The New York Times had an excellent article this week abouttravel insurance. A few decades, travel insurance was obscure. However, thissummer travelers have been inundated with a variety of problems around theworld that could result in a ruined vacation: volcanic ash; civil unrest in Thailandand Greece; and an oil spillon the Gulf Coast. In addition, weather forecastersare predicting a record hurricane season. But will travel insurance reimburseyou for lost airfare and hotel fees because of volcanic ash, civil unrest,ruined beaches and hurricanes?
The article recommends you identify your concerns about thetrip before deciding on which type of coverage to purchase. Are you worriedabout yourself or a family member getting sick (this is especially true forparents of young children)? Are you worried about weather events cancelling thetrip? Study the policy carefully to ensure that it covers your particularconcerns.
According to the Times, some recent events would be coveredand some wouldn’t. Oil spills are not covered. Hurricanes are covered asweather events, but the insurance must be bought before the storm is named, and your destination must beuninhabitable or your flight unable to leave. Travel problems due to civilunrest are not covered, unless the disruption is because of a terrorist attack.
If your particular worries are not addressed by the type oftravel insurance you are considering, you may wish to purchase a policy thatallows you to cancel for any reason, even though it will likely be moreexpensive.