If you plan on traveling, travel insurance is an important consideration, and understanding the benefits of the different plans is critical. In general, travel insurance benefits can be classified into two categories — pre-departure coverage protects you before you depart, and post-departure coverage provides coverage after you arrive. Together, these benefits can cover lost or damaged personal items, medical expenses, non-refundable prepaid expenses, and others. This article will discuss the differences.
What Are The Benefits Of Pre-Departure Travel Insurance?
The most common pre-departure benefit relates to trip cancellation insurance, which can reimburse you 100% for prepaid, non-refundable expenses, including airfare, hotel rooms, and guided tours. If you want to maximize the value of your pre-departure travel insurance plan, get your policy when you pay the first deposits toward your trip. Typical reasons for trip cancellations include death, serious illness or injury to you or your traveling companion; severe weather; jury service; unexpected unemployment; business failure of the travel supplier, or acts of terrorism. In addition, there are several reasons for canceling an insurance policy, so check your policy to find out what yours says.
What Are The Benefits Of Post-Departure Travel Insurance?
As part of the post-departure benefits, travelers can claim baggage delays and losses, travel delays, trip interruptions, and medical emergencies. In addition, a post-departure gift covers anything that may occur after you depart and during your trip. A comprehensive travel insurance policy typically includes the following post-departure benefits, which are paid up to your policy limits:
Trip Delay
The trip delay coverage can compensate you for the money spent on travel expenses if you are delayed reaching your destination for a specified reason. For instance, it could be a severe weather event or an airline maintenance issue. During the layover, you can claim if you need a hotel room, food, and a change of clothes due to your flight being delayed. In addition to reimbursement for prepaid, non-refundable expenses, travel delay insurance can also cover activities you will not be able to attend.
Trip Interruption Insurance
You can claim trip interruption benefits if you miss a portion of your trip because of an insured event. For instance, if you do not use your prepaid or non-refundable hotel nights or excursion bookings during your trip. In addition, additional charges such as booking a new flight, booking extra hotel nights, and airport taxi fares may be reimbursed. Furthermore, trip interruption applies to any trip shortening caused by a covered COVID-related medical condition. In this sense, trip interruption insurance is a post-departure benefit since it kicks in after taking off on your trip. There is a list of reasons for coverage in every policy, but those reasons are usually unforeseen or extraordinary. For example, it might be an illness, an injury, the death of the traveler or a companion, severe weather, terrorist action, or losing your job.
Emergency Medical Evacuation
Comprehensive travel insurance should cover the cost of medical evacuation to the nearest medical facility that can treat your illness or injury. However, it may be necessary to return to Malaysia if your condition is severe enough. Travel insurance companies can also arrange transportation through their emergency assistance teams.
Baggage Loss
The baggage loss coverage in your travel insurance policy can reimburse you if your luggage is lost, stolen, or damaged in transit. Additionally, it can cover your personal belongings while traveling if they are lost or stolen. Ensure you know the maximum coverage limits on each item and the exclusions such as cash or expensive jewelry in your policy.
