Travelling Post Covid-19 Without Insurance Might Not Be the Best Idea

The recent threat that we all faced with Covid-19 at our doorsteps changed our perspective about a lot of things. With a travel ban across all domestic and international destinations as well as nationwide lockdowns, life came at a standstill. Needless to say, countless travel insurance plans were postponed and even cancelled due to Covid-19. Naturally, both tourism and travel insurance industries took a hit after that. This piece will attempt to capture the essence of the ways Covid-19 impacted the travel insurance companies and why it might be a bad idea to resume travelling after Covid-19 without a proper travel insurance. 

What Happened to Travel Insurance During Covid-19?

Travel insurance companies all over the world took a huge hit with a surge in Covid-19 cases. Travellers went ahead and cancelled their trips on a swing when the Covid-19 surge came on suddenly. Trip cancellation benefits were claimed, but insurance companies could not process them due to a lack of preparation and information on the subject. The same was the case with health insurance since most hospitalisation claims were for the pandemic that the whole world was facing. Epidemics and pandemics are not recognised as general inclusions for travel medical insurance plans and that is why the claim procedures became further complicated. 

Travel Insurance Before Covid-19 

Unlike health insurance in the UAE, buying travel insurance online or offline is not a compulsion. Some countries require you to get mandatory travel insurance covers while others do not. This is why travel insurance has mostly been regarded as highly optional insurance by most users. The same was the state right before the Covid-19 surge. Many travellers did not have travel insurance, and hence, could not get the necessary medical cover for emergency hospitalisation and similar services. The ones who had them got beaten by the ‘no Covid-19 special cover’ clause. The situation remained more or less the same in terms of buying preference and worsened in case of goodwill and claim settlement. 

Travelling After Covid-19 Pandemic 

The face of travelling has taken a 180-degree turn after Covid-19. Face masks are compulsory now and so is Covid-19 testing. You have to carry documented proof with you and must be in great shape to be travel across international borders. Countries which have recovered from Covid-19 are extra cautious with travellers coming from countries that are still doing their best to handle the situation.

Another thing that has changed is the shape of travel insurance plans. Since Covid-19 has been recognised as a potential threat that can impact travel plans, travel insurance companies have added a special Covid-19 cover to their plans in order to help policyholders who test positive during their travel. This cover generally includes emergency hospitalisation expenses, test expenses and mandatory quarantine expenses if the policyholder tests positive with Covid-19. 

Why Travelling without Insurance Is a Bad Idea?

Even when the situation is under control now, the threat of Covid-19 still exists. The second and the potential third wave, after the initial surge, have shown us that the danger still exists, especially with the new mutations coming out every now and then. It would be a bad idea to travel without proper travel insurance protection in a situation like this. Getting diagnosed with Covid-19 ensures a minimum 14-day-long quarantine even if you are asymptomatic. This extension can change the whole dynamic of the trip and land you in deep financial trouble as well. Without Covid-19 travel insurance protection, you will have to incur all these expenses yourself. Not to mention the hospital expenses, tests and the loss incurred due to non-refundable pre-booked activities. Travel insurance can take care of all these things very easily. Hence, make sure that you buy your ideal travel insurance online or offline and secure your trip. 

How Can You Get Good Travel Insurance with Covid-19 Benefits?

Finding good travel insurance online or even offline in Dubai is not a child’s play. Several factors must be considered and weighed upon before you can find the perfect and cheapest travel insurance plan for your trip. Given below are some of the tips you can follow to find the cheapest travel insurance plan with Covid-19 benefits easily in the UAE:

• Buy Travel Insurance Online: Buying travel insurance online comes with a huge range of benefits. You not only have the convenience to buy your insurance from the comfort of your home or the beanbag of your office but also get potential discounts. Travel insurance plans around the world do not generally come with promotional discounts. But most providers offer special deals for plans bought online. This is the best way to score some of the cheapest travel insurance plans in the UAE. 

• Examine the Benefits: Carefully go through every benefit that a travel insurance plan is offering. Check if all potential uncertainties like public liability and trip cancellation are covered in the plan you are planning to buy. This will ensure that the premium that you pay is justified as per the benefits offered. Finding the cost-effectiveness of the plan is another important step to buying the best and the cheapest travel insurance plan for your trip. 

• Check the Extent of Covid-19 Covers: Even though most insurance providers are offering Covid-19 special covers now, not all of them are the same. Some cover only 7 days of the mandatory quarantine, while others offer coverage for a greater number of days. Check these intricate details about your travel insurance online and make sure the plan benefits are up to the mark as per your requirements. 

• Compare Travel Insurance Plans: Do not go ahead and buy the first travel insurance online you stumble upon. Explore a little and compare travel insurance plans. Obtain a few quotes and then compare travel insurance premiums and the benefits of those plans. Choose the most cost-effective option out of all.

• Purchase Travel Insurance Online Early: The earlier you buy your travel insurance online, the better it is for your trip. Trip cancellation is one of the top reasons for which travel insurance policyholders submitted claims. While these claims were not welcomed very well in the past, the presence of Covid-19 cover makes it possible for you to get compensated now. Buy the plan early so that most cancellation reasons can be covered under the unknown event clause and you get your money back.

• Avoid Buying Bundle Deals: Many travel agencies sell travel insurance in combo plans with airline tickets. Try not to go with these plans and find one separately. Combo plans sold by airlines are easier to get since you can buy them right when you buy the tickets. However, these combo plans are not very comprehensive or cost-effective. Try and find your travel insurance online in Dubai separately from the trip tickets after careful consideration. 

The Final Verdict 

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives as we know it. But things are going back to normal, slowly but surely. This includes travelling as well. However, the danger is still not eradicated completely, which makes Covid-19 travel insurance a necessity rather than an option. Compare travel insurance plans properly when you set out to buy and make sure that you have all that you need with regards to Covid-19 benefits and otherwise as well. Getting the cheapest travel insurance plan in the UAE, which is also comprehensive, is all about comparison, research and quality guidance from our experts.