Travelling is one of the most exciting experiences in a person’s life. However, unforeseen circumstances can easily ruin it. I learned this the hard way, after regretting not purchasing travel insurance.
The first time I travelled, my car was broken into in downtown Toronto, and my passport, laptop, and carry-on were stolen. The situation was stressful as I needed rush emergency visa and passport services. I had to spend days at the consulate and passport office to re-arrange my flight. I ended up spending more money than I anticipated and caused a major setback to my trip, shortening it from 17 days to 10. Luckily, the airline was kind enough to offer me a discount on my second airfare.
The second time was less frustrating but equally financially impactful. I had enjoyed myself too much the night before and was too sick to make my flight. I had no travel insurance, and I had to spend twice the original ticket price to secure another flight, or I would lose my entire trip. It was a tough lesson to learn that I should have planned better, and I could have avoided losing so much money if I had travel insurance – or just waited to have fun at my destination!
The last time, just the year that I am writing this, I was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident less than two weeks before my flight. So here’s the fun part: I’m in the hospital, 9 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and desperate not to miss my vacation. I beg the doctors to release me from the hospital; but with a collapsed lung, I am not what they call, “fit to fly.” I signed myself out of the hospital, against medical advice, and was warned of the dangers of flying with a pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Overly confident in myself, I went home the night before my flight with every intention of packing. Needless to say – with nine broken ribs, I could not pack a thing – I could not even dress myself! That vacation was completely missed, paid for, and on top of it – I actually tried to re-admit myself to the hospital but was denied after I had signed my release. I know, some of you think I’m crazy – I am. Travel insurance would have been great.
In conclusion, from someone who has (and still does risk) not purchasing travel insurance – it should be an essential consideration for any travel plans. Looking back and calculating the cost of purchasing travel insurance for every trip I’ve ever taken versus the few trips I needed it – the benefits of travel insurance have outweighed the cost. It covers unforeseen circumstances such as accidents, theft, illnesses, trip cancellations, and lost luggage. Despite what I do, I would not advise another to risk allowing an unpredictable situation to ruin your dream trip or cost unnecessarily. Take it from someone who hasn’t always purchased insurance and now knows better – consider investing in travel insurance, so you can travel with peace of mind. Or take a risk – but make sure you calculate that very well – and remember – the benefit outweighs the cost!
The first time I travelled, my car was broken into in downtown Toronto, and my passport, laptop, and carry-on were stolen. The situation was stressful as I needed rush emergency visa and passport services. I had to spend days at the consulate and passport office to re-arrange my flight. I ended up spending more money than I anticipated and caused a major setback to my trip, shortening it from 17 days to 10. Luckily, the airline was kind enough to offer me a discount on my second airfare.
The second time was less frustrating but equally financially impactful. I had enjoyed myself too much the night before and was too sick to make my flight. I had no travel insurance, and I had to spend twice the original ticket price to secure another flight, or I would lose my entire trip. It was a tough lesson to learn that I should have planned better, and I could have avoided losing so much money if I had travel insurance – or just waited to have fun at my destination!
The last time, just the year that I am writing this, I was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident less than two weeks before my flight. So here’s the fun part: I’m in the hospital, 9 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and desperate not to miss my vacation. I beg the doctors to release me from the hospital; but with a collapsed lung, I am not what they call, “fit to fly.” I signed myself out of the hospital, against medical advice, and was warned of the dangers of flying with a pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Overly confident in myself, I went home the night before my flight with every intention of packing. Needless to say – with nine broken ribs, I could not pack a thing – I could not even dress myself! That vacation was completely missed, paid for, and on top of it – I actually tried to re-admit myself to the hospital but was denied after I had signed my release. I know, some of you think I’m crazy – I am. Travel insurance would have been great.
In conclusion, from someone who has (and still does risk) not purchasing travel insurance – it should be an essential consideration for any travel plans. Looking back and calculating the cost of purchasing travel insurance for every trip I’ve ever taken versus the few trips I needed it – the benefits of travel insurance have outweighed the cost. It covers unforeseen circumstances such as accidents, theft, illnesses, trip cancellations, and lost luggage. Despite what I do, I would not advise another to risk allowing an unpredictable situation to ruin your dream trip or cost unnecessarily. Take it from someone who hasn’t always purchased insurance and now knows better – consider investing in travel insurance, so you can travel with peace of mind. Or take a risk – but make sure you calculate that very well – and remember – the benefit outweighs the cost!
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