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There can be few more exhilarating ways of escaping the current economic gloom than whizzing down a steep, snow-caked slope on two carbon fibre planks. Unless, that is, your skiing or snowboarding trip ends up in another type of crunch. Wise winter sports enthusiasts take out ski insurance before they hit the piste (or the piste hits them), because even a minor accident can seriously injure your wallet.
If your bold surge down a black run ends in calamity, helicopter rescue alone could set you back £1,800, according to insurer esure, excluding any private medical costs . If you need repatriating to the UK the air ambulance will cost £4,000 from Europe and £8,000 from the US or Canada. A good winter sports policy will pay for evacuation from the slopes and up to £5m in medical expenses. It should also cover you for personal liability up to around £2m in case you injure somebody else.
Some travel insurance plans include winter sports cover as standard, but most charge extra to add it to your plan. You can also bolt it on to most annual, multi-trip travel plans. If you plan to venture off-piste check what your insurance policy offers. Many will cover you in Europe, but will only cover you outside resort boundaries in the US or Canada if you go with a qualified local guide. For more extreme winter sports, such as heliskiing and ski stunting, you are unlikely to be covered by a standard winter sports policy. However, some providers will allow you to upgrade to a policy that covers riskier activities.
It is worth applying for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which entitles you to state-provided healthcare in the country you are visiting, says Sam Marrs, travel insurance manager at Sainsbury's Bank. "But don't rely on the EHIC alone, because it won't cover you for private medical care or pay for you to be airlifted off a ski slope or repatriated to the UK. And, of course, it doesn't cover you for loss or theft of money and possessions."
Lost property
Whether you buy it separately or as part of annual cover, a good policy should also cover around £250 for lost ski passes or unused tuition costs following accident or sickness, and piste closure from around £20 a day. It should cover loss or damage to personal belongings up to around £1,000, delayed or missed departure up to £200, and loss of cash up to £250 or £500.
Many policies will cover both loss and damage to your own ski equipment and any you hire in the resort. But again, check carefully, because some policies may only cover your own rather than hired equipment, or offer equipment cover as an optional extra. The value of items covered also varies, with some policies offering less cover for hired kit than for your own. Insurers may also reject your claim if your equipment is left unattended, which could prove a problem unless you plan to take your skis inside the restaurant when you have lunch.
You won't be able to forget the credit crunch if you or your companion are made redundant before jetting out. The good news is that most travel policies will reimburse your costs if you decide to cancel due to involuntary redundancy, but you do need to check with the provider. You should also buy travel insurance at the same time as you book your holiday rather than leaving it to the last minute, says Niki Bolton at esure. "A good plan will pay up to £5,000 if the policyholder, cohabiting spouse or partner, or a travelling companion is made redundant, under the cancellation section of the policy."
Check the terms of your insurance policy, particularly if you are concerned about your job right now (and frankly, who isn't).
Operator problems
Another worry is that your tour operator might collapse, throwing your plans into disarray. The recession has hit the travel industry hard. Dozens of firms have gone out of business, including the UK's third largest tour operator XL Leisure and budget airline Zoom, with more expected to follow.
Most travel insurance policies won't pay out if your airline collapses. If you bought your airline ticket direct from the flight company you won't get any compensation from them, although you might if you booked through a travel agent – subject to the bizarre ruling that you didn't receive your ticket within 24 hours. If you booked your flights as part of a package then you should be protected under the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme, the financial protection scheme for UK tour operators.
If you bought your flights by credit card your issuer should pay out if your airline folds, unless your flight cost less than £100. But it won't cover the cost of flights home or hotels if you are stranded abroad. This leaves many travellers unprotected, and last September a website called ProtectMyHoliday.com launched stand-alone insurance to protect you against your airline going bankrupt. The plan will cover the cost of your tickets if your airline collapses before you fly out, or pay for flights home with another airline if it leaves you stranded after departure. Cover costs from £5 a person.
Ski cover won't break the bank; a single person can expect to pay between £15 and £35 for a seven-day skiing trip in Europe, and between £30 and £80 in the US. A family of four might pay between £25 and £60 in Europe and £60 and £120 in the US. But despite the relatively low cost, of the 1.8 million Britons set to take to the slopes this winter around 400,000 will go without cover, putting them on a very slippy slope indeed.
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