Travel Insurance: Do I need it?

I know I don't update my blog that often and that is because I am busy helping clients with their vacations. This past 4th of July Holiday Weekend  brought some unfortunate circumstances for travelers on vacation that they had not planned for that I felt needed to be addressed. The Avanti Resort on I-drive in Orlando was struck by lighting and an entire section of that resort was engulfed in flames.  Something you never want to happen to you while on vacation or even in your own home! Fortunately no one was seriously injured in this fire, but many vacationers have lost their belongings and had their vacations unpleasantly interrupted. Now you would hope that in the mayhem of a disaster like this, that the resort will take care of those staying there. Eventually they may, but in reality, their property and investments are their #1 concern.  So what do you do in the mean time? Hope you had purchased Travel Insurance and that it covers an event like this!

I will be the first to admit that I hesitate at purchasing Trip Insurance when booking my personal vacations. To me it was an added cost that might have put the trip I wanted to take out of my budget.In reality though the cost is quite minimal compared to other pieces of a vacations package.

When I first started selling travel, I would let clients know the cost of the insurance, but not push it. I don't like to push things on people, I like them make an informed decision on what they are purchasing.  Some would purchase it, others would say we will gamble and go without. Then the winters of 2013 and 2014 hit. Just about every family traveling had some type of weather delay. Some were minor, but others had some pretty significant travel interruptions.

Lets face it, we think we live in a bubble when we go on vacation and hope that the bubble will protect us while we are off having fun. Then the inevitable happens. Our bubble cracks. We get sick, the weather takes a turn for the worst, flights get canceled, fog keeps your ship from returning to port on time, or you lose a your employment after your cancellation date. Then you start cursing yourself saying  "I should have bought that trip insurance!" There are many many reason these words may come up, some you wouldn't even think about. Click here to see some common ones


Now let me state this right here, what I am about to tell you is not something for me to nickel and dime you for. It something that will help you when you need it!

 BUY TRIP INSURANCE!

That's right, buy the trip insurance. Now just don't blindly buy the trip insurance that maybe offered with your package. Do some shopping as there maybe better travel insurance options out there.
You want to make sure that the travel insurance you buy, covers everything you wanted covered. All of the policies out there have plenty of fine print along with terms and conditions on what they will pay for etc.
Here are 3 MAJOR must haves if you are buying trip insurance:

1)If you have airfare, make sure your trip insurance covers airfare.

2)If you have a per-existing medical condition, make sure the trip insurance covers that!

3)If you are traveling to a foreign country, make sure they cover emergency evacs from that country in case something happens there.

Here are other things that you will want coverage for:

• Trip cancellation
• Travel medical
• Major medical
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Accidental death/flight accident
• Trip Cancellation 
• An act of terrorism
• The vendor (cruise line, tour company, airline) going out of business( Direct Air went out of business leaving passengers with no flights and Alliegent Air has stranded people with they had safety issues)
• An accident on the way to the airport
• Fire
• Emergency Medical Evacuation
• Baggage and belongings
• pre-existing medical conditions
• Make sure that the policy you are buying includes traveling to the country you are planning to visit.
• Twenty-four hour emergency services and help

The fine print is the backbone of your contract and it will be what determines what type of coverage you will have when you need it most. When you have the right insurance in place to cover you on your trip, you can ensure that your dream vacation turns out to be all you had planned and more.