Travel Planning –
Remember Travel Insurance

Summertime travel planning has always been about family-vacation, road trips, and beach time. How far we travel may be a little different this year, but the yearn and desire to get out and about it still the same.  

Recently I participated in an Instagram session to talk about travel insurance with Allianz Travel Insurance and Trip Advisor. In the days of travel past, we knew the best plans included travel insurance. Today’s trips are shorter, closer, and mostly by car, and many travelers ask how travel insurance plays into the planning of their getaways.  

Below are the top questions travelers are asking before they hit the road.

Q. What does travel insurance cover?

A. Travel insurance protects you from unexpected travel emergencies and mishaps, which can include trip cancellation, lost or stolen luggage, and more. It does not, however, cover foreseeable events.  

Q. What about coverage for pre-existing conditions?

A. Travel insurance plans can include protection for pre-existing medical conditions if certain requirements are met like you’re well enough to travel when purchasing the plan. 

Q. What kind of travel insurance plans can you buy?

A. The three common plans are:  

1. “Pre-trip” or “single trip” – one plan that protects one trip offers a variety of protection, from cancellation to medical benefits, depending on the plan.
2. “Annual” – one plan that protects your trips for an entire year.
3. “Cancel For Any Reason” – a per trip plan that is just how it sounds. Not all providers offer “CFAR: insurance, and it can be more expensive.  

Q. Does travel insurance cover COVID-19 testing on return home from a trip?

A. If you’re required to take a test before a return flight, currently, you would be covered if the test is done at an approved facility.

Q. Is COVID illness covered?

A. All companies have different policies, but normally losses due to pandemics are not covered. 

Allianz Global Assistance is currently helping customers 24/7/365 who need travel assistance or would like to file a claim related to COVVID-19, for both new and existing customers. 

Q. I’m just getting started planning. I have parts of a trip planned but haven’t gone on it. If I get a plan, does it apply?

A. Yes, as long as you purchase a plan before departing, it will cover your trip.

Q. We’re taking a family trip to our nearby beach. It’s hurricane season. Does travel insurance cover hurricanes?

A. It’s all about the name. If you buy a plan before a storm is named, your travel insurance can apply if you incur losses due to that storm. Once the storm is named, it’s considered a foreseeable event.

 

Q. Does travel insurance cover local trips like road trips, camping, etc.?

A. Annual insurance plans provide protection for any trip that is 100 miles or more away from home – so road trips away from home can be protected too.

Q. When should I buy an annual plan?

A. If you take two or more trips a year, an annual plan may save you money on travel insurance. It’s also the easiest way to ensure you are protected – no matter where you go or when you book.

Q. I need to travel by air. If my flight is delayed, can I file a claim?

A. If you select a plan with travel delay benefits, you may file a claim for expenses you incur, such as an accommodation, basic necessities, for a covered delay of six hours or more.  

Do you have more questions about your future trips? For more information on insuring your next trip, visit Allianz Travel Insurance.

When you put on your travel planner hat, there are many pieces and parts to pull together. Start with deciding on a destination where you can travel responsibly, keep your family healthy, and consider the health and welfare of the communities you visit. Trip Advisor has resources to help with all of your planning, accommodations, things to do, places to eat, and “real traveler” tips, comments, and recommendations. Once you and your travel mates have sorted through all the details and you have insured your travel investment, you are ready for summer fun.  

 

This article is a paid partnership with Allianz Travel Insurance and Trip Advisor