You’ve got your ultimate [insert dream vacay here] vacation all ready and good to go. Packing, planning itinerary, and excitement flow. But suddenly the impossible happens. Your flight is delayed by poor weather, or your bag decides its eternal resting place should be some other tropical resort. In an instant, your ideal vacation becomes a stress-filled disaster. That is where travel insurance comes to the rescue — like a hero in a cape.
The Unpredictable Nature of Travel
Travel, let’s be honest: shit happens. Even if you plan thoroughly, shit happens. Natural disasters, airline strikes, sudden illnesses, or lost passports — there is an exhaustive list of things that can throw a wrench in your travel plans. We cannot control these events, but we can certainly protect ourselves financially and emotionally.
Enter Travel Insurance
It is somewhat of a safety net for your trip: travel insurance. It was developed to cushion the blow of a multitude of travel misfortunes by offering both monetary compensation and practical help in times when you need it most. Here we uncover how travel insurance can save the day in two of the more common travel nightmares: missed flights and delayed baggage.
Missed Flights: When Time Isn’t on Your Side
Among the most common reasons why people miss a flight are:
Traffic Jams on the Ride to the Airport
Delays in connecting flights
Overbooking by airlines
Weather-related cancellations
No travel insurance = missed flight…
Costly rebooking at the last minute
Hotel reservations which cannot be refunded at your destination
If missing a trip, maybe some event ticket
Travel Insurance can…
Coverage may also provide trip cancellation/interruption, meaning that should you miss your flight for any covered reason (e.g., extreme weather conditions or a car accident), your insurance would pay back the on-refundable expenses.
Travel Delay Benefits: Travel insurance can help pay for extra expenses, such as meals or accommodations if your flight is delayed hundreds of miles from home.
Missed Connection Coverage — If you miss a connection due to the covered delay, this coverage can help you rebook your flight and pay for additional costs
24/7 Assistance: Most insurance providers have a 24-hour support team that is ready and waiting to help you rebook missed flights or make other arrangements.
Delayed Baggage: When Your Essentials Go MIA
Sometimes, there’s no better moment than arriving at your destination and finding out that your luggage isn’t with you. Baggage that arrives late can disrupt your travel; and cause you to miss a wedding or business meeting.
If you Have No Insurance coverage, dropping your baggage can be:
Basic living expenses out of pocket
NOT POSSIBLE, You missed due to No Items Staff
Stress and inconvenience
The Reason Travel Insurance was the Hero
Baggage Delay Coverage: This reimburses you for necessary purchases (such as toiletries and a change of clothing) if your bags are delayed by a common carrier for an extended period, e.g. 12 to 24 hours
If your bags are gone — for good, insurance could offer payment on personal property -Lost Luggage Reimbursement.
Help Finding Lost Bags: Once you reach your destination, some insurers will even assist by working with the airline to track down and return any misplaced or held-up baggage.
Beyond the Basics: Additional Benefits of Travel Insurance
While missed flights and lost luggage tend to be the first reasons why people embrace travel insurance, there are so many more benefits:
Medical: In case you fall sick or have an unfortunate accident during the trip, travel insurance covers all your medical expenses and emergency evacuation.
Trip Cancellation for Any Reason: An optional add-on with many policies that will allow you to cancel your trip whenever even have also available a partial reimbursement available.
Rental Car Coverage: This means protection when damage or theft happens to your rental car.
Adventure Sports: Some policies also include adventure sports such as skiing, scuba diving, and bungee jumping.
Choosing the Right Travel Insurance
You need to know that not all travel insurance plans are created equal. Choose your policy factors.
Your Destination: Different countries might ask for different coverage amounts.
Total Cost of Your Trip: Make sure you have enough coverage in place for the amount of your prepaid, non-refundable expenses.
Activities Planned: Ensure your yoga retreat is covered if you are going to engage in adventure sports on the side.
Pre-existing Conditions: If you have any, try to find a policy that has waivers for pre-existing conditions.
Laws, and policing in detail that show you exactly what is and isn’t covered
The Bottom Line
Though travel insurance is a cost, it’s a relatively small one to have that peace of mind. Travel insurance is cheap — it typically costs 5% to 7 % of the total trip price. akedirs, but can save you thousands or more in those rare moments things go wrong (and if my childhood experience has its way – they will).
Because, inevitably the happiest holidays are when everything does go nicely. But when a little monkey wrench gets thrown into your travel plans, it helps when setting up the journey by referring to traveling insurance. Therefore, next time you go on an adventure do yourself a favor first and get covered. After all, I mean you worked hard to take that vacation…don’t let it go.
Travel safely and let your journey be a joyride full of adventure, as you drive freely knowing that no matter what happens on the road ahead — You are safe.