Should You Buy Trip Insurance from an Airline

You’re about to click to purchase a $430 flight, and an add-on pops up. “Would you like to protect your trip for $60?” At first thought, it seems like a decent price for travel insurance if you need to cancel your flight. 

The truth is some of the plans you can purchase with your flight don’t have the same benefits you’d receive in a trip insurance plan you could buy from a travel insurance company. It can be a far better investment to buy a plan you are able to customize and read over before you commit — and one that may cover you no matter why you need to cancel your flight. 

Keep reading to learn some major differences between Seven Corners’ RoundTrip plans and your typical airline trip insurance plan.

1. Free-Look Period

When you purchase with the airline, you often see a quick summary with coverage limits instead of  the full policy. That means you may only see the plan benefit maximums and not the exclusions or limitations. It’s important to review this information.   

Depending on the state where you reside, your plan with Seven Corners may include a free-look period. This means you will have the chance to look over the policy after you purchase it to be sure you like what you see (yes, you can read everything!). If you do not love what you see, you can get a full refund within the free-look period (usually around 10 days). We care about your experience, which includes knowing what you purchased and being confident about your choice.

2. Rental Car Damage Optional Add-on

Do you love trying to decide last-minute, after spending all day in airports, what type of rental car damage coverage to get? Cut your costs and some stress by getting trip insurance and rental car insurance in one plan. Check out our RoundTrip Economy, Choice, or Elite plans — they all include this option.

3. More Trip Delay Coverage

Did you know the average trip protection plan provided by the airline will cover you for only $150 per day if your flight is delayed? The Seven Corners RoundTrip Elite plan, for example, will cover you up to $300 per day for accommodations and meals, plus additional transportation costs you incur up to a   maximum of $1,500. It’s important to know what your limits are with any plan you purchase, so you understand what’s covered when you file a claim.

4. Cancel for Any Reason

This is perhaps the most important benefit available on the RoundTrip plans. Most trip insurance plans cover you for trip cancellation with a list of covered reasons, such as a sickness, that keep you from traveling, or inclement weather that causes the airline to shut down. RoundTrip plans come with a unique benefit — cancel for any reason (CFAR). This benefit allows you to get 75% of your nonrefundable trip cost back if you need to cancel, no matter what the reason is. There’s no hidden agenda, this is just a safety net for your wallet. (This benefit is not available to New York and Florida residents.) You do need to carefully review the requirements for CFAR. 

5. More Emergency Medical Coverage

Becoming sick or getting injured during your travels is just about the last thing you want to experience, especially if you’re planning an international trip. Generally, your home insurance plan will not cover you abroad, and the plan you can buy with your flight may include a small portion of medical coverage, typically around $10,000. But this may not help if you get stuck in a hospital. RoundTrip plans can cover you up to $250,000 for medical expenses. And that’s in addition to the emergency medical evacuation benefits the plans all include. 

6. More Personal Service

If you purchase trip insurance with the airline, you will probably be sent to a call center who-knows-where for your questions to be answered. However, if you purchase a trip insurance plan with a smaller company like Seven Corners, you’ll be more likely to receive a caring touch if you call in a time of need. Wait times will probably be shorter when you call, and you’ll see more benefits, like 24-hour assistance, that give you confidence you’ll have help any time of day.

If you take the time to compare the benefits from the airline coverage with plans offered by a travel insurance company, , you will probably notice a night-and-day difference. This could save you a lot of stress during your travels. So, before you click next time see what else is waiting for you! You could end up finding the best way to travel with one of Seven Corners’ RoundTrip plans.