Holiday season is coming, and some of you might already have planned how and where to spend this relaxing moment with your family. A good preparation is needed to make a holiday trip becomes a truly fun moment and leaves an unforgettable memory for you and your family.
Decide wisely where to go and what kind of activity you wish to do on your destination, so you would know exactly what to bring on your holiday. Also choose a trusted and reliable travel agent to arrange the trip, and of course all of them must be adjusted to your holiday budget. And at last, prepare your travel documents like passport, Visa, and of course to give you a peace of mind and to lower the risks during your journey, you’re going to need travel insurance.
Travel insurance is something you must choose real carefully, since this is one the most important travel instrument that can guarantee you have a pleasant holiday and to make sure that your holiday won’t be ruined by some bad things that might happen on your journey.
I have written a simple guidance on choosing the proper travel insurance that you can read here. But still, the most common mistake that people make when they buy an insurance policy is they don’t carefully read the fine print and trying to understand what it says. This is a very important thing to do since one single word can determine whether their claims can be paid or not. As for travel insurance, there are certain things that must be paid attention to, because in most travel insurance policies, these things are not covered. Knowing these things is important so you can make a preparation in case some of them happen before or during your trip. It’s also useful to help you choose an insurance provider that can give you the most coverage for your travel.
I’ve compiled things that most travel insurance won’t cover from many sources as you can see below:
Travel cancellation causes
Tour operator
Although it’s totally beyond your control, but travel insurance will not pay for any expenses you’ve already made in if the travel is cancelled by your tour operator. A tour operator can cancel your trip for some reasons including their internal company problems. That’s why you should carefully choose for a tour operator to avoid this, make sure it’s a good and reliable company.
War or Riot
Usually there are certain types of mess up situation stated in a policy with explanation whether it’s coverable or not. Usually they are; strike, riot, civil commotion, terrorism, and also war. If the cancellation is made regarding one of those reasons, many travel insurance policies won’t cover.
Death or Illness of a Pet
Many people cancel their trip because their beloved pet is dead or ill, but don’t expect the insurance company will have a compassion on this situation, this is too a coverable risk.
Psychological Problem
For most insurance companies, psychological illness or mental problem is often exclusion. So you cannot cancel your trip for having these problems without penalty.
Divorce before the Trip
One in a million, but it still could happen. After you bought a tour package and a travel insurance, your spouse might files for divorce and ruin the whole plan, and you have to cancel the trip. This is also not considered as a coverable risk.
Pandemics
If you find out that on your destination there is a pandemic like swine flu or anything like it, you might worry for the sake of your family’s health and decide to cancel the trip. But pandemic is also not a valid reason for trip cancellation, so this won’t be covered.
Visa Refusal
This case sometimes happen, and sadly it always happen after you buy a ticket or book a tour package or at the arrival. Mostly you can only expect cash back from the airline for the ticket, but travel insurance usually won’t cover for this cancellation.
Natural Disaster
Most of travel insurance policies say they will give coverage for trip cancellation if your destination is completely shut down by a natural disaster. But please pay attention to the fine print and read it carefully, usually it says that if the resort or the airport remains open, you will not get your claim paid by the insurance.
Health, Medical Treatment, or Personal Injury
Pre-existing Conditions
This is a common exclusion in many insurance policies, so medical treatment related to that condition during your trip will have to come out of your pocket.
Extreme Sport
If you wish to do some extreme sports on your destination, the risks won’t be covered by your regular travel insurance. For this, you have to obtain another insurance which is extreme sport insurance.
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Usually it is specified under which conditions the pregnancy complications or childbirth is covered. You too have to read the fine print real carefully on this one.
Working Activities
For an insurance company, holiday is holiday, meanings you shouldn’t work or do anything related to it. If you are injured while doing something that is considered a working activity, then the insurance won’t cover it. What is considered to be a working activity is not always that you do something for money, as long as it’s a situation involving manual labor, using power tools or driving a heavy duty machinery, it could be considered as a working activity.
Drunk
If you are injured in doing an activity after you have some drinks there’s a big chance that your insurance won’t pay for this. So you better pay attention on this one.
Sexual Behavior
If you suffer a disease or have a worry of your future health condition related to a sexual transmitted infection or unwanted pregnancy for the result of your sexual behavior, there’s a big chance that you have to take care of the medical costs for treatments or tests by yourself. Most travel insurance don’t cover this health condition.
Medical Repatriation
Many people feel safe when they know that the insurance will give coverage for medical evacuation if they suffer a bad medical condition in some remote area. Evacuation meant to transfer the patient to the nearest area that has a better medical service. But if you need to be transferred back home to get the proper treatment it is called repatriation, and not so many travel insurance will cover this. So you have to read the fine print carefully and find out what it says about it.
Others
Less Than 24 Hours Baggage Delayed
It’s a good idea to carry the things you need for a day in case there’s a baggage delay. If the delay is less than 24 hours, the insurance won’t cover it. The insurance will only cover for baggage delay for more than 24 hours and it’s valid for outbound flights only, so no baggage delay cover for your flight back home.
Loss or damage to keys, money, documents, tickets, or credit cards
Usually these items are not considered to be as baggage or personal item, so you should keep these items real safe during your journey.
Security Threats and Terrorism
Sometimes these issues can cause an airport closing, flight delay or event flight cancellation, and travel insurance won’t cover you for buying another ticket, rerouting tickets, or paying for accommodation for these causes.
I really hope this could you arrange your save and pleasant journey. The most important thing is always pay attention to every detail in a policy, since it could determine whether the premium you is worth it or not. Have a nice holiday.
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