When going on vacation, there are many things to remember and consider, but one thing that hardly anyone considers is travel insurance. No matter how good you are at planning a vacation, unexpected things can happen, and that’s where travel insurance comes in. It can compensate you for unforeseen emergencies. Depending on the length of stay and the type of trip, there are several types of travel insurance to choose from.
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage: Covers vacation policies due to sudden illness or death, weather, emergency military service, jury duty, pre-departure cruise line, or airline bankruptcy. Many also include terrorism insurance that will reimburse your expenses in the event the US Department of State issues a travel warning. This warning will advise people not to travel within a certain country for a certain period of time.
• Medical emergencies: This is useful if you plan to travel to underdeveloped countries. It will also cover people who have a chronic illness that may require medical attention at some point during their trip. The policy will reimburse you for the cost of medications, doctor visits, and may sometimes cover medical evacuation out of the country. Be sure to check with your insurance company for details because travel health coverage policies vary.
• Non-refundable tickets – You can also get travel insurance that covers this in case your trip has to be canceled for many different reasons. There are some plans that will even cover missed connections. This can be a lifesaver if there is a flight delay, a confusing or crowded airport terminal.
• Comprehensive Insurance Package – This is a package for frequent travelers or longer trips. This package provides a variety of coverage and is the best value. Some of these packages will allow you to choose what type of coverage you want to include.
• Cruises – This can cover when a cruise ship is delayed and the traveler has to change their hotel reservations or the trip is cut short and you have to arrange a trip home at the last minute.
Other expenses or situations may also be covered, which may include:
• Having to be airlifted to a medical facility
• Cost of medical procedures if your health insurance is not recognized in the jurisdiction
• Hotel reservation problems
• Pay for a hotel if your flight is delayed
• Replacement of essential items when luggage is delayed or lost
• Errors in flight arrangements if the traveler was not at fault
• Emergency legal assistance
• Transportation if you need to return home due to an emergency or death of close family members