How Travel Insurance Can Save Your Next Trip
Even though I
have been traveling for more than 30 years, I never bothered with travel
insurance, typically because I was too cheap until I learned my lesson---almost
the hard way. If you are trying to decide whether you need travel insurance, then this article is for you!
That
experience taught me that peace of mind is more cost-efficient so I started
paying for travel insurance. For the next uneventful three years, I just
contributed to the coffers of the insurance companies and found myself backsliding
into thinking that maybe I shouldn’t bother anymore until an event made me a
full-fledged convert for life. A typhoon was about to hit Hong Kong and nothing
like its speed and strength had been seen in the last 50 years and I was smack right
in the middle of it.
While doing
some last-minute shopping before flying home the following day, I
received a text message from Cathay Pacific informing me that my flight was
cancelled due to Typhoon Hato and that I could rebook it free of charge.
Although my picture shows Signal 3, it went up to Signal 10. For a Filipino like me who is used to Signal 3 to mean “life as we know it stops for now,” you could just imagine my mind going bonkers, “Signal 10?!” It turns out that Hong Kong has a different system.
I immediately
looked for another hotel to stay at for that unexpected night because my current
one was already fully booked. At first, I was worried whether I could find one and if I
did, how much it would cost. At that point, I remembered that I was insured, which helped me to breathe easier. At least, I knew I would be reimbursed. Luckily, I was able to
find a nearby hotel easily and even at a regular rate.
In 2014, I was
off to Myanmar via Singapore when my first flight was delayed for two hours due
to Tropical Storm Fung-wong (Philippine code name: Mario). My layover was also
for two hours so you do the math. If I missed my connecting flight, I would
have to stay overnight until the next available flight, which would be the following
day at my own expense, since it was not the airline’s fault. That would mean that before I had even reached my
final destination, my wallet could potentially get drained. Mercifully, as
soon I landed in Singapore, an electric airport cart was waiting to zoom me to
the boarding gate of my next flight.
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Copyright photo: Meldie Diente and PFN |
![]() |
Copyright Photo: The Paranoid Traveler and PFN |
I then went to
the supermarket to stock up on food but the entire city of Hong Kong had
already beaten me to it. There was nothing, as in nothing, literally left. (See
photo above)
The following day came with the promised strong winds where anything that
could not hold on to gravity was blown away. I braved the weather to look for
breakfast as nothing was offered at the hotel. I spent all my energy
fighting against the 185 km/h wind, while trying not to get hit by any
flying objects. Only 7-11 and McDonald’s were open
so I stocked up on extra food.
Eventually, it came time to check out of my original hotel and into the new one which was just 2.5 kilometers
away. Because of the danger posed by the storm, walking was not an option.
There were no taxis, buses, and trams. I crossed my fingers and tried Uber. I was so relieved when I was able to make a booking that I thanked the driver profusely for
accepting my trip.
Safely tucked
in at my new hotel, I spent the day online (the connection was still fast and
reliable), keeping myself updated with news, while informing my bank about the travel insurance I had available for my situation. They advised me to keep all
receipts that I incurred and would be incurring for transportation, food, and
clothes.
“Clothes?” I
echoed.
“In case you
run out of clothes or you need an outfit apt for the weather.”
“Prada, here I
come!”
The bank
chuckled and reminded me that not only do I have to justify my expenses but
there was also a cap. I had never filed an insurance claim of any kind so this was all new to me.
Following my telephone call with the bank, a friend who works for the bank affiliated with my credit card company reminded
me how because I used their credit card to pay for my airfare, I was automatically
insured and that I could file a claim. Holy guacamole, I can be compensated
twice! So I emailed both insurance companies and was given the following
instructions and qualifications:
1.
That I, the claimant should be a holder of a valid unexpired
qualified credit card and in good credit standing;
2.
The credit card was used to purchase a round trip ticket
(origin: Philippines) and the full purchase amount was charged to it.
3.
To verify my eligibility, I must submit the following:
a.
copy of my airline
ticket
b.
the actual boarding
pass
c.
proof of purchase
using the credit card
d.
the first six (6)
digits and last four (4) digits of my credit card number
e.
the type of card
(e.g. Gold, Platinum, Titanium) and if it’s Mastercard or Visa
In addition, I
was asked for a certificate from the airline to verify the cancellation of my
flight. This took a few days to secure so in the meantime, I sent the companies
links to news articles although I don’t think they helped much.
After meeting
all the requirements, I was told to complete a travel claim form and attach all
necessary receipts.
All in all, it
took at least a month for both companies to reimburse me after some back and
forth emails. I wasn’t compensated for all my expenses like my Uber ride. They
reasoned I could have taken a cheaper mode of transport. I would if I could,
like a rickshaw. I don’t think these people watch the news.
I wasn’t also
reimbursed for my 7-11 purchases of chips and drinks for reasons not explained
to me, just my McDonald’s but no complaints here. At least, I was compensated
twice. But of course now that I know my credit card offers free travel insurance,
I stopped paying for it and have been on a crusade telling my traveling friends
to check if their card offers it for free. In other words, you may not need to buy travel insurance because you may already have it for free! Check yours now!
- The Paranoid Traveler -
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