Why you should get travel insurance, according to experts

Even the best laid travel plans can go awry, as anyone can attest to their fair share of travel. If something happens to disrupt your trip, the last thing you want to worry about is how to afford to get things back on track.

Travel insurance Can save the day — and Save yourself thousands of dollars – In this situation. From lost luggage to additional lodging and meal expenses, it Cover a host of hazards This can happen when you travel.

Yet many travelers skip it, thinking they don’t need it or it’s not worth it. To find out why this might be a bad idea, we spoke to a few travel experts.

Start exploring your travel insurance options here to learn more.

Why you should get travel insurance, according to the professionals

Experts recommend travel insurance for several reasons. Here are three of the bigger ones.

Anything can happen

There’s not much you can control when you travel. From illnesses and injuries to flight delays and cancellations, any number of things can derail your trip, costing you already and potentially leading to new expenses.

“There are many factors that can disrupt travel, from extreme weather and labor strikes to illness, political instability and unexpected family emergencies,” said Joe Cronin, president of International Citizens Insurance. “For example, last summer, a heat wave across Europe disrupted travel and canceled events, and a Southwest Airlines computer system crash stranded thousands of people at airports.”

Travel agent and full-time traveler Veronica Hanson agrees. “People are used to not getting travel insurance because historically they haven’t needed it,” Hanson said earlier CBS News. “Their own experience has taught them over the years that insurance is a waste of money. If something goes wrong, the companies usually go ahead and make it right for the customer. It’s a completely different story these days. The infrequent traveler doesn’t understand the mess. These days the airline industry is .”

This could save you thousands of dollars

Whether you are traveling Domestically or Internationally, a trip can be expensive. If something disrupts your plans, you will lose a lot of money.

“I often get pleas for help from consumers who have been blindsided by the loss of thousands of dollars invested in a dream vacation that they failed to protect by purchasing travel insurance,” Michelle Couch-Friedman, travel ombudsman and founder of Consumer Rescue, previously said. CBS News.

flight delay That alone has been all over the news in recent months, and they’ve cost travelers a lot. When you’ve sunk a lot of money into a trip, you owe it to yourself to protect that money from harm.

“COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of being prepared for unexpected events that can disrupt travel plans, and it’s vital to have a plan in place to deal with these situations,” said Brandon Frady, a licensed insurance agent with Clearsurance. “Long hauls are especially a high-ticket expense, and it’s imperative to protect your investment.”

Find out how much travel insurance coverage you can get now.

Your health insurance may not cover you abroad

Don’t assume your health insurance policy will protect you if you get one Sick or injured abroad. That’s a common one Travel Insurance Myths. Many policies do not cover medical expenses incurred abroad, and those that do consider these expenses out-of-network, making them prohibitively expensive.

Travel agent Hans Mast of Golden Rule Travel shares one such story.

“I had a client (who luckily bought travel insurance!) who was on a safari in Zambia and fell about 8 feet and seriously injured his back,” says Mast. “The hospital in Zambia was not satisfactory. Insurance paid for his $10K private chartered air ambulance flight to fly him from Livingstone to Johannesburg, where there was a top hospital that treated him for a few weeks and then flew back to his business class home in Canada.

“They covered all her medical bills and other accommodations for her husband in Johannesburg. They also paid for a nurse to bring him back to Canada. I haven’t seen the total bill for those, but it was huge.”

Bottom line

If you’re wondering whether or not to buy travel insurance, the consensus among many experts is: do it. You never know what can happen, and when it comes to your finances, better safe than sorry is often a wise policy.

per Find the best travel insurance For your trip, consider How much coverage do you need? And take the time to compare different providers and plans. You can now start entering your trip details here.