What to Know About Travel Insurance During the Pandemic

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona during 2019

Expect the unexpected — especially this year. Rarely is this adage proven true as often as it is in the context of adventure travel. Traveling during the pandemic carries much more uncertainty than ever before. And while some surprises aren’t as cool as seeing the Pyramids of Giza or visiting the city that never sleeps, it's now more important than ever to find travel coverage no matter where you go. So, if you plan on traveling anytime soon, one thing you can do to protect yourself is to get a trip insurance policy that includes coronavirus coverage.

Not sure where to start? Here are common types of travel insurance, as well as some of the optional benefits you may want to look into.

1. If something happens to your luggage

This is one of the most common (and annoying) travel-related mishaps. Pay attention to coverage limits and increase yours as necessary. Even mundane items like laptops and cell phones have replacement costs beyond limits set by basic travel insurance policies. Knowing this, be careful to read your policy closely to be sure your most expensive possessions are fully protected.

2. An interruption in your trip

Interruption coverage protects you in the event you have to return home due to an emergency once you have already started your trip. This coverage type will pay for the cost of getting you home and getting you back to your destination once you’re able to travel again.

3. If you need to cancel

Cancellation coverage covers you for pre-paid, non-refundable expenses under a fixed set of circumstances outlined in your policy. You can make a claim when you have to cancel a trip due to a health emergency or illness, for example. Depending on the policy you choose, you may also be able to claim if you’re laid off from work or have to attend jury duty. If the list of covered cancellation reasons under basic cancellation coverage seems too limited to you, you might want to opt for CFAR or “Cancel For Any Reason”. 

Tip: This offers the fullest coverage but may only make sense for you if your calendar is subject to change at any moment's notice. Some credit cards will even cover your expenses sometimes if you were to cancel last minute.

While travel insurance isn’t as expensive when compared with the cost of your trip, there are ways to bring down the cost. If you’re a frequent enough traveler, an annual policy might make financial sense for you. And if you are traveling with a group, purchasing group insurance is a great way for all members of your party to get the same coverage for less.

Unfortunately, the novel coronavirus is not a listed reason for travel insurance policies. So, even if you decide on picking travel insurance for your international or domestic trip, make sure you understand exactly what’s covered since there are different categories for basic and special coverage.

To learn about travel insurance and understand you know everything that is covered on your policy during the pandemic (and beyond), be sure to check out this article from ConsumersAdvocate.org who helped provide the information for this article. They're sharing their top picks for travel insurance coverage, as well as a comprehensive overview of some of the best travel insurance for every type of traveler.