9 Reasons Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance Before Your Next Trip

Travel Insurance is a question that people often try to ignore while planning a trip. They think it is an unnecessary expense that better is curtailed.

But the truth is, insuring your travel is as necessary as your health, car, or home insurance. And just like the last three insurances, you will never understand the importance of travel insurance unless you are in trouble, maybe on your way to the long-awaited summer vacation with your family.

So, why not insure your trip next time before you catch the flight to your dream destination?

Here are the top reasons you should buy travel insurance before your next vacation.

You have to cancel the trip before you start

Insurance is for the security against something unforeseen. Think of a situation when you can’t even start your trip, and travel insurance may protect you, in that case, refunding completely or partially the thousands of dollars you spent booking your holiday. The benefit extends over specific unexpected, covered reasons like –

• Sudden death, injury or illness of you or your travel companion that makes you unfit for travel
• The hospitalisation or death of a non-travelling family member
• Unforeseen natural disasters at home or destination
• A legal obligation like called for jury duty or appearing as a witness in the court

You can also add benefits like “cancel for any reason”, but in that case, you have to meet some eligibility criteria and pay an added amount which you will not always find worthwhile.

Remember, insurance does not cover your travel if it gets impacted by COVID-19, be it a travel ban or the disease that makes you unfit to travel.

Cancelled/delayed flights

You will be covered if your flight gets cancelled or delayed for a specific time. Your delayed flight might make you unable to get on board in connecting flight; your expenses will also be covered.

Your travel insurance usually reimburses most of it, starting from reasonable telephone calls to meals and hotel stays, provided your transport carrier did not arrange it for you. But, you have to keep things documented – receipts, correspondence, written confirmation and explanation from the carrier.

---

---

Lost baggage and travel documents

Travel insurance covers lost baggage and stolen essentials like passports, credit cards and other travel documents. It also pays for lost or damaged check-in bags, damaged personal items or stolen cash (specific limit).

You have to report it to the local authority, get it documented and inform your insurance company as soon as possible. Then you are ready to continue your trip again.

Medical emergencies

This is it if you need one reason to buy travel insurance before your maiden trip abroad. Most travel insurance covers your expenses with 24×7 assistance if you fall sick or accidentally get injured. They cover –

• your medical expenses, including hospital bills and doctors consultation fees,
• OPD visits and day-care surgeries,
• prescribed medications,
• ambulance charge,
• emergency evacuation.

Medical Repatriation

Travel insurance also covers medical repatriation or airlift back to your country. When you go for an adventure trip to some offbeat places where medical assistance is not always available, travel insurance will help you fly back to your home country and cover all the expenses.

Incomplete trip due to a family emergency back home

God forbid, think of a situation when there is an emergency back home when someone in the family is seriously injured or fallen sick, and you have to fly back home, leaving your trip incomplete; travel insurance can cover your expenses returning home as well as reimbursing the non-refundable money that is wasted because of the emergency.

The injury, illness, or medical condition must be considered life-threatening by a physician or require hospitalization.

Return of mortal remains

If you die overseas due to an accident or severe illness, travel insurance covers the cost of the return of your remains to your home country. It also pays the expense of local cremation at home, any statutory arrangements and additional expenses of someone accompanying your remains.

Natural disaster

A volcanic eruption in Hawaii, a tsunami in Japan, a hurricane in the Caribbean or an earthquake in Nepal, when a natural disaster suddenly ends or halts your trip, you are covered if you have travel insurance. It covers emergency expenses for flying back home or medical expenses in a foreign country. Also, reimburse the extra money you need to spend on unplanned stays. It also covers the expense of your trip getting cancelled due to a natural disaster back home and you having to fly back.

You are also eligible to take this benefit if the local authority orders a mandatory evaluation within 24 hours before your trip and during your trip or issues a warning on cyclone/hurricane, provided you buy your insurance before these orders/warnings come into the news. So, once you book your trip, do not delay buying insurance.

It can cover your pushy boss too!

Well, not literally. You must have the time off approved by your company. But think of a situation when you are terminated or transferred to a faraway location just before your trip or in the middle of the trip, and then travel insurance will cover you. If your company is at stake and has to hold back or return from your trip, travel insurance can save your prepaid trip expenses last minute.

So, I hope you understand how travel insurance can help you with some unforeseen, unprecedented situations.

You may say they are very rare.

Yes, you are right, But again, that’s why we do insurance, Isn’t it? To get ourselves covered during those not-so-common situations.

Pin it to read later!!

---

---

---

---