More than a third of Americans aged 18 to 64 enjoy two to three vacations per year, but some embark on more than 10 — meaning they’re traveling practically every month of the year! If you fall into either category, you likely consider yourself a frequent flyer. That means you’re probably all too familiar with the flight delays, unexpected interruptions, and other unforeseen events that can impact a trip.
Chances are, you’re also well acquainted with the benefits of travel insurance for frequent flyers, whether it’s travel insurance for business travelers, adventurous families, or solo travelers of all ages. However, everyone could use a refresher on comprehensive travel insurance coverage every once in a while, even bonafide travel aficionados. Here’s a quick guide of travel insurance tips for frequent flyers.
Before we dive into travel insurance tips, let’s start with the basics: What is covered under comprehensive travel insurance? Comprehensive travel insurance includes coverage for trip cancellations, delays, and interruptions, as well as benefits for medical emergencies and baggage delay or loss. Travel insurance coverage for frequent flyers, in particular, typically contains benefits like:
● Trip cancellation insurance, which reimburses any prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses — such as hotel and airline fees — if a frequent flyer must cancel their trip for a covered reason like illness or injury.
● Travel delay insurance, which reimburses any prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses and eligible costs like meals and transportation expenses in the event of a covered delay, such as an unavoidable travel carrier delay.
● Trip interruption insurance, which reimburses travelers for unused, prepaid, and non-refundable costs plus eligible additional transportation costs in the event a trip is unexpectedly cut short due to a covered reason.
● Airline ticket change fee coverage, which reimburses frequent flyers for out-of-pocket expenses involved in changing the dates of an airline ticket due to a covered reason (coverage will not reimburse frequent flyer points).
● Lost luggage insurance, which reimburses frequent flyers for baggage and personal belongings, such as passport documents, that are lost or stolen during travel (or delayed or damaged in transit) up to the noted policy amount.
● Emergency medical insurance, which covers the costs of immediate medical care — such as hospital fees — as well as the costs associated with an emergency medical evacuation to the nearest hospital or treatment center.
Frequent flyers face unique risks, the primary being the financial investments involved in planning multiple trips, many of which are prepaid and non-refundable. Comprehensive travel insurance provides financial protection and peace of mind that unexpected events — like illness, injury, or severe weather — will be a manageable setback, not a total loss. So, how does travel insurance benefit frequent travelers?
For frequent travelers, travel insurance safeguards money spent out-of-pocket, supplies reimbursement for trip cancellations and interruptions, and secures access to emergency medical services. It also saves travelers from unexpected expenses that can occur while vacationing or away for business, such as when baggage is suddenly lost before a long trip or when a flight is rescheduled without warning.
While occasional travelers benefit from single-trip insurance, frequent flyers are better served by multi-trip travel insurance. Also referred to as annual travel insurance, multi-trip insurance applies to an unlimited number of trips per year with benefit limits that retain their total value until a claim has been filed against them. Frequent travelers save time, money, and hassle, knowing they’re covered for all upcoming trips.
Now that we’ve covered the benefits of travel insurance for avid travelers, let’s address another common question: What should frequent flyers look for in travel insurance? While there’s no such thing as frequent flyer insurance, multi-trip travel insurance is best suited for individuals who travel three or more times per year. It’s wise to look for policies that cover a maximum trip length of up to 90 days per trip.
Similarly, assessing factors like additional perks when selecting a multi-trip insurance policy is wise. Frequent flyers benefit from additional perks like 24/7 customer service, especially when traveling internationally. There’s also value in perks like Aegis’s Stress Less Benefits, which coordinates solutions for unexpected events like flight disruptions and rearranging hotels and pays for it on the spot.
Lastly, it’s vital to understand the coverage limits and exclusions before investing in a policy. While multi-trip policies are often more cost-effective for frequent flyers, your chosen policy must provide coverage for your planned destinations and activities. For instance, accidents and injuries caused by extreme sports are often not covered under standard insurance and will require separate adventure travel insurance.
Maximizing travel insurance coverage requires frequent flyers to understand how to use it effectively. Enter the role of travel insurance tips. To make the most of a travel insurance policy, follow these tips:
One of the most important travel insurance tips is to invest in a policy that meets your needs. Remember that not every annual travel insurance policy is designed the same, so bear in mind these considerations:
Frequent flyers that belong to the Baby Boomer Generation or Generation X require comprehensive emergency medical travel insurance, particularly insurance that covers pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses. Trip cancellation insurance is also a must for this age group.
Frequent flyers who travel with young children should seek comprehensive family travel insurance that covers travelers of all ages, from the youngest to the oldest. It’s also wise to invest in a flexible policy, such as one with Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, to protect prepaid expenses from cancellations of all types.
Young adventurers must select a travel insurance policy that includes adventure sports coverage to ensure they’ll be compensated in the event of an extreme sports accident. Travel insurance for business travelers, on the other hand, should focus on at-the-moment support for last-minute travel delays and interruptions.
So, is multi-trip travel insurance worth it for frequent flyers? Absolutely.
Multi-trip travel insurance coverage is the best travel insurance tip to save time, money, and stress for individuals taking three or more trips per year. Frequent flyers can find the most value in the Aegis Go Ready Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance Preferred Plan, which covers an unlimited number of trips within a yearly period.
Discover how the Go Ready Annual Multi-Trip Preferred Plan protects frequent flyers today.
This amazing feature allows our clients to potentially avoid fronting their own monies and going through a claim reimbursement process. By contacting Aegis immediately when experiencing any covered event such as a flight disruption, illness, or injury, our team can coordinate the solution and pay for it on the spot. This includes booking or rearranging flights and hotels, coordinating medical care, or arranging a medical evacuation or repatriation. Learn More →
Aegis General Insurance Agency Inc.
Travel Insurance Division
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