travel insurance masterHoliday travel is exciting, but between busy airports, winter weather, packed flights, road trips, and tight schedules, it can also be unpredictable.
Whether you’re flying home to see family, escaping somewhere warm, taking a holiday cruise, or heading overseas for a winter vacation, a little preparation can make the journey much easier.
Here’s what to think about before you go - including why comparing holiday travel insurance should be on your pre-trip checklist.
1. Give Yourself More Time Than You Think You Need
Holiday crowds can add time to almost every part of your journey. Airports are busier, security lines may be longer, traffic can be heavier, and winter weather can create delays.
If you’re flying, give yourself plenty of time at the airport and avoid overly tight connections when possible. If your trip involves a cruise, tour, or another departure you can’t afford to miss, consider arriving at your destination a day early.
2. Keep the Essentials With You
Checked luggage doesn’t always arrive when you do.
Keep medications, travel documents, chargers, valuables, and a change of clothes in your carry-on. If your luggage is delayed, you’ll have the things you need while you wait.
This is also a good time to look at the baggage benefits included in your travel insurance policy. Depending on the plan and circumstances, baggage delay or baggage loss coverage may reimburse certain eligible expenses.
3. Prepare for Winter Weather
Snow, ice, high winds, and storms can quickly change holiday travel plans.
Before leaving home, check the forecast for your departure city, destination, and any cities where you have connecting flights. Download your airline’s app and turn on notifications so you can find out about schedule changes as quickly as possible.
Travel insurance may also provide benefits for certain covered delays, cancellations, or interruptions, depending on the policy.
4. Know What You’ve Already Paid For
Holiday trips can get expensive quickly.
Flights, hotels, vacation rentals, cruises, tours, and excursions may require significant upfront payments and some of those costs may be nonrefundable.
Before purchasing a policy, calculate your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses. This can help you compare trip cancellation insurance options and determine the amount of coverage you may need. Need to make an update after purchasing your policy? Just contact us!
5. Don’t Forget About Medical Coverage
Traveling internationally for the holidays?
Don’t assume your regular health insurance will provide the same coverage once you leave the United States. Before traveling abroad, check what your existing health insurance covers at your destination.
When comparing international travel insurance, look closely at emergency medical and medical evacuation benefits, along with the policy’s limits, exclusions, and requirements. You can filter plans using our easy to use smart filters on the left side of the plan results page.
6. Compare Travel Insurance Before You Go
Travel insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all.
The coverage you want for a quick domestic holiday trip may be very different from what you need for an international vacation, cruise, ski trip, or expensive family getaway.
Instead of searching through individual insurance providers one at a time, TravelInsuranceMaster.com makes it easier to shop and compare travel insurance options in one place.
Enter your trip and traveler details to receive a free quote and recommended plan based on your needs. You can compare available options and filter plans by the benefits that matter to you.
Whether you’re looking for domestic travel insurance, international travel insurance, cruise coverage, or protection for a larger vacation investment, comparing your options can help you better understand what you’re buying before your trip begins.
Make Travel Insurance Part of Your Holiday Checklist
You can plan your itinerary down to the last detail, but you can’t plan everything that might happen along the way.
Before heading out for the holidays, take a few minutes to compare your options at TravelInsuranceMaster.com and find coverage that fits your trip.
Then get back to the fun part: enjoying the holidays.
Travel insurance coverage varies by policy. Terms, conditions, exclusions, eligibility requirements, and benefit limits apply. Review policy documentation carefully before purchasing.
