Family Travel Insurance

About family travel insurance

Going on a family trip is a perfect opportunity to get away from it all – apart from work, client meetings, managing the house, and the kids. Without the distractions and the hustle of daily lives, you can spend ample time together as a family and get to know each other.

While impromptu hikes or weekend trips have a charm of their own, going off to explore popular travel destinations around the world as a family, is an entirely different bonding experience. You can take as much time as you want and plan your vacation in detail so that you can fully enjoy the time off with your loved ones.

An essential part of your preparations for a family vacation abroad is family travel insurance. Several countries, such as the UK, Germany, Greece, and France, have made travel insurance mandatory and do not sanction visas without a valid travel insurance policy.

Travel insurance plans; therefore, help make your vacation experience hassle-free and enriching.  With travel insurance in your kitty, you will not have to worry about flight delays, medical emergencies and any other unforeseen roadblocks.

Importance of family travel insurance

While travelling overseas, especially with the family, you may get caught up amidst financial emergencies and travel contingencies. Issues such as flights getting cancelled at the last moment, hotel reservations not coming through, baggage losses or unexpected cash crunches are quite common when on vacations in a foreign country.

In addition, you may also have to face the vagaries of nature in the form of hurricanes, earthquakes, or forest fires. If you get stuck in any such situation and do not have any contingency plan in place, you may have to wait until things stabilise and amidst all this, miss out on valuable travel experiences.

Having family travel insurance allows you to handle any unexpected travel expenses. Travel insurance also provides essential benefits that extend beyond the cancellation coverage, such as protection against medical emergencies, which families often need when going on trips abroad.

Why do you need family travel insurance?

Travelling with your family is undoubtedly more fun, but it also carries a lot more risks. For example, if there is a sudden change in the weather or your kids develop an allergy to the local cuisine while you remain entirely unaffected, your family vacation may easily turn into a bad experience.

As a parent, you must realise that your children are still growing up, and their bodies are still coming to terms with the effects of weather changes, pollutants, and germs. Thus, in any instances where they catch an allergy or get down with fever due to changing weather conditions, you may have to seek urgent medical help locally, which unlike in India, could be quite expensive.

Having a family travel insurance plan can help you prepare financially for any such medical emergencies.

Moreover, travel insurance plans also extend their coverage to help you tackle issues such as flight cancellations due to bad weather, loss of passport and baggage, which may throw a spanner in your travel plans.

To list out, some of the primary reasons why you need a family travel insurance plan include:

• Loss of identity papers, passport, debit cards, and credit cards
• Medical expenses including repatriation and medical evacuation
• Hospitalisation expenses
• Political unrests including strikes
• Civil commotion
• Bad weather conditions
• Missed connection flight
• Financial emergency assistance

What is covered under family travel insurance?

Medical expenses

Travel insurance plans provide coverage against medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, and repatriation. Moreover, dental care expenses, including acute anaesthetic treatment of teeth, are covered under travel insurance.

In case you require immediate emergency medical assistance due to an injury or health condition, the insurance company shall reimburse or pay for the expenses.

Personal accident

We seldom expect ourselves to fall ill while on vacation; however, a serious bodily injury due to an accident can arise at any time. This is why having travel insurance is crucial as it will help you avail yourself of the necessary medical attention in case of a personal accident, without worrying much about the expenses.

Typically, travel insurance plans help cover all treatment and transportation expenses, while providing compensation for accidental bodily injuries, dismemberment (partial or permanent) or demise in an accident.

Hospitalization daily allowance

In case you or your loved ones fall sick or get injured during your family vacation, the resulting medical and hospitalisation expenses can prove to be costly. With travel insurance plans; however, you can avail a daily allowance for the number of days you are hospitalised.

Loss of passport

Loss of baggage is quite common across popular tourist destinations, especially during the peak holiday season. Which is why travel insurance plans are designed such to get you proper compensation for the loss/theft of the loss of identification, money, passport, and other important documents.

If you opt for a family travel insurance plan, the insurance company shall reimburse the expenses incurred in obtaining a duplicate or fresh passport for your entire family.

Cover against trip cancellation

Trip cancellations are a common glitch nowadays. It could be due to a natural hazard or a personal problem. In case you have had made non-refundable prepaid payments towards flight and hotel reservations, and now need to cancel your vacation plans, your family travel insurance plan will help you reimburse the unused hotel reservation cost and travel tickets.

