Everyone needs some form of trip protection during their travels, and a travel insurance plan is a good way to facilitate that. It is a much-needed asset for frequent flyers for its host of benefits and financial shielding.
Take a situation where you need to call the trip off at the last moment for some medical emergency or hospitalisation. Or you go on a trip and faced with some adverse situation where you need medical attention or aid. These are travellers’ nightmares, and while the uncertainty cannot be avoided, you can very well prepare for that.
This is why, when planning a trip anywhere, it is essential to get travel insurance. We have listed some of the top benefits of travel insurance and explained the key difference between travel protection and travel insurance. Read on to find out which one you should buy before your next trip.
Travel Insurance Plans and Their Protective Role During Trips:
Here are some key ways a travel insurance plan can mitigate any potential financial and legal liabilities during your trip — allowing you and your family to enjoy a stress-free vacation.
- Coverage Against Natural Calamities
- Travel Protection For Trip Cancellations
- Cancelled/Delayed Flights or Missing Your Connecting Flight
- When You Fall Ill or Get Injured During Your Trip
Let us take a closer look at how travel insurance performs under these circumstances.
● Coverage Against Natural Calamities
Natural disasters are unpredictable and unavoidable. If your travel plans are disrupted by an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, or any other natural disaster, a travel insurance plan can help cover your losses.
This can include being reimbursed for pre-booked flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and any other non-refundable pre-booked activities.
● Travel Protection for Trip Cancellations
Trip cancellations can sometimes be due to reasons out of your control. You may fall ill or get injured right before your trip, forcing you to put your plans on hold. You have to cancel the vacation you have been looking forward to.
With travel insurance coverage or a good travel protection plan, you can get reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses like flight tickets and non-refundable pre-booked services like hotel bookings (as per policy conditions).
● Cancelled/Delayed Flights or Missing Your Connecting Flight
Most insurers offer automatic trip extensions if you miss a connecting flight or need to extend your trip due to a delayed or cancelled flight due to circumstances out of your control.
For example, imagine your first flight gets delayed, causing you to miss your connecting flight to your destination, where you have an important meeting scheduled.
Travel insurance coverage or travel protection insurance will cover the expense of booking another flight, allowing you to reach your destination on time.
● When You Fall Ill or Get Injured During Your Trip
Most travel insurance policies come with built-in medical coverage for emergency hospitalisations. So, if you get injured during your trip, your travel plan will cover the hospitalisation expenses. And knowing how expensive overseas hospitalisations can get, buying a travel insurance plan becomes a no-brainer.
Travel Protection Vs Travel Insurance: Which One Should You Buy Before a Trip?
Travel protection is recommended if you want coverage against flight/trip cancellation, missed flights, and flight delays. Its coverage is more limited, but it is an affordable alternative to travel insurance.
However, if you want a more comprehensive form of travel protection, it is recommended that you buy a travel insurance plan since these are sometimes mandated during visa application processes when travelling to certain countries.
They also offer medical coverage, which is an important asset to consider when travelling overseas.
The Difference Between Travel Protection and Travel Insurance
| Parameters | Travel Protection | Travel Insurance |
| Product Type | Unregulated product | Regulated product
(Must comply with IRDAI regulations) |
| Coverage | Covers Only Trip-Related Expenses:
● Trip Cancellations, ● Missed Flights, ● Flight Delays. |
● Covers trip-related expenses.
● Medical coverage ● Baggage loss, theft or damage |
| Offered By | ● Travel agencies – online/offline
● Tour operators |
General/Travel Insurance Providers |
| Cost | Dependent on coverage but generally less expensive than travel insurance | Affordable to expensive.
Dependant on coverage. |
Conclusion
Most travel agencies tend to use both terms interchangeably. Hence, you must enquire about the coverage offered and know what product you are buying – whether it is travel protection insurance or a travel insurance plan, before going on your trip.
To avoid buying the wrong product and running into trouble later on, we recommend buying travel insurance plans from reputed insurers like Tata AIG. Their online platform allows you to compare travel insurance policies with each other so you can make an informed decision.
