Things to Know while Buying Travel Insurance from Airline Websites

Posted on: Mar 2, 2022 | | Written by:

Things to Know while Buying Travel Insurance from Airline Websites

Published on March 4, 2022. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

Buy Travel Insurance from Airline Websites

When you are preparing a travel plan, it is advisable to check out the best international travel insurance online. When comparing travel insurance plans, ensure that you check the coverage offered by different insurer. Most people randomly select the travel insurance plan offered by airline website simply by just ticking on the small box while purchasing ticket online. The coverage offered by airline website may or may not meet you’re the requirement of your trip. Hence, when it comes to buying travel insurance policy, it is necessary to go through the plan and understand the coverage in depth.

Do You Need Travel Insurance?

Every person puts in a significant amount of money for travelling abroad with their loved ones. However, unforeseen scenarios like flight cancellation, loss of luggage, etc., can become a spoilsport and lead to numerous financial losses. If you have a travel insurance policy covering trip cancellation, your insurer will reimburse the cost of most of the bookings you made, refundable or not. You would also get compensated for your flight tickets. Not just trip cancellation, a travel insurance plan keeps you financially safe from unexpected expenses like losing your baggage, emergency medical care, losing your passport and more. However, what your insurer will compensate you for will vary considerably with the type of plan you buy.

What Kinds of Travel Insurance Do Airlines Offer?

While booking your flight tickets, you can notice a small box, by ticking on which you can instantly buy travel insurance online for your trip. Most airlines have started providing this facility to help passengers insure their trips without browsing or through multiple steps. The insurance policy by airlines offer mild coverage and might be for many people. Unlike a standalone travel insurance plan, these are cheaper.

Depending on your airline or the company offering you insurance, your benefits will be the following:

• Coverage for medical treatment due to accident or illness while travelling

• Emergency Hotel Accommodation

• Flight Delay

• Trip curtailment coverage Personal accident (disablement or death)

• Indemnification against actual legal liability

• Delay or total loss of your checked-in baggage

Not all airlines offer the same benefits. Depending on your requirements, you can buy these policies. However, you must read the actual wording of the policy and see if it is actually worth it. It will be best to assess your trip and the risk associated with your plans before going for the insurance plan offered by airline companies.

Is it Good to Buy Travel Insurance From Airline Websites?

When you are going for an expensive international trip and you have made plenty of reservations, you should buy a plan that will at least cover the costs in case of cancellation. In the case of airlines, the trip insurance is either offered by a third party insurer or themselves, where you will not have many options to compare different plans to buy your policy. In several cases, your airline travel insurance only offers basic coverage like flight cancellation, baggage loss, medical treatment, flight delays, trip cancellation etc. If you plan to participate in winter sports or some risky adventure sports, you won't get an option to buy an add-on cover that will cover any loss because of these activities. Beyond the standard coverage, your policy will not cover any special circumstances, for example, pre-booked excursions or non-refundable hotel expenses. You must also keep in mind that many limits are low and may leave some gaps in coverage. Most airline travel insurance plans only cover you for a fixed duration, for example, 30 days. With a standalone travel insurance plan, you can buy a plan of your choice for any duration.

Another important point is that the coverage benefits are only applicable to people travelling with the same airline. For example, suppose you're travelling abroad, and your trip consists of multiple flights to different cities via different airlines. In that case, you won't get coverage for specific benefits as your provider will vary too. Hence, it is advisable to go through the plan thoroughly offered by airline websites and other insurers and choose the one which covers risk associated with the place you will be travelling.

Conclusion

When purchasing an international travel insurance policy, it is recommended to compare different plans by looking at the coverage offered rather than focusing on the price criteria. Independent travel insurance policy will also provide more comprehensive coverage and an option to purchase an add-on. With HDFC ERGO travel insurance policy you get coverage for COVID-19 hospitalization and it has network of 1 lakh plus cashless hospitals worldwide.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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