10 Things Travel Insurance Won’t Cover

by Martha Edwards on

I’m a bit of a spaz when it comes to travel insurance. Which means, basically, that I’m always covered. Though I don’t do crazy things like bungee jump or swim in the ocean further than my feet can touch, I’m always worried that this is going to be the trip where I randomly fall out of a cab onto a busy street and wind up with a broken clavicle and it’s all down to a suspiciously missing metal piece in the door the size of a hairpin. Call it my mother’s influence. Call it getting older. Call it what it is: Paranoia. But whatever you call it, I aim to be covered, one way or another.

There are lots of people out there, like me, who depend on travel insurance for peace of mind. And it’s great to have that sense of assurance, but don’t be fooled into thinking that travel insurance covers every mishap you might have. Here’s a list of the top 10 things it doesn’t cover:

  1. Your tour cancels on you: Sure, you’re covered in case you have to cancel, but what if they cancel and leave you high and dry? Sorry — you might be out of luck
  2. Acts of War or Protests: A good reason to stick to a destination that’s not too tumultuous.
  3. Pre-existing medical conditions: If you had a medical condition before you left, whether you knew about it or not, and it acts up on the trip, you might not be covered. Get checked out and be upfront about your illnesses.
  4. Baggage Delays of less than 24 hours: Bring your toiletries and a change of clothes in your carry-on because you’ll only get money if your bag’s missing for more than 24 hours.
  5. Death of Pet: You can cancel your trip if Granny dies, but you’re outta luck if Rover heads to doggy heaven
  6. Loss/Damage to keys, documents, etc: Read the fine print to find out what is NOT included in the baggage or personal property claims
  7. Sports Injuries: If you break your leg mountain climbing, you might be footing the bill yourself
  8. Pregnancy and Childbirth: Check the fine print — some aspects of childbearing complications might not be covered.
  9. Psychological Illness: Paying out of your pocket for your trip after you have to cancel because of a nervous breakdown will only make things worse. If you have a history of mental illness, get the facts before you book.
  10. Divorce: If you divorce or separate before your trip, you might end up travelling together anyway — most insurance companies won’t let you cancel without a penalty.

Via Airfare Watchdog

Hurricane Season: Be Prepared to Protect Travel Dollars

by Jamie Rhein on

Once, when flying to Taiwan for a vacation, we were delayed in Seoul for a night because a typhoon was possibly coming through. The delay didn’t cost us anything because Korean Air put us up and gave us meal vouchers. We also didn’t have an expensive hotel waiting for us in Taiwan. I think we were staying in a hostel or something and our friend who was to meet us at the airport in Taipei contacted them when our plane didn’t show up.

With hurricane (and typhoon) season here, it doesn’t hurt to know some steps to not let the weather wreck havoc on your vacation budget. One suggestion is to get travel insurance. The insurance guarantees a refund if you have to cancel or delay a trip. Extra days in a hotel and rebooking flights are covered. Other expenses are covered also. You may not need insurance though if you’re flexible. (I think this is true after I read the article “Don’t let a hurricane blow summer travel.”)

For example, if you’re already on a trip, and you have to leave your lovely abode on the beach because a hurricane is seriously on its way, the airline, according to the article, will rebook you on whatever flight is available. In this case, you’re already covered. Where the insurance comes in is if you want to change your itinerary because a possible hurricane is coming and you don’t want to take a chance. If you haven’t left for your trip though, you may be able to switch the dates for the trip if a hurricane is heading to where you planned to go.

If you’re on a cruise, the cruise-line may have to rework the itinerary, so the island you thought you were going to is not a destination. In that case, you probably won’t get compensated by a refund, but you can get some credit to spend money on the ship.

Hotels also may refund or give credit for future hotel days for your unused days. To get refunds on admission to Florida’s theme-parks you needed to have bought your tickets through the theme park booking agent. At least that’s what I gathered from this article. When we were in Disney World on Christmas Day it rained buckets for about four hours. It turns out there was a hurricane that passed through 10 miles away. Since the weather wasn’t severe, just inconvenient, I assume this didn’t count. The park was packed.

