Americans, and particularly Millennials, are taking more frequent and shorter trips—or “micro-cations”—according to the results of our recent survey. If the nature of vacations are changing, what does that mean for travelers’ protection needs?
Shorter trips can mean more domestic destinations or weekend getaways. Getting delayed by a day could mean missing nearly half their vacation, and there’s less time to deal with hassles like baggage delays. Addressing these issues, we cover four essential ways that trip insurance can protect your clients’ “micro-cations.”
1. Trip Cancellations
Unexpected illnesses are the number one reason for trips getting cancelled. If your client made substantial, non-refundable flight and hotel payments that they can’t risk losing, travel insurance can save their investment by reimbursing their prepaid expenses (up to the policy limit) for any covered reason.
2. Travel Delays
Whether it’s for a wedding, business meeting, or weekend getaway, your clients likely can’t afford to miss out on any part of their short trip. A weather delay or missed connection might cause them to miss an important event. If they will be delayed for 24 hours or more by their carrier due to a covered reason, we can reimburse the additional expense for your client to reach their destination sooner by alternative flights or transportation.
Additionally, we’ll help take the sting out of flight delays. Our innovative SmartBenefits™ can proactively pay $100 to each insured person in case of a covered flight delay (typically 3-5 hours, depending on the plan). Their plan may also reimburse lodging expenses for an unexpected overnight layover, up to the plan’s daily limit.
3. Baggage Protection
If your client is only traveling for a few days, there’s no time for nonsense like delayed or missing bags and equipment. All of our newest retail plans provide benefits when a bag delay exceeds 12 hours to reimburse customers for reasonable expenses on essential items, up to the specific plan limit, until their baggage arrives. For lost, damaged or stolen baggage, we can reimburse them for the actual value, repair or replacement of their items (whichever is less), within the limits of their plan. Note that all claims require a report filed with the appropriate authorities.
4. Pre-paid Tours and Activities
Your client may have booked tickets for Disney World, a dinner cruise or a special event, or fronted the green fees for a golf outing. If a covered travel delay causes them to lose out on their pre-paid, non-refundable tours or activities, insurance could help them recover their lost expenses.