Travel insurance, like any other type of insurance, is designed to help people in times of distress and emergencies. In a post-Covid world, travel insurance is no longer an optional expense but a necessary one.
An insurance plan protects you against unforeseen circumstances. It shields your savings from being depleted by exorbitant fees and expenses. This applies to travel within the country or outside its borders.
However, not all travel insurance is made equal. For instance, insurance companies offer offline and online travelling insurance at varying prices and discount rates.
These plans will also offer different scopes of coverage, benefits and premiums, which depend on several factors.
Why Should You Compare Travel Insurance Plans?
There are thousands of travel insurance plans out there. So how do you figure out what the best one for you is? Usually, when people shop for travel insurance, they end up with a handful of promising plans they wish to buy.
So how do they finalise their purchase? In most cases, when buying travel insurance online India, people usually compare travel insurance plans. This is a feature offered on most travel insurance websites and aggregator websites. Hence, customers have a bird’s eye view of the terms included under all the plans they are comparing.
It is an incredibly useful feature that insurance providers offer that allows you to compare the benefits, premiums and exclusions under each travel insurance policy. This ensures you can make better decisions and purchases when looking for travel insurance.
What To Compare When Buying Travel Insurance Online?
If this is your first time buying travel insurance and you need help knowing where to start or what to compare, here are a few key factors you need to assess to determine if the travel plan is right for you.
- Sum Insured: Regardless of the type of travel insurance plan you are buying, this should be your primary focus. The sum insured is the total amount of coverage that is provided to you by your insurer.
This amount will be used to cover all your expenses related to your travel policy when you file a claim. The sum insured can be claimed as many times as needed by the policyholder until the amount gets exhausted.
For example, if you travel to the US, the cost of a single hospitalisation can be between ₹11,000 to ₹2 Lakhs, depending on your condition. Therefore, you must ensure your sum insured amount offers adequate coverage.
- Medical Covers: A medical cover is a crucial feature in any travel insurance policy. They cover the expenses for specific treatments, medications, illnesses and accidents that may occur during your trip. Most insurance companies today offer Covid-19 covers with their travel insurance plans as a built-in cover or add-on.
You must compare trip insurance online to assess the sum insured and the medical benefits offered under each plan. For example, some plans offer emergency medical evacuation covers for more serious accidents or injuries; this cover provides more coverage to cover the cost of surgery and hospitalisation.
- Transit Covers: These include trip cancellations, delays, interruptions or loss of luggage. This is the second most important feature you must assess when you compare travel insurance plans online.
A trip cancellation cover can reimburse expenses on plane tickets, hotel reservations, pre-booked activities, etc. All of these are expensive and can deal a significant blow to your savings without travel insurance.
We at Tata AIG offer baggage insurance covers when your luggage gets delayed, lost or stolen. We will reimburse you for your personal belongings after you file a claim. Also, you will get flight cancellation coverage with Tata AIG, which is not a very common feature in the market.
- Additional Trip Covers: These include additional add-on covers for less common cases like adventure sports, repatriation of mortal remains in the event of death, etc. If you are a more adventurous traveller, consider getting additional covers for your travel insurance plan.
- Terms And Conditions: Always assess the terms and conditions when you compare trip insurance. For example, some travel insurances do not provide coverage for treatments if you suffer a complication from a pre-existing condition, get injured doing any adventure activity (without an adventure sports cover), or lose baggage where you have shipped your items separately.
So looking over the terms and conditions is always recommended. If you have any queries, always contact the insurance provider to clarify them.
Conclusion
When you compare travel insurance plans online, you also get a better understanding of the plans, giving you a clearer view of each plan’s policy terms and premiums. So having a thorough vetting process is always recommended, no matter what insurance provider you’re buying from.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- How do I find the best insurance policy?
You can find the best travel insurance policy by comparing travel insurance plans online, either on the insurance company’s website or on aggregator sites.
- Should I compare my travel insurance premium?
Yes, it is recommended that you do so that you get a good estimate of how much you will be spending on a particular travel insurance policy.
- How many types of travel insurance are there?
The most common travel insurance plans you will come across in India are domestic travel insurance, international travel insurance, Family travel insurance, individual travel insurance and senior citizen travel insurance.
