With less than a week until the Champions League final, it is important Manchester United fans are fully prepared for their trip to Rome. As one of Britain’s leading travel insurers, Direct Line is concerned that some travellers will not have made appropriate preparations to enjoy the match and get home safely.

Carrying today’s equivalent of the old E111, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), will help with some of the cost of treatment for fans involved in an accident or emergency. However, it may not cover all that you would expect. Should you be injured seriously enough to need repatriation back to the UK, an air ambulance from Rome can cost up to £16,875* - a high price to pay for poor preparation.

Direct Line offers travel insurance which not only covers customers for a range of travel and medical emergencies, it also provides up to £500 cover for lost or stolen pre-paid tickets to the match** along with lost passport cover. Policies also offer legal assistance and third party liability cover in line with the standard terms and conditions of travel insurance policies.

Chris Price, Head of Travel Insurance at Direct Line, says, “While it is easy to get excited about the final, fans should prepare adequately for an overseas trip. They should ensure they have the right travel insurance in place to cover them for incidents which may occur while away including medical emergencies, loss of passports, legal assistance and trip cancellation which can be very costly and inconvenient at the best of times.

“With air ambulance evacuations costing up to £16,875, a serious accident or injury can result in financial disaster for fans without insurance.

“At Direct Line, we also offer group discounts for up to 16 adults travelling together***. So if you and your friends are heading to the Champions League Final, you can benefit from a discount on a group policy which ensures you all have the cover you need.

“An important consideration for fans that do become ill or injured, is the cost of having a friend or relative stay in a hotel while they recuperate in hospital. With hotel prices soaring for the Champions League Final, insurance provides you with valuable peace of mind.”

Direct Line’s top tips on traveller’s safety

 

• You should regularly check the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s dedicated Champions League site at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/ta-relevant-to-you/travellingfans/
• Book accommodation before leaving – you will find it very difficult to get accommodation when you arrive
• Keep family and friends updated on your whereabouts, particularly if you decide to go sightseeing outside Rome
• Have a good time, but don’t drink too much as insurance claims may be affected if alcohol or drugs are involved
• Carry your passport on you at all times
• Keep copies of your documents in a safe place
• Pickpockets may be out in force to coincide with the Final so remain vigilant in managing your valuables

For further details on Direct Line travel insurance, visit http://www.directline.com/travel/welcome.htm

For further information please contact:
Claire Foster
Direct Line Press Office
0208 285 8682
Email: claire.foster@rbs.co.uk

Notes to editors:
* Source: Internal Direct Line claims data.
** Proof of purchase and a police report gathered within 24 hours of loss required.
*** Policies purchased over the phone will provide cover for up to 16 people, whereas those bought online will cover a maximum of five people.

Sylvain Guintoli set the second fastest time during qualifying for the next round of the British Superbikes Championship at Donington, and remains confident going into the race from the front row.

Guintoli left it late to secure his best time, a blistering 1:31.111, and missed out on pole position by just 0.046 seconds as Leon Camier will start tomorrow’s race from pole position. Sylvain is in fine form and will look to take this into the race tomorrow and will be gunning for the top spot.

Speaking of the qualifying session today, he said ‘We’ve progressed a lot over the last 2 days of practice and qualifying. Today we were over 2 second quicker!’ Commenting on his performance, Sylvain was critical but overall happy with how qualifying had panned out, ‘We could have had that pole position but I made a few mistakes – but I’m not unhappy, we are ready for the races!’ Guintoli also commented on how he anticipates the races to go tomorrow with his close rival Leon Camier saying, ‘I’m anticipating a good fight!’

The Worx Suzuki Team will be looking to score good results in both races tomorrow.

British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, Round 3

Swan Combi 50 - Roll for Pole result (race qualifying):
1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 1m:31.047s
2. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.064s
3. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +0.395s
4. Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +0.538s
5. Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +0.758s
6. Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) +0.816s
7. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +0.893s
8. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +1.029s
9. Julien Da Costa (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +1.199s
10. Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1.844s

 

 

Whether its Van Insurance, Bike Insurance or Car Insurance, find the right cover with Express.

 

After recent statistics revealed that almost a third of people with HIV remain undiagnosed, now may be the time for an increase in the number of tests being made available to people most at risk from the disease.

That is the call of the National Aids Trust (NAT), which claims a considerable number of deaths from the fatal disease could be prevented if regular testing was implemented.

Even yearly check-ups could help to lower incidence rates, claims a spokeswoman for the company.

She explains: "One thing I would say is that we really advocate all gay men get an HIV test at least once a year."

The representative adds that there is a lot of evidence to suggest undiagnosed HIV infection is responsible for causing onward HIV transmission.

Her comments follow the NAT's recent publication of statistics revealing the majority of people with the disease are aged between 30 and 44, which illustrates the need for health insurance.

According to the spokeswoman, most new infections are caused by people who are HIV-positive but are not yet aware of it

"So if we encourage more people to get tested, and get tested early, and get them on treatments, then that should hopefully bring down HIV rates in the UK," she suggests.

The representative points to the recently-developed saliva tests as a possible way of decreasing the spread of the disease.

Jointly developed by Barts and The London NHS Trust, the procedure involves taking a mouth swab and can give an indication of infection within 20 minutes.

"I think if it goes well … then hopefully we'll see that test becoming available across the UK, she states.

If widely implemented, the procedure will sit alongside other methods such as blood tests and will provide those going for check-ups with a number of options.

With the number of both younger and older people with the disease now increasing, the NAT welcomes any chance to reduce incidence rates.

"We really want to give people as many options as possible so they can get the test that is most suitable," the specialist concludes.


AIG Direct offer health insurance plans such as the WellWoman plan and HealthChoice.