Put your trust in travel agents

I currently work with Co-operative travel and have worked in the travel industry for over 30 years.

At Co-operative travel in order to sell travel insurance every member of staff has to complete a training on selling travel insurance. If a customer is offered insurance, in order to proceed we have to complete a notice with them with regard to pre-existing health conditions. This then needs to be signed by the customer and also the travel consultant. As a manager this is monitored on a daily basis.

It is all too good to criticise travel agents but any member of the public can walk into Tesco, Marks & Spencers and the Post Office and be sold travel insurance at the checkout without any training or regulation. All that is required from them is to read a statement.

During the recent disruption to air travel, customers who booked through a travel agent purchasing a package holiday were looked after in a much better manner than those booking independently, and very few had any need to make an insurance claim.

Mary MacKenzie, Dingwall