Friday, July 26, 2013

Travel Insurance--necessary Or Not ?

Are you planning a trip and are undecided about the necessity of travel insurance? If so, this is the right site to be. You have probably heard dire warnings from fellow travelers and perhaps your own travel agent about the necessity of travel insurance, but is it really so? Since you plan to spend a goodly sum of money on airfare, accommodations, car rentals and other arrangements, it is probably a good idea to insure your trip with travel insurance. There are a variety of unexpected circumstances that could occur before your trip that would make travel insurance vitally important for you to get a refund of your money. Travel insurance was created to act as a safety net for people whose travel plans were drastically changed through no fault of their own. Whether the airline personnel go on strike, there is violent weather in the locale where you plan on visiting, there is a death in the family, or perhaps an unexpected illness forces you to cancel your reservations, travel insurance ensures that your money will be refunded if your travel plans are not carried out. In addition, there a number of specific areas where travel insurance can be of help to you while you are actually traveling. Much of the travel insurance is purchased by travelers to cover unforeseen health or medical problems beyond the scope of their personal health coverage. Such medical travel insurance policies are specifically designed to provide medical coverage while you are on your trip. Since many group and individual health insurance plans do not cover you outside of your specific area, or restrict coverage to emergencies only, you might want to look into your regular insurance plan to determine if you would be covered in a foreign country. By purchasing travel insurance, you are guaranteed to be covered in any medical situation that may occur. Since September 11, 2001, outbreaks of terrorism have plagued many regions of our world. If a terrorist act suddenly occurs in an area in which you have chosen to travel, the airline is not required to provide you a refund if you choose not to travel because of the terrorist threats--unless you have travel insurance. Given the unpredictability of events in today's world, you never know where or when a troubling situation could arise, and therefore, travel insurance becomes a must. Airline flights can be cancelled at any time, for a wide variety of reasons--bankruptcy of an airline, a pilot's strike, inclement weather conditions, mechanical failures, and any number of factors that can not be controlled. In some circumstances, flights are not rescheduled and refunds are not given, which means that you lost not only your flight, but also the money you spent to buy your ticket. Travel insurance insures your ticket and guarantees that if the flight does not depart, no matter what the reason, you will get a refund of the ticket price. Have you ever lost your bags or know someone who has? In most cases the airlines find and return the missing baggage, but in some cases it is never located. In other cases, it is discovered that items have been stolen from your luggage. In these cases, travel insurance would act to insure whatever items are lost or stolen so that you can replace your belongings. If you decide to purchase a travel insurance plan, it is important that you research a number of travel insurance companies and plans before choosing one. Travel insurance can be purchased for each individual trip or, for people who are frequent travelers, there are long-term (usually one year) travel insurance plans available. Be sure your travel insurance purchase covers all the bases, ask lots of questions, and confirm that your policy will cover all unforeseen circumstances of your trip, not just a few specific situations. Best wishes for safe and healthy travel!

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