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5 REASONS TO BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE
By Amity Moore Joyce
“Do I really need travel insurance?” Millions of travelers ask themselves this very question every time they book a vacation, particularly the costly ones. Whether you take three big trips a year or only one, potentially leaving the money you’ve already paid on the table isn’t a risk most travelers want to take—nor are they keen to pay extra for something they might not use—thus the “should we or should we not buy travel insurance” debate begins.
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Travel insurance is one of those things, explains AAA Travel Insurance Manager Mike Rhead, “When it could help and you don’t have it, that’s when the real problems arise.”
Under the best circumstances, travel insurance ensures peace of mind. Under the worst, it can save you thousands of dollars and countless hours of worry and inconvenience. So, why do travelers buy travel insurance? Essentially, they purchase it because they can see themselves in one of the following scenarios.
#1 Unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel the trip. The trip cancellation benefit is the top reason vacationers buy travel insurance. Allianz Global Assistance, AAA’s preferred travel insurance partner, has a list of more than 30 possible covered reasons, depending on the plan purchased, which travelers may cancel their trips before they start and receive reimbursement for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses. Examples, depending on the plan purchased, include jury duty, job loss, personal sickness or injury, hospitalization of a parent or child, and many others. With select plans, AAA Members even have benefits for trip cancellation or interruption (see scenario No. 5 about trip interruption) due to a veterinary emergency for their dogs or cats. AAA Carolinas Member Gregory Curry admitted that he had always been against buying travel insurance, but after booking a 2019 trip to Dubai, he contacted his AAA Travel Agent and added it. The week he and his wife were scheduled to leave in March 2020 is when the pandemic shut down everything. “Allianz refunded the cost of our trip, saving us thousands of dollars,” he says. “Fast forward to November of 2023, we decided to try again and fly to Dubai,” Curry adds. “This time the flu bug hit us both. Once again Allianz [came] to the rescue. I now view travel insurance as a necessity for my peace of mind. I never leave home without it.”
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#2 You check your health insurance policy, including Medicare, and realize it doesn’t cover medical care outside the United States. The emergency medical care benefit is the No. 2 reason travelers invest in travel insurance. It covers emergency medical and dental care* if you get sick, injured or lose a filling during your trip. The insurance company works with doctors and dentists where you are and helps you navigate the whole process. Most plans even include emergency medical transportation benefits. Plus, select plans insure kids 17-years-old and younger for free when they are traveling with a parent or grandparent.
#3 Your flight is delayed and you miss your next travel connection. Now you’re saddled with extra expenses for lodging, transportation and dining. But you can be reimbursed if you have travel insurance that includes benefits for covered travel delays. TripProtect plans with SmartBenefits®† can provide automatic, proactive payments for covered delays on monitored flights. When you opt in, Allianz Global Assistance monitors your flights and can text or email you a message in real-time when you’ve qualified for SmartBenefits®. These automatic $100 claim payments can help with covered expenses, like meals or hotels, during your delay. If your covered delay expenses total more than the SmartBenefits® payment, you can still submit a claim (receipts required) for additional expenses up to the maximum limit specified in your plan. Using the Allyz® TravelSmart app, it’s easy to upload receipts and start a claim. Recently, AAA Nebraska Member Connie Sue M. said, “I was so impressed when our flight was delayed more than four hours, and I received a text right away that same day, saying that they filed a claim for me, and I would be receiving a check in the mail … The [protection] gives me peace of mind when I travel.”
#4 You lost your passport and it’s a Sunday afternoon in Europe—your AAA Travel Agent is not available. Travel insurance plans include emergency travel assistance. If you’ve misplaced travel documents, run out of a needed prescription, or have some other urgent legal, medical or travel-related need, you can rely on the Allianz Global Assistance 24-Hour live assistance line for expert, personalized support 24/7, 365 days a year. Additionally, some plans include a special AAA benefit that can reimburse Lost Document Replacement fees.
#5 You’re midway through your trip of a lifetime and get a call that a storm has rendered your home uninhabitable. You have no choice but to cut your vacation short. If trip interruption protection is purchased before a storm is named, then the benefit can reimburse you for unused, nonrefundable travel expenses and increased transportation costs during your trip if you have to return home due to a covered reason.
Additional benefits, including baggage loss or damage, theft of personal items, trip change protection, rental car protection, and others are available. The most popular plans from AAA target cruise benefits, including Missed Port of Call, which can compensate you when a cruise you are on misses a scheduled port of call included on your original itinerary or replaces it with another port, and other benefits, which may apply when water levels are too high or too low for your river cruise to proceed with its intended, scheduled itinerary.
When you’ve invested enthusiasm, time and money into a vacation you cannot wait to take, it’s nice to worry less about the “what ifs” and get more excited about “what’s next.” After all, says Rhead, “When your vacation and cruise costs are nonrefundable, it’s very important that AAA Members protect those trip costs with travel insurance.” Add insurance, even if you’ve already booked, and protect your vacation investment before you go.
A knowledgeable AAA Travel Agent can help you find the right travel insurance plan, or get an easy online quote.
Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Benefits/Coverage may vary by state, and sublimits may apply. Ask your AAA Travel Agent or visit AAA.com/TravelInsurance for more details.*This benefit is subject to a sublimit and maximum amountƚ†When you opt in and provide flight information, we’ll monitor flights and send flight status and benefit alerts, including about flight delays that qualify for automated travel delay payment. Standard message/data rates apply to SMS alerts. SmartBenefits automated claims system and payment availability is not guaranteed and is subject to our sole discretion. All claims subject to policy terms, conditions, and exclusions.Insurance benefits underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: 2 Mid America Plaza, Suite 200, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181), rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233), rated “A+” (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101-C series or 101-P series, depending on your state of residence and plan chosen. A+ (Superior) and A (Excellent) are the 2nd and 3rd highest, respectively, of A.M. Best’s 13 Financial Strength Ratings. Plans only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are marks of AGA Service Company dba Allianz Global Assistance (AGA) or its affiliates. AGA compensates their suppliers or agencies for allowing AGA to market or offer products to customers of the supplier or agency Allianz Travel Insurance products are distributed by Allianz Global Assistance, the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Any Non-Insurance Assistance services purchased are provided through AGA Service Company. Except as expressly provided under your plan, you are responsible for charges you incur from third parties. Contact AGA Service Company at 800-284-8300 or 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or customerservice@allianzassistance.com.