MURRAY, Utah — Everything from delayed and cancelled flights to lost baggage to getting snowed in, travelers faced a number of headaches this past holiday season. But could travel insurance have helped ease their troubles?
When getting ready to book a ticket, pack those bags and take off on a getaway, passengers might want to consider travel insurance.
Former Salt Lake City councilman Charlie Luke said he’s more than happy to have purchased insurance before a big bucket list trip.
“I ended up getting hurt in Costa Rica, in a very rural part, and had to be medevaced up to the capital. I stayed there for a couple of days,” said Luke, who suffered a severed quadricep tendon.
A side of travel insurance that many might not consider is what happens if they get hurt or fall ill while traveling?
“The travel insurance, and the travel agent made that entire process fly, it was seamless,” said Luke. “That one slip and fall in the middle of a very remote part of the world, I would’ve been stuck.”
Travel agent Corina Johnson says personal health insurance coverage in the U.S. will almost always fail not cover those who get sick or injured while traveling outside the country.
But insurance is not just for medical emergencies. What if someone must cancel a trip for other crisis moments? Are all travel insurance plans created equal?
“Not every insurance policy is the same, so whether or not you have a policy that allows you to cancel for any reason versus having a typical policy, which is meant for emergency type cancellations,” explained Johnson, who works with All Points Travel in Murray.
For those who were one of the thousands who got stuck at an airport last year, certain travel insurance policies could cover a myriad of expenses.
“You have extended stay, hotel nights, transfers changing your airline tickets, all of those things come in to play,” says Johnson.
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, pre-pandemic travel numbers between 2018 and 2020 show consumers spent $1.7 billion on various types of travel insurance products.
Consider talking to a travel advisor, even if it’s a trip you’ve taken before, to learn what types of insurance packages could be available.
“Not just for the information about travel insurance, but the opportunity to buy their package and buy insurance policies. It may not be available to them directly as a consumer,” Johnson added.
There are some policy exclusions for travel insurance like pregnancy, pandemics, engaging in risky behavior like bungee jumping or snowboarding and pre-existing health conditions.
Travelers who want the flexibility to cancel a trip no matter the reason, those policies are called “Cancel for Any Reason," or CFAR, which can give at least a 50% refund as long as people cancel no less than 48 hours before a trip.
Now with a knee that’s good as new, Luke says to learn from his experience.
“Always buy the insurance," he said. "Even if you don’t end up using it, if you need it, not having it as far worse than having it and not needing it."