So you’ve packed your bags with Insta-worthy outfits, booked your hotels, and planned your itinerary in an exotic destination. How exciting!
Then these questions creep into your head — Do I really need travel insurance? Is travel insurance worth it? Why buy travel insurance when I can just be mindful of my surroundings?
The answer to this question is that life is full of uncertainties.
No matter how perfectly planned your trip is, things may not always go as expected. That’s one lesson that Covid-19 has certainly drilled into everyone’s heads!
Travel insurance is one of the most important decisions that any traveller can make, and this list will convince you why it’s a MUST.
1. It’ll cost you more not to get it
Let’s say you’ve planned a two-week trip around Europe and you’ve spent thousands of dollars. But the day before your trip, you slipped and suffered a serious fall.
You call the airline to explain the situation. While they’re sympathetic, there’s not much they can do as the ticketing policy clearly states that no amendment of dates or cancellation is allowed 7 days before departure.
You have no choice but to (figuratively) burn all the money that you spent on that trip.
Situations like this are exactly why travel insurance is so important. If you had purchased it, you could potentially get reimbursed for the trip, as long as it’s covered under the insurance policy.
In the end, it’ll cost you less to get travel insurance than your non-refundable holiday.
2. Medical emergencies are costly
Now consider this scenario — you’ve eaten adventurous-looking and spicy-smelling street food that made your stomach hurt so badly that you need to be hospitalised.
You’re asked to pay for the medical bills upfront and watch in horror as it quickly climbs to the thousands.
If you have travel insurance with medical coverage, the cost of medical treatment would be covered up to a particular limit!
3. You’ve lost your passport
Losing your passport is one of the scariest things that can happen to any traveller.
With travel insurance, the insurance company will help you obtain a new passport as well as reimburse the cost of the new passport.
4. Flight delays and cancellations
The weather is something that nobody has control over and can lead to flight delays and worse, flight cancellations.
Travel insurance can cover you in all of these instances, such as reimbursing you for money spent on meals and refreshments so you can focus on taking care of your needs during this inconvenient time.
5. Lost, stolen, or damaged luggage
An average of 1.4 million luggage bags are lost by airlines every year!
Most airlines will reimburse this if it’s their error, but there may be limitations on the amount of reimbursement. Replacing the rest of your valuable items in your meticulously packed bags on your own can be extremely expensive and upsetting.
However, travel insurance will provide reimbursement for the items you’ve lost.
6. Covid-19 coverage
Covid has completely changed the way we travel in the new normal. You may find yourself stuck overseas paying costly fees if you get infected during your trip, have to be quarantined, or a sudden spike in cases leads to another lockdown.
Travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage ensures that you’re protected against these worst-case scenarios. This is why many countries have made it mandatory to purchase travel insurance as part of the entry requirements, such as Morocco and Cambodia.
So is travel insurance worth it? The answer is an all-caps YES.
You’ll have more peace of mind against any unforeseen mishaps that could ruin your trip. Pick your travel insurance plan, pack your bags, and book your much-anticipated adventure through the airasia Super App!
Written by
I’m Sabrina, a versatile writer with 7+ years of experience and I’ve been published by household names such as Tatler, Harper’s Bazaar, Mindvalley, and Cosme Japan.
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