JWS Travel is making baby steps

As many of you will know, our JWS Travel Insurance offering has been around for several years and is one of the most popular and flexible policies available. It provides one off travel cover, annual cover, multi trips and domestic travel for groups, businesses, individuals and families. It offers a generous period for length of trips, ability to increase baggage and cancellation costs and all supported by A+ rated Insurers. Basically, if Africa was in the travel itinerary, then our policy was available to you.

Unfortunately, the scheme has taken a bit of a ‘back seat’ owing to the worldwide travel restrictions as a result of COVID-19. When we were able to recommence providing the cover most insurers made moves to exclude COVID related claims, whether medical or cancellation covers. Our Insurers were no different.

We have been working on a solution for almost 18 months, but with the fear of the unknown, the continued restrictive travel and the uncertainty over the success of the vaccines, insurers have been loathed to commit to the cover. Airlines and the accommodation providers have worked hard to provide a certain guarantee of credits or rollovers, refunds of deposits, etc. and some insurers are providing COVID medical cover and some even cancellations. There are very specific exclusions and restrictions on these, so they are not always as they seem. However, the situation is improving, and, whilst, with JWS Travel, we are not completely ‘there’ yet, we have made some ‘baby steps’ and we have some small extensions to our covers as from 1st April 2022.

Firstly, we are now providing a sub limit on your medical expenses section of up to $5,000 per person for COVID-19 related illnesses. In addition, we are providing up to $1,000 per policy for cancellation costs, again resulting from COVID-19. Please note, the latter does not cover costs as a result of the country of destination preventing travel, just in the event of any person named on the policy contracting the virus. Please note these extensions are provided subject to the insured person being fully vaccinated, and evidence of this would need to be provided at the time of any loss.

In time, we hope and expect this cover to be extended with higher benefits, but for now we are just pleased to have made some progress. Any questions on this, please do not hesitate to contact us: Email [email protected] or call us on +254 (0) 709 455026.