Is Travel Insurance A Necessity or Not?
You are planning on booking a vacation and you are not sure if
you need travel insurance. You have heard the warnings and you
know that many travel agents suggest travel insurance as a
necessity for any vacation. Since you are planning on spending a
lot of money between air fares, hotel reservations, and other
arrangements, you feel like it might be a good idea to insure
your trip - but is it really necessary?
There are a number of unexpected circumstances that could arise
prior to your trip that would make travel insurance vital to you
getting your money back. Travel insurance was created to act as
a saving grace to people whose trips become cancelled due to
these circumstances. Whether the airline unexpectedly goes out
of business a week before your trip or you become ill and are
unable to travel, travel insurance ensures that your money will
be refunded if the travel plans are not carried out as planned.
There are a number of areas where travel insurance can help you
out while on vacation.
If you are traveling abroad you might want to look into your
regular insurance plan to make sure it would cover you in a
foreign country. Some insurance plans will not cover medical
expenses in other countries or are not accepted in other
countries. If this is true of your insurance then any medical
expenses or emergencies that may arise while you are away will
not be covered. By purchasing travel insurance, you are
guaranteed to be covered in any medical situation that may
arise. Since September 11th, break outs of terrorism have
plagued not only the United States, but the globe. If a
terrorist act suddenly breaks out in an area that you have
booked a flight to, the airline is not required to provide you
with a refund if you choose not to travel to the area because of
terrorism - that is, unless you have travel insurance. Given the
unpredictability of these events in today's world, you never
know where or when a troubling situation may arise.
Flights can be cancelled at any time for a number of reasons,
closing of the airline, inclement weather conditions, and a
number of other factors that can not be controlled. In some
circumstances flights are not rescheduled and refunds are not
given, which means you not only lose your flight but also the
amount of money you spent to purchase the ticket. Travel
insurance insures your ticket so that no matter what the reason
is, for the flight not taking off, you receive your money back.
Have you ever lost your luggage? In many cases airlines find and
return the missing baggage but in some cases the luggage is
never found. In some other cases, it is discovered that items
have been taken from luggage. In this case, travel insurance
acts to insure whatever items are lost or stolen so you are able
to replace your belongings. Perhaps one of the most appealing
aspects of travel insurance is that it protects you from any
unforeseen circumstances in your life that may prohibit you from
flying. If, for any reason from sickness to a death in the
family, you are unable to travel as scheduled, your money will
be refunded. If you do decide to purchase a travel insurance
plan, it is important that you research a number of travel
insurance companies and plans before deciding on one. Travel
insurance is not only a good idea for people traveling by plane,
but also on cruise lines. Be sure that the company and plan you
choose is the one that best suits you and the travel plans you
have made. If you travel frequently, you may want to consider a
long term travel insurance policy. Year long insurance policies
are available from a number of travel insurance. This provides
frequent travelers with constant coverage, rather than having to
purchase travel insurance every time they travel. Make sure to
cover all the bases and ask plenty of questions when purchasing
your travel insurance. Make sure you know that your policy will
cover all unforeseen circumstances and you do not end up with a
plan that only covers some situations.