Going Overseas for the Christmas? Is Travel Insurance Worth it?

Christmas into the New Year is one of the busiest travel times of the year. Planning for Christmas involves a slew of activities; throwing in a travel itinerary adds an extra layer of stress as there are additional things to organize such as hotels, flights and entertainment for yourself and/or your family. While we cannot prevent you from suffering misfortune while on vacation, we can help you with the necessary insurance coverage. Life happens regardless of your travel itinerary and having a plan in place is crucial. Below are the five most common holiday travel issues that travel insurance covers.

Medical Emergencies and Evacuation

If there is one reason to purchase travel insurance; this is it. If you fall ill or have an accident while overseas, travel insurance can ensure that you get the best quality of care. This is especially importance if you need to be moved, either back home or to a better medical facility. Other types of emergency evacuation can involve anything ranging from unsafe political conditions, extreme weather conditions to repatriation.

Trip Interruption and Cancellation

When an emergency arises before or during a vacation, you may have to cancel or cut short your trip, which means losing a substantial amount of money. Falling severely ill or needing to return home for an unexpected death in the family are unfortunately common occurrences that your airline carrier typically does not cover. Travel insurance ensures that you will get compensation for losses that result from trip cancellation or interruption. Some plans may even cover returning home to tend to an important matter for you, as well as, your travel companion. The important thing to remember here is that for this section to be useful, you have to buy travel insurance when you start booking tickets and not the week before you leave.

Lost Luggage and Personal Belongings

Losing your luggage is a risk you take when you check a bag. Purchasing travel insurance will cover luggage setbacks for lost or delayed luggage. Before leaving on any trip, make a list of each bag’s contents so you have it ready to present to the airline. This will also speed up the process with your insurance, be sure to include your loved ones’ gifts. If you are taking your laptop, camera and other valuables with you, some travel insurance plans allow you to specify these items to cover their higher value. Check your policy benefits and description of coverage carefully for the limits on this cover and exclusions, particularly for cash, high value items and sporting equipment.

Personal Liability Protection

If you are involved in an incident where you are found legally responsible for someone else’s personal injury or damage to their property, travel insurance can cover you, up to the amount specified under your plan. To be clear, this is not insurance for liability while you are driving your car, which is something separate.

Logistical Support and Emergency Assistance

A travel insurance policy does not only ensure that you will get coverage for unforeseen losses; it also allows you access to several services that can be critical during times of emergency. Most travel insurance companies offer travel assistance and 24-hour emergency services to help their customers deal with unforeseen circumstances during their vacations. For example, if you lose your travel documents, you can seek assistance from your insurance company. The company will offer the best advice or contact local emergency services to help you solve your problems in the shortest time possible. This kind of assistance is invaluable if you are travelling to a country where the locals do not speak your language.

Not all travel insurance is the same. All travel insurance policies have specific benefits and exclusions, so it is imperative to take the time to read the policy wording carefully. These also vary depending on which country you are from, so please take the time and always ask if you are unsure about anything.

In most cases your travels with go without a hitch and you will not have to experience the nightmare of being seriously ill or injured in a foreign country. But if you do, the last thing you want to happen, is not having the support or financial means by which to get treated and flown home. For that alone, travel insurance is worth every cent.

To find out more about travel insurance and its benefits, contact HUBS Insurance Brokers at 1-868-227-2350 today!

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