The last thing you need after carefully planning a trip is to lose money because of lost luggage, canceled flights or a medical emergency. Flight-protection insurance can ease your mind by covering costs associated with travel mishaps. Sometimes travel interruptions are out of your control; sometimes they are the result of another person's circumstances; and sometimes they are the fault of the airline on which you are traveling. It pays to look into flight-protection insurance when planning a trip.
Typical flight-protection insurance plans cover you if you must cancel your trip for a covered reason, such as death or personal illness, or the illness or death of a travel companion. You are also covered for ticket reimbursement if you are called for jury duty or your home is damaged by an act of nature.
Medical costs, up to certain limits, are paid if you are injured or become ill during your trip. Usually, payments are limited to medical expenses not covered by your private medical-insurance plan. Some governmental plans, such as Medicare, do not cover all medical costs when you travel outside the United States, so extra flight-protection insurance can be valuable.
Emergency travel assistance is also commonly provided by flight-protection insurance plans. If you lose your passport, forget a medical prescription, lose your wallet or have your traveler's checks stolen, you may call an emergency number for assistance. If you need legal assistance, your emergency coverage will connect you with an English-speaking professional.
For convenience, you may purchase flight-protection insurance at the same time you book your itinerary. You may choose suitable coverage after taking your existing personal-insurance coverage into consideration. For example, some credit cards have built-in travel insurance for some expenses, but may not cover circumstances like medical evacuations or emergency legal assistance.
As with any insurance program, there are limitations and exclusions. Read you policy carefully. For example, if you travel to a country where there is political unrest and you suffer an injury or arrest, you may not be covered. Certain activities (such as hot-air ballooning) may not be covered if they are deemed dangerous. Items confiscated due to customs regulations are not covered. In addition, expenses related to elective, unnecessary medical procedures are generally not covered.
