Although we don’t like to plan for it, the reality is that not every holiday goes as well as we hoped for or as well as the TV holiday shows would have us believe. Usually, it is something outside of your control, such as a flight being cancelled because of a mechanical breakdown. The result can be lots of additional costs as you have to rearrange connections, accommodations, and car rental bookings. What if you have an accident, such as breaking a leg in an accident in Bali?
For most people, you will never think of your travel insurance again once you have made the initial purchase. But if the worst does happen – wouldn’t you want a number that you can call and get the support and advice that you need in an emergency in a strange land?
Travel insurance can mean a lot of different things to different people, and as with all insurances, it’s a good idea to read the fine print. Check out exactly what the travel insurance policy you are considering covers. Big-ticket items that a good travel insurance policy should include are:
* Travel accident insurance, which will cover emergency medical expenses if you fall sick or get injured when overseas. This is important for anywhere in the world but absolutely essential in the U.S., where even a brief hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
* Luggage insurance, which covers delayed luggage cover and items that are lost, damaged, or stolen when you are overseas. Remember that some high-priced items, such as cameras, may need to be separately specified and paid for.
* Rental car excesses: Anyone who has ever hired a car knows how expensive it is to reduce the excess to something reasonable. If you are planning on hiring a car look out for this cover
* Trip cancellation or curtailment. If you or a close family member gets ill before you leave on your trip, you may lose all of your pre-payments and more if you have a non-refunable ticket – travel insurance would normally cover this, which is why you should get insurance cover when you make your bookings and pay your deposits. Also, if you need to return home early because someone becomes ill at home, insurance can pay for these additional costs.
* Flight delay – depending on your itinerary, a single simple fight delay can have disastrous consequences for your carefully planned holiday. Make sure you take a policy that provides compensation if you miss a connecting flight because of a flight delay. Also look out for the small print here. Some insurers cover just the first outbound flight. There are others such as insure4less that provide cover for missed connections at any point on the pre-booked itinerary
When purchasing travel insurance, it’s important to be honest about where you are travelling and what you are going to be doing on your trip. Some countries have higher risks than others, and if you end up in a difficult situation in a country that you didn’t indicate when you bought the insurance or you are injured doing a dangerous sports activity you didn’t check out when you took cover, don’t expect your travel insurance policy to pay out. Have an honest discussion before you purchase your insurance. Similarly, declare any pre-existing medical conditions which might be relevant; it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be insured, but if you don’t declare a condition and then get sick, you probably won’t be covered.
Do the right thing and travel insurance will have you covered – after all, you just never know!
By: Mark James
About the Author:
For most people, you will never think of your travel insurance again once you have made the initial purchase. But if the worst does happen – wouldn’t you want a number that you can call and get the support and advice that you need in an emergency in a strange land?
Travel insurance can mean a lot of different things to different people, and as with all insurances, it’s a good idea to read the fine print. Check out exactly what the travel insurance policy you are considering covers. Big-ticket items that a good travel insurance policy should include are:
* Travel accident insurance, which will cover emergency medical expenses if you fall sick or get injured when overseas. This is important for anywhere in the world but absolutely essential in the U.S., where even a brief hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
* Luggage insurance, which covers delayed luggage cover and items that are lost, damaged, or stolen when you are overseas. Remember that some high-priced items, such as cameras, may need to be separately specified and paid for.
* Rental car excesses: Anyone who has ever hired a car knows how expensive it is to reduce the excess to something reasonable. If you are planning on hiring a car look out for this cover
* Trip cancellation or curtailment. If you or a close family member gets ill before you leave on your trip, you may lose all of your pre-payments and more if you have a non-refunable ticket – travel insurance would normally cover this, which is why you should get insurance cover when you make your bookings and pay your deposits. Also, if you need to return home early because someone becomes ill at home, insurance can pay for these additional costs.
* Flight delay – depending on your itinerary, a single simple fight delay can have disastrous consequences for your carefully planned holiday. Make sure you take a policy that provides compensation if you miss a connecting flight because of a flight delay. Also look out for the small print here. Some insurers cover just the first outbound flight. There are others such as insure4less that provide cover for missed connections at any point on the pre-booked itinerary
When purchasing travel insurance, it’s important to be honest about where you are travelling and what you are going to be doing on your trip. Some countries have higher risks than others, and if you end up in a difficult situation in a country that you didn’t indicate when you bought the insurance or you are injured doing a dangerous sports activity you didn’t check out when you took cover, don’t expect your travel insurance policy to pay out. Have an honest discussion before you purchase your insurance. Similarly, declare any pre-existing medical conditions which might be relevant; it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be insured, but if you don’t declare a condition and then get sick, you probably won’t be covered.
Do the right thing and travel insurance will have you covered – after all, you just never know!
By: Mark James
About the Author:
Travel Insuranz offers travel insurance you can rely on with secure online transaction and instant email certificate. So all you need do is relax and enjoy your trip. For more information or a free quote, visit Travel Insurance.
