Travel Insurance: What’s Covered and Why You Should Consider It

When planning a vacation of any style or duration, considering travel insurance is something smart travelers do. Making the investment in travel insurance may not be necessary for all trips, but for a comparatively minimal cost, it offers many benefits – especially for international, extended, or particularly expensive vacations.

Here’s what’s covered and why you should think about it before your next trip:

Trip Cancellation

According to travelinsuranceratings.com, more than 90% of travel policies are purchased for the purpose of having trip cancellation coverage in case the unexpected happens. Think: extreme weather, a death in the family, the flu, jury duty. If something unforeseen happens that prevents you from making the trip you’ve invested in, you’ll be covered and totally reimbursed.

Trip Interruption or Delay

Cancelled flights and missed connections are commonplace in travel. And almost no one budgets extra money to change tickets or book hotel rooms while waiting to get to or from their destinations. Travel insurance covers flights from other carriers if the chosen carrier is the reason for the delay. When there’s a natural disaster or inclement weather, hotel accommodations are often covered, too. Policies will even cover you if you miss a flight because your Uber was in an accident on the way to the airport.

Medical Care

Imagine being abroad and having a medical emergency. Depending on the coverage you have with your regular health insurance, you could end up spending a significant amount of money on international or out-of-network medical care should you become ill or have an accident. Policies vary by carrier, but options include everything from 100% coverage to a fixed fee benefit with a reasonable deductible.

Lost or Stolen Luggage

It’s happened to everyone: you and your bag do not arrive in the same place at the same time. While airlines may offer some coverage, travel insurance will provide the replacement value for your baggage and its entire contents should it get lost, stolen, or destroyed during a trip – and not just on the flight. If your bag is simply delayed, travel insurance will cover the purchase price of the essentials you need while waiting for your luggage to arrive.

Travel insurance may not be necessary for all vacations. Taking a road trip and staying at a hotel with a reasonable cancellation policy? Then you probably don’t need it. But depending on the style of your travel, it’s smart to weigh the pros and cons of travel insurance. Many single travelers, for example, choose to participate in a group vacation where all costs are paid ahead of time and travel insurance is included. Not all travel companies offer to include insurance, but if they do, it’s certainly a bonus – especially for any trip involving a flight.

Contact us to learn more about our travel packages and insurance options.