What they are and how much they cost
An incident during a trip can be a real headache: extra expenses that we did not contemplate, difficulty in getting good medical care and even the total loss of the trip. We analyze one by one what are the main reasons for incidents in travel, how much they cost us and how travel insurance can help us to solve them.
MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND ACCIDENTS
To cite an example, in the United States a routine visit to the doctor costs on average 62 € - in a private medical center Spanish the average is situated at 10 € -. To the money of the consultation would have to add other costs according to the diagnosis and the tests or treatments that are needed, being able to reach very high sums.
It is also important to note that in countries where the European Health Insurance Card is valid, health care does not have to be free of charge: it will depend on the treatments covered by the health systems of each country. In France, for example, we would first pay for the medical care we receive and then reimburse us for a percentage of the amount we have paid.
Finally, we must also include among the most frequent medical problems related to accidents, such as fractures and injuries from falls or injuries in sports, especially in the case of winter sports.
Travel insurance covers all these expenses for us, with very high amounts of medical expenses. In addition, the insurance covers other related expenses, such as repatriation in case of illness or death, the displacement of a family member in case of illness or the sending of medicines that do not exist abroad, besides the search and rescue in case of accident.
CANCELLATION OR INTERRUPTION OF THE TRIP
Travel cancellations and interruptions account for 24.54% of incidents in travel, being the second most common cause. The Spaniards are more and more foreseeing when it comes to booking our trips, perhaps because of the economic advantages they have to buy in advance. However, the greater this anticipation, the less capacity we have to anticipate a situation that prevents us from starting the journey.
The majority of these annulments are motivated by health problems of the traveler or a relative, as well as labor issues, such as joining a new job, and other reasons, such as the call for examinations of Oppositions or the non-granting of visas . These types of incidents are difficult to solve, since many factors come into play: transport, accommodation, services and excursions contracted, etc.
Given the above, can we know how much it will cost to cancel a trip? Firstly, it will depend on the price of this and whether the company that sold us the trip, whether it is a combined trip (one that includes several services such as transportation or accommodation and that is purchased through a travel agency) or Services, establishes by contract nullification costs.
In the case of having to cancel a combined trip acquired in an online or traditional travel agency, we have the right to have the money returned to us, but we will have to assume the management expenses, the cancellation fees, if any, and one Penalty that will depend on the advance with which we cancel.
If we have contracted the services separately, both cancellation and penalty costs will depend on the agreement agreed upon with the company when making the purchase, being able to reach 100% of the cost of the service that we have reserved.
Therefore, in addition to always reading carefully the cancellation policy of the company with which we reserve a service or complete trip, it is advisable to take out travel insurance that includes cancellation cover. Thus, if we are forced to cancel the trip, the insurance company will assume the cancellation costs, provided that the reason is included among those detailed in the insurance conditions and is justified correctly.
Travel insurance also includes protection for situations where we have to interrupt our trip and return home in advance. In these cases, the insurer will reimburse us the proportional amount of the trip that we have not been able to enjoy and, if appropriate, will also bear the cost of transportation to our place of origin.
PROBLEMS WITH BAGGAGE
Luggage problems account for 14.06% of incidents in travel, occupying the third place in the list. According to the latest data from SITA (International Society of Aeronautical Telecommunications), only in 2015 were badly billed 23 million bags in the world - about 6.5 per 1,000 passengers. Of these, 6% was definitely lost, 15% was delivered in poor condition or with some stolen objects and most, 79%, were delivered to their owners with an average delay of 42 hours.
It is difficult to establish what extra costs entail a luggage-related incident, as it will depend on many factors. In case of loss or theft, the expenses or economic damages will have to do with the contents of the luggage. If there is a delay in the delivery of the luggage, the cost will be the equivalent of the purchase of those items essential to travel, depending on different causes: waiting time, the duration of the trip, if the journey is one way Or back home, etc. Therefore, even if they are difficult to quantify, the problems related to luggage have unexpected economic consequences that travelers will have to assume - if we do not have travel insurance, of course.
Travel insurance can be very useful, as it also guarantees economic compensation in case of theft, loss or damage of luggage and manages the search and delivery of suitcases in case of loss.
PROBLEMS WITH TRANSPORTATION
6.49% of incidents in travel are related to delays or losses of means of transport.
An example of this type of incident is the cancellation of a flight by the airline. In this case, the company is obliged to compensate us, offering us an alternative route with similar schedule so that we can arrive at our destination or the refund of the ticket. If this is not offered, we can request financial compensation, except in those cases where the cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances, such as a natural disaster, or that we have been notified of the cancellation two weeks before the start of the trip.
The problem of cancellations of flights is complicated in the case of trips with scale. If, due to the cancellation, we have to spend the night in the place where the incident occurred, the airline must assume the cost of accommodation and food that we incur. For this reason, airlines usually have commercial agreements with hotels and restaurants near the airport.
The costs of these types of incidents will depend on the situation. In the case of Europe, for example, the Law establishes that the economic compensation to which we are entitled in case the alternative flight offered by the company arrives with a difference of less than 2 hours will be automatic and will depend on the distance between the Points of departure and destination, establishing different amounts for each distance.
Travel insurance is very useful in these situations because it helps us in solving the problem, making it more agile, besides compensating us financially and protecting us from changes in contracted services and cases of overbooking.
CIVIL RESPONSIBILITY AND PENALTY OF THE TRAVELER
Finally, there is also a lower percentage of incidences of cases that have an impact on the Civil Responsibility of those we travel, such as involuntary damages to other people or their things or animals. In these cases, the travel insurance includes the payment of costs and legal expenses, in addition to the judicial bond.
So travel insurance could bail us out in case of a legal problem. The cost of the bail depends on the amount of the alleged offense. For example, in the USA. A bail for a crime such as theft can cost up to € 459.
In addition, travel insurance also offers legal advice and guarantees the claim for damages that we suffer as a pedestrian or as a passenger of any means of transport.
