So, here you are— ready with your packed bags, flight tickets and lots of enthusiasm to start the vacation. Above all, you are relaxed as your travel insurance is sorted. Now you are eagerly waiting for the ‘D-day’ when you can fly to your holiday destination. But wait, are you sure, the travel insurance policy which you have purchased after a lot of brainstorming worth your money?
You might have selected a travel insurance policy after considering its premium or basic features like loss of passport/baggage. However, there could be other unforeseen situations also which can arise to disrupt your journey. Let’s understand some of the great benefits that should be there in your travel insurance policy, and if these are not there, it is not a great purchase=
- Personal Liability= If you are involved in an accident or accidentally cause damage to a third-party for which you are accountable, a travel insurer can help you by covering your liability and legal expenses.
You are playing cricket with your kids and having a gala time in one of the parks in Dubai when your child forces you to try your hand at batting. In the excitement and vigor, you hit the ball, but unfortunately, you lose the grip on your bat, which also flies with the ball and fall on a lady who is present there in the park. Luckily, her husband is with her who immediately rushes her to the nearby hospital. As the injury is caused due to your act, you would have to pay the medical expenses from your pocket.
The situation will have been different if your travel insurance covers personal liability. As the travel insurance policy offers compensation in case of personal liability, the medical expenses would have been covered by the insurer.
- Personal Accident= While travel is associated with fun and excitement, accidents come unannounced.
You are in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower when you ask your friend to capture the moment. However, a car hits you from behind. Your friend takes you to a hospital, luckily, injuries are not grave, but a single day hospitalisation is enough to cause a burnt in your pocket. In this situation, you would require paying medical expenses from your pocket, and due to this unexpected expense, you would have to low-down your travel plans as well.
You could have easily saved yourself from unexpected medical expenses if, at the time of purchasing a travel insurance, you had checked it for personal accident coverage. In case your travel insurance policy offers personal accident cover as well, the insurer will take care of your medical expenses, and you can easily save yourself from the unforeseen expenditure.
- Emergency Evacuation= You never know when natural or man-made calamity strikes. Volcanic ash clouds, flood, riots, political uprisings, etc.; are all such instances when the emergency evacuation becomes a necessity.
You are in one of the popular pubs of Brussels when a bomb explodes at one part of the city. Soon the city is gripped in terror, and you frantically look for help to come out of the situation.
Your travel insurer will have helped you if your policy covers emergency evacuation as well. If you have the emergency evacuation cover, the onus is on the travel insurer to evacuate the policyholder back to his/her country and give medical assistance, if required.
- Emergency Cash Advance= While you carry enough cash and cards during vacation, what if you become the victim of thieves or burglars? Without money, it would be impossible to continue with the trip.
You board a train in Rome and are in full observer mode. You put up your bags, including purse on the seat when someone taps on the window. As you approach the window to see, his/her partner in crime quietly runs off with your stowed baggage. Unfortunately, your whole money is lost. You would have to either ask for help from your family or friends back home or cancel your trip midway.
You could have easily avoided your money woes if you had a travel insurance policy which offers emergency cash to deal with unforeseen situations like theft, burglary, etc.
- Compassionate Visit= As stated above, accidents can arise even with a safe traveler. If the accident is followed with a hospitalisation, you might need the emotional support of your family member or family, especially if you are travelling alone. It means, your family member would have to incur travel expenses to be with you.
While crossing the road in Japan, a truck hits you, and you suffer major injuries to your lower back and arms. Some passersby take you to a hospital where doctors treat you for your injuries and keep you under observation for ten days. When your brother back home knows about the accident, he travels to Japan to be at your side.
Your brother incurs extra travel expenses which would have been covered if you had a travel insurance policy that covers compassionate visit as well. It means, the insurer covers travel expenses incurred by the relative of the policyholder if the latter is hospitalised during travel for more than specified days.
To sum up, there are various other benefits like missed flight connection, trip delays, hijack distress allowance, etc.; which should also be there on your travel insurance policy. However, stay away from adding unnecessary frills to your travel insurance plan. For instance, some travel insurance companies also offer burglary cover for home content, however, if you have a comprehensive home insurance policy, you don’t need to add this cover to your policy.
Here you should focus more on finding the right travel insurance coverage.