Basically, if you’re not much of a risk taker and want piece of mind, perhaps it’s worth the cost of the trip insurance to know that a refund is on its way. Here’s a travel insurance Web site I came across that let you compare companies and coverage. Here’s a Lonely Planet link to a travel insurance they recommend for international travel.

Financial Tips for Travel Overseas

by Jamie Rhein on

Gadling reader, Jimmy Atkinson sent us a link to a financial tip sheet guide, “27 Personal Finance Tips for Overseas Travel.” Whenever my husband and I have traveled or lived overseas, there are always the questions of how much cash to bring, when to use a credit card and when to bring travelers checks. Generally, we’ve done a combination depending on what country we’ve traveled to.

In some countries, cold cash works wonders. In Vietnam, for example, I’ve paid for some things, like cyclo rides, in U.S. dollars. In Nigeria, I was on a small group tour and we had a heck of a time getting traveler’s checks cashed, even at a bank. U.S. dollars were easier to trade. Credit cards aren’t taken every where once you get away from some popular travel spots.

This 27 step guide is written with a checklist approach with each step carefully explained to help make sure you’ve thought of all points you need to think about before you head out of town. Each of the 27 points could almost be a post on their own. What sort of traveler you are and your situation might determine what steps you will heed, but all are worth considering. Most are handy items to think of even if you are traveling in your own country. The photo is from global glenn at Flickr. If you look at the larger version, you can see other travel packing suggestions.

Don’t Waste Your Money on Travel Insurance

by Jonathon Morgan on

Finally, after a long winter locked up inside the house, it’s time to get out, feel the sunshine, and head off on your Spring vacations. But while you’re picking flights, reserving hotels and scouring local shops for a hot new swimsuit, you can cross one thing off your list of travel preparations: buying insurance.

Sounds risky, right? What about all your stuff? What if you get injured and need medical assistance?

Chances are, you’re already covered. Homeowners and medical insurance cover most everything to do with traveling, and credit cards and automobile clubs often pick up the rest.

That being said, don’t take my word for it. Check your insurance policies before your trip, and if it turns out you do need to pick up some additional coverage, check out these helpful tips from Consumer Reports.

So here I was, feeling guilty for all the “uninsured” trips I’ve taken over the years, only to find out, I was probably fine.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of November 12

by Adrienne Wilson on

Settle down and settle in as I take you on a spin of our five favorite’s from the week that was… You’ll love it – I promise!

5. MTV Launches Travel Guidebook Series:
My MTV days are just about over and done, but the memories will last forever. (Not that I did any of the crazy stuff you see on the network these days.) If you’re off to Ireland and looking for some place hip, spunky, spanky, no, no, spunky and cool with more pubs than humanly possible to crawl you may want to check out this blurb from Neil.

4. Travel Insurance for the Over-65:
There are two peak times in one’s life when the opportunity to travel should be seized; in youth and old-age. During each time frame there are many things to consider before taking off into the wilderness. One of the most important is travel insurance and while you may only need it in your young age to cover really silly and naive mishaps, it’s a little different in your golden years. See what Iva found about the situation for the over 65 and start planning ahead if you don’t think they’ll be giving you a break to take a break.

3. Procreation Vacations:
We’ve talked about ‘Babymooning’ and heading out on vaca to go half on a new baby boy or baby girl, but surely it is time to think about it again. Why? Because it’s getting colder. Because the holidays are coming. Because babies are just too darn cute not to have! You decide and if you think your clock is ticking maybe it’s time for a moonlit stroll on the sandy shores of Tonga.

2. Craig Duff Blogs from Egypt:
Gadling is a travel blog and we point to other travel blogs that we like from time to time. Erik points us to his pal who blogs from Egypt. Craig is his pal and all, I’m sure, but as an outsider and unbiased set of eyes reading I’d say it’s swell. Go check it out if you need info or fuel to get your own travels to Egypt going.

1. Surfing Alaska:
Can’t say that I’ve been to Alaska or that I’ve been surfing and I can’t say that I wouldn’t try it out, but this isn’t about me. This is about an article found in Outside mag on surfers who do brave the icy waters and their experiences. If you can’t take the cold get off the board. Yuk,yuk, yuk….