Why Travel Insurance is Important During the Holiday Season

Traveling during the holidays is a very common activity, with 50% of respondents in a Fall 2023 NerdWallet survey stating that they intended to spend money on airline tickets or hotels in the coming months.

However, one thing that’s often forgotten during these travels is the need for travel insurance. Let’s take a quick look at what travel insurance is and then we’ll look at how it can help people travelling during this holiday season.

Travel Insurance and What It Covers

Most people are familiar with home or auto insurance but another important and similar concept is travel insurance. The exact coverage you get will depend on the plan you choose, but generally speaking, travel insurance can cover things like delayed or canceled trips, hospital visits, emergency dental visits, delayed baggage, missed connections, rental car damage, and ambulance or other emergency transportation.

Travel Insurance for Missed and Delayed Flights

In the event of a disastrous experience away from home, travel insurance covers costs that travelers would ordinarily have to cover themselves. In the case of delayed flights, the airline may or may not cover the cost of hotel rooms, transportation, or meals.

Missing a connecting flight can similarly be a very expensive proposition, as many airlines have a policy that automatically cancels the remainder of your itinerary if any flights are missed. While you might make every effort to be at the airport early and at your gate before your flight takes off, events beyond your control could cause you to miss your flight.

Emergency Medical Care

If you experience a serious medical issue, especially one that requires hospitalization, your regular insurance may not be enough. It can also be a real hassle to navigate “out-of-network” providers or to try to explain to an insurance representative why you chose an emergency dentist visit instead of spending the rest of your vacation with a chipped tooth and getting it fixed with your regular dentist.

With travel insurance, you can skip all of that and get the medical or dental coverage you need during your travels without having to spend hours on the phone with your regular insurance provider trying to explain why you need care.

Peace of Mind

Above the financial reasons, however, is the peace of mind that comes with travel insurance. Instead of worrying about delayed flights, whether you can afford emergency medical care, having to purchase new toiletries if the airlines misplace your baggage or any other concern, travel insurance holders can rest easy knowing these expenses will be covered.

Final Thoughts

Like most types of insurance, travel is one that you hope you never have to use. However, if a serious issue should arise during your vacation or business trip, you’ll be happy you did. It can cover the cost of rebooked flights, hotel rooms, medical or dental care, and much more.

Under normal circumstances, a major medical event or other concern can lead to financial hardship or even bankruptcy. However, people who purchase travel insurance before their journey begins won’t have to worry.