Travel is an exciting thing to plan. What’s not so fun is the thought that things could go wrong. As much as it isn’t fun to think about lost connections or sickness in an unfamiliar place, it is important to consider these as inevitable occurrences. Is trip insurance worth it? This article will address this question, along with several scenarios where travel insurance will be your favorite thing you purchased for your trip.

Health Is Wealth

We all know the adage, and with travel insurance, this saying holds. No one likes to think about what-ifs, especially when they involve sickness or injury. However, savvy travelers know always to be prepared for the inevitable. Buying travel insurance to protect yourself and your pocketbook in the case of becoming ill or impaired on your trip is one of the smartest things you can buy for your vacation. Make sure to purchase your insurance well in advance of your trip in case you are hospitalized, or you are unable to travel for verified medical reasons. If you buy protection after your injury or health issue occurs, then you won’t have much of a chance of getting your money back from your missed flight. Be proactive when it comes to travel insurance.

It’s Jury Duty Time, and There’s No Way Out of It

Doing your duty as a citizen is important, but what about those flight deals you’ve already booked? No one expects to have their vacation derailed by jury duty, but stranger things have happened. Thankfully, travel insurance can help protect would-be travelers who instead must take a trip to the courthouse instead of the Bahamas. Making sure you have insurance means you won’t lose out on your ticket money or get in trouble with the law. It also means you can book another trip at another time, which after jury duty, you will more than deserve.

Your Passport or Visas Are Lost or Stolen

One of the worst-case scenarios a traveler can face is losing or having their passport stolen in a foreign country. Not only is a trip to the embassy necessary, but you will also be out the money it will cost to replace your documents. If flights and other reservations have to be canceled or rearranged, that is even more money lost. Travel insurance is the foolproof solution to not losing your hard-earned money on lost documents. As frustrating as it is losing something as important as a passport or visa, you can rest easy that you will get those essential documents back eventually as well as the money from missed flights or canceled reservations.

Mother Nature Strikes

We all know how feisty and unpredictable the weather can be, especially during winter and hurricane season. Just when you’ve got the perfect trip all planned out, mother nature may strike. Sometimes she could drop enough snow to postpone a flight for at least 24 hours, or maybe she makes you miss your flight because you are holed up in your hotel room during a hurricane. Travel protection has your back- whatever lousy news the weatherman may bring.

Your Bags End Up in the Wrong Destination

One of the worst feelings after watching bag after bag loop the carousel is realizing your bag did not arrive in the same country you did. If your luggage has failed to arrive at your destination within 24-hours, then you’ll get some money back for this inconvenience. It is essential to be aware that the amount of the refunded money could depend on if you’ve purchased the optional upgrade as well as if you’re carrying any essential emergency items. If you are concerned your bags may not make it to the same location as you, carefully review your travel insurance options. Hint: this is always a negative side effect of air travel, so it is wise to choose insurance with this coverage).

You Get to the Airport and People Are Protesting

Airline workers (and even taxi drivers) can strike. As annoying as this might be after months of planning and anticipation for your latest adventure, it doesn’t help things to be mad. Plan ahead, and in the instance a strike prevents your flight from leaving in the following 24 hours, you’ll be covered if you purchased trip protection when you booked your flight. Is trip insurance worth it? You bet.

Have you ever had trip insurance come to your rescue? Feel free to tell us about it in the comments below!