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Nationwide FlexPlus Travel Insurance Changes

By daveoc , February 20 in Cruise/Travel Insurance

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Nationwide are making some major changes to their travel insurance from May 1st. The insurer is changing to Aviva and amongst the changes are:

1) At present you can buy an extension to increase your cancellation cover to £20000 but from May 1st the maximum you can increase it to will be reduced to £10000, so possibly this will have an impact on longer cruises.

2) At present you can buy a cruise cover extension for the year that covers things like missed port cover. From May 1st you must buy the extension for each cruise that you do.

There are several other changes and people are reporting that they are starting to receive emails from Nationwide. I cannot post a direct link but if you do a search for 'Nationwide FlexPlus Travel Provider Change ' it should bring up the relative links.

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Yes, I am deliberately renewing mine on March 25th, so I stay with UK Insurance for one more year.  Already spoken to them.

16 minutes ago, jeanlyon said: Yes, I am deliberately renewing mine on March 25th, so I stay with UK Insurance for one more year.  Already spoken to them.

Excellent idea.

Presumably this will only take effect from the members next annual renewal, as we have recently paid the supplements for 12 months cover?

I’m not surprised that the cruise add on is changing. We paid a ridiculously small supplement for cruise cover (no more than £30 from memory) and already have £600 in missed port claims. 

Old_tilly_billy

Need to look at renewing before these changes take affect 

Winifred 22

3 hours ago, Selbourne said: Presumably this will only take effect from the members next annual renewal, as we have recently paid the supplements for 12 months cover?   I’m not surprised that the cruise add on is changing. We paid a ridiculously small supplement for cruise cover (no more than £30 from memory) and already have £600 in missed port claims. 

It’s £40 for cruise cover.

Just now, Winifred 22 said: It’s £40 for cruise cover.

Thanks. I knew it wasn’t much, especially when just one missed port nets a couple £300. I can’t see how they can do it for that price in all honesty. Seems like they couldn’t!

13 minutes ago, Selbourne said: Thanks. I knew it wasn’t much, especially when just one missed port nets a couple £300. I can’t see how they can do it for that price in all honesty. Seems like they couldn’t!

No I can’t either I only have claimed one r for missed port . Apparently you stay on the old scheme until you renew. I don’t renew until October but half wondering to renew end of April. I cruise several times a year sometimes at short notice so annual cover is a better option for me.  

12 hours ago, Winifred 22 said: No I can’t either I only have claimed one r for missed port . Apparently you stay on the old scheme until you renew. I don’t renew until October but half wondering to renew end of April. I cruise several times a year sometimes at short notice so annual cover is a better option for me.  

You can't renew if your policy or upgrades are not due for renewal.  Mine are due on April 17th and you can do it one month in advance, so they told me to ring around March 25th.  Although there is no longer an age extension with Aviva, I know they don't cover over 85s, but whether they will with Nationwide I have yet to find out.

Is an option if allowed. We are due for renewal 21st May so will be with Arvia.and don't know if they will allow me to renew before 1st May and stay with UK Travel for another 12 months. If they won't allow will wait to see what Arvia charge for pre existing medical conditions and individual charge for every extra c ruise cover and conditions because don't seem to have revealed that yet.

6 minutes ago, majortom10 said: Is an option if allowed. We are due for renewal 21st May so will be with Arvia.and don't know if they will allow me to renew before 1st May and stay with UK Travel for another 12 months. If they won't allow will wait to see what Arvia charge for pre existing medical conditions and individual charge for every extra c ruise cover and conditions because don't seem to have revealed that yet.

I think you mean Aviva?   😊

49 minutes ago, jeanlyon said: You can't renew if your policy or upgrades are not due for renewal.  Mine are due on April 17th and you can do it one month in advance, so they told me to ring around March 25th.  Although there is no longer an age extension with Aviva, I know they don't cover over 85s, but whether they will with Nationwide I have yet to find out.

Oh let me know about the over 85s if you do find out. My mother is 85 but luckily our renewal is now so she is OK for this year.

I wonder how much cruise cover per cruise will be. I tried a dummy booking on their normal travel insurance site but it didn’t give cruise cover as an optional extra.