Moreover, if your flight gets delayed, your family travel insurance plan will cover any additional costs for rescheduling connecting flights or any unplanned stays at a hotel, among other things. With a family travel insurance plan, you can also get reimbursements for your family members’ bookings.

Urgent accommodation in case of emergency

In case you are unable to stay in the accommodation, you had initially made reservations due to an emergency such as earthquake, flood, explosion, or hurricane; your family travel insurance plan will compensate you for any additional expenses of emergency accommodation. With travel insurance, you can also choose the accommodation at your convenience.

Distress allowance if a plane Is hijacked

One of the lesser-known yet crucial benefits of travel insurance plans is that it extends their protection over your family even if there is a hijack on your plane for a certain number of hours.

Loss due to home fire

The benefits of a family travel insurance plan are that it helps protect your assets in India while you are on vacation abroad with your family. Thus, if any damage occurs to your home due to fire or burglary, your family travel insurance plan will cover the loss or damage of your home back in India. All you have to do is intimate the insurer of any such happening as soon as possible.

What is not covered under family travel insurance?

Cosmetic surgery

While your family travel insurance helps provide financial assistance in case of treatments done in medical emergencies, it does not cover any cosmetic surgery done to enhance your physical attributes.

In other words, while you are eligible to receive reimbursements for medical expenses (inclusive of repatriation and emergency medical evacuation), you will not receive any reimbursements for treatment relating to the removal of physical anomalies or flaws (plastic surgery or cosmetic treatment), unless the cosmetic surgery is rendered medically necessary as part of treatment.

Self-inflicted injury

Your family travel insurance plan will not cover self-inflicted injuries. The injuries you cause yourself as a result of anxiety, stress, depression, alcoholism, or drug abuse will not be covered under your travel insurance.

Participation in warfare

In case you or anyone of your family members involve themselves in any naval, military, or air force operations while on vacation, you will not be covered under family travel insurance.

Performing risky sports

Many vacationers take their families to explore destinations known for their adventure sports. In case you are not adequately trained to participate in any winter sport, mountaineering, skiing or any other hazardous or potentially dangerous sports, and sustain injuries, after performing in such sporting events, your treatment expenses will not be covered under your travel insurance policy. For more details on this coverage aspect, please refer to your policy schedule.

Non-allopathic treatment

In general, family travel insurance plans strictly exclude coverage for yogic, unani, homeopathic, and ayurvedic treatments. While on vacation with your family; therefore, if you sustain any health condition or incur any expenses by taking part in a non-allopathic treatment, you will not receive any compensation under your family travel insurance plan.

Medical expenses due to unproven treatment

While on vacation, if you incur any illness or medical costs due to participation in any investigational, experimental, or unproven treatment that is not consistent with the diagnosis and treatment as practiced under modern-day allopathic medical treatments, you will not be compensated under the travel insurance policy.

Participation in illegal activity

Individual or family travel insurance provides financial coverage to help make your family vacation more fun. During your trip; however, if you engage in any hazardous occupation or criminal activities, you will lose the coverage under travel insurance.

Limitations in medical expenditure

When we talk about travel insurance coverage in case of medical emergencies, it is essential to consider that the daily hospitalisation allowance or reimbursement of treatment expenses under the travel insurance policy is not payable in case of hospitalisation for certain pre-existing conditions such as cancer.

Treatment that could be delayed until return

Travel insurance plans do not provide coverage if you sustain an illness or injury, and the treating physician decides that you do not need immediate treatment. In other words, if the physician diagnoses that your treatment can be delayed until your return to India, you will not receive coverage under travel insurance.

Tips to follow for a safe family holiday

Family vacations are a great time to travel and see the world in its full glory, experience new cultures, and explore different cuisines. Also, going on holidays with your family allows your kids to see the world beyond their front door and appreciate its nuances in a better way.

As a parent; therefore, it is important that plan your vacations to the T - from finalising the right destinations to making sure that your family is happy and safe throughout the holiday. Here are a few tips to help you to enjoy your vacation thoroughly yet responsibly:

1. Do your research

While every place in this world has its distinctive charm and appeal, but not every place is safe enough to spend vacation time with your family. Before you decide where to go on your next family holiday, spend time researching the location and whether it has any risk of natural calamities, political unrest, or any other issues. For example, South Asian countries such as Japan are prone to earthquakes and tsunamis.

