Why buying travel insurance early works best for you

Photograph: yousef alfuhigi

“If you don’t purchase your travel insurance near the time you book your trip, it will be too late to seek compensation if in the meantime you become seriously ill or injured, or if for some other reason you need to cancel your trip.”

This was clearly demonstrated throughout the height of the Covid pandemic when people had to cancel travel plans and were not reimbursed because they had no insurance.

As the best deals for air travel, cruises, etc., are gained when booked as far as possible from your planned departure date, an early insurance purchase will provide you the opportunity to add “cancel for any reason coverage - (CFAR).

Travel insurance costs are determined by the travelers age, trip cost, and length of the trip, not by the number of days between your travel insurance purchase and your departure date.

CFAR coverage provides the most flexibility for getting reimbursement for money lost when you cancel for any reason, not just the reasons stated in a base policy. Typically you get 50% or 75% back, depending on the travel insurance company.

As one never knows what could happen today, tomorrow, or a year down the road prior to departure, a CFAR is a helpful way to protect your travel investment.

By purchasing coverage at the time of booking, or very near it, you can also receive valuable travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions.

Always let your insurance provider know if you add items to your itinerary after your initial trip booking.