WHY BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE

As you can imagine, the travel world has been rocked by the past few weeks with hurricanes and earthquakes. This means everything from cancelling and changing flights and hotels to helping our clients find safe places to wait the storm out. We worry about our clients a lot, and it makes it even more upsetting when our clients have decided not to purchase travel insurance, because in most instances you will not get your money back. It is crucial to have if your vacation is interrupted by anything – from flight delays to medical emergencies or if your kids or elderly parents get the flu and you have to stay home.

How do I know? Because it has happened to me and to my clients…more than once!

The first time we used our insurance was on our honeymoon. We wondered if we needed it but, like most couples, it was the most money we ever spent on a trip – so we got it, and a good thing because we were stranded in Nice due to a French air traffic controller strike. We had to pay for extra nights in the hotel and new airline tickets to get us home in time for me to start a new job.

When we returned, I called my travel advisor to tell her our trip was great and mentioned our dilemma. She reminded me that we had travel insurance! I had forgotten about it since I purchased the policy 8 months before. I completed the paperwork, submitted my receipts and waited thinking I would not get my money back. I was wrong! I got back every single dime – $2,500!

And unfortunately, I’ve had my clients have to rely on insurance to save the day. Here are a few situations:

I have clients who were looking forward to their trip to the Caribbean in less than 2 weeks, when unfortunately their hotel was damaged by Hurricane Irma. Because they had special Cancel For Any Reason Insurance, they were able to rebook to another island without any stress or loss of funds.

Had clients have to cancel due to work reasons, and because they purchased travel insurance with a professional waiver, again, were able to cancel all pre-paid bookings and get 100% compensation.

Had clients who were taking their family on grand family vacation when the father lost his job. Again, because they purchased travel insurance, they were able to get their deposit back, cancel their flights and not have to pay any fees.

My experiences, both personal and with my clients, have made me aware of how to protect my vacation when I’m traveling, so I am diligent in providing information to my clients so they can protect theirs. While no one thinks the worst will happen, and it usually doesn’t, why take chances with your hard-earned cash or with your health?

Here are Travelex’s Top 10 Reasons to Buy Travel Insurance: travel-insurance/reasons