Five things you need to know about travel insurance
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- Understanding travel insurance is crucial for protecting your clients and your agency's reputation. Join Vincent Vacations to gain expertise.
- Navigating insurance complexities can be challenging. We offer comprehensive training and support to help you confidently advise your clients.
- Partnering with Vincent Vacations gives you access to resources and networks, ensuring your clients receive the best coverage and support during their travels.
Five Things You Need to Know About Travel Insurance
Even the most seasoned travelers sometimes feel confused about travel insurance — what’s out there, what it covers, whether or not they need it.
While coverage and policies vary, here are some basics to get you started:
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There are five main types of travel insurance. What you might need depends largely on what kind of trip you’re taking, what kind of traveler you are, and how frequently you travel. The five main types are:
- Trip cancellation and interruption (full or partial reimbursement for a trip you need to cancel prior to departure, a trip that gets cancelled because a tour company or resort goes out of business, or a trip that gets cut short for a wide variety of reasons)
- Medical (for health issues that occur outside of your normal coverage area)
- Evacuation (due to disaster, dangerous weather, political emergency, or medical emergency)
- Baggage (reimbursement for lost, stolen, or damaged baggage)
- Flight insurance (also called “crash coverage,” this is basically a life insurance policy that covers you while you’re on the plane, in the event of a statistically-rare crash)
- Just because you have health insurance at home does not mean that it will cover you on your trip. You need to check the ins and outs of your particular health insurance policy. It may cover you while you travel, but many do not. In fact, some insurance policies don’t even cover health emergencies experienced on foreign-flagged vessels — which is what most cruise ships are. Check with your provider, ask your travel agent for suggestions, and of course direct any insurance-related questions to the provider.
- Avoid purchasing travel insurance from the company that’s also hosting your trip. The reason for this? If that company goes out of business, chances are, so does their insurance.
- Some companies offer comprehensive coverage that can serve as your primary coverage while you’re traveling. What does this mean, and how can it benefit you? It means that the insurance company will pay first, regardless of what other insurance you have. They don’t even inquire about additional insurance, saving you tons of paperwork and out-of-pocket expenses. TravelGuard and Travelex are two such companies that provide these policies as an option.
- Weigh the cost of the trip with the cost of insurance. If you just bought a $79 ticket for a quick weekend in Chicago — is it worth it? Maybe, maybe not. If, however, you’re headed out on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that you’ve been saving for for months, travel insurance is likely a great idea.
If you’re looking to maximize your fun and minimize your risk, travel insurance might be just the right option for you. Take your time, ask tons of questions, and find what works best for you and your family.
Have questions about insurance – or any other travel-related topic? As a Vincent Vacations, I’d love to sit down with you in person or over the phone and get to know you and your travel plans better.
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To learn more techniques and how to become a travel agent, sign-up to become a travel agent today!
