Can You Buy Travel Insurance After Booking a Flight?
Booking your dream trip is exciting, but what happens if you forget to purchase travel insurance when making travel arrangements? Or what if, the night before you depart for your trip, you realize you’d like some financial protection coverage while you’re away from home?
Panic, obviously! Just kidding.
Fortunately, you’re not out of options! It’s still possible to add travel insurance even if you’ve procrastinated or didn’t think about it until now.
How?
We’ll walk you through the process of purchasing travel insurance after making your travel bookings, and offer some tips on how to get the best plan at the last minute.
Is Buying Travel Insurance After Booking My Trip Possible?
Yes, it is! Most travel insurance providers will allow you to buy travel insurance after booking your trip, often up until the day before your departure date.
While it’s best to purchase travel insurance as soon as you’ve made your initial trip payment, it’s still possible to protect yourself and your non-refundable trip expenses even at the eleventh hour.
How to Buy Travel Insurance After Booking A Flight
Many airlines offer the option to protect your travel plans during the checkout process. If you miss this opportunity, or have a change of heart after securing your booking, you still have plenty of options available to you.
Here are a few things to consider when looking for travel insurance leading up to your trip.
- Start Your Search As Early as Possible
When it comes to purchasing travel insurance, timing is important. Travelers that are able to purchase a plan within 10-14 days of their initial trip deposit benefit from longer coverage periods and may be eligible for time-sensitive add-ons, such as Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Pre-Existing Condition coverage.
- Determine Your Coverage Needs
Travel insurance policies can vary dramatically when it comes to price, coverage limits, benefits, and exclusions. Use your trip’s itinerary and your personal travel concerns to help determine the coverage you need in order to depart for your vacation with peace of mind.
- Choose Between Comprehensive & Travel Medical
When it comes to single-trip travel protection, there are two main types of coverage to choose from; comprehensive and travel medical insurance. Comprehensive travel insurance plans are the most popular, and provide reimbursement for your prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses in the event of an unforeseen trip cancellation.
However, if you’re purchasing at the last-minute, cancellation coverage may not be necessary. For travelers that don’t need comprehensive coverage, or have existing financial protection through a credit card, a travel medical policy can provide medical coverage at an affordable price.
- Compare Plans From Reputable Providers
Once you know what type of travel insurance coverage you need, it’s time to find the perfect plan. There are hundreds of travel insurance policies on the market that are backed by reputable providers. To make your search easier, we recommend using a comparison site, like Squaremouth, to see how policies compete when it comes to price and protection.
Can You Buy Travel Insurance After Your Departure Date?
Typically, travel insurance companies do not sell policies to individuals that have already departed for their trips. Most providers require that you buy coverage up until the day before your scheduled departure date.
There are circumstances in which you can buy some travel protection while on vacation. This may include travel health benefits like Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation coverage.
If you’re currently traveling and want insurance, we recommend you speak with travel insurance companies directly to enquire about coverage options.
Tips for Adding Travel Insurance After Booking
Finding the best travel insurance policy is easy, even if you’re pressed for time. Here are some tips to help you navigate adding travel insurance after booking:
- Compare Policies From At Least 3 Companies: Use a comparison tool to review different policies and find a travel insurance company you can trust with a policy that will sufficiently cover your non-refundable expenses.
- Check for Time-Sensitive Benefits: If you’re interested in specific benefits like Cancel For Any Reason, Rental Car coverage, or Pre-Existing Medical Condition coverage, verify whether they’re still available based on when you’re purchasing.
- Understand What’s Covered: Read the fine print! While reading a Certificate of Insurance may not be exciting, understanding insurance benefits, like deductibles, can ensure you get the proper protection for your trip.
What does Travel Insurance Cover?
You might wonder if travel insurance is worth the investment. The truth is that travel insurance can be a trip saver, offering a safety net against unexpected disruptions. It provides peace of mind by protecting your non-refundable trip costs and helps financially protect yourself from unexpected events.
Trip insurance also offers financial protection, health care coverage, trip cancellation benefits, travel assistance, and more, which is especially helpful if you’ve invested significant money in your trip. Consider it a small price for massive peace of mind.
Depending on your chosen policy, travel insurance offers a wide range of coverage (but there are always exclusions, and sometimes you’ll need a waiver, so be sure to read the fine print before committing!)
Here are some of the most common benefits:
- Trip Cancellation Coverage: This policy reimburses you for prepaid, non-refundable trip costs (like airfare, accommodations, excursions, and more) if you cancel your trip due to covered reasons such as illness, injury, or inclement weather.
- Trip Interruption: Covers unused trip costs if you need to cut your trip short due to a covered reason.
- Medical Coverage: U.S. residents cannot take their health insurance on vacation, so travel insurance can cover medical expenses and medical treatment if you get sick or injured while traveling.
- Emergency Medical Evacuation: This service offers transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility in case of a severe health issue, such as coronavirus or injuries from a natural disaster.
- Baggage Loss & Baggage Delay: Reimburses you for lost, stolen, or delayed baggage and personal belongings.
- Travel Delay: This policy covers additional expenses if you experience a trip delay due to inclement weather or airline issues.
- Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR): You can cancel your trip for reasons not covered by standard policies, offering more flexibility.
The Best Travel Insurance Companies
There are more travel insurance companies and policies to choose from than ever before. Many providers offer plans to appeal to a specific audience. With that in mind, the best travel insurance company will depend on the type of trip you’re taking.
A list of the current top-selling travel insurance companies can be found here.
Bottom Line: Yes, You Can Add Travel Insurance After Booking.
But the sooner you act, the better. Purchasing travel insurance right after your initial trip deposit date ensures you maximize your coverage options and the benefits you, your family members, or you and your traveling companion are eligible for on your trip.
If you waited until the last minute, don’t worry—options are still available to safeguard your trip. Just make sure to review your choices carefully and understand when your coverage starts to avoid any surprises.