Determine if You Need Travel Insurance
Edited by Richelle, Eng, Lynn
5 Parts:
Every day, we experience unexpected things. No matter how ready and how much you plan your events, you cannot avoid things that are out of your control. And your trip will not be an exception. No one wants to have a delayed flight because of the loss of your luggage. Everyone wants to have someone else to pay for their wasted hotel reservation when something suddenly shuts down the airport. Travel insurance is our friend, but the decision to buy one is a gamble. Before we proceed with the factors to be considered to determine if you really need travel insurance, explore first the the types of insurance and where you can buy it, listed below:
Contents
TYPES OF TRAVEL INSURANCE
- 1Single Trip. As the name itself suggests, this is applicable for only one particular trip, and is commonly suitable for a single person or couple.Advertisement
- 2Multiple trip. Travel insurance for trip of masses usually covers families' trips two to three times a year.Advertisement
- 3Group Travel Insurance. This travel insurance is for a group that is not necessarily members of your family. It could be friends, clubs, office tours and other groups going on a particular trip.
- 4Flight. This insurance will cover when you are in airplane, mostly in the case that the airplane crashes.
- 5Cruise. This insurance will cover you while you are on a cruising voyage.
- 6Medical/Emergency. This can be with a primary or secondary beneficiary.
- 7Baggage Insurance. This is insurance on your personal belongings.
- 8Other Insurance. This may include a number of different kinds of insurance, such as evacuation insurance. You may also get insurance that will cover your transportation from one place to another or to the nearest medical institution in case of accident via other means, such as jet plane, if necessary.
NOTE
- Coverage of each type of travel insurance may vary depending on the insurance provider. Always ask for the details.
Travel Insurance is sold in variety of ways:
- 1Traditional insurance companyAdvertisement
- 2Online
- 3Policies offered by travel websites
- 4Travel insurance included in the package from a travel agency
Factors to consider in determining if you need travel insurance
- 1Cost over benefit.If you're taking about a $100 discounted flight, it's not probably worth buying a policy that costs more than your flight. In this case, you might want to think twice. It's better to shop around for the policy that will suit you, your needs and budget.
2
Travel period and frequency.
If you and your family are planning a long trip with expensive flights and hotel accommodations, buying a policy is advisable. Frequent travelers may consider annual policies. This kind of policy will give coverage for a certain time period in a cost-effective way.
3
Home insurance policies.
Some home insurance policies will cover things like stolen or damaged property during your trip. To guarantee, you may also ask your healthcare plan if you are covered even when you are in other countries as well. In addition, certain credit cards may cover delayed or cancelled flights, rental car insurance, and personal injuries, if you use your credit card in purchasing your tickets flights. Be sure to ask the credit card company if so. Check your existing credit card policy to see if you are already have travel protection. If you have this kind of policy, you might as well drop your option of buying separate travel insurance.
4
Unusual activities.
Standard travel policies will not cover extreme sports such as snowboarding, skiing, surfing, etc. In this kind of activities, you are also recommended to buy special insurance that covers and is offered in a number of countries, as well as your medical evacuation, or a lost or damaged bag.
5
Expensive personal gadgets.
In the Warsaw Convention, an international convention that regulates liabilities of international carriage (airlines) on persons, luggage or goods, it was said that the liability of the airline is approximately $20 per kilogram for checked baggage and $400 per passenger for the unchecked baggage. In some instances, where the cost to repair or replace your gadgets won't be covered in case of damage and lost, it's wise to buy additional insurance.
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6
Passenger's medical condition.
In case you or your wife is pregnant, you can't just avoid the unexpected mother's abdominal pain that may lead to labor. If it happens before the flight, the travel insurance won't give much worry on how you can undo your travel arrangements, neither do you want to have a large bill for a foreign medical institution. For some other cases such as heart attack, epilepsy, or other chronic diseases having an insurance that would covered cancelled flight due to health aspects or sudden death of a passenger is a good investment.
TRAVEL INSURANCE CHECKLIST
- Always read the fine print and call the customer hot-line to make sure of the coverage of the policy. Misunderstandings are inevitable on what are things that are included in the policy. Not every policy will pay out for every mishap which may you encounter. Some may have limits, such as if you are traveling to a war zone. In some unexpected circumstances, such as riot or terrorist attack, your insurance policy may be extended; just be sure to ask. Be informed.
- Photocopy your policy, including insurance contacts and numbers. Keep one in your home, one in your luggage and one with your passport or wallet.
- Keep all your receipts, including your tickets, hotel accommodation information and insurance policy. In case of online purchases, save emails showing you booked or paid for the trip.
- If you have an accident overseas, make sure to get an official police, hospital or consultant report.
- Call your insurance policy provider as soon as possible after an incident, and find what information they need.
- In these uncertain economic times, it is advisable to buy policies separately from large and established companies. Although is not absolutely guarantee, there is a great possibility of getting your money back whenever the airline goes broke.
- For your convenience, some travel agencies tend to include travel insurance in package deals. Ask your travel agent if they offer this kind of promo.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
