Vacations are special occasions that often create lasting memories of new adventures, hometowns revisited, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences you can cherish forever.
And then, there are some memories you would rather forget — the lost suitcase on the trip to Florida, the broken leg on the ski vacation to Steamboat Springs, or little Tommy's emergency appendectomy that forces the family to cancel its Caribbean cruise.
Unfortunate incidents like these can create hassles and unforeseen costs in the form of lost deposits, nonrefundable prepaid travel expenses, lost baggage and emergency medical expenses.
The solution is travel insurance. It helps you be ready for the unexpected.
In its most basic form, travel insurance provides trip cancellation protection that reimburses you for penalties imposed by cruise lines, tour operators, airlines and hotels, if you must cancel your trip. Illness, injury and the death of a family member or traveling companion are among the most common reasons for canceling a vacation. Cancellation benefits also can be triggered for a variety of other reasons including strikes, natural disasters or bad weather occurring before your trip begins.
Something else travel insurance does is provide protection if your trip is interrupted after it begins. Trip interruption would have kicked in if Tommy's appendicitis first occurred during the family cruise. In addition to providing reimbursement for lost deposits and prepaid expenses, benefits usually include the cost of one-way economy airfare to return home.
If your trip is only temporarily delayed, in most cases at least six hours, a good travel insurance policy includes benefits for hotel and meal costs incurred during the delay and additional costs you incur to catch up to your cruise or tour.
Back to Tommy's emergency appendectomy — if the surgery happened outside of his family's health insurance coverage area, travel insurance would have provided emergency medical coverage to help pay out-of-network fees or costs not otherwise covered by his regular health policy.
Like all insurance, travel policies come with limits and exclusions.
The cost and destination of your trip are two major factors you should carefully consider when determining the type and amount of travel protection to purchase. A knowledgeable insurance or travel representative can help you plan for the coverage you need.
