TRAVEL INSURANCE
Why should anyone bother to purchase travel insurance? Because life happens!
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At Journey After Journey, we understand the time, effort, and money that goes into planning your vacation. Regardless of the length, expense, or reason for your trip, whether it be a quick weekend getaway, or the adventure or a lifetime, we are strong advocates of purchasing travel insurance for these seven reasons.
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1. You don’t want to lose all your money if you have to cancel your trip.
Even the best-planned trips sometimes have to be canceled. However, many travel providers, especially tour operators, cruise lines and airlines, offer minimal or no refunds for last-minute cancellations. If this happens, you risk losing a considerable amount of your travel budget.
With travel insurance you are protected with trip cancellation benefits, reimbursing you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason. When you get your money back, you can look forward to rescheduling your vacation for another day!
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2. Because accidents can and do happen while traveling.
You may be on vacation, but that doesn't mean medical emergencies take a break. From routine medical issues to trauma, broken bones, heart attacks, and strokes, anything can happen. If catastrophe strikes, you can contact the travel insurance provider in an emergency. They may even be able to arrange payment in advance for covered emergency medical care.
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3. Your health insurance probably won’t work overseas.
If you get seriously sick or hurt in another country, don’t expect your health insurance card to help. “Foreign medical facilities and providers require cash payment up front and do not accept U.S. insurance plans. Medicare does not provide coverage outside of the United States,” the U.S. State Department warns. When you have travel insurance with emergency medical and dental benefits, it can pay for losses due to covered medical and dental emergencies that occur during your trip.
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4. Medical evacuations can be really expensive.
If you get seriously sick or badly hurt while traveling overseas, and you need to be taken via helicopter to the nearest emergency room, the cost can be enormous. In some parts of the world, a medical evacuation can potentially cost six figures, not including the cost of getting you home again. Travel insurance with emergency medical transportation benefits can pay for you to be transported to the nearest appropriate facility if you suffer a covered illness or injury during your trip and the local medical facilities are unable to provide appropriate treatment. It can also pay for specialized transportation to bring you home, once your condition is stable.
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5. 80 percent of U.S. flights arrive on time.
In 2017, out of nearly 1.1 million domestic flights, nearly 18 percent were delayed and 2.4 percent were canceled. That’s why you need travel insurance with travel delay benefits, which can reimburse you for additional accommodation, meals or travel expenses and lost prepaid expenses due to a covered departure delay. You’ll be much happier if you have insurance that can reimburse you for your airport lunch or unexpected extra night in the hotel.
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6. A missing bag can ruin your trip.
In 2016, the world’s airlines mishandled 21.6 million bags — meaning they were lost or temporarily misplaced. The good news is that airlines are getting better at keeping track of baggage, even as passenger numbers increase. The bad news is that some bags, around 7 percent, are never reunited with their owners. When your suitcase goes AWOL, travel insurance can save the day. Baggage delay benefits can reimburse you for the reasonable additional purchase of essential items during your trip if your baggage is delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for 24 hours or more. Baggage loss/damage benefits can reimburse you for the actual price, actual cash value, repair or replacement of your lost/damaged items — whichever is less — based on the limits in your insurance policy’s letter of confirmation.
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7. Sometimes, even expert travelers need a little help.
One of the best reasons to buy travel insurance is the peace of mind you get from knowing help’s just a phone call away. When you face a crisis while traveling, whether it be a medical emergency, lost passport, a stolen wallet, a natural disaster, etc. it's nice to know that someone out there will take care of you and help make things right.