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Regardless
of whether your upcoming trip is for pleasure, business or both, travel
insurance is a necessity. The amount it costs to protect yourself from
such things as lost luggage, cancellations, hotel problems, illnesses
and others is minute compared to the amount you would need to
pay if you are not adequately insured. There
are many ways to get insured, many credit cards offer travel insurance
if you pay for a trip on their card, most travel agencies and airlines
will also offer you different insurance options. But are these enough or
the best option for your trip and requirements ?
One
should definitely shop around for travel insurance and do not feel
worried about asking a lot of questions, after all you are paying, and
you have the right to know exactly what is covered and what is not. If
you travel frequently (many times a year) then it may be wiser to take
an annual travel insurance policy rather than many individual ones. Most
travel insurance will offer you cover for lost luggage, delays, cancellation of travel, overseas and medical hospital expenses and
some evacuation under dire situations. One important aspect to consider
here is how much would medical coverage in the destination you are
travelling to going to cost? Medical costs in the US, Japan, Middle
East, certain parts of Europe, South America, or Africa are relatively
high so you would want to ensure that you have the highest level of
medical coverage in your insurance. If on the other hand you are
travelling somewhere like Thailand, where the costs of medical
treatments are among some of the lowest in the world then you may be
perfectly fine with a slightly lower level of coverage depending on your
needs. So
how to choose? Well one of the first things to look into is whether the
insurance company has an hotline available which readily accepts reverse
charges from anywhere you are travelling to. This hotline should be open
24 hours a day, seven days a week and of course 365 days a year. It
has happened to every frequent traveller at one time or another - the
daunting lost luggage syndrome. When this happens contact the airline
but DO NOT pass through customs before you do so, as this can completely
void any claims with the airline. Contact the airline counter which will
be located somewhere around the luggage carousels and inform them of the
loss. Many airlines will compensate you on the spot especially if you
need clothes etc, but the level of compensation is normally not that
great and depends on the class of travel, and even your flight history
with the airline. If you are unfortunate in that the luggage has not
just gone on a round the world trip without you and the airline cannot
locate it then your insurance company should provide you with a
reasonably good sum for compensation. If
you are travelling with cameras, video equipment, lap top etc then check
as well with your insurance company about the level of insurance and
compensation for these items if lost or stolen. Also check whether
emergency cash advances and translators can be included in your
policy. If
you are planning some "high risk" activities during your trip
such as bungee jumping, sky diving, white water rafting, or even some
less "high risk" activities such as diving, water skiing, jet
ski's etc be sure to ask whether these are covered in your travel
insurance. If
you are travelling for a special event and miss a flight connection or
something check with the insurance company to see whether reimbursement
is covered. The
medical part of the insurance is definitely the most important to watch
out for, ensure that for each country you are travelling to, you know
exactly what you are covered for medically, and how to claim if
something does happen and you need to be hospitalised. Some insurance
companies even offer emergency reunion policies that will send a number
of your closest relatives to you wherever you may be hospitalised Last
but not least, with today's unsettled world, you should also enquire how
your travel insurance covers you in case of a terrorist situation,
kidnapping or worse.
Make sure your insurance coverage allows you a reimbursement if you
cancel a trip due to a war or terrorist acts in the country you are
visiting and exactly how this works. Also because of such events, many
travel companies have gone bankrupt or simply closed down, check to see
whether your travel insurance covers such a situation with a supplier
default insurance cover. Travel
insurance should not take any of the fun out of travelling and while it
can be a daunting task choosing the right policy, it will give you a
sense of
security knowing that you are prepared for anything fate may throw at
you.
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