Should I get travel insurance ? This happens to me every time I buy an airline ticket: I fill out the payment form, and then comes the question “Would you like to add travel insurance for this small extra amount of $”. I have just a few minutes to decide, and this is right at the moment that I was at the peak of my ticket-buying excitement. Suddenly, I have several questions.
This is just to cover our plane tickets and luggage? What about covering our trip for cancellation? Or if I get sick during my trip and I need to see a doctor while on foreign soil? And if my kid gets sick and we can’t take our trip?
When I was younger, and traveling alone, I never considered buying travel insurance. I am now 42, with a 9 month old baby, and my world is a lot less predictable. With all of the uncertainty that comes with parenthood, I am much more likely to make a claim. Which means I have a good reason to take insurance. It is the basic rule of insurance: if you are a risk—if there is any chance you might have to make a claim—you should probably take it.
Not too long ago, I got to go to a Virtuoso conference, at which I met travel agents from all over the US. Travel insurance was the subject of many conversations.
Here are the top reasons to purchase travel insurance:
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Peace of Mind
Whether you lose your job, a hurricane blows through your destination, or your travel supplier declares bankruptcy, if you purchased travel insurance you won’t have anything to worry about.
2 . Travel Investment
You work hard for the money and time invested in planning your vacation. Unfortunately even the most careful preparation doesn’t avoid life’s surprises if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip due to a covered reason.
3 . Medical Expenses
Ensure you’re covered if you see a doctor for a medical emergency while traveling. Your personal medical health care policy may offer limited coverage or none at all, once you travel outside the United States.
4 . Personal Belongings
A trip to the beach isn’t much fun without a bathing suit. If your luggage is delayed or lost, travel insurance would not only refund you for items lost, stolen or damaged, but reimburse you for necessary items you need to buy to continue having fun on your trip until your baggage is returned.
Generally, travel insurance is sold in packages, combining various categories of coverage. Go through them all, determining what you need and what you don’t, either because you’re not at risk or you’re already covered.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Terrorism?
As terrorism makes headlines, travelers are understandably concerned about the possibility of terrorism affecting their plans. The U.S. Department of State advised “worldwide caution” in 2015, urging American citizens to stay vigilant.
It’s good to remember, that statistically the chances of being injured or killed by a terrorist attack are extremely low.
Does travel insurance cover trip cancellation because of a terrorist incident?
Allianz Global Assistance’s travel insurance considers international and domestic terrorism to be a covered reason for trip cancellation if a terrorist event happens at your U.S. or foreign destination within 30 days of the day you’re scheduled to arrive.
Compare plans and find the right one for you on https://www.insuremytrip.com/
Allianz in one of the most reputable global insurance broker: https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/
Travelex is another major player in the travel insurance business, with 55 years of experience : https://www.travelexinsurance.com/
Travel worry-free! Focus on what is important!
