As we all have come to the realization, many things can go wrong when we're traveling.
Missed connections, lost luggage, weather-related contingencies, illness or accidents … I could go on and on.
The worst thing about most travel mishaps is many times they can cost you a considerable amount of money to fix. When things go wrong while traveling, you will be thankful if you have planned ahead by investing in a travel insurance policy that will pay for many potential travel losses. I believe that solo travelers should not leave home without it.
What is Travel Insurance?
The first thing you should do before purchasing a travel insurance policy is take the time to get educated on the topic. There are many reputable companies that offer this type of coverage. Most insurers have several standard plans that cover single trip, multi-trips or annual policies for domestic and international travel. The more expensive the plan, the more risks insured.
Most Common Risks Covered by Travel Insurance
Photo Via Allianz
Trip Cancellation
Trip Interruption
Trip Delay Due to Weather
Medical Treatment and Transportation
Lost, Damaged or Stolen Baggage, Personal Items, Travel Documents
Delayed Baggage Emergency Items Replacement
Missed Flight Connections Due to Airline Rescheduling or Delay
Accidental Death, Injury or Disablement
Overseas Funeral Arrangements - Reparation of Remains
Highjacking
Any one of these travel issues can turn a vacation into a catastrophe. Having travel insurance can reduce your stress level when things start to go downhill.
High Risk Travel Situations Covered With Additional Insurance
Dangerous Sports Activities
Travel to High Risk Countries
Cancellation for any Reason
Third Party Insolvency
Injuries sustained from mountain-climbing, skiing, scuba or sky diving require added insurance to cover the costs incurred dealing with this potential high risk occurrence.
Likewise, even though rare, a third party travel company you've booked with could become insolvent before your start your trip leaving you out of money and not “on the road.” Unfortunately, this can and does happen. Low-cost air carriers, tour operators or alternative lodging options can vanish leaving you empty handed. With travel insurance many of these unlikely events can be financially mitigated.
Photo Via Allianz
Common Travel Insurance Exclusions
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions or Traveling for the Purpose of Having Medical Treatment
War
Terrorism
Injury or Sickness Caused by Alcohol, Drug Use or Reckless Behavior.
It's a sad fact that we live and travel in world that must cope with the reality of terrorism. More and more policies have trip cancellation coverage that include terrorism events but only if the Act of Terrorism meets the policies parameters such as the place of terror, type of terror incident and the date of the terror event.
Important: Fully understand what is and is not covered in your travel insurance policy for acts of terrorism.
2 Excellent Travel Insurance Research Websites
From this brief travel insurance overview, I hope you will have an idea of what unforeseen travel events will be covered for loss. There are two excellent websites, www.squaremouth.com and www. insuremytrip.com that provide some excellent research tools to decided on which policy from which company is best for each unique trip. Cost and coverage comparisons with company hotline phone numbers are listed to assist the you and answer any questions.
Pick Up the Phone and Call the Traveler Insurer for Clarification
Once you have an idea of what type of policy you need to purchase and its cost, I highly recommend calling the travel insurance company and go over, specifically, what risks are covered and if the amount of coverage is adequate. Explain to the agent your specific coverage requirements to make sure the policy you are considering buying is appropriate for your trip.
Also, ask about policy exclusions and triggers that would cause a claim to be denied.
Personal Travel Insurance Claim Denial: Err!
Photo Via Allianz
A Case in Point: last year I missed a flight connection in Paris that was due to an extremely slow immigration process because of a heightened terrorism alert. I arrived at the connecting airline's departure gate 29 minutes before my flight to New York was to take off. The plane doors had already been locked and I was told I couldn't board. I pleaded stating my tardiness was out of my control. Bottom line, I had to purchase a new plane ticket home on another airline which cost me $1,800. Ouch! At the time I wasn't that concerned because I had travel insurance and the new flight actually got me back to my final destination, New Orleans, earlier than the original one.
Within two weeks after my trip I filed my claim. Low and behold it was DENIED. I was in shock but the company representative shared missed flight connections due to immigrations delays ARE NOT COVERED! Airline delays, weather issues, accidents on the way to the airport would have triggered coverage. Needless to say, I was highly aggravated but the point is, know what is and is not covered in your policy. The best way to fully understand your coverage is to read the policy and then go over it with an agent to double check your understanding of its coverage. If you are not satisfied, either secure additional insurance or cancel the policy and purchase one that does cover all of the travel contingencies your are concerned about.
Insure With Allianz
The Allianz mobile app is user friendly and available in the App Store.
