Let’s face it, you saved up for that bucket list vacation and are ready to book it. Then your travel advisor asks you if you want to purchase travel insurance. You ask yourself why you would spend a little bit more for something you may not use. Well, as a travel advisor I have seen too many cases where travel insurance is needed and my clients were very thankful they purchased it. On the flip side, I have also seen many cases where travelers did not purchase travel insurance and lost lots of money for one reason or another.
So here are my top seven reasons why you should consider purchasing travel insurance, also known as trip protection.
Top 7 Reasons to NOT Skip the Travel Insurance
Trip Cancellation – As much as we would hate to cancel a much-awaited trip, sometimes the inevitable happens. A family member dies, someone in the travel party gets really sick, a catastrophe occurs at home, etc. could prevent you from traveling. With travel insurance, you would be covered in most cases. However, unless you purchase a ‘cancel for any reason’ add-on you will not receive any reimbursement if you just decide not to travel.
Missed Connection/Cancelled Flight – We have all missed a connecting flight or had one cancel on us. Therefore, we were late getting to our destination. Think about if you are scheduled to be boarding a cruise ship and you miss your flight. The captain is not going to wait for you. With travel insurance, you are covered. If a flight is canceled delaying your return home, you are covered. In some cases you will be reimbursed for lost wages, a hotel if you have to stay overnight, and more.
Damaged Destination – What if a hurricane is bearing down on your destination or has just destroyed your destination? If you have travel insurance you may be able to recover all pre-paid travel expenses. Keep in mind, you will not be able to purchase travel insurance and be covered once a storm has been named.
Terrorist Event – You are scheduled to travel to a foreign destination where a recent terrorist attack has occurred. The area is in chaos and you are no longer able to travel to that destination. Your vacation is non-refundable. What do you do? If you purchased travel insurance, you may be covered. However, read the fine print. Some insurance policies will not cover terrorist events unless you have the ‘cancel for any reason’ add-on.
Sick or Injured – You are on your trip and you get injured or sick. In some cases, when traveling within the United States, you are travel insurance will pay secondary to your primary medical insurance. If you are traveling internationally, then most major United States medical insurers will not cover you. So you would be out of pocket for all medical costs. With travel insurance you are covered in most cases.
Medical Evacuation – If you have to be medically transported back home from a foreign country be prepared for sticker shock. The average cost to be medically flown from Europe to the United States can easily be above $40,000. Without travel insurance you will be responsible for that cost.
Lost/Delayed Luggage – Let’s face it. The airlines charge us a fortune to travel with luggage because they know that is an easy profit for them. However, there are plenty of times when luggage is lost or delayed. With travel insurance your lost luggage and its content will be replaced up to a certain amount. If your luggage is going to be delayed for more than 24 hours, then you can be reimbursed for certain essentials, such as toiletries, a change of clothes, etc., that will help get you started on your vacation.
Coverage and options will vary depending on the travel insurance provider. So be sure to read your policy carefully. It is the traveler’s responsibility to understand his or her policy. It is the insured’s responsibility to file the claim. Due to privacy and HIPPA laws, a travel advisor cannot file a claim on behalf of his or her client.
So before automatically dismissing the idea of travel insurance when booking your next vacation, give it very careful consideration. Already booked a trip but didn’t get travel insurance at that time? That’s ok, there are still options available for you. Contact me and let’s discuss.
If you had a situation where travel insurance helped you on your vacation or if there was a time where you needed travel insurance but didn’t purchase it, I would love to hear about it. Please post in the comments below.