A Hawaii vacation is a serious investment, for most travelers. And, let me tell you — it’s worth it! But, you don’t want to take chances with your money, especially if the vacation you’re planning is complicated, with multiple components.
In our last blog, we discussed why you should — or shouldn’t — purchase travel insurance. Here, we’ll discuss how to find the right travel insurance for Hawaii, including ideas from the Huffington Post.
Here are the different kinds of travel insurance for your Hawaii vacation:
- Cancellation insurance: This is the most common kind of coverage found in every comprehensive policy. This covers unforeseen reasons like sickness of you or your traveling partner, weather or carrier issues, and legal obligations (like jury duty).
- Medical insurance: First, find out if you need a plan that covers a pre-existing condition. If not, most plans cover 24-hour emergency assistance, ambulance costs, hospital services and emergency dental work. In Hawaii, your mainland health insurance plan SHOULD cover any medical expenses, but better to be safe than sorry.
- Evacuation insurance: Within medical plans, you can also buy evacuation insurance, which allows for emergency medical evacuation to the nearest appropriate care facility if you are somewhere remote or in a place that cannot appropriately treat a condition.
- Baggage insurance: This covers travelers in two instances: It will reimburse travelers for clothes, medication and other essential items if baggage is delayed in arriving at the destination. It also covers you if your possessions are lost, stolen or damaged during the trip. Because all flights to Hawaii involve long, over-ocean flights, it’s not uncommon for baggage to go missing.
- Flight insurance: Both airlines and insurance companies offer this protection solely for difficulties with your flights. Often people purchase flight insurance only for international trips or trips to places like Hawaii because of the higher cost of fares. This can help travelers save on the fees incurred in the event of a delay or cancellation because of bad weather, mechanical breakdowns or labor strikes.
OK, now that you’ve settled on which KIND of travel insurance you want, here’s a look at how you can purchase that oh-so-important travel insurance, including some ideas from the Huffington Post:
- BUY DIRECT. Companies sell insurance policies directly to travelers, usually online.
- BUY THROUGH YOUR TRAVEL COMPANY. Many travel companies, including airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators, offer optional insurance directly to consumers.
- BUY THROUGH A TRAVEL AGENT OR THIRD PARTY. Your travel agent or tour company like Hawaii Aloha Travel may offer an insurance up-front when you book your Hawaii vacation package. This may be a good way to go if your Hawaii vacation includes multiple stops and/or activities. For example, if you want to book an all-inclusive Oahu vacation package AND an all-inclusive Maui vacation package through Hawaii Aloha Travel, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance because the trip includes multiple stops.
No one says you MUST purchase travel insurance for your Hawaii vacation, but there are times when it can be helpful and actually save you money. So, take our helpful tips and make a well-informed purchase!
