprocal arrangements, the Insurer will waive any relevant excess.

If you require medical treatment whilst visiting Australia, you must enrol in medicare, this will entitle you to benefit from reciprocal arrangements between the UK and Australia.

Unfortunately the Big Cat policy has a very wide alcohol wording. It excludes any claim caused by the effects of alcohol.

All three policies cover end supplier failure up to £1,000.

The Big Cat policy excludes any pre-existing medical condition with exception to a small list of minor complaints that are listed in the policy wording and automatically covered.

It is not possible to obtain a quote online to include pre-existing conditions, you would need to phone the medical screening helpline to obtain terms.

The definition of a pre-existing medical condition is

A Any respiratory condition (relating to the lungs or breathing), heart condition, stroke, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, allergy, or cancer for which you have ever received treatment (including surgery, tests or investigations by your doctor or a consultant/specialist or prescribed medication).

B Any psychiatric or psychological condition (including anxiety, stress and depression); for which you have suffered from or received medical advice or treatment for or been prescribed medication for in the last 5 (five) years.

C Any medical condition for which you have received surgery, in-patient treatment or investigations in a hospital or clinic within the last 12 months, or are prescribed medication.

Claims relating to normal pregnancy, where there is no accompanying bodily injury, illness, disease or complication, are not covered under the Big Cat Travel policy.

Cover can only be considered where there is a complication of pregnancy or if you were unaware of the pregnancy at the time of purchasing the insurance or booking a trip (whichever is later) and you are advised not to travel by a doctor. A list of acceptable complications are listed in the policy booklet.

The policy will cover business travel but excludes cover for persons permanently residing overseas, work of a predominantly manual nature (other than volunteering and permitted manual work if the appropriate ‘Activity pack’ premium has been paid)

The standard activity pack covers non manual/clerical work. The paid activity pack option includes permitted manual work, which is described as fruit picking, farm work or bar work, providing it does not involve the use of plant/trade/industrial/agricultural machinery (other than tractors) or non-domestic power tools.

The policy states that you must produce receipts or other evidence to support value and ownership where possible.

In the event you are claiming for an item valued over £100, if you cannot provide satisfactory proof, then the Insurer's liability will be limited to a maximum of £100. You must always produce receipts if you need to claim for a specified item.

Claims for loss, theft or damage to spectacles or sunglasses are limited to £150 per pair.

Important point to note that Baggage cover is not included automatically and you must make sure you add it in the options section of the quote.

The Big Cat Travel policy excludes any claim as a result of terrorism or cyber terrorism.

There is no cover for catastrophe or natural disaster under the policy.

The policy states that you must reside within a European country, (excluding Switzerland, Russia, Belarus, Montenegro and the Ukraine).

Please note cover under the Section End Supplier Failure is restricted to UK residents only

If you are a Northern Ireland resident travelling from the Republic of Ireland, cover will allow you to depart from and return to the Republic of Ireland.

The Big Cat Travel Insurance policy is only 28 pages long. The contents are nicely listed, together with a table of benefits. Navigating around is quick and I actually found it surprisingly easy to read and understand for such a relatively simple document.

There is no waffle, all the information required is there in a plain and simple language.

Big Cat Travel Insurance are not on any comparison websites.

Feefo have 275 reviews and the vast majority are pleased with the service by a relatively small company, being awarded 4.7 out of 5.

Big Cat offer a good set of mid range travel insurance policies, if you are looking for no frills and average levels of cover. They have some unique selling points, Firstly that travel insurance is available to anyone living in the European Union, and not just the UK.

Secondly they offer cover to those intrepid travellers who wish to go trekking in Nepal up to 7,000 metres.

Thirdly, they offer one way travel insurance, or cover if you have already left and forgotten to take out insurance.

Some customers appear to have found the lack of online medical underwriting frustrating, having to phone up to find out how much extra is going to be charged.