Welcome to March, my friends! Many of us remember our school days of getting a “spring break.” Spring break tends to signal the start of traveling season, with summer following quickly behind. Now, many of us are making our own spring break, whether you are in academia or have kids/grandkids that get that special time off. As the travel season kicks off, I have found something that many of you may be leaving off your “packing list.” Before I tell you what it is, gather round for an elder millennial story of what inspired me to write about this missing “item”:
At the beginning of January, I made a trip to Texas to visit for my cousin’s baby shower with a couple of my aunts and cousins.
After a really enjoyable weekend of family time and celebrating a new family member coming soon, I was met with Winter Storm Blair! Yikes! Of course, Blair chose to make her appearance on the day of my flight. I got extremely well acquainted with the Austin airport. Should I say “well acquainted” or “stuck in the airport for 8 hours while being endlessly delayed”? “Well-acquainted” was putting it lightly. Unfortunately, I had to end up getting a hotel for the night and flying out the next morning due to delays and missing my connecting flight home. What was a moment of emotional frustration fortunately didn’t have financial frustration tacked on and let me tell you why: I have invested in an annual travel insurance plan for the past couple of years.
While airlines may reimburse you for part of your costs, they may not reimburse you for all of them.
I am extremely grateful and can confirm that, in all likelihood, you will end up using it one way or another. Travel insurance is something definitely worth looking into adding to your “packing list”. What costs a couple hundred dollars now can save you many hundreds(possibly thousands) of dollars in the future and can be well worth your while. Here are the three reasons why I keep this on my “packing list” every year:
1. Trip Interruption coverage
This covers events like major weather events to medical and family events. Let’s say you have a close relative pass away while you are traveling, and you need to cut your travel short to get back to family; trip interruption can help. Or if you experience a serious medical emergency while traveling (in the US or out of the US) and have to extend your stay until you are well enough to travel. This can be a helpful piece to help cover those additional costs!
2. Trip Delay coverage
Looks fairly similar to trip interruption coverage except it can apply to a major weather/medical/family event that happens before your trip and needs to cover a change in plans where deposits could be lost.
3. Baggage delay/damage coverage
Have you ever had a moment where you arrived at your destination but your luggage didn’t? Travel Insurance can help you cover your needs within the timeframe it takes for you to get your luggage. Or if your luggage is damaged and doesn’t come back at all, it can help cover what shopping needs you may have so you don’t have to take on the financial burden of restocking your wardrobe for the entirety of your time out of town.
Chances are the roads and airports will be crowded this year as we’ve experienced year-over-year increases in travel. According to MarketWatch, “For travelers looking to protect their investment, a basic travel insurance policy costs around 3% to 5% of a trip’s total value, or $221 on average.”
Whether you’re traveling across the US or around the world, travel insurance can save you a world of stress!!
March 2025
