Travel Insurance Review

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Booking a trip this fall? Here’s why you should have travel insurance

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Traveler waving goodbye with travel insurance for the trip

As colder weather approaches in the northern hemisphere, airlines are hoping to fill their planes with leisure travelers seeking sunny getaways and time with family. Over the past few weeks, many airlines have been expanding their schedules and adding domestic routes, expecting a surge in holiday travel.

International travel is approaching pre-pandemic levels. Optimism rose with the recent news that many borders will be fully open to vaccinated travelers in November.

Overall, travel sentiment appears to be cautiously optimistic. For the first time since the start of COVID, travel insurance sales have surpassed pre-pandemic numbers. Travel insurance companies have adapted some plans to include special coverage for COVID. Policies can include coverage should you get COVID before you travel or even while you are on your trip.

Travel insurance is best purchase at the time you start booking your trip because you’ll have the opportunity for the widest range of benefits for travel mishaps, like these:

Trip cut short? Trip interruption cover is the answer

Some of the most common reasons that trips get cut short, sending you suddenly back home, are:

  1. The traveler is injured
  2. The traveler is suddenly ill
  3. A death occurs in the family

If you have to end a trip early, here’s how trip interruption coverage can help:

  • Reimbursement for unused, pre-paid and non-refundable trip expenses (like that special anniversary dinner at a vineyard).
  • Reimbursement for unexpected costs to get home quickly (think airfare change fees, for example).

Sick while traveling? Travel medical cover is your safety net

If you get sick while traveling – domestically or internationally – the cost of medical treatment is likely to be high and certainly unexpected. Even if you have health insurance and are traveling in the states, your coverage may not extend to where you are traveling. Health insurance plans almost never cover you while traveling abroad.

Travel medical coverage is your safety net. Since the rise of COVID, travel insurance companies have adapted some plans to include coverage for COVID-related hospitalization and medical expenses. 

Bonus: Included with travel medical coverage is the added benefit of medical evacuation. This is helpful if you need to be airlifted to a place where you can receive medical treatment.

Test positive before leaving? Cancel for any reason to the rescue

Even if you’re vaccinated, you could test positive for COVID. Many domestic and all international locations require a negative COVID test result as part of the entry requirements. If you test positive before you leave, and have to cancel your trip, you can reclaim a portion of your pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs with cancel for any reason coverage. 

Cancel for any reason can be handy in other situations completely beyond your control, like:

  • Borders at your intended destination close
  • Injury or illness of you or a traveling companion
  • Infection rates at your intended destination rise beyond your comfort level

Even if the place you’re visiting doesn’t require travel insurance, you could be glad you bought it. Just like any insurance plan, you only wish you had it when you really need it.

Other interesting news

Business class anyone? Here’s why super business mini suites may be the new future of flying.

Vaccine mandates – could there be a vaccination mandate for domestic air travel soon?

Read this if you have AAdvantage – the Points Guy is worried about devaluation.

Worried about lost bags? See which airline is most likely to lose or damage your luggage.

Check your carbon footprint – Google flights will now show you the environmental impact of flights.

Hurricane season is upon us. What does that do to your travel plans?

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We’re about halfway through the 2021 hurricane season and the next couple of months could be a wild ride. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and covers the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. The peak months are August through October.

On August 4, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) nearly doubled its early season forecast, which comes out in May. Their latest projections call for between 15 and 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater) and added two major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater) to their original projection.

So, what does all this mean for your travel plans? Lots actually. Here’s what you need to know.

Hurricanes cause tornadoes too

As if the hurricane itself wasn’t bad enough; in addition to flooding, high wind, and power outages, hurricanes can also spark tornadoes into existence and cause even more damage. The remnants of hurricane Fred caused as many as 14 tornadoes across Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina as it passed.

Definitely something to think about when you’re considering travel insurance.

Hurricanes travel north

Hurricane Grace is currently making problems for tourists to Mexico’s Mayan Riviera, but not all hurricanes stay in the south. 

The National Hurricane Center issued a rare hurricane watch for parts of New England this week, something that hasn’t happened in years. If Henri makes landfall on the northeastern coast, it could affect places like Long Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket, for example.

Drones are used to track hurricanes

Hurricanes are the costliest natural disasters in the US and researchers would like to be able to learn what causes these storms to rapidly intensify.

New drone technology is now being used to improve hurricane tracking and data collection. Hurricane-tracking drones called Saildrones (they look very much like small sailboats) are sailing into the storms to gather data and better predict the intensity and path of storms.

Hurricane-safe tropical spots

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Some tropical islands have historically been able to avoid hurricanes. If you choose your destination strategically, the odds of a storm destroying your vacation are very low.

Consider traveling to these islands if you’re hankering for a piña colada by the beach:

  • Aruba
  • Barbados
  • Bonaire
  • Curacao
  • Panama
  • Trinidad and Tobago

Of course, low risk doesn’t mean no risk. These islands may not be hurricane magnets but heavy rain and wind could still cause problems for your trip.

Other interesting news

New apps for travel discovery – When you’re ready to travel, these new travel apps can help match your budget, interests, and saved-up miles to a destination.

Who knew? Flight attendants pack duct tape as a last resort for unruly passengers. Let’s avoid getting taped to the airline seat, shall we?

Getting COVID travel ready – United Airlines has added thousands of COVID-19 testing sites at Walmarts and Albertsons. You can even book testing appointments through the airline’s website and app.