What is Travel Protection and Why Do You Need It?
Planning a trip for yourself or for your family can be exciting.
You can spend hours looking at maps choosing fun places to visit and sites to see, and you can create an entertaining itinerary that includes everyone’s interests!
But there is one important aspect of traveling to always remember, and that is choosing the right travel insurance products for your trip. This is because travel insurance products in South Africa help to protect your family and belongings while you are exploring our stunning countryside.
Now you might be wondering, “What is travel protection?” It is a product that is used to insure your belongings and your person while you are on holiday or traveling. To answer your next question, “What does travel protection cover?”, all of this and more will be explored below, so read on for more information about what travel protection is and why you need it.
What is Travel Protection and What Does It Cover?
Travel protection is an insurance product which has a multitude of benefits for those who are going on holiday either by air or road travel. It offers benefits and services such as medical coverage, trip cancellation insurance, accidental death and emergency medical services, as well as travel delay cover.
You will be able to add your family members to your policy when you purchase travel insurance products, allowing them to be covered for the duration of your trip in case of any incident. You should purchase your travel protection at least two weeks before the start of your trip in order to gain full coverage and so that the insurer can perform a full risk profile check.
Why Do I Need It?
You might be thinking that travel protection is simply another added cost to your trip, but this could not be further from the truth. No matter how much you plan, you cannot be prepared for every issue that could arise, such as medical conditions, illness, or injury from an adventure on your trip. Below are just some of the reasons why travel protection is of crucial importance.
Your medical costs are handled
On holiday, you might experience medical issues no matter how careful you are. This can range from the not-so-serious, such as stomach issues from trying new food, to an injury from hiking up a mountain. Additionally, these medical expenses can become costly if you have to pay for them out of your own pocket.
By investing in travel protection, you will be covered for these unexpected issues. You will also be able to cover your spouse and children so that your entire family is protected. Hospital fees might be covered by medical aid, but if you are not in their network at the time, you might end up paying an exorbitant bill, which could use a significant amount of the money you have saved to spend on your trip.
You are covered for flight cancellations
Imagine flying from Cape Town to Durban for a family reunion only to find that the flight has been cancelled. You will lose out on the money you paid for your ticket, car rental and even accommodation. With travel protection, you will be refunded the price of your ticket, which you can use to purchase a new air ticket, or for accommodation while you wait for your next flight.
Without having any travel insurance products, you will find that canceling your flight can be very costly. You will need to purchase a new ticket using your own money, and if your partner and children also need new tickets, this cost can add up quickly.
It’s wiser to purchase travel insurance before you book your trip and be sure to choose an option which has flight cancellation coverage so that you can have peace of mind at every point in your journey.
Your Baggage Could Get Lost or Be Delayed
It is every traveller’s worst thought arriving at a destination after a smooth flight only to find that your luggage has been lost or that it has been delayed for an unknown amount of time. And this can be detrimental to the success and enjoyment of any group or solo trip. Luckily by investing in the right travel protection, you will be able to recover your luggage and be reimbursed for the items you needed to start your trip.
You will be reimbursed for the clothing, personal items and even the luggage itself if your luggage is not found. While this will not bring back your favourite holiday outfit, it will allow you to continue enjoying your holiday without putting a damper on the festivities too much.
For business travellers who might need their baggage to arrive on time due to important documents or items, you will be paid the value of these items so that you can make up for their loss.