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said: You can't renew if your policy or upgrades are not due for renewal.  Mine are due on April 17th and you can do it one month in advance, so they told me to ring around March 25th.  Although there is no longer an age extension with Aviva, I know they don't cover over 85s, but whether they will with Nationwide I have yet to find out.

Thanks I had a feeling I was being a bit optimistic. 

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said: I think you mean Aviva?   😊

Yes sorry my mistake got Arvia on my brain thinking of our cruise in April.

Please remember it is not Aviva you are insuring with, it is Nationwide and they will be "buying in" underwriting from Aviva not selling their policies.  This means Nationwide will have effectively "shopped" the underwriting market to find a provider matching as near as possible their current offering or what they wish to offer under a new contract.  This will then have been adjusted and negotiated between the parties before Nationwide "bought" their package to offer to their customers.  The Nationwide offering has for very many years been a big selling point to their customers so they won't want to cause too much discontent amongst them however the underwriting market has changed massively since the pandemic with many leaving it (as UK Insurance have chosen to do).  A large number of these packaged bank accounts in particular have had to look elsewhere - Halifax/Lloyds losing AXA in November 2021 and moving to Allianz for example.  Although your policy is underwritten by Aviva it will still be Nationwide setting the terms.  Aviva will, however, be responsible for setting the underwriting for things like medical issues with Nationwide having little say in the policy costs.  It is almost inevitable there will be some increase in the cost of these but it is not just an Aviva/Nstionwide but across the whole insurance market in some cases as much as 40% but averaging 20%.

Things like the 85 year cut off with Aviva may not apply to the Nationwide one - presumably the age add on people used to buy covered people beyond that age (I have no personal experience of this so assume it to be the case). As Nationwide state you no longer need an age addition it may be that they have negotiated this with Aviva - Nationwide should be able to explain this even before the Aviva policies go live as someone in their organisation will have negotiated the policy and terms.

Again with the cruise add on being cruise by cruise instead of one add on, it will have been a policy decision by Nationwide not Aviva.  At a guess I would say that over the past few years payouts on this section will have greatly increased and it will have been a commercial decision based on this.

I've looked at the new policy as I'm approaching my 70th and my current insurer won't insure me from September and I intend to swap as the benefits look very good even under Aviva.

Hope that helps.

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said: Please remember it is not Aviva you are insuring with, it is Nationwide and they will be "buying in" underwriting from Aviva not selling their policies.  This means Nationwide will have effectively "shopped" the underwriting market to find a provider matching as near as possible their current offering or what they wish to offer under a new contract.  This will then have been adjusted and negotiated between the parties before Nationwide "bought" their package to offer to their customers.  The Nationwide offering has for very many years been a big selling point to their customers so they won't want to cause too much discontent amongst them however the underwriting market has changed massively since the pandemic with many leaving it (as UK Insurance have chosen to do).  A large number of these packaged bank accounts in particular have had to look elsewhere - Halifax/Lloyds losing AXA in November 2021 and moving to Allianz for example.  Although your policy is underwritten by Aviva it will still be Nationwide setting the terms.  Aviva will, however, be responsible for setting the underwriting for things like medical issues with Nationwide having little say in the policy costs.  It is almost inevitable there will be some increase in the cost of these but it is not just an Aviva/Nstionwide but across the whole insurance market in some cases as much as 40% but averaging 20%.   Things like the 85 year cut off with Aviva may not apply to the Nationwide one - presumably the age add on people used to buy covered people beyond that age (I have no personal experience of this so assume it to be the case). As Nationwide state you no longer need an age addition it may be that they have negotiated this with Aviva - Nationwide should be able to explain this even before the Aviva policies go live as someone in their organisation will have negotiated the policy and terms.   Again with the cruise add on being cruise by cruise instead of one add on, it will have been a policy decision by Nationwide not Aviva.  At a guess I would say that over the past few years payouts on this section will have greatly increased and it will have been a commercial decision based on this.   I've looked at the new policy as I'm approaching my 70th and my current insurer won't insure me from September and I intend to swap as the benefits look very good even under Aviva.   Hope that helps.

Don't think that is correct when we have taken out pre- medical quote and paid for it and also the extra cruise cover supplement we paid UK Travel direct and when we claimed for missed ports we had to ring UK Travel direct to make the claim and they paid the money direct into my account. The only dealing we have with Nationwide is the £13 monthly cost which they take automatically from your Flexplus account.

