When it comes to travel insurance policies, comparing the available ones in the market is very difficult especially if you are new to taking travel insurance policies. Before you begin there are certain things you need to take into considerations, such as Travel cancellation and interruption, personal and health coverage, baggage and special items, benefits, plans, plan types, policies & limitations, support services etc., details of this list later in the article.
There are three types of travel insurance policies that are common in the travel industries today. They are:
1 Entry-level plan: This plan gives you the minimum protection at an affordable price and it doesn’t have the recommended protection ideal for traveling.
2 Standard level plans: This plan gives you average protection and coverage when compared with the entry-level plan with affordable prices, but there are things that you might need to cover that are not listed under the standard coverage plan, then you will need to look at the premium coverage plan.
3 Premium level plans: This plan offers the best coverage at a reasonable price when compared with the entry-level plan and standard level plan. With a premium level plan, you don’t need to worry about certain things that are not included in the other plans. This plan fully covers certainly everything you would least expect. You can compare most the travel insurance policy by popular review at this insurance review site
The major items that needed to be compared when taking an insurance policy are as follows:
Travel Cancellation and Interruption
- Trip delays
- Travel agency, transportation services (airline, cruise) goes bankrupt or defaults
- Natural disaster
- Military deployment
- Bad weather
- Work-related trip cancellation
Personal and Health Coverage
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- Medical evacuations
- Repatriation of remains
- Common carrier accidental death and dismemberment
- Medications and consultations
Baggage and Special Items
- Lost baggage
- Baggage delays
- Special items (sporting equipment)
- Electronic items
- Passport
Benefits
How much compensation are you entitled to for each covered item in your travel insurance policy? Most plans offer 100 percent coverage for trip cancellation. Medical benefits vary from company to company, but some require primary medical insurance so be sure to check this out with the company. There is also a minimum period for both trip interruption and baggage delay coverage. Benefit details include per day maximum limits for baggage and trip delays. Below are the covered items and benefits we looked into.
Trip cancellation
Trip interruption
Trip delay
Missed connection
Baggage delay
Lost baggage
Accident and medical expenses
Medical evacuation
Plans
What are the available plans? Plans that give you more options give you the best chance of finding travel insurance that meets your coverage and budget needs. While most holiday travelers basically have the same needs in terms of the coverage, business or adventure travelers may be different.
Plan types
- Single trip
- Family/ Group trip
- Business traveler
- Frequent traveler
- Adventure or special traveler
Policies & Limitations
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- Minimum period required for enrollment
- Travel and baggage delay periods
- “Free look” period
Support Services
Having 24/7 support services is a must, especially for travelers. Standard services include concierge and business assistance. A dedicated support line is available for round the clock assistance. In case you’d like to cancel your policy, understand how their free look period works and their refund policy.
Concierge services
24/7 medical assistance
Business traveler assistance
Roadside assistance
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