When you book a flight, you might be putting out a lot of money and you might not be. If you bought your ticket on a great sale or you are flying last minute, chances are, you didn’t empty your savings for the trip. But sometimes that airline ticket costs a bundle and you book it far in advance. In these cases, it is good to have air travel insurance.
Air travel insurance is a way to help protect the money you spent on your trip. This is a good thing, since there are so many ways your trip can go sideways, leaving you with out of pocket costs and out of a vacation. With that in mind, here are the top five reasons why you might need to purchase air travel insurance.
1. Trip Cancellation
When you book your flight months in advance, you have no way to know what will happen between the time of booking and the time your flight leaves the ground. During that time, you or someone in your family could become injured or ill. You could get unexpectedly and involuntarily laid off from your job. Your accommodations at your travel destination could be made uninhabitable by a natural disaster.
When something like this happens and you have to cancel or postpone your flight, you do not want to lose all that money. But most likely, your airline ticket is nonrefundable. That is where air travel insurance can help you recoup those costs. This insurance can reimburse you for the cost of your flight and other covered trip costs for any of the approved reasons included in your plan documents.
2. Trip Interruption
Sometimes, while you are in the middle of a fabulous dream vacation or a beach vacation for some much-needed R&R, you need to leave suddenly. This can happen for any number of reasons. A family member might have passed away or become injured or severely ill. Your home might have been destroyed by a natural disaster or fire. Or, you get sick and can’t continue with your tour.
Whatever the reason, this is referred to as trip interruption. Air travel insurance can cover the extra expenses you will incur for switching your flight to fly home immediately, rather than when you previously planned to fly home. You can also be reimbursed for unused trip arrangements. The knowledge that this protection is in place can help relieve anxiety associated with leaving home.
3. Flight Delays
Flight delays happen all the time. Severe weather and mechanical issues can ground a flight for hours, or even until the next day. When this happens, you can miss connecting flights. You can end up spending more on lodging and food that you budgeted for. Your cruise might leave without you. You might miss your hotel booking, but be charged anyway.
Air travel insurance can help protect you from these unexpected expenses. It can cover the cost of additional hotel nights or missed hotel nights. It can cover the cost of food while you are stranded at the airport. Costs for rebooking flights, airport transportation and catching up with the cruise ship that left without you can all be reimbursed thanks to air travel insurance.
4. Lost or Delayed Luggage
It is all too common for you to arrive at your destination only to find out your luggage didn’t. And there is nothing quite like the feeling of standing at the baggage carousel, waiting and watching, only to realize your suitcase isn’t there. When you end up on a vacation without your suitcases, you are left without clothing, toiletries and other necessities. You can be without these items for days while your luggage is being tracked down.
Air travel insurance from Generali Global Assistance includes Baggage and Baggage Delay coverages that can help in these situations.
5. Medical Coverage
Medical and Dental coverage is included with every Generali travel insurance plan. This is important coverage to have when you are away from your home country. It’s rare these days that your regular health insurance will cover your medical expenses when you are abroad, yet medical emergencies can happen regardless of where you are.
By getting medical coverage with your air travel insurance, if you get injured or become ill during your trip, the medical costs you incur can be covered. This can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars and can help keep your dream vacation from turning into a complete nightmare.
Where to Buy Air Travel Insurance
You can book your air travel insurance with the airline or travel agent, but this isn’t always your best option. There may be a lot of exceptions in your policy or you may be sold a policy you don’t actually need. Purchasing your air travel insurance with a travel insurance provider is your best bet and Generali has a variety of travel insurance plans that fit a range of travel needs, especially if you’re flying.
It’s a good idea when you purchase your air travel insurance that you do so as soon as possible after you book your flight. And always read the fine print. You want to be sure you have the level of coverage you are expecting and that there are no surprises during the trip. Then you can go ahead and enjoy your vacation the way you were meant to.
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