If you have your ear close to the ground, you will know that recently, there has been a fair share of travel-related disasters or emergencies. From hurricanes closing down Orlando theme parks for days, and ruining Caribbean resorts, to earthquakes meaning flights are delayed, as well as airlines going into administration or overbooking, it can all lead to many missed flights and cancellations. But the question that everyone ask; did you have travel insurance? Some people do; some people don’t. But does it make a difference. With insurance companies reluctant to paying out for claims, is it even going to be worth it?
First of all, in most cases, it is going to be worth it. But in order to make it worth it, you have to make sure that you have a policy that will cover you for everything. In recent light of the Hurricane Irma damage, there have been people that have flights, but no resort to go to anymore. Even stating this, some airlines have refused to let them rearrange their travel. But can they claim off their travel insurance.
Only some will let them do this, as natural disaster is a bit of a grey area. So before you take out a policy, check what you are being covered for. At the end of the day, this can take a long time. But it is going to be worth it if it prevents you from having to lose out on money.
What kind of things do you need to declare when you’re applying for travel insurance? Of course, any pre-existing medical conditions or things like pregnancy, are going to put you in a higher risk category. So those need to be stated. If you don’t, then it is pretty likely to invalidate your insurance, especially if you want to make a claim. But how else can you be covered on your travels, especially if you find out that your insurers won’t cover certain things?
Some of the things that are generally covered are:
- Airline change fees are often covered on travel insurance. You may have to pay a small amount yourself, your excess, but after that, if you have a genuine reason why you needed to change your flight, you should be able to claim the fees back.
- Lost luggage is another thing that you can claim. It is out of your control, and something that was an error of your travel provider. It can be inconvenient at the time, but financially, you won’t lose out.
- Medical expenses are pretty universally covered by travel insurance, especially if you didn’t have any existing conditions. If something has happened that wasn’t your fault, then you could also consult a personal injury attorney to make a claim. You shouldn’t lose out if you fall ill or get injured, especially if you were doing things safely, such as a skiing accident.
So at the end of the day, it comes down to your provider. Take the time to read the policy with its terms and conditions carefully. Otherwise, you risk losing money. Travel should be enjoyed, not put off because of insurance worries.
