We insure our lives, cars, homes, jewelry, fine art, etc. Why should your vacation deserve any less? Insurance is planning for the unexpected and you never know when something will happen. Here are 5 reasons to add your insurance:
1) You work hard for your money. Most of us work a 9-5 Monday to Friday job and stash away a bit of money off each paycheque until you have enough to pay for the trip of a lifetime! That may be an annual All-Inclusive vacation to the Caribbean or a bucket list item such as trekking Everest Base Camp. We all work hard for our money and we want to see if put to good use.
If your trip is cancelled or interrupted, and you’ve purchased Trip Cancellation and Interruption insurance, the large investment you made in your vacation will be protected. I often hear “Nothing will happen, I’m in good health and I’m going no matter what”, but it's important to know, your vacation is not always cancelled due to your personal health. Something could happen to your family; your boss may cancel your vacation; a hurricane may cause your trip to be cancelled; or while you’re in destination, you may need to return home immediately.
Think of this: a simple flight delay at your origin may cause you to miss a cruise. This means you now need a hotel night, meals for the day, a flight to your next port of call, etc. It all adds up quickly.
Travel Insurance protects your investment and your hard earned money and helps you in these and many more situations so that you can still enjoy the holiday you have been planning for.
2) Protection is for unforeseen events. Almost anything can happen these days while traveling. I had a client on vacation and who experienced a medical emergency 3 days in to their 10 day vacation and needed to return home immediately. The closest airport was 5 hours away and the one-way flight was over $2,000. Thankfully the client’s travel insurance was there to assist them and get them home to their loved ones.
A colleague of mine, who was in perfect health, stepped off a tour bus and on the step down broke some bones in her foot. She was in a remote area of a 3rd world country and needed transportation to a medical facility where she saw a doctor, had her foot put in a cast, required an overnight hotel before she could be medically evacuated (by regular air carrier) back to Canada. Her expenses were all covered by her Emergency Medical Plan.
I also had a bride and groom purchased a Premium Protection Travel Plan, which has a cancel for any reason component. A month before the wedding they broke off the engagement and had to cancel the wedding. The guests who purchased the insurance were able to get their money back in full as it was an unexpected event. However, those that did not have travel insurance or who purchased through their credit card, were left either traveling or forfeiting the expense of the vacation.
3) Global Assistance with Standby MD. Something important to note is that should you have an emergency medical issue in destination, there is a number on your policy that you can call and where available, a “Global Concierge” services brings the doctor to you, instead of you traveling to the hospital to see a doctor. This helps to eliminate some medical fees as well since in some countries, they will not see you until you pay in full OR will not let you leave until you have paid in full.
I may not be able to be there for you 24/7 while you are away on vacation, but your insurance provider can be!
4) Baggage Loss or Delay. I pack very carefully for every vacation that I take. I have a checklist for my carry-on that includes everything I need for the travel day and 1 day extras, just in case, and I also have a checklist for my checked bags as well. I like to be prepared for all weather and every adventure planned while on vacation.
Have you ever checked in at the airport with your carry-on and an overhead announcement comes on that says “anyone who would like to check their carry-on can do so now free of charge” or how about, have you even jumped an earlier flight because there was availability? In either of these situations, and many others too, your luggage can be delayed or lost all together.
A client of mine took a 14-day river cruise through Europe and was asked at the gate if he wanted to check his bag. He thought nothing of it and said sure! He had everything in there that he needed in case his luggage got lost, including his hiking boots he used for everyday exploring. What he didn’t expect was that his carry-on and his bags would both not arrive in destination. He boarded his cruise with no luggage and embarked on his 14-day European holiday with nothing but the clothes on his back and the wallet and passport in his pocket. Thankfully, he had purchased an all-inclusive travel policy from me, which meant he was able to purchase new clothes and personal items and submit the receipts to insurance. His bags arrived back at his house 1 month after arriving home from his 14-day vacation.
5) Peace of Mind. All of the above reasons are good reasons for purchasing travel insurance, but what about just the simple “Peace of Mind” aspect to knowing your investment is well protected regardless of what happens before or during your holiday.
Vacations are great fun to plan and experience, and hopefully nothing but good memories come from it, but I know I don’t want to have to worry about stepping the wrong way on cobble stone road and twisting my ankle. Unnecessary worries take away from the enjoyment of a holiday and knowing you are protected means you can that simple peace of mind and have fun!
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