What customers praised, what drove complaints, and where risk surfaced beyond the point of purchase

The UK travel insurance market enjoyed a standout year in 2025, with the industry achieving a robust Net Sentiment of 81%. This broad success was largely underpinned by high-volume, invited reviews that celebrated effortless purchase journeys and helpful frontline support during routine enquiries. Across the sector, customers frequently highlighted smooth application processes and clear sign-up information as major wins.

However, this high industry average masks a significant underlying tension. We analysed over 206,000 public customer posts across X and Trustpilot, finding that while insurers excel at the point of sale, sentiment tends to fracture when journeys become complex. The most striking trend in the 2026 Index is the massive 86-percentage-point chasm between invited reviews (90%) and unsolicited feedback (-5%). This suggests that while the industry is winning at the "buy" button, it often stumbles during high-impact moments like renewal price hikes and claims processing

InsureandGo lead the way

1. InsureandGo (90%)
2. Staysure (79%)
3. Multitrip.com (77%)
4. AllClear (75%)

InsureandGo leads the pack with a 90% Net Sentiment, largely thanks to an effortless sign-up process and responsive support. However, if you look purely at operational delivery, AllClear is the standout performer at 92%. Their success is a direct result of staff competency, customers specifically highlighted agents who took ownership of complex queries rather than just following a script

AllClear leads on operational net sentiment

While overall rankings reflect broad public conversation, operational performance provides a clearer view of sentiment linked to customer experience. 

AllClear recorded the strongest operational performance at 92%, with positive conversations most strongly linked to helpful, competent staff during support interactions and clear onboarding.

The Trustpilot effect

The disconnect between review types reveals how invited positivity can mask operational gaps. While "invited" posts celebrate the ease of buying a policy, "unsolicited" posts and consumer feedback acts as an early warning for where the wheels come off, particularly when customers feel they have exhausted traditional channels.

Unsolicited conversation was most likely to highlight dissatisfaction linked to:

• Renewal increases and mid-term pricing changes.
• Claims outcomes and progress updates.
• Difficulty getting closure on cancellations, complaints, and claims
  

What drove praise

Positive conversation centred on two consistent themes where insurers successfully met or exceeded expectations:

• The "Hidden" Price Hike: Friction wasn't driven by initial price levels, but by unexpected changes later in the journey—specifically renewal increases and mid-term adjustments that felt poorly explained.
• Human reassurance: Customers frequently praised staff conduct and competency, particularly when agents took ownership of complex issues and provided much-needed clarity.
• Digital empowerment: Smooth digital and application journeys drove significant advocacy, with users highlighting simple purchase flows, easy-to-find information, and the ability to manage policies independently.

What drove complaints

Complaints became most visible once customers moved beyond routine enquiries. The strongest drivers of dissatisfaction were:

• The "Hidden" Price Hike: Friction wasn't driven by initial price levels, but by unexpected changes later in the journey—specifically renewal increases and mid-term adjustments that felt poorly explained.
• The Resolution Wall: Contact and escalation friction,  including long call-centre wait times and "dropped" emails, forced customers to follow up repeatedly, intensifying frustration during already stressful moments.
•  Outcome Anxiety: Claims and cancellations generated critical feedback when timelines felt ambiguous or the final resolution felt inconsistent with the cover promised at purchase.

Consumer Duty concerns arise in unsolicited feedback

Just under one in four online mentions contained a Consumer Duty theme. The conversation was weighted toward Consumer support, followed by Pricing and fair value.

Where outcomes broke down, sentiment tended to weaken once issues moved beyond initial contact, particularly around:

• claims support
• cancellations
• complaint handling
• difficulty progressing cases when time sensitivity increased

Formal escalation threats to the FCA or Ombudsman appeared most often when internal resolution failed, typically following prolonged delays, process breakdowns that blocked progress (including digital access issues), and financial harm such as unactioned refunds or continued debits after cancellation.

Strong performance, but key friction areas remain

Overall sentiment in 2025 reflects a market that performed well at purchase and during routine servicing. The clearest pressure points emerged later in the journey, when customers needed outcomes, progress and closure, with these generally occuring in organic customer feedback. 

Want a brand-specific view?

This post is a high-level summary. The full report and dashboard include deeper cuts by brand, topic, and channel, plus operational versus reputational views to help the right teams focus on the right signals.

Download the report: https://dataeq.com/resources/reports/uk-travel-insurance-index