Here's an honest article from a broker about when you don't need a broker. Most travel insurance today can be taken out excellently online, in a few minutes – and that's exactly as it should be. But there remains a clearly defined group of cases where professional advice can bring tangible value: more accurate cover, clearer terms, a lower chance of a claims dispute. Here's the dividing line, as I see it.
- Online sign-up is enough: a standard trip, a clear list of activities, a familiar destination, an experienced traveller.
- Broker territory: borderline sport classifications, groups, special health situations, high-value or complex trips, corporate arrangements – and any disputed claim.
- The broker's service is free to the client – so the question isn't cost, it's: does it add something in your situation?
When online sign-up is the right route
A typical holiday – a familiar destination, no sport or a straightforward ski add-on, healthy travellers, a straightforward booking – is exactly the territory of online calculators: fast, convenient, sound. If you can answer the seven assessment questions without hesitation, and the answers are simple, sign up online – this format was built for exactly that. The two-minute check-through after signing up is still worth doing here too.
Borderline cases – where a conversation is worth money
From experience: sport classifications (via ferrata? freeride? amateur competition? a performance? – different insurers classify the same activity differently, and the price difference can be significant; the folk-dancer case study is a textbook example of this); altitude limits for hikes; group trips (a camp, a school class, a team – classification plus administration); special health situations (a chronic condition, the week-count questions around pregnancy); high-value, complex trips (several countries, a long duration, expensive bookings – with a matching cancellation-cover structure); and corporate arrangements. In all of these, the market-wide question – who classifies what, and what's covered where – is exactly what I can do on your behalf as a broker.
And when there's a claim?
The first port of call for any claim is always the insurer's assistance hotline and claims service – you don't need a broker for that. Where the broker's helping role becomes active is a stuck or disputed claim – a rejection, a payout that feels too low, a case that's stalled. In that situation, I help find the way, where I can, in the language of the terms. This service is a natural part of the engagement – not a separately charged extra.
How does a consultation with me work?
Simple: bring your itinerary (or your group's list of names, or the paperwork for a disputed claim), and we'll talk it through in 20 minutes. I assess your needs and explain the options – the decision is yours. The advice is free; the broker's fee is paid by the insurer – I'm open about this, because trust rests on it. For a borderline case – especially with groups – it's worth talking it through by phone too: you can book a time here.
Frequently asked questions on this topic
Will the offer cost more if I sign up through a broker?
No – the price comes from the insurer's own pricing, and the broker's fee is paid by the insurer, not by you. What the broker adds is market knowledge, help getting classifications right, and help if there's a claim – typically for the same price.
Is the broker route available for urgent cases too?
Comparing offers normally takes a few days – for a last-minute trip, that's why online sign-up is the fast route, with the broker stepping in for the trips after that. Good division of labour: we handle the urgent one, and build the system for the rest.
Have a question specific to your own trip? Request a quote – a free 20-minute consultation, no obligation. Book a time here →
