Travel Insurance Features to Consider for Your Next International Trip

Probably the worst part about planning a vacation is the fear that you may not get your money back on those non-refundable reservation if you have to cancel the trip due to unforeseeable circumstances. But that’s where travel insurance comes in. A comprehensive policy, unlike the one offered by your airline company, can safeguard your investment and make sure that your trip goes as smoothly as possible.

But there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to travel insurance, and with so many options on the market, it can be hard to find a policy that matches your needs. So when considering which insurance policy to buy for your next trip, here are a few important features that you should consider.

Travel insurance can really come in handy if you need to cancel or postpone your trip but don’t want to lose the money you spent on flight and hotel bookings

Policy for Cancelling Trips

It’s almost impossible to guarantee that you won’t run into a personal or work-related emergency that’ll force you to cancel a (very expensive) trip last minute. Travel insurance can really come in handy if you need to cancel or postpone your trip but don’t want to lose the money you spent on flight and hotel bookings.

Different policies cover their own list of reasons for cancelling trips. The most common ones include illness, death in family, a terrorist attack or natural disaster, getting summoned by the court or losing your job.

TravelInsurance.com’s founder, Stan Sandberg, says that most travel insurance companies have a reimbursement policy for big reasons, so it’s important to ask your insurance provider what exactly is covered under the policy before signing your name on the dotted line.

Cancel for Any Reason

Companies will allow you to upgrade your cancellation policy to cover more than just the ‘big’ reasons mentioned above. For an additional cost, policy holders have the additional flexibility to cancel their trip for any reason at least two days before their departure and reimbursed for the expenses.

Its important to get this extended coverage within a week or two of making the plane or hotel reservations – not when you’re about to cancel the trip.

Delayed or Lost Baggage

Travel insurance isn’t just useful for cancelling trips, but also for protecting the policy holder against baggage delay or loss at the airport.

Misplaced baggage can be an unexpected hiccup in your travelling plans, one that comes with the additional cost of replacing the missing possessions. But with a travel insurance plan, you can recoup the value of your belongings if your baggage has been delayed for over 24 hours.

If you lose your luggage altogether, your airline can give certain coverage for the financial loss.

Medical coverage

There are only a few things worse than cancelling a trip, and getting sick or injured is one of them. If you face a medical emergency in foreign lands, your travel insurance can give you coverage for all medical expenses associated with the treatment, including, but not limited to, medication, change in itinerary, hospital stay and change in hotel booking.

Visiting the clinic or getting medical treatment in a foreign country can run into hundred, if not thousands, of dollars. Travel insurance can cover all medical emergencies while you’re abroad, including those that aren’t covered by your local health insurance provider.

If you face a medical emergency on foreign lands, your travel insurance can give you coverage for all medical expenses associated with the treatment

Dangerous Sports Coverage

Travelling often comes with its fair share of adventures like horseback riding, ATV rides, bungee jumping and other dangerous sports that can put you at the risk of injury.

Take the extra precaution and pick out a travel insurance policy that gives adequate coverage for all the dangerous activities you’re planning for your trip. Some of the high risk activities like Scuba diving and mountaineering can come at an additional cost so ask your insurance provider what’s covered under the policy and what upgrades you can get to the basic plan.

24-7 Global Assistance

It’s important that your travel insurance has a 24-hour global assistance to help you with an emergency any time of the day. Insurance providers give their customers a personalized experience through their helpline, and their specialists are always available to help you in case you don’t understand the language or customs of the country you are traveling to.