4 reasons to consider travel insurance

Vacation is a time to relax, but travel may come with plenty to worry about. 

Most people can share at least 1 story about things going awry while traveling. Canceled trips, delayed flights, lost luggage, medical emergencies, and other problems can be difficult to navigate, and often come with expensive solutions.

One way to put your mind at ease is to purchase travel insurance. We look at what what coverages are typically included in a travel insurance policy, and how they can help you with potential travel issues.

1. Trip cancellation coverage

Booking a trip far in advance has its perks, usually in the form of lower costs for airfare and lodging. The flip side is there's more time for speed bumps to come up, and worrying about that can get in the way of looking forward to traveling. If you have to cancel a trip for a covered reason, travel insurance may help recoup your non-refundable costs.¹

2. Flight delay & cancellation coverage

Delays are a fact of life when traveling, especially during busy vacation periods like summer and the winter holidays, while outright cancellations are rare but do happen. Airlines may not cover all the costs associated with a delayed or cancelled flight, so travel insurance may help reimburse expenses.

3. Lost baggage coverage

While airlines eventually reunite most lost or delayed bags with their owners, delayed baggage can force travelers to buy crucial replacement items. In 2017, airlines mishandled 7 pieces of luggage for every 1,000 passengers—a big improvement from 10 years earlier, but still adding up to millions of bags. In addition, a small number of bags go missing for longer periods of time. Travel insurance may cover the cost of replacing items in the interim.

4. Emergency medical benefits

Many health insurance policies don’t cover international travel, and most hospitals outside the United States require cash payments before providing treatment. Travel insurance may help cover medical expenses—whether you’re traveling internationally or staying stateside.