Travel Insurance Packages

Travel Insurance Packages

Baggage on a baggage carousel

Travel insurance packages are offered that include all the various forms of travel insurance:

  • medical emergency insurance;
  • trip cancellation insurance;
  • trip interruption insurance;
  • coverage for lost, damaged or delayed baggage; and
  • accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.

These plans are often competitively priced and can offer the best value for your premium dollar. For example, for the same premium (or even less) some all-inclusive plans will have the same trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage as a standalone trip cancellation/interruption plan. 

In addition to medical emergency insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage, travel insurance packages ('all-inclusive' or 'comprehensive' packages) include the following two kinds of coverage: baggage insurance and flight accident insurance.

Lost, Damaged or Delayed Baggage Insurance

So, you're the last person waiting for your luggage to appear and come down the turnstile. Everyone else has already found theirs. It doesn't look good. What are your options?

Try as hard as the airlines might, misplaced baggage happens once in a while. It can show up after a few hours, a few days, or it gets lost, stolen or damaged. This can be an easy way to put a damper on your vacation or business trip. Having a little protection against that unpleasant experience might be worth a few extra premium dollars.

Package plans usually provide a basic level of baggage coverage, and the extra cost is minimal.

Not everything is covered. You need to read the policy prior to purchasing to see if the coverage makes sense to you. As an example though, the following description of coverage shows how useful this coverage can be when you have purchased an all-inclusive plan:

  • Up to $500 to replace a single article (including its attachments, accessories and equipment, matched pair or set, or group of related articles), up to a maximum of $1,000 if you have purchased a travel package coverage;
  • Up to $200 towards the replacement of one or more of these (passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, or travel visa) documents;
  • Up to $400 for replacement of necessary (delayed) personal effects.
A hand holding a passport and a brown bag on the floorInsured Risks:
  • Baggage Loss: Loss or damage to the baggage and personal effects that you own and use during your trip.
  • Lost Documents: Loss or theft of your passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, or travel visa.
  • Baggage Delay: A delay of delivery of checked baggage of 12 hours or more by an airline or ground carrier on which you travelled while on a trip.

Exclusions:

  • Loss or theft of: animals; bicycles except while checked as baggage on a common carrier, perishable items; household items and furniture; artificial teeth or limbs; hearing aids; eyeglasses of any type; contact lenses; money;tickets; securities; items related to your occupation or profession; antiques or collectors’ items; fragile items; items obtained illegally; or articles that are insured on a valued basis;
  • Damage or loss resulting from wear and tear, deterioration, defect, mechanical breakdown, your imprudence, or your omission;
  • Unaccompanied baggage or personal effects; baggage or personal effects left unattended or in an unlocked vehicle; or baggage or personal effects shipped under a freight contract; or
  • Baggage that is delayed on your return flight.

Some companies may also have special baggage coverage options such as insuring specific sports equipment, or computer equipment. Baggage insurance is also sold separately as optional coverage if you do not want to purchase an all-inclusive package.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance

This is another supplemental type of coverage that is often provided when you purchase an all-inclusive plan. Coverage will vary according to the company, but you should be aware that there are two kinds of AD&D Insurance: flight accident insurance, and 24 hour accident (AD&D) coverage.

- Air flight coverage will pay certain benefits if you die or become dismembered as the result of a flight accident.
- 24 hour AD&D coverage provides those same or similar benefits for a death or dismemberment that occurs anytime on your trip, subject to certain limits and exclusions. Please read the policy details for a further description.

Tip:
Depending on the company, all-inclusive plans may not require you to answer a medical questionnaire whereas buying a single trip emergency medical plan might. If you have answered various medical questionnaires for available plans and found that your premium is higher than you had hoped, it may be possible to find an all-inclusive package plan with extra trip interruption and lost baggage coverage that can cost about the same or even less than the standalone emergency medical policy.