TOP REASONS TO PURCHASE TRIP INSURANCE
by Debbie Ross, founder of the Womens Travel Network

My trip to Israel and Jordan was planned almost 2 years in advance. The departure date was almost here with only 6 more weeks to go. I was busy planning my wardrobe and researching the places I was going to visit and getting very excited about the trip. Then the unthinkable happened!  I had an accident. Of course I thought this would never happen to me, but it did and I found myself bedridden with a broken wrist and a broken knee. It was very clear that I would be not be able to travel and sadly had to cancel my dream journey. Thankfully I had purchased a deluxe trip insurance policy that included trip cancellation coverage. With one call to the insurance company the forms were on their way so that I could recoup my losses. It’s bad enough that I had to miss my dream trip but it would have been even worse if I had lost all that money too. Trip insurance is not just for cancellation there are so many other reasons why you should purchase trip insurance.  Some of the top reasons are lost or delayed baggage, flight cancellations and trip interruption, getting sick while on your vacation.

A vacation isn’t as big an investment as your car or your home but it’s still a lot of money. You purchase airfare and accommodations or maybe a tour including excursions, meals and other activities. Most of it paid for entirely in advance. Isn’t all this value worth insuring in case some unforeseen problem threatens your travel plans?

Following are some of the top reasons to purchase trip insurance.

1. Someone gets sick or hurt and you have to cancel

This might be the most common cause of cancelled vacations. If you or a travel companion were to get sick right before your planned trip and you have to cancel, you could lose the full cost of the trip. Or if a medical emergency crops up during your trip and you need to come home early, in many cases there may be no reimbursement available. That’s where travel insurance could come in handy.

2. Your luggage is delayed or lost

Whether your luggage is delayed, lost, stolen or damaged, it could get expensive to replace all the contents, including clothes, electronic devices and medication. Travel insurance could help cover replacement items until your luggage is found or much of the cost of the items including repair or replacement of the actual bag.

3. Foreign hospitals and an emergency abroad leaves you looking for a lifeline.

Your health insurance often doesn’t apply in foreign countries, so you could get stuck paying for an entire hospital stay – unless you have the right travel coverage.

Who do you call if there’s an accident abroad?

How do you locate a hospital? How do you arrange an ambulance, medical payments, or transportation home after receiving care?

What if you don’t speak the language…how do you know you are getting the best care?

How do you replace a missing passport or lost credit cards?

4. Emergency airlifts

If you need to be flown to a hospital or evacuated from a danger zone, helicopter transport could cost you thousands of dollars. The bill for an emergency helicopter airlift could be as much as $45,000 or more, which you need to pay somehow. Hiring a nurse to accompany you home on a special medical flight could cost $12,000 or more. Travel insurance may cover these types of costs.

5. Loss of a family member

Someone really close to you passes away just before your departure date. With trip cancellation coverage, you may be able to cancel or postpone your vacation in the event of a tragedy.

6. Early returns

If you have to fly home immediately and cancel the rest of your trip, the airline could charge you for your flight changes – even in an emergency. Travel insurance may help reimburse you those fees. You may also claim for unused services missed due to your early return.

• Pre-paid expenses you didn’t get to use for rest of the trip
• Cost of the last-minute plane tickets to get home
• The expense of re-joining the trip if you are able to

7. Damaged destinations

When a hurricane or winter storm closes the airport for days keeping you from reaching the resort you’re heading to, you could lose the cost of airfare, side trips and even what you’ve paid for the resort. Buying your travel insurance policy when you book your trip may help you get reimbursed for these costs.

8. Your job gets in the way

Even though your trip has been on the work schedule for weeks, what if your back-up leaves the company or you’re offered a new job that starts immediately? Travel insurance may be able to help if you have a cancel for a work-related reason.

If you’re planning a trip, now is the time to start thinking seriously about buying travel insurance. Learn more about Manulife Travel Insurance or contact our office and get covered today.

Womens Travel Network
affiliated with Worldwide Quest
491 King St. E, Toronto ON, M5A 1L9
Call:     416-633-5666 or 1-800-387-1483
Email:  travel@worldwidequest.com or Kerry@worldwidequest.com

For Information about the Womens Travel Network
Call: 905-771-8338 or 1-888-419-0118
Email:  info@womenstravelnetwork.ca
Website: www.womenstravelnetwork.ca

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