5 minutes ago, majortom10 said: Don't think that is correct when we have taken out pre- medical quote and paid for it and also the extra cruise cover supplement we paid UK Travel direct and when we claimed for missed ports we had to ring UK Travel direct to make the claim and they paid the money direct into my account. The only dealing we have with Nationwide is the £13 monthly cost which they take automatically from your Flexplus account.

There are many companies putting their names to travel insurance and designing their own products, however there are actually very few travel insurance underwriters.  Aviva is one of these as is UK Travel and they underwrite for a large number of third parties including leading banks, big corporate companies such as M&S, John Lewis etc.  The design and terms of the product belong to the headline name,  in the case under discussion this is Nationwide but it could just as easily be M&S or another company. It is confusing but none of these products are actually the underwriters policies.  Even more confusing the Aviva insurance arm and the Aviva underwriting arm are actually two different entities.  However your contract of insurance is issued and owned by Nationwide, hence your monthly fee, but managed on their behalf by UK Travel/Aviva on their behalf.

These are the details for the presently in place Nationwide insurance as provided by them on their website.  It clearly shows UK Insurance Limited is the Underwriter not the Provider.  

"U K Insurance Limited

Just for info, this is from trade magazine last year explaining Aviva's acquisition along with "buying" Barclays Home Insurance Book.  Towards the end it mentions that Aviva did this deal with Nationwide in May 2023 for the travel insurance.  It would appear they are in quite an acquisitive phase in their business.

https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/property-insurance/aviva-announces-major-home-insurance-swoop-453638.aspx

I see they will not be charging a supplement for the over 70s, as Uk nsurance did, but does anyone know if the new Aviva/Nationwide policy has an upper age limit?

• 3 weeks later...

An ordinary Aviva Travel insurance policy has an upper age limit of 74, that's why I was concerned, but as someone said, it would upset a lot of people who must be over that age, so we will see.  

• 4 weeks later...

TravellerSRC

Has anyone found out if new nationwide flex plus travel insurance will have an upper age limit? I’ve contacted Nationwide bank but told to ring back in May. 

3 hours ago, TravellerSRC said: Has anyone found out if new nationwide flex plus travel insurance will have an upper age limit? I’ve contacted Nationwide bank but told to ring back in May.

Nationwide have sent me couple of booklets regarding the switch to Aviva. One, entitled FlexPlus Travel Insurance Provider Change , gives details of the changes in cover from the original UK Insurance policy to the new Aviva policy. In this booklet on page2 under the heading  Upgrades it states: " Age :  You will no longer need to buy a separate upgrade to be covered beyond your 70th birthday. You will be covered automatically. "

There is no mention of an age limit under this Age heading!

57 minutes ago, Astrajet said: Nationwide have sent me couple of booklets regarding the switch to Aviva. One, entitled FlexPlus Travel Insurance Provider Change , gives details of the changes in cover from the original UK Insurance policy to the new Aviva policy. In this booklet on page2 under the heading  Upgrades it states: " Age :  You will no longer need to buy a separate upgrade to be covered beyond your 70th birthday. You will be covered automatically. " There is no mention of an age limit under this Age heading!

Any idea of cruise upgrade prices ?

3 hours ago, Winifred 22 said: Any idea of cruise upgrade prices ?

Unfortunately not. There is no mention of any costs in the literature I have been sent other than the monthly fee for the FlexPlus account will remain at £13.

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Nationwide has been in operation since 1925 and is a well-established insurance provider. They offer a range of insurance policies including car, motorcycle, homeowners, pet, farm, life and travel insurance. Nationwide's travel insurance policies can be purchased for cruises , single trips or multi-trips.

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Nationwide has been in operation since 1925 and is a well-established insurance provider. They offer a range of insurance policies including car, motorcycle, homeowners, pet, farm, life and travel insurance. Nationwide's travel insurance policies can be purchased for

, single trips or multi-trips.

Are you looking for strong coverage over a wide range of incidents? Nationwide could be a good travel insurance option for you, but only if you’re willing to shell out for its more expensive policy. 

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