Travel insurance is a complicated beast!
Should I buy? Is it worth it?
Let’s explore Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance using the simplified scenario presented in Dierks Bently’s song, ‘Drunk on a Plane’.
For those of you not familiar with the song, the plot is quite simple. Dierks is left at the altar. He can’t get back any of his honeymoon money so he heads to Cancun alone, having a party with the empty seat next to him.
Would CFAR trip insurance have helped him? ABSOLUTELY!
When bad luck hit, Dierks would have gotten ALL of his money back (minus the cost of the CFAR coverage)….leaving him a lot more hard cash to drown his sorrows.
Now for you skeptical types out there saying ’it will never happen to me’, then understand CFAR insurance is CANCEL FOR ANY REASON, not just being left at the altar.
Let’s take this scenario in a different direction…..
What if things would have worked out for Dierks and his bride?
Would the CFAR insurance have been worth it? YES!
From the minute your flight is scheduled to depart, your CFAR coverage continues. Here are just a few examples…
If Dierks slipped by the pool, and bumped his head, he would have MEDICAL COVERAGE!
Yes, there are exceptions for preexisting conditions and copays apply, but the coverage is better than nothing…And that is about what you would get from your medical insurance back home…NOTHING!
(Check your policy; it most likely doesn’t cover you for incidents out of the country.)
What if the airline lost Mrs. Bently’s bag? No worries! Her CFAR insurance would have covered her lost bag to the tune of $800. Not too bad!
What about trip delays due to weather? WHAT IF A HURRICANE HITS?
Again, no worries!!!! That’s all covered and so is much, MUCH MORE!!!
So…HOW MUCH DOES CFAR COST???
…Surprisingly, just $59 or $99 per person! AND it covers airfare too.
Let’s examine the pricing a bit more….
The average trip to the Caribbean costs $3600.
Assuming Dierks paid about this much, he could have protected his investment for just $198….that’s about 5.5% of his total trip cost. If he spent more, that’s an even better reason to buy CFAR insurance!
Ok, let’s hear from the skeptics again….
Could Dierks have gotten his money back without CFAR insurance?
No matter how you book, there are cancellation fees that apply at some point before your scheduled flight!
…MAYBE he could have sweet-talked his way into a refund for some of the land portion IF he had a good travel agent. But there is no sweet-talking a computer. If he had booked his trip online, he wouldn’t be able to negotiate his cancellation fees.
….And no matter how good of a travel agent he had, there are no refunds on a non-refundable flight!
….But could he reschedule his trip after he found himself another gal? Yes, that’s true. Too bad the rebooking and change fees would far outweigh the CFAR costs.
BOTTOM LINE…..LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE!!!
If Dierks can be left at the altar, life can ‘happen’ to any one of us. Before you book your next trip, follow these simple tips:
- Book your trip through a reputable and knowledgeable agent. They will help you understand all the fees associated with trip cancellation. They can also offer you a sound CFAR plan if you choose to purchase it.
…..which leads me to my next point…..
- No two insurance plans are the same! Read the CFAR insurance plan that your agent is offering before you buy.
Do you have questions? We would love to chat with you! Contact us at: (800) 939-1425 or support@sunsettravel.com
Happy Travels from Sunset Travel!
“No Wallet, No Worries…..just soft sand, warm sun and All Inclusive fun!”
