Essential travel insurance for the airport and beyond, why? Because travel insurance is an essential component of any trip, and all trips start at the airport. So having insurance for traveling in place offers peace of mind and protection against unexpected events that can disrupt travel plans.

Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally, having the right coverage can safeguard you from unforeseen circumstances such as flight cancellations, medical emergencies, lost luggage, or natural disasters. In this article, we will explore the importance of travel insurance and why it should be considered a necessary investment for all travelers.

What is travel insurance and what does it do

Travel insurance is basically a non  compulsory insurance that will provide financial protection when traveling or on vacation. It can provide the standard cover for missed flights, lost luggage etc. To more specialized trip insurance. For example, a tailored policy for an adventure sports holiday you may have planned. Ultimately, if you have insurance for travel, and something unexpected happens, you won’t be totally out of pocket.

Do I need travel insurance

To put it simply, as long as you have something to lose, then yes, although it is not always mandatory. There may be situations where an airline won’t let you board a flight to certain destinations if you don’t have travel insurance for overseas. But this is incredibly rare, and your talking war zone type of stuff.

The need for travel insurance starts after you make your bookings, to protect the money spent on flights and accommodation. Then at the airport, the travel insurance is going to protect a number of things. Lost and damaged baggage, delayed and missed flights, and cover expenses for long delays and flight changes. And when finally at your vacation destination, you are safely protected from a number of policies , such as medical care and loss/ theft.

Why should I get travel insurance

Same answer as before, because you will have something to lose. Let’s look at it in a more extreme way. Say you are walking down the street and get hit by a car, resulting in a couple of months in the hospital. The country you’re traveling in does not provide free healthcare, and you have no travel insurance. Chances are the bill will be horrific and you’ll never be able to afford to go on a holiday ever again.

When to skip travel insurance

I will contradict and repeat myself at the same time here. If you have nothing to lose, then fine skip it. You could be a billionaire so would have nothing to lose. It may be such a short trip, medical care in the country you are traveling to is free, and the clothes you have are ready for the tip. Or perhaps insurance covering some criteria’s is included in accommodation or modes of transport.

But remember this, even though you may afford medical care away from home, there may be instances that treatment is refused or delayed unless there is evidence of insurance.

Different types and areas of cover

Choosing your essential travel insurance shouldn’t be too confusing. You will pick which type of trip insurance covers the needs for you and perhaps your family. Such as the number of yearly trips, and types of destination, then add any specific trip requirements. After this go through the travel insurance policy to see if the areas of protection you require are available, and the financial limits. We’ll go through them below.

Options and terms may vary depending on your country of residence.

Categories you will likely choose from when selecting your essential travel insurance.

Type of cover

Single trip insurance
Annual trip insurance – Covers you for the whole year, but may have limits on the number of days per individual trip.
Long Stay/ backpacker insurance – Tailored for people traveling for long periods and to multiple countries.

Where you are going

Country specific
Local region/ continent
World wide (excluding certain countries)
World wide

Who’s traveling

An individual
A couple
A family – Often aimed at a couple, plus a number of children.
A group

Additional cover options.

These are often listed as additions due to the extra risk or value involved, than what a normal travel insurance policy may cover. For example, winter sports cover may include a higher rate of medical expenses for skiing. Whereas a normal policy may specifically say that they don’t cover for any sporting accidents.

Gadget cover
Winter sports cover
Cruise cover
Business trip cover

Travel insurance essentials, main areas of cover

Cancelation cover – Reimburses you for bookings already made, due to reasons covered in the policy. Also valid for having to cancel during your trip.
Baggage cover – Can cover you for both delay and loss.
Medical cover – The MOST important area to be insured. To cover medical expenses, and usually includes medical evacuation and repatriation.
Trip delay – Can cover you for missed or cancelled flights, and other connections.
Personal liability cover – Can protect yourself legally and financially in the event of causing injury to someone or something else.
Lost or stolen possessions – Covers against theft of belongings, including cash.

When to get travel insurance

It’s important to purchase your essential travel insurance soon after you have made other bookings, such as flights, accommodation, tours and transport.

This starts with the cancellation cover that your insurance policy should have. So even if it’s 4 months away from your journey to the airport. Should an unforeseen event occur, you will be able to claim back the cost of any bookings made.

How to choose the right type of cover for you

Know your needs. To get the best insurance for traveling you will want to cater to the needs of yourself and anyone else you may be covering on your trip. Most of the options you would look for are mentioned in the section, Travel insurance types and areas of cover. So start with the number of people being insured, then length of policy, then destination type. After this just tailor it to specific needs such as expensive gadgets, over 50 travel insurance and many more.

Read reviews. Now we all know there are travel insurance companies out there that will avoid paying out. Some with good reason, if the policyholder hasn’t taken notice of the kind of travel insurance they’re getting. But others will look for any excuse, regardless how morally bankrupt it is. Advertising like they care about you, “ Give us your money and we will take care of you, as if you were our own grandmother”. But when you need them, they don’t want to know.

So check out reviews from other customers to avoid these types of clowns. Also take note of customer service ratings, in case you may need them in an emergency.

Read documents before you purchase. Very important, make sure to check the policy of your essential travel insurance. Do this before paying as to make sure you have the coverage needed. Although if you miss something after you have paid, often there’s a cooling off period to get a full refund, on average about two weeks.

Cost. This is obvious. You want to pay the cheapest amount possible for your trip insurance. However it’s not a case of just picking the cheapest. Shop around, and make sure to compare what’s offered on similar priced insurance policies.

Where to buy travel insurance

Comparison websites. Probably the most common and popular method for searching and purchasing travel insurance. Simply answer the questions regarding your travel needs, then the comparison sites will load up dozens of results. You’re then free to choose what’s best for you, whether that’s price, level of cover or much more. There are many different comparison sites out there offering travel insurance searches.

Directly from a travel insurer. The old school way of doing things, going directly to an insurer, and purchasing insurance for your trip abroad. Although not as many options available. And in fact more time consuming to go around many different insurers, rather than use a comparison site. But the upside is that some of the bigger travel insurance brands wont be found on the comparison website. So looking direct may result in finding a more favorable deal.

Included with a bank account, or credit card. Many banks and credit cards these days come with perks, some may be standard, others part of a paid account. Often travel insurance is included in these perks. So if you have some sort of upgraded account, check what’s included, you may well have free travel insurance.

Included with a flight or holiday package. Many flights, tour packages, accommodation deals etc, may include travel insurance for certain areas of cover. It’s also quite common now to have trip insurance as an optional extra when making a booking for your vacation. Saving you the hassle of shopping around if time is of the essence.

Hopefully now you will be clued up on the how’s the what’s the why and the where’s of essential travel insurance. So when hanging around the airport, you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you are protected should the unforeseen occur.