If you have a vacation or other trip scheduled and if you are unsure as to whether travel insurance is worth the cost and effort, here are 10 good reasons to purchase it.
1. You may find that your credit card company offers automatic insurance coverage when you purchase air or rail tickets. This makes your decision very easy as the work is already done and there may be no extra costs involved.
2. You never know what can come up to cause a change in plans. You may miss your flight, or have to leave earlier than planned. This will typically generate extra fees that can be covered by a travel insurance policy.
3. An emergency may cause you to have to cancel your trip. An unexpected death in the family or injuries caused in an accident can cause you to postpone your trip. A policy can cover lost expenses due to the delay.
4. Travel insurance is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Many websites offer travel insurance, which can be as low as $25 per ticket.
5. Your luggage and personal items will be covered against loss or damage during the trip.
6. There can be a life insurance component to the policy, which will pay your family in the event of your sudden death in a travel related accident.
7. Other services are often bundled with the travel insurance, such as 24-hour phone assistance that can provide help for all your travel needs.
8. Some travel insurance plans will reimburse for lost tickets. This is a common occurrence with paper tickets and ticket replacement will cost the full fare. (E-tickets are easily replaceable however)
9. Delays are reimbursable. Plans vary but you they will often have set timeframes for delays and will pay a percentage based on the number of hours of the delay.
10. You can be paid for interruptions in your trip. If your travel plans are altered due to unexpected circumstances, some policies will pay you cash to assist you along the way.
Travel insurance offers many features and when embarking on an extended vacation or an expensive trip, it pays to have good insurance coverage in place for the unexpected.
Be sure to comparison shop for a travel insurance policy by discussing options with your travel agent, your airline, and/or your cruise company. Policies and products are also available view the web.