Do I Need Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance helps cover unexpected costs like medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost luggage. It provides peace of mind, especially for international trips where healthcare and travel disruptions can be costly. Whether you need it depends on your destination and personal circumstances.
About Travel Insurance
You don’t want to be the passenger left staring at an increasingly empty baggage carousel that still hasn’t delivered your checked suitcase. Or to board a plane that departs so late that no matter how fast you sprint, the gate for your connecting flight is closed by the time you get there. Or to find that your itinerary will include an unplanned visit to the local hospital’s emergency room.
But these things can happen. How helpful will travel insurance coverage be for you in those scenarios? That depends on your risk tolerance, how well prepared you feel to handle problems on your own and whether you’d prefer to have backup from someone who deals with these issues on a daily basis. What’s right for you may depend on many factors, such as whether you’re an experienced or novice traveler, whether you’re visiting a domestic or unfamiliar international destination and whether you’re traveling solo or with a group.
- Am I required to buy travel insurance?
- Do my travel plans merit travel insurance?
- Am I willing to risk losing my cost contribution for this trip?
- What protection do I already have from my airline carrier or credit card?
- Do I have a pre-existing medical condition? How Does Travel Insurance Work?
- What does AXA Travel Protection cover?
What’s Your Personal Risk Assessment?
To help you make the best decision for your trip, consider:
Am I required to buy travel insurance?
Cruise lines and tour operators may require you to buy travel insurance as a condition of participating in the cruise or tour. It’s important for you to choose a policy that provides the right amount of coverage for your circumstances (including, for example, any independent travel you may have planned for before or after the packaged tour) so you can relax and enjoy your holiday.
Do my travel plans merit travel insurance?
Factors for you to consider: Will your health insurance cover medical emergencies while you’re away from home? Will you check baggage on a flight? Are you renting a car at your destination? Do your plans include engaging in adventure sports? Are you traveling to a country or region where the State Department urges taking extra precautions?
Am I willing to risk losing my cost contribution for this trip?
How much have you pre-paid for your travels, and how much of money would you lose if you had to cancel unexpectedly? Don’t forget to include nonrefundable costs like hotel accommodations that provide a rate reduction in return for payment in advance.
What protection do I already have from my airline carrier or credit card?
If you’ve purchased new luggage or camera equipment for this trip, your credit card may provide extended coverage against damage, loss or theft. Your airline carrier may have certain obligations to you in the event of certain flight delays or cancelations. Check your agreements to learn the limits of those protections and avoid unpleasant surprises once you’re on your trip.
Do I have a pre-existing medical condition?
You may qualify for protection that enables you to travel without worrying about how you’ll manage if you need medical assistance for that condition while you’re traveling.
Travel insurance is designed to minimize your stress while you’re away from home. Whether you’re dealing with major disruptions or minor inconveniences, you can travel with greater confidence knowing you have a policy and a team of professionals backing you up.
How Does Travel Insurance Work?
Vacations are called “getaways” because they give us a break from the strains of our everyday lives. You have a chance to explore a faraway destination, enjoy favorite activities and hit “pause” on stress for a week or two.
But travel isn’t just private beaches, adventure sports and exciting nightlife — it can come with its own brand of stress.
Travel insurance gives you a tool for mitigating risks that could create negative experiences while you’re away from home. Is it the right tool for you and your vacation plans? To answer that question, you need to understand the types of coverage available to you and the prospective benefits they offer.
What does AXA Travel Protection cover?
This overview of travel insurance coverage areas will introduce you to the types of concerns that an AXA policy may help you to address. It includes certain specialized protections that you can opt to add to your policy, depending on your needs. Please review the terms and conditions of the policy you select for a complete explanation of the policy you purchase and the requirements and procedures related to that coverage.
Medical Benefits:
- Emergency Medical Expenses: Should you fall ill or have an accident during your trip, your policy may offer coverage for medical expenses, including hospital stays and doctor's fees.
- Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation: In case of a serious medical emergency, your policy may include provisions for evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical facility or repatriation.
- Non-Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation: In non-medical crises (e.g., political unrest), your policy may cover evacuation or repatriation, subject to policy terms.
Pre-Departure Travel Benefits:
- Trip Cancellation: You may be eligible for reimbursement if you cancel your trip due to a sudden illness or injury.
- COVID-19 Travel Insurance: Coverage is available for trip cancellation and medical expenses related to COVID-19, subject to policy terms and conditions.
Post-Departure Travel Benefits
- Trip Interruption: In case of an unexpected event, you could be eligible for reimbursement for the unused portion of your trip.
- Missed Connection: If you miss a connecting flight due to delays or cancellations, this coverage may help with expenses like rebooking fees and accommodations.
- Trip Delay: If your flight faces delays due to unforeseen circumstances, you may have coverage for additional expenses such as meals and accommodations.
Baggage Benefits:
- Luggage Delay: If the airline delays your checked baggage, your policy might offer reimbursement for essential items like clothing and toiletries.
- Lost or Stolen Luggage: In the unfortunate event of permanent loss or theft of your luggage, your policy may offer reimbursement for its value, assisting you in replacing your belongings.
Additional Optional Travel Benefits:
- Rental Car (Collision Damage Waiver): Exclusive to Gold & Platinum plan policy holders, this optional benefit gives travelers extra coverage on their rental car against damage and theft.
- Cancel for Any Reason: Exclusive to Platinum plan policy holders; this optional benefit gives travelers more flexibility to cancel their trip for any reason outside of their standard policy.
- Loss Skier Days: Exclusive to Platinum plan policy holders, this optional benefit offers reimbursement to mitigate some costs associated with pre-paid ski tickets that you or your traveling companion cannot use due to specified slope closures.
- Loss Golf Days: Exclusive to Platinum plan policy holders, this optional benefit offers reimbursement to mitigate the expenses linked to prepaid golf arrangements that you or your travel companion are unable to utilize due to specified golf closures.
When you’re planning a trip, you don’t want to focus on potential problems. You want to think about what a good time you’re going to have. AXA travel insurance plans [Link to compare plans page] let you entrust the stress and problem-solving to a team that works on these issues every day, all around the world, so you can sit back and enjoy the ride.
It is true, on many occasions, nothing will happen, but accidents can happen. So help get prepared for the unexpected. Thousands of bloggers and travelers around the world recommend traveling with insurance, so what are you waiting for? GET A QUOTE TODAY!
Disclaimer: Welcome to the AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance Blog! The Travel on Blog is intended to provide you with entertaining and educational information of a general nature. The articles are for editorial purposes only and are not intended to replace the advice of a qualified professional. Please contact AXA Assistance USA if you have any questions.
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