After this disturbing incident, I ceased to do business with that travel insurer and now bind all of my travel insurance policies with Allianz, a highly rated carrier that Astrid Solo Travel Advisor has an affiliate relationship with. Purchasing travel insurance from Allianz is easy and their policies are affordable. Go to their highly informative website for a wealth of information and to buy a travel policy.
For an instant price quote the Allianz landing page will allow you to enter your upcoming trip information and give you the costs of the different types of plans it offers for your excursion. Also, you will be given the dollar amount limits for the different insured conditions the policy covers. As well as a brief explanation of the meaning of what these insured conditions are and their basic parameters. A 24/7 Hotline phone number, (1-866-724-5082), is given that is available to fully explain and clarify all coverage questions and to assist the insured when a claim situation has occurred while traveling.
Plans can be purchased by credit or debit card directly from the Allianz website. Your plan will be emailed to your shortly after full payment. You have ten days to review the policy. If you are not completely satisfied with the travel insurance coverage, Allianz will refund your money as long as you haven't begun your trip or have filed a claim.
Allianz Website is Highly Informative
Additional important information found on the Allianz website are Coverage Alerts, Filing a Claim Instructions, Monitoring a Claim's Status, How Travel Insurance Works Basics and some insightful Travel and Destination Guides.
Note: Events that are considered known and foreseeable will likely not be covered by travel insurance. For instance, if there is a Hurricane Storm Alert, the insurance must have been purchased before this alert to be covered for a potential claim. "Policies purchased on or after the warning date do not cover losses related to that event."
The Las Vegas Shooting, the Manhattan Truck Attack, the Texas Shooting, the Bali Volcano and the southern California Wildfires are some examples of non-weather related Coverage Alerts which are also types of events that disqualify coverage if policy's are not bound before these event types.
By now as you can surmise, purchasing the appropriate travel insurance policy can be tricky and somewhat confusing. To simplify how to approach securing good coverage, I have developed the following list of helpful tips.
Eight Solo Traveler Tips for Buying Travel Insurance and Filing a Claim
Research Travel Insurance Options - be sure to look into coverage that different insurance carriers provide. We recommend visiting the following research websites; www.squaremouth.com, www.insuremytrip.com
Before Purchasing a Policy, Ask Questions - call a company agent for coverage specifics and exclusions
Purchase Your Policy Within 14 Days of Booking Any Expenditures for the Trip
Read the Trip Insurance Policy - Fully understand what is covered and excluded. Notify the company immediately of any incorrect personal info or trip documentation
Retain all Trip Details, Documentation and Receipts for any Expenses before and During the Trip
Obtain Medical Records Copies before Returning Home
Fill Out Claim Forms Thoroughly and in a Timely Manner
Fully Understand the Claims Process - ask questions, know time deadlines and methods of communications. Record dates, time and substance of all correspondence, as well as, persons with whom you have talked with about the claim.
Research, seek clarification, understand your policy, timely policy purchase, save all trip financial and medical documentation, timely filing of claims are all good travel insurance acquisition habits. Unlike most other insurance coverage, in most instances you will have to come out of pocket to solve a problem when traveling and upon you return home you will then have to file a claim for financial reimbursement.
Here is a very detailed article comparing many of the major travel insurance providers and the pros and cons of each!
Travel Insurance: A Wise Investment for the Solo Traveler
Travel insurance is not a necessity, but it is wise for the solo traveler to have it when traveling. The added peace of mind a travel insurance policy gives you when mishaps on the road occur is worth the expenditure. Knowing you will be reimbursed or compensated for covered out-of-pocket expenses, missed pre-paid activities, lost or damaged luggage, trip interruption, trip cancellation, medical treatment and any other covered claim is a prudent financial expenditure. Smart solo travelers purchase travel insurance.
Don't leave home without it!
** As a disclaimer I feel I must state; I am not an insurance agent or expert and the information in this blog is geared only in sharing key travel insurance basics and ideas. Always seek advice from licensed, travel insurance agents before binding any travel insurance coverage. **
What are your thoughts on travel insurance? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Author: Astrid Clements
Astrid Solo Travel Advisor CEO and founder, Astrid, has spent over 40 years traveling around the world. She is passionate about embracing the world’s diverse cultures and sharing with others the global need and personal benefit of cultural literacy. Her focus is on affordable luxury travel that is both substantive and fun! To read more about her and each one of our Solo Travel Advisors, head over to the About page!
With all of the information surrounding the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019, you might be wondering whether you should cancel your travel plans, postpone them, or build a bunker instead. We’re being bombarded by news of COVID-19 on all media platforms. And here we are as well, writing about it. But the point of this post is to pose the questions, “How concerned should we really be?” and “How could this affect your travel plans?”