Why You Should Avoid Buying Travel Insurance On Trip-Booking Sites
You've been planning your trip to the sunny Bahamas for the last three months, and now you're at the point where you're finalizing the booking details for your flights, accommodations, and rental car. As you prepare to checkout on the booking platform's website, you notice an offer to add travel insurance to your trip as a one-stop deal. And while obtaining travel insurance was not something you had even considered, you realize that it's probably something that might come in handy should any cancellations occur due to severe weather in or near the Bahamas. And, as Forbes reports, there are a host of travel insurance options that one may want to take into consideration when planning their vacation to ensure they're covered.
Anxious to reserve and pay for everything on your booking site checkout page, you scan the insurance terms and conditions quickly for anything that might stand out, tick the box to select it, and notice quite an expensive rate appear on your subtotal for the added travel insurance. Before you complete your purchase and get locked into anything, there are some things you need to know and should avoid, regarding buying travel insurance through any trip booking sites.
What travel booking sites don't reveal about their travel insurance
While it may seem convenient to book your entire vacation through one trip-booking website, or even through a travel agent, buying travel insurance directly through them is not recommended, according to immihelp. Trip-booking sites and travel agencies tend to offer their travel insurance at a much higher rate than separate travel insurance agencies. Their insurance also provides minimal coverage with a host of exclusions in fine print that most people aren't aware of: Learning the hard way that their cancelled flights are not covered under their impromptu travel insurance purchase.
Booking travel sites will also imply a sense of urgency to purchase your travel insurance through them now, in order to make sure you're covered immediately: Using advertising scare tactics such as several pop-ups with bold red print glaring in your face. However, insurance agencies like Travelers provide a list of facts when it comes to buying insurance: How soon you need it, when you can't buy it any longer, and what you should consider before buying it.
What are your options for purchasing travel insurance?
Since it's not vital that you purchase your travel insurance immediately upon booking your trip through booking sites, you have time to do a bit of research when it comes to what your options are, and where you can get the best insurance coverage for your trip. Depending on who you bank with, many banks will generally provide travel insurance for their account holders, such as USAA. Checking with your bank is a viable option that may afford you a discounted rate on a travel insurance policy.
In addition, credit card companies — such as the popular cards noted by The Points Guy — provide travel insurance to their cardholders as well, and have some great options when it comes to purchasing the travel insurance you need specifically. It's worth checking with your credit card provider about what they may offer. And finally, there are individual travel insurance agencies that solely focus on providing exceptional travel insurance to their clients, without hidden fees. With a host of businesses available, it's always best to check with the more notable agencies that have been providing insurance coverage for years, while reviewing their ratings as well, and exactly what their policies do and don't cover. After all, travel insurance is as important as insurance for your car and home. Sacrificing crucial coverage for the convenience of purchasing everything on a trip-booking site, may wind up costing you more money out-of-pocket down the road than you anticipated.