What do you think of when you think of trip insurance? For a lot of travelers, the first thing that comes to their minds is trip cancellation insurance. Yes, it's true that trip insurance offers reimbursement for prepaid travel expenses if you have to cancel your plans for a covered reason.
What's more, if you add the Cancel For Any Reason benefit to your policy, trip insurance allows you to cancel your plans for literally any reason! But that’s not the only thing trip insurance can do for travelers like you.
Let's explore the hidden benefits of trip insurance.
What Does Trip Insurance Cover?
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Trip Interruption or Delay | If you have to cut your trip short or need to unexpectedly extend your trip for a covered reason like inclement weather, trip insurance can help lessen the financial blow. Plans with this benefit: Safe Travels Voyager, iTravelinsured Travel LX, Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice |
Vacation Rental & Hotel Deposits | Whether you’re staying in a hotel or in a vacation rental, chances are you’ll need to pay a deposit fee up front. If you have to cancel your plans, trip insurance protection can help you recoup these nonrefundable expenses. Plans with this benefit: Safe Travels Voyager, iTravelinsured Travel LX, Travel Safe Classic |
Lost, Damaged, or Delayed Luggage
| Baggage mishaps are a common traveler frustration. Trip insurance can cover expenses related to lost, damaged or delayed luggage, including reimbursing you for a change of clothes or other necessities. Plans with this benefit: Travel Select, Safe Travels Voyager, iTravelinsured Travel LX, Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice |
Missed Connection
| One of the greatest concerns for travelers is missing a connecting flight. When you have trip insurance, expenses related to missed connections like acquiring a new flight or meals may be covered. Plans with this benefit: Travel Select, Safe Travels Voyager, iTravelinsured Travel LX, Travel Safe Classic |
CFAR
| Your trip insurance will cover you if your travel plans are canceled for a covered reason like sickness or inclement weather. But if you want to add even more flexibility, add the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) benefit to your basic policy. That way you can cancel your trip for any reason and still recoup up to 75% of prepaid expenses. Plans with this benefit: Safe Travels Voyager, iTravelinsured Travel LX, Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice |
Unused event tickets | If you’re planning to attend a concert or a special museum exhibit or take in a ball game, you probably paid for tickets in advance. In the unfortunate event that you have to cancel your trip plans, trip insurance can reimburse you for these unused tickets. Plans with this benefit: Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice, Travel Safe Classic |
Hidden Benefits of Trip Insurance
In addition to the benefits listed above, there are a multitude of other hidden benefits of trip insurance that you may not know about.
Rental Car Damage
Many trip insurance policy plans include coverage for rental car damage or theft of a rental car during your travels.
This benefit can protect you against eligible expenses related to physical damage and repair of the rental car in the event of an accident or theft of the vehicle.
Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Accidental death and dismemberment insurance is another added benefit of many trip insurance policy plans that provides relief to your family in the event of your death or serious dismemberment during your travels.
This benefit pays a lump sum amount to the insured's beneficiary in the event of death due to a covered accident.
Accident & Sickness
Trip insurance also includes an accident and sickness benefit, which can cover emergency medical expenses in the event that you are injured or fall ill unexpectedly during your travels.
This can be extremely beneficial as most domestic health insurance plans will not cover travelers outside of their home country.
Emergency Medical Evacuation
Most trip insurance policy plans also include coverage for emergency medical evacuation. Emergency medical evacuation can be deemed necessary if you require emergency transport to a hospital or medical facility that can treat a life-threatening illness or injury.
Without coverage, emergency medical evacuation can be extremely expensive, especially outside of the United States.
Repatriation of Remains
Coverage for the repatriation of remains is also a hidden benefit of trip insurance.
This benefit provides coverage to return your remains back to your home country in the event of an untimely death abroad. Without coverage, repatriation costs can be exorbitant.
Political Evacuation and Natural Disaster Evacuation
Many trip insurance plans also offer evacuation for covered natural disasters or political events in certain situations.
This benefit can cover the costs necessary to get you back to your home country in the event of a natural disaster or political circumstance.
Travel Assistance Services
Another key benefit that makes trip insurance worth it is the access to travel assistance services through your insurance provider.
