When is the Best Time to Buy Travel Insurance?

People plan for hotels, flights, amenities when they travel yet they forgot to consider a crucial aspect – insurance. Travel insurance can save you from a lot of potential troubles that you might face while travelling – from cancelled flights to stolen luggage. You can buy travel insurance right up until the last day before you board your flight. However, timing plays a critical role in the extent of the benefits you reap from your travel plan. Let’s throw light on some situations to infer the best time to buy travel insurance.

Before you book your flight tickets

This is the ideal time to buy travel insurance if you plan to take multiple trips in a calendar year. Buying multi-trip insurance saves you from the hassle of purchasing travel insurance each time you make a trip. It covers you for all trips taken in the policy coverage duration. Additionally, it proves to be more cost-effective.

Buying at the last-minute

Many people defer purchasing the travel insurance and end up buying it just a day or day before their flight departure day. This is the riskiest of purchase and should be avoided as far as possible. The biggest drawback of buying the travel plan at this time is that you get deprived of a number of benefits of your travel plan that you were entitled to.

Any insurance plan takes a few days to come into effect. Buying the protection plan at the last-minute means you will be travelling uninsured until your policy gets into effect. This might also lead to insurance companies rejecting your claim. Most often, you lose your cover for cancellation costs. Major coverages that need early purchase to come into effect are:

• Coverage for cancellation due to any reason
• Coverage for cancellation due to work reasons.
• Coverage for a pre-existing medical condition.
• Protection against financial default.
• Hurricane coverage.
• Work conflict coverage

You should contact your insurance provider for detailed information on your policy.

The ideal time to purchase travel insurance

Generally, you are should buy a travel insurance plan within fourteen days of booking for your holiday. However, the best time to buy travel insurance should coincide with the date you make the first arrangement and make your first trip deposit like a flight ticket.

Purchasing a travel insurance plan this early protects you from unforeseen circumstances.

As most travel plans cover unexpected events; you can benefit from an early purchase. For instance, you booked a holiday for Bahrain three months in advance. You also purchased a travel insurance plan at that time. However, just a week before your travel date, there a hurricane or an earthquake is announced in that region and you are forced to cancel your trip. Here, you can easily claim compensation and get it approved with an early purchase. But the situation would be dicey with a late purchase of the travel protection cover.

Cancellation is one of the top reasons with people for any claim on the travel insurance protection. Buying a travel cover with your first trip deposit ensures

• You can claim your prepaid costs for any reason your trip gets cancelled before departing from the country.
• You can claim any lost fund on cancelled or non-refundable flights; accommodation fees, travel agency fees, tour activities and all other travel bookings.
• Cancellation due to an obligation to appear in a court as a witness.
• Cancellation due to job redundancy without any prior knowledge of it.

Bottom line

A lot can go wrong between the time you book your trip and the time you board the flight for your vacation. However, by purchasing a Travel Insurance simultaneously with your first booking keeps you covered for any of the unexpected events and realize the very purpose of buying a travel insurance plan