It’s no surprise that travel during the winter season is a popular choice among fellow Americans. Whether that means leaving the predicted, abnormally-low temperatures of this coming year’s chilly season, a Carnival Cruise to the Caribbean, or simply a long road trip to see Grandma, traveling through the winter months has many challenges.
With the weather’s annual rising unpredictability, and depending on what your personal traveling goals include, travel insurance may not only be wise, it may also save you from the world of financial hurt you could experience if you choose to travel uninsured.
Questions to Ask When Considering Travel Insurance This Winter
Although travel insurance is often a good idea when traveling long distances, during the winter, or if your destination is known for winter storms of mass proportions, here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before pursuing traveling insurance further:
One: Is losing travel deposits something you are willing to experience, or financially capable to withstand?
Two: Do you see any advantage to paying out-of-pocket if you need to return home earlier than planned for any reason?
Three: Are you able to pay for any medical bills out-of-pocket that your activities on your trip could potentially cause?
If you didn’t like your answer to any of these questions, looking into Travel Cancellation Insurance (TCI) could save you an exorbitant amount of money if you need to quickly change your plans due to flight cancellations, unforeseen illnesses, or loss of an immediate family member.
What does Travel Insurance Cover During Winter?
While things such as baggage loss, damage, or delay may be seen as an annual asset of traveler insurance, it may become more crucial to be insured in this area when the snow starts flying. If your baggage has been delayed or even lost, filing a claim under your travel insurance could afford you the funds to quickly replace coats, personal hygiene items, and other necessities.
If the simplicity of that knowledge doesn’t impact your decision in getting travel insurance, maybe the fact that in recent years, at least 47% of baggage was misplaced or lost throughout the year. Rest easy on your vacation knowing that if that happens to you, replacement funds for those necessities are covered with most travel insurances
Each travel insurance policy may differ. Winter brings its own typical issues that insurance companies are more than prepared to help you with. These issues include:
– Airport closures
– Trip cancellations due to weather
– Cancellation due to someone in your traveling party contracting the flu
Mistakes Often Made When Considering Travel Insurance
Because travel insurance can seem like an unknown nuance to some, clients are often confused as to how their travel insurance applies to their winter plans. As such, here are a couple of tips which would benefit you to keep in mind this winter while traveling:
One: Cancelling Your Trip Too Early: If inclement weather leads your airline to cancel a flight, it may seem reasonable to cancel your entire trip if there doesn’t seem to be a break for the storming weather in the foreseeable future. However, this may be a premature decision if you have travel insurance. It’s possible your insurance agency can help determine a different airline or point of contact. No matter how hopeless you may feel about living out your dream vacation despite the weather, call your agent before canceling with hotels, ski resorts, cruise lines, or flights home.
Two: Anticipated Weather Doesn’t Count: You cannot file a claim on your travel insurance based on anticipated bad weather. Unfortunately, you can’t rely on your smart phone’s weather app to verify whether you can get your trip refunded. All policyholders need to wait six to twelve hours before requesting reimbursement.
Three: Poor Planning Isn’t Insured: Unfortunately, travel insurance does not cover for poor planning on the client’s part. If you’re headed out to the airport and don’t account for winter delays on the roads, and that choice leads you to miss a flight that is otherwise on schedule, travel insurance will not cover that reimbursement. Plan your drive and allotted time wisely!
Give Yourself Peace of Mind This Winter
Whether or not you foresee a need to file a claim on your travel insurance throughout your winter travels isn’t the question to ask. The proper question to ask is, “If something happens and my vacation doesn’t go as planned, am I ready?”
Travelers who know they have their trip insured are more likely to enjoy their trip–no matter where it takes them. Throughout the holidays, we often focus on giving loved ones gifts; what about giving yourself a peaceful mind to focus on making memories this winter?
If you’d like to either update your existing travel insurance or open up a new policy, feel free to contact trustworthy insurance agents such as Michael Suhany. Don’t wait until the last minute!