If you need any sort of travel assistance during your trip, translation services, or help finding a medical facility, the insurance provider can provide these services to you as part of your plan.
Pet Benefits
Some trip insurance policy plans even offer pet benefits, which can include coverage for a trip cancellation or interruption due to the sickness or death of a pet.
Additionally, select trip insurance plans can cover costs associated with extended boarding for pets in the event of a delayed return.
Get Comprehensive Protection With Trip Insurance
For as little as $100, travelers can take advantage of all these benefits. Traveling can be an amazing experience, but it can come with a bit of stress and anxiety.
Trip insurance helps you travel stress-free so you can focus on the sights you’ll see, the cultures you'll explore and the people you're with.
Ready to get covered? Compare our available trip insurance plans or contact our Customer Success Team for friendly assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does trip insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Trip insurance typically excludes pre-existing medical conditions, however there is a workaround to make sure that your pre-existing condition can be covered. Most insurance plans allow you to submit a pre-existing condition waiver, allowing you to obtain coverage.
To qualify for a waiver, you typically need to:
- Purchase the policy soon after making your first trip payment (often within 1421 days)
- Insure the full cost of the trip
- Be medically stable at the time of purchase
With the waiver in place, your policy may cover your trip cancellations, interruptions, or delays related to your pre-existing condition, which would otherwise be excluded from your policy without the waiver.
What’s the difference between Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage?
The difference between trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance is that trip cancellation benefits become available if the trip is cancelled before the journey begins (before the start date of the policy). Trip interruption benefits are available after the journey begins. If for some documented covered reason, your trip is cut short after it has started, you as the insured individual must return to your home country.
Can I get coverage if I am going zip lining or skydiving during my trip?
Some policies may cover recreational, beginner activities such as ziplining. However, there are other policies that may exclude zip lining if the provider considers it as “high-risk”. If you plan to participate in a high-risk activity such as skydiving, it is generally recommended to make sure that your insurance policy plan has an adventure sports add-on to cover your financial investment and potential risks.
How long do I have to file a claim after the trip ends?
For most travel insurance plans, you typically have within 60-90 days of the incident to file a claim. However, it is important to check your policy since many plans might want you to file sooner. In general, it is best to file a claim as soon as possible after an incident to make sure your chance of getting your claim approved is high and to avoid any limitations.
Does trip insurance cover non-U.S. residents traveling to the United States?
While the plans are limited, there are select trip insurance plans that are designed to can cover non-U.S. residents coming to the United States, such as the SafeTrip International Travel Medical Plus - Premium plan. These plans will offer you benefits like trip cancellations, travel delays, and many of the hidden benefits we listed earlier.
What happens if a natural disaster hits during my trip?
If a natural disaster such as a hurricane, earthquake, or wildfire happens at your trip destination making it unsafe, trip interruption may cover your prepaid, nonrefundable costs that you have not used yet if you have to cut your trip short. If you also need to book an early return flight home if a natural disaster strikes your destination, trip interruption coverage may provide you with coverage for that flight as well.
If I am traveling with expensive equipment like camera gear, can I get it covered by trip insurance?
Trip insurance can provide coverage for high-value items like camera gear. Typically, there are per-item and overall maximum benefit limits. Make sure to read your plan documents to understand the full details of what is covered and to what extent, since every plan is unique. Also, it might be worth it to consider purchasing additional specialty insurance for expensive electronics, jewelry, or sports equipment.
Will trip insurance cover missed cruise departures if my flight to the cruise port was significantly delayed?
If your flight was significantly delayed by the airline causing you to miss your cruise, trip insurance may cover your transportation or flight to make sure you get to the next cruise port.
On your trip insurance plan, it is important to put the correct start and end date. The start date should be the moment you leave your home, so if you have a flight before your cruise trip, you would include that.
Can I buy trip insurance at the last minute if I accidentally forgot to buy it in advance?
While you might find last minute travel insurance, it is not ideal or recommended because of the potential lack of coverage. The options also may be limited or even more expensive. It is best to purchase travel insurance days before you leave to ensure better and stronger coverage. For specific add-ons, such as Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR), you may have to purchase it 14-21 days before your flight.
