Why it is Important to Have Travel Insurance

My first trip outside of the U.S. was with family to western Canada. Inspired by the summertime scenery in the gorgeous rocky mountains including moraine lakes, glaciers, snow covered tips of mountains and wildlife, upon returning home I began to dream of more overseas travels. My next trip was to Costa Rica as part of a college sponsored trip; I remember this was the first time I swam in an ocean with warm water. And the wildlife in Monteverde Cloud Forest was prolific. I then followed this up by another college trip to Nepal.

I was hooked. I was also lucky. My travel insurance was covered by the fees we paid for those trips. And I almost needed it in Nepal; while trekking to Everest Base Camp I became deathly ill from a combination of food poisoning and serious altitude sickness. This was my first experience at high elevation and I quickly learned I do not adjust well to altitude. An alert guide quickly noticed my worsening condition and carried me down the mountain on his back followed by another day of being transported further down the mountain by a lady on her back, due to the fact I was physically unable to walk. I am forever grateful for their physical help and willingness to sacrifice their own time on the mountain to help me.

One of the truisms when traveling is things will go wrong, but hopefully not to the point where you will need medical help. While there are numerous reasons to have travel insurance (which we detail below), the overall reason for doing so is simply peace of mind in knowing that if something goes wrong, you are financially protected.

Allianz Travel Insurance offers travel protection for single trips, annual coverage or for rental cars. The new, easy to use and extremely helpful Allyz® TravelSmart app, (pronounced “ah-leeze”), allows customers to do the following:

– Easily file claims on the go
– View and edit travel protection plan details
– Easily access the Allianz Travel Insurance customer care and 24-hour emergency medical assistance
– Keep up-to-date with flight tracking and new, improved flight alerts
– Keep tabs on your flight information
– Get safety alerts for your destination—both before your trip and while you’re there
– Find the universal pharmaceutical names of common medications—so you can communicate with pharmacists anywhere
– Find first aid terms in 18 languages
– Find hospitals and doctors around the world with their improved hospital finder
– Find local emergency numbers

Think of the Allyz® TravelSmart app as an insurance concierge. It was built to handle the undesirable parts of travel; it is fresh, new and easy to use. And it is also free and simple to setup on your mobile device. It features a number of services including a trip organizer, hospital locater, a medical translator, a medication dictionary, and an embassy finder.

The most common reason to have travel insurance is for medical emergencies. Travel insurance can cover unforseen medical expenses including hospital stays, doctor visits and medical evacuation.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption. Most trips go as planned but what about unforeseen circumstances that cause travelers to cancel or cut short their trips. IE, illness, family emergencies or natural disasters. I have personally had to alter trips due to illness, an earthquake, a tsunami and forest fires.

Lost or Delayed Baggage. Unfortunately, this is are to common and is why I try to travel with only a carry on piece of luggage. But that is not always possible so travel insurance can provide compensation for lost, stolen or delayed bags.

Travel Delays. This is another all too common experience with contemporary travel. Weather, mechanical, crew delays or any myriad of reasons are to blame. In the past 12 months I’ve experienced significant delays, both domestically and internationally. While returning from one of my trips to Europe, our plane was delayed for maintenance issues, and then sat on the tarmac for longer than allowed for working crew to be on duty. It was subsequently cancelled and I needed to spend another night in a foreign country. Hotel stays, food and transportation are some commonly covered items for these travel delays or flight cancellations.

Conclusion
The world is a diverse place in terms of geography, climate, culture and religion. Contrary to what media often portrays, it is also a fairly safe place to travel, when one takes proper precautions, relevant to destination. Accidents or illness can happen anywhere and its a smart move to be prepared with Allianz Travel Insurance and the Allyz® TravelSmart app.

This post is sponsored by Allianz Global Assistance (AGA Service Company) and I have received financial compensation. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.