2. Get a family travel insurance cover

While vacationing abroad, travel insurance is a necessity. Having a valid travel insurance policy is a mandatory visa requirement for places such as Schengen countries. Therefore, you need to make sure that you incorporate a travel insurance plan in your contingency planning for the vacation.

3. Choose safe accommodations

The choice of accommodation is a crucial aspect of any family vacation. As a rule of thumb, you must make reservations well in advance (preferably at the time of booking your tickets) to avail of cost-effective prices. Also, read reviews of the hotels and the surrounding area and feel free to contact the hotel to make inquiries about the security measures that are in place.

4. Keep backups of important documents

Loss of baggage, passport, and other important documents is a possibility during your family vacations. Therefore, it is advisable to scan the original documents and save copies of your passport and visa on your email, cloud storage, phones, memory sticks, and any other digital devices. Also, make multiple printed copies of all pertinent documents, including driving licenses, passports, visas, and airline tickets.

5. Always keep your smartphones working

During your vacation, it is essential that every responsible member of your family always has a mobile phone on them. This way, you can remain in contact with each other in case you have to go on separate ways during your trip.

Types of travel insurance

Schengen travel insurance

The Schengen area in the European Union is made up of 26 member states including Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. There is a law as per the Schengen agreement that states that if you are visiting any of these countries on a business or leisure trip, then you need to apply for a Schengen visa.

Annual multi-trip insurance

If you frequently travel throughout the year for business or leisure or plan to go on more than one family vacation in a year, then you should opt for annual multi-trip travel insurance plans. Such an insurance policy allows you to stay insured regardless of where you go.

Also, there is no need to apply for travel insurance every time you have a foreign trip lined up –the annual multi-trip travel insurance plan allows you to the best value deals along with a coverage period of 30, 45, or 60 days, as per your requirements.

Worldwide overseas travel insurance

The worldwide overseas travel insurance policy is necessary when you travel to a non-Schengen country. By purchasing this plan, you can secure your vacation to any of the countries as specified in the policy schedule, against any emergencies including unexpected medical treatments, missed flights, delay or loss of checked-in baggage.

Single trip insurance

As the name suggests, the single trip travel insurance plan is suitable for people who prefer exploring new places with their loved ones and plan one extended family vacation in a year. The plan allows you to choose the travel insurance benefits depending on the place you are visiting – be it a Non-Schengen or Schengen country. Compared to other travel insurance plans, single trip insurance is not only cost-effective but also offers coverage benefits to you and your family throughout the vacation period. However, this insurance type is valid for a single trip only.

Tips to save money while buying family travel cover

Buying Travel insurance is a crucial yet overlooked aspect of vacation planning, and we often delay the purchase of a family travel insurance plan until the very last minute. It is true; however, that buying travel insurance well in advance allows you to get the right cover for your needs at a cheaper premium rate. Here is how you can save on the premium payable while purchasing family travel cover:

Understand whether you need annual or single-trip cover

In case you are opting for a single trip travel insurance plan, you will need to pay a low rate of premium that the multi-trip cover. However, going for multi-trip Insurance is more cost-effective and beneficial if you plan to go on multiple family vacations.

Think about your destinations

The premium amount varies depending upon the travel destination. For example, if you are traveling to Europe, then purchasing Schengen travel insurance will help you cover multiple destinations under one policy, instead of a standard travel insurance plan that is valid for a non-Schengen destination.

Get your cover right

Choosing the right cover for your family travel insurance plan is crucial. In case you fail to read through the small print, the chances are that your claim could get rejected. Therefore, you need to compare the features of travel insurance plans and select a travel insurance policy that aligns with your specific needs and travel risks.

Steps to buy family travel insurance policy online

Here are the steps to buy the policy online:

Step 1 - Select individual/ family travel insurance

Step 2 - Enter trip and personal details

Step 3 - Select the recommended plan to get a total premium

Step 4 - Complete details and check the summary

Step 5 – Make the payment

How to purchase your family travel insurance policy online?

Buying family travel insurance online is not just hassle-free but also cost-effective and helps you save time.

While purchasing it, ensure that the cost of travel insurance is within your vacation budget. Know that factors like your age and health, the choice of destination, duration of stay, coverage and type of insurance (whether single-trip or multi-trip) can influence your premium for family travel insurance.

Subsequently, you will be able to select the policy features you need and pay premiums according to the same.