While travelling is often filled with excitement and anticipation, it can be fraught with disruptions that interfere with the best-laid plans. From flight cancellations and medical emergencies to lost luggage and natural disasters, unexpected events can happen to anyone, even the most carefully organised trips.
In such moments of uncertainty, having the safeguard of travel insurance is crucial to salvaging your journey from overwhelming financial and logistical challenges. Here are five real-life anecdotes of travellers who encountered unexpected disruptions and the pivotal role played by travel insurance to save the trip.
Medical Emergencies
Nomads, Campbell and Alya were on an exciting dive trip to Indonesia. The pair went on repetitive dives for a couple of weeks on multiple islands in Indonesia and spent a long day diving on the Komodo Island. Despite being an experienced driver, Campbell had run around for more than he should have, feeling tired and mild discomfort in his ankle.
After 48 hours after his last dive, he had a short flight to Kuala Lumpur since he was completely exhausted. But during the flight, his scalp and forehead suddenly started tingling with noticeable paresthesia. Out of concern, Campbell contacted his insurance company when he arrived in Kuala Lumpur.
The insurer arranged a doctor’s appointment, who referred Campbell to a decompression clinic. Campbell continued his travels as planned after a session in a decompression chamber at the clinic. The entire medical emergency was covered by his travel insurance provider.
Lost Luggage
Karllie from New Zealand was travelling with a friend from Venice, Italy to Nice, France. They had to stop in Genoa, Italy to change buses to get to their destination in France. While waiting for the next bus, the two walked to the nearest cafe for coffee. Karllie and her friend had piled their luggage between the wall and their table at the cafe because they were worried about their safety.
But without either of them noticing, someone walked out of the cafe and picked up Karllie’s day pack, which contained her laptop, passport and other valuable items. Thankfully, Karllie’s long-term travel insurance reimbursed 100% of the loss, including the cost of getting a brand-new passport for 10 years! Despite the inconvenience of the whole experience, Karllie and her friend made their way to France safely.
Cancelled Flights
A traveller named, Corritta Lewis and her family were on their way home from a relaxing vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico. They arrived at the airport early, as they were travelling with a baby. But after waiting for over 3 hours, they were informed by an airport worker that their flight to San Diego was cancelled. With no alternative flight to board, Corritta and her family retrieved their bags and boarded a bus to a hotel to spend the night.
After another day in Mexico with a 7-month-old son, the family boarded the next-day flight back to the US. Luckily, Corritta’s hotel expenses and trip inconvenience were covered by her travel policy. She was also reimbursed for the diapers and baby wipes that they had to purchase at the last minute.
Trip Interruption
Wanderlust, Lia and her husband were travelling in Europe as part of their year-long honeymoon when Lia’s 93-year-old grandfather fell ill. The couple has to cancel the honeymoon halfway and return home immediately to be with him in the hospital.
Her grandpa survived but Lia and her husband incurred financial loss from their trip cancellations. Fortunately, the trip was covered by insurance. So, it only took some paperwork for them to receive the compensation that they filed for. Lia said the policy nearly paid for itself and left them none of the hassle of worrying about the expenses.
Natural Disasters
Writer and traveller, Lindsey Danis once shared her experience travelling to Iceland for an ice-caving trip with her partner. Lindsey took an overnight flight to Iceland and drove south toward Vatnajökull National Park. Unfortunately, a blizzard popped up before they reached the hotel that they had booked.
Lindsey had to drive through a vortex of snow with poor vision. As the hotel was still an hour away from them, Lindsey and her partner had to stop for the night at a nearby hotel. They got the last room available and thankfully the accommodation, dinner and phone calls were covered by travel policy. Since then Lindsey has never considered travelling without protection, especially when winter weather can be extreme.
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Travel insurance is an investment in your peace of mind and financial protection. While it may not prevent unexpected events from happening, it can provide you with the resources and support you need to navigate through them without facing financial burden as shown in these anecdotes.
So, before embarking on your next adventure, consider the value of travel insurance and choose a policy that suits your travel needs and risk tolerance.
Bjak is one of Malaysia’s biggest insurance comparison websites, offering policies from over 10 brands. Get your free insurance quote from Bjak today!
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