I had not always been a believer in travel insurance (I guess younger me thought why not just take the risk and save a few bucks?), but now I admit I am a total convert. I recently had an experience this summer where my husband and I needed to cancel our vacation to Canada for his work obligations. When we had to call off our trip, our travel protection plan saved us literally thousands of non-refundable dollars we would have lost without travel insurance. Getting that refund check in my account for the trip is literally what prompted me to write this article, so here it is people!
You protect your car, house, health and more with insurance, and here are my 6 reasons why your travel should be protected as well:
1. Travel is a huge investment of your time and money
People who love to travel work so they can save money for vacations where they can relax, refresh and spend quality time with loved ones. My travel experiences are the most memorable ones I have of my childhood and I know my family spent lots of money, time and energy to take us on these amazing trips. Now I relish every moment I get to spend away bonding with my family and friends. What could be more precious and worthy of protecting!?
2. Flight delays and cancellations happen every day
Less than 80% of flights depart on time, and you just never know when there will be a serious delay or even a cancellation. I have had clients arrive a day late, have their baggage arrive late, and every sort of flight scenario you can imagine. Having a protection plan that will cover you and your baggage if there are delays is important, period.
3. Sometimes duty calls
Many of us have jobs where it is near impossible to foresee if you will be needed back at work or crisis will strike. Having a travel plan that protects work obligations is critical for so many travelers, and for good reason. It is important to note that not all travel insurance plans have this – so I can help you navigate!
4. You cannot predict the weather (among other things)
So many variables that affect traveling are completely out of our control – like weather, the economy, and world events. When Cuba travel was banned suddenly for US citizens for example, I had to reroute cruisers to different locations. Of course, during hurricane season, I even more strongly recommend travel insurance to certain destinations, but really at any time anything can happen, so it is better to be on the safe side.
5. Accidents can happen, and international medical care and evacuation is very expensive
God forbid something were to happen to someone in your family while traveling, I am sure we all want to make sure we have the best medical coverage possible. Medical care and evacuations can be extremely expensive (up to hundreds of thousands), and I unfortunately know people who have been in long-term debt due to international medical bills because they did not have insurance. If you are hiking, sky-diving or just driving a car, accidents can happen. Your health is so important and should be protected wherever you are.
6. And finally, peace of mind
There are a million things that can cause a trip cancellation, interruption or delay. For me, travel insurance gives you the peace of mind that you are covered before and during your vacation. Vacations are meant to be relaxing, fun and filled with amazing memories. As a travel advisor I am here to take the stress out of trip planning, and travel insurance is a key piece to a worry-free vacation.
Looking to get insurance for your next trip? I have the best partnerships and expert knowledge to make sure you get the right travel insurance for you. Reach out at jessica@jessicawhitetravel.com.