Let’s face it, traveling can be expensive. If you’re headed across the pond or down south for spring break, you could be looking at making flight, hotel, and car rental reservations, which can add up quickly. You’ve probably heard of travel insurance, but maybe you’re not interested in spending the extra money, or maybe it’s too much of a hassle to figure out.
Although travel insurance may seem like an unnecessary precaution, it can really be a lifesaver when plans go off the rails. But forewarning: the fine print of when, why, and what is covered can be the difference between a refund and waving goodbye to your hard earned money. Take a closer look at what you need to know before you buy yourself a travel insurance plan.
Breakdown Your Coverage Needs
Travel insurance can cover a broad spectrum of travel needs like medical coverage, cancellation insurance, loss of luggage, or trip interruption (which commonly refers to weather or equipment failure). However, what you may not realize is that your credit card already offers many of these forms of coverage. Before you take out a travel insurance policy, Google your credit card’s benefits, or make a call to your cardholder company. Depending on the length of your trip and what’s going to be required, perhaps a policy would be overkill for something you already have taken care of through the plastic in your wallet.
Try Booking In Advance When You Can
This may be an impossible task, especially if you plan on traveling for a longer period of time, but try to book as much of your trip as you can in advance. If you will need a refund for something in your trip, when you booked it could be the reason you do or don’t get your money back. Some insurance companies will only reimburse you for reservations and costs that you paid for before you went on your trip. For those travelers who fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants, be on the lookout for this part of the fine print when you’re shopping for a policy.
Keep Track Of Your Paperwork
If something goes wrong while you’re traveling, don’t expect a travel insurance company to be ecstatic about refunding you. The process is not simple. You will be asked to show all of the expenses that you’ve paid for, prove that you didn’t use them, and that those items were not reimbursed to you. It is crucial that you keep your receipts, waivers, and agreements in a safe place where they’re organized and easy to reference. Without them, you’ve got no evidence that you didn’t get your money back, and your insurance provider’s hands are tied. Consider scanning these documents and having a digital version saved on your phone or on a cloud service. This beats carrying a folder with you and losing valuable luggage space.
Shop Around
Travel insurance is extremely variable. Its coverage options can be complex and may only offer partial coverage for options you feel are high a priority. Much of your coverage depends on what kind of trip you plan to take. Will you be heading to somewhere that’s urban, exploring the city’s nightlife? Or are you making your way to Africa so you can finally climb Mount Kilimanjaro? The needs you may have will be very different for these two trips. If you’re more worried about protecting your belongings, try to find an option that caters to lost or stolen property. For the adventurers and explorers of the world, take a hard look at your medical coverage, such as emergency evacuation to get you back to the U.S.
There are a lot of questions and factors you need to consider before you purchase yourself a coverage plan on a whim. If you think travel insurance is an option you should be exploring, give the office of Doyle & Ogden a call! Our team of insurance experts can help you find the best travel insurance policy for your trip at the best price. Call us today at 616-949-9000 or request a free quote online!
