Never in recent memory has travel insurance been such a hot topic. Last year it was all the talk because most travel insurance policies exclude claims related to epidemics/pandemics so the policies did not cover cancellations due to covid. Also, these policies do not cover concerns about traveling unless the policy has “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage.
This year the talk is all about coverage for covid, quarantine costs, and mandatory health insurance requirements by an increasing number of countries. These are key questions, but there are so many other incidents that can occur that can significantly impact travelers.
I frequently hear “I am going on this trip no matter what.” My response “I am sure you are, but it’s all the other things that can happen that may cause you to cancel or some other unfortunate event.” Still many doubt it could happen to them. Covid has shown that the unexpected does happen.
To illustrate, the following is a list of incidents that have occurred to clients for which there was or could have been a significant cost had they not had travel insurance.
- Death of traveling companion/spouse before or during their trip
- Death of an immediate family member before departing for their trip
- Diagnosis of cancer or other serious illness of traveler after booking and before departure
- Broken ankle with no weight-bearing movement a couple of weeks before departure
- Rail strike (in Italy)
- Air traffic controllers strike in France
- Airport security incident canceling all flights for 6 hrs with flight then canceled
- A rogue wave hit a shark watching expedition boat and cameras destroyed (others on the boat lost glasses or other possessions or broke bones)
- Back injury requiring medical evacuation
- A family member required emergency surgery requiring a family member to cancel their trip
- Emergency return home because toilet leak caused ceilings in the home to fall
- Snowstorm in the UK caused hundreds and hundreds of flights to be canceled and a backlog of passenger meant the client could not get another flight for 6 days (paid for a hotel, meals, telephone calls, incidentals)
- Lost green card requiring a trip to the consulate, temporary documents for travel, and a replacement of the lost card
- Emergency room/doctor/dental visits (asthma attack, suspected heart attack, infected hand, a broken tooth)
- Volcano eruption canceling flights
- Baggage delays (who hasn’t had a bag not arrive with them)
- Missed connections due to customs/immigration delays
- Stolen cell phones
Costs with these ranged from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. Not exactly the way most want to remember a trip. And if you trip has be cancelled and no insurance coverage is available, rescheduling is usually significantly delayed since savings were reduced to pay for the original trip.
Other insurance or credit cards may provide coverage. Always check the details of that coverage to understand what is covered and the amount of coverage. And call Wizard of Odysseys, I can assist by providing you options that address any particular concerns.
Give yourself the gift of a fun and relaxing vacation by reducing your risk of a financial burden caused by an unexpected event. When bad things happen, you will be glad you did because you never know what may happen.
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