Why Travel Insurance is valuable for everybody.

Expect the Unexpected.

Imagine this: You book your girls trip or honeymoon, and as your vacay count down nears, an unforeseen pandemic paralyzes the entire world and pauses travel. Who would have ever thunk it?!

Remember back in the day when we’d complain about bad weather delays? I think it’s more obvious than ever how valuable travel insurance is.

As the world begins to open again we will still deal with lost luggage, health emergencies, or flight cancellations due to weather which can sideline travelers. That’s why travel insurance can be a great investment, especially because chances are you’re already spending a lot going on vacation.  Travel insurance premiums typically represent just a fraction of the cost of your trip, cover you for a wide range of emergencies, and let you rest a little easier both the days leading up to and the days during your trip.

The best travel insurance policy for you is going to be the one that offers the specific coverage you need at a price you can readily afford. Here’s a rundown of the most common types of travel insurance, as well as some of the optional benefits you may want to look into.

• Cancellation Coverage, as its name implies, covers you for pre-paid, non-refundable expenses under a fixed set of circumstances outlined in your policy. You can make a claim when have to cancel a trip due to a health emergency or illness, for example. Depending on the policy you choose, you may also be able to make a claim if you’re laid off from work or you’re called for jury duty. Let’s say there’s a natural disaster in your destination city and one of your travel providers has to cancel your trip. Under cancellation coverage, you’d be able to recoup your non-refundable expenses, too.

• Trip delay insurance is usually included with cancellation coverage. With trip delay insurance, you’ll be reimbursed for any expenses you incur as a result of your trip being delayed. Short departure delays are not covered; policies set a minimum number of hours for covered delays. Meals, hotel charges, and taxi fees are among the expenses covered.

• Trip interruption coverage protects you in the event you have to return home due to an emergency once you’ve already started your trip. It will pay for the cost of getting you home and getting you back to your destination once you’re able to travel again.

If the list of covered cancellation reasons under basic cancellation coverage seems too limited to you, you might want to opt for CFAR, or Cancel For Any Reason. It offers the fullest coverage but may only make sense for you if your calendar is subject to change at a moment’s notice.

Lost, stolen, damaged and delayed luggage is one of the most common—and annoying—travel-related misfortunes. Pay attention to coverage limits and increase yours as necessary. If you’re planning to get some amazing shots and taking your brand new drone or shooting equipment, you’re going to want coverage at the upper end of the scale! Even more mundane articles like laptops and cell phones have replacement costs beyond the limits set by basic policies, so be careful to read your policy closely to be sure your most expensive possessions are fully protected.

While travel insurance isn’t terribly expensive when compared with the cost of your trip, there are ways to bring down the cost. If you’re a frequent enough traveler, an annual policy might make financial sense for you. And if you’re traveling with a group—to take advantage of one of our terrific team-building events, for example—buying group insurance is a great way for all members of your party to get the same coverage for less. You may also want to check our your credit card perks, a lot of times they might have some coverage for you as well.

This article is based off of ConsumersAdvocate.org’s extensive research on travel insurance.  For a more detailed explanation, please visit the full guide here: https://www.consumersadvocate.org/travel-insurance