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- Tagged summer travel, summer travel checklist.
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Summer is winding down, and students will soon be making their way back to school. Some will travel across the country to university, while others will travel abroad to spend a semester studying in popular student destinations such as Barcelona, Madrid, London, Paris, and Florence. There’s a lot to get ready before they’re off, whether your child is a freshman and you’re flying out together to set up a dorm room or a third- or fourth-year student preparing for a new cultural adventure. Along with the basics, many students leaving the country pack a few of their favorite things—a cozy blanket, family photos, or other personal comforts—to help make an unfamiliar place feel a little more like home.
When putting your to-do list together, be sure to include trip insurance to protect your travel plans in case something goes awry. Weather-related events can delay or disrupt flights; luggage can get lost or damaged; a family illness can mean a change of plans; and, if traveling internationally, an injury or illness may end up costing thousands in emergency and hospital expenses without the right protection.
That’s where trip insurance comes into play. The good news is that with TravelInsurance.com you have options to put together a plan that fits your needs. Let’s take a look.
Single-Trip Travel Insurance
To protect against losses caused by a weather-related flight cancellation or delay, missed connections, or an unexpected event that forces you to cancel or cut a trip short, you can purchase single-trip travel insurance coverage, which will help cover eligible, non-refundable travel expenses. This may include hotel accommodations, meals, local transportation, rebooking fees, and lost or damaged luggage.
Too often, if the airline is responsible for the delay or cancellation (for example, due to a mechanical issue), you’ll find that the amounts it offers as reimbursement fall short. For instance, if your son or daughter is studying abroad and misses a connecting flight on another airline because their original flight is delayed due to a mechanical issue, you’ll most likely have to purchase a new ticket for the missed connection.
In Case of a Family Emergency
If a family emergency forces you to cancel the trip, travel insurance will help cover the cost. You need to save receipts and provide documentation, like a doctor’s note and a cancellation email.
In Case of Lost or Damaged Luggage
If baggage is lost, delayed, stolen, or damaged during the trip, travel insurance may reimburse you up to your policy limits. Many plans also cover the reasonable cost of essential items, such as clothing or toiletries, you need to purchase while waiting for your bags to arrive. Be sure to keep all receipts and review your policy for coverage limits, waiting periods, and reimbursement requirements.
Not Every Situation Is Covered
Travel insurance doesn’t cover every situation, however. If your child, for example, changes his or her mind about school and decides not to travel, coverage won’t apply with most standard policies. But you do have the option of expanding your coverage with Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR).
Consider Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) for More Flexibility
Families investing in study abroad programs or other prepaid travel arrangements may want to consider Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage.
Available as an optional upgrade to select travel insurance plans, CFAR provides added flexibility by allowing you to cancel your trip for reasons not typically covered by standard travel insurance, such as a change in personal circumstances or simply deciding not to travel.
Keep in mind:
- CFAR must typically be purchased within a limited time after making your initial trip payment (often 7–21 days, depending on the plan).
- You generally must cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.
- Reimbursement is usually partial—typically 50% to 75% of your non-refundable trip costs, depending on the plan.
While CFAR increases the cost of your travel insurance, it can provide valuable peace of mind for families with significant prepaid expenses for flights, housing, or study abroad programs.
Add Travel Medical Insurance
Even with careful planning, illnesses and injuries can happen while you’re studying abroad. That’s why travel medical insurance is one of the most important forms of protection for international students. Many health insurance plans in the U.S. provide little or no coverage outside the country, leaving students responsible for potentially significant medical expenses. Travel medical insurance can help cover eligible costs such as doctor visits, emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, prescription medications, and emergency dental care. Many plans also include emergency medical evacuation coverage, which can pay for transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility—or, when medically necessary and covered by the policy, transportation back home for continued treatment.
With TravelInsurance.com, you can compare plans from top-rated insurance companies. Millions of travelers turn to TravelInsurance.com to protect their travel investment.
A Few Reminders Before Your Child Is Off to School
If Your Student Is Heading to College in the U.S.
- Review your health insurance network. Make sure your student knows which in-network urgent care centers, hospitals, and doctors are available near campus.
- Set up prescription transfers. If your child takes regular medication, transfer prescriptions to a pharmacy near school or confirm mail-order options are available.
- Back up important documents. Store digital copies of health insurance cards, driver’s licenses, student IDs, and emergency contacts in a secure cloud folder.
- Protect laptops and electronics. Enable device tracking, turn on two-factor authentication, and back up important files before move-in day.
- Know campus emergency resources. Save the phone numbers for campus security, student health services, and the resident advisor (RA) or housing office.
If Your Student Is Studying Abroad
- Enroll in the U.S. State Department’s STEP program. This free service helps U.S. embassies contact travelers during emergencies and provides important travel and security updates.
- Check medication regulations. Some medications commonly used in the U.S. may be restricted in other countries, so verify the rules before departure.
- Review international banking and phone plans. Confirm your student’s debit and credit cards will work overseas, understand foreign transaction fees, and determine whether an international phone plan or eSIM makes sense.
- Save copies of travel documents. Keep digital copies of passports, visas, travel itineraries, and insurance information in a secure location that both you and your student can access.
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