The cost of going direct for holiday cover revealed

Brits jetting off for some half-term fun need to be wary of purchasing their travel insurance through their airline, tour operator or travel agent, warns moneysupermarket.com.

Research from Britain's number one comparison site has found travel insurance premiums can be a staggering 211 per cent more expensive when bought as an add-on to airline tickets or a holiday bought through a travel agent. This is in comparison to scouring the market to find the best deal; travel cover for a family of four travelling to Spain for a week could cost as little as £10.45, or £11.84 on average, whereas a policy bought direct, could be as much as £51.99 (£36.78 on average).

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at moneysupermarket.com, said: "Airlines, tour operators and travel agents are known to try and lure customers into taking out their preferred travel insurance policy. In reality however, these policies can be wildly uncompetitive and might not suit individual circumstances. By taking the time to shop around for travel insurance, Brits can jet away with the peace of mind that they know exactly what their policy covers them for while abroad, as well as the knowledge there are probably a few extra pennies lining their pockets.

Bob Atkinson continued: "I would always urge holidaymakers to buy a policy as soon as their travel plans are confirmed, and the recent volcanic ash problems which have caused disruption to thousands of travellers, as well as the threat of strikes by BA cabin crew, highlight the importance of this. For those due to travel during the strike period, I would advise scouring the small print of your policy to understand the levels of cancellation cover you have; ideally, the higher amount, the better. Most policies will allow you to claim under their cancellation or abandonment clause. Unfortunately, those jetting off during this time who don't already have a policy in place covering them for strike action, will find they cannot get cover as the strike dates have already been announced. Also when taking out insurance, your cancellation cover should be enough to include your flights as well as other expenses such as car hire and accommodation. Cover for airline failure is an important consideration too for travellers."

moneysupermarket.com recommends at least the following level of cover:

£2m for medical expenses
£1m personal liability
£3000 cancellation - or enough to cover the total cost of your holiday
£1500 baggage
£250 for cash
Policy excesses under £100
Cover for scheduled airline failure and end supplier failure as desirable
Delay cover (e.g. £20/hour for first 12 hours).