When Is It Too Late to Buy Travel Insurance?

• A travel insurance policy should ideally be purchased early to ensure time-sensitive coverages are included and offer reliable coverage against travel emergencies. 

• Once a natural disaster, airline strike, or political unrest becomes publicly known, it is considered too late to purchase travel insurance, as coverage may not apply to disruptions resulting from known causes. 

• Some policies offer the option to secure travel insurance one day prior to departure- the coverage level may be limited, and pre-departure benefits like cancellations and delays may not be available. 
   

Travel insurance can be of significant help to deter potential risks, such as travel-related disruptions, healthcare emergencies, and baggage loss and delay. However, the coverage may be subject to time when you purchase your policy with respect to your travel schedule. When it’s too late to obtain travel insurance, you might not be covered for specific hazards, particularly the time-sensitive ones. 

Travelers might wonder when exactly it is “too late” to get travel insurance so as not to miss out on specific coverage types they might seek for their travels. To answer their question, here is a list of times when it would practically be too late to get your travel plans protected: 
 

After You’ve Departed for Your Journey 

This one is pretty obvious; most travel insurance providers don’t offer travel insurance once you’ve shut the doors behind you or if you’re already traveling. For example, AXA Travel Insurance does not offer coverage options once you’ve set sail. Coverage bought well before your departure typically locks in maximum coverage and ensures the benefits are applicable by the time you jet off. 

Coverage purchased after your departure, if available, will exclude coverage for pre-departure travel disruptions like cancellations, delays, or missed connections. Chances are, by the time the coverage comes into effect, you have already arrived at your destination, striking off pre-departure cancellations and delays. So, what’s the point of getting a policy so late that you can’t enjoy the benefits you pay for? 
 

After an Event Has Already Occurred 

Travel insurance offers coverage for events that happen unexpectedly. Simply put, your policy might cover you during emergencies that arise out of the blue without prior knowledge of their occurrence. However, if the issue you need to be protected against is known to happen well in advance, you won’t be able to purchase coverage since it’s too late. Here are examples to explain this further. 

Natural Calamity 

You had plans to visit a destination, let’s say, during hurricane season, and a week before departure, it’s all over the news that the hurricane is expected to hit the region anytime soon. Purchasing travel insurance at this moment would be too late as the calamity has been forecast, this event has become known prior to departure, and no longer qualifies as an unforeseen event. 

Social Unrest 

You have plans to visit another country in some time, and you learn about the political protests escalating into widespread unrest in the country. By the time you reach your destination, the region could become too unsafe to travel. Purchasing travel insurance after the event has been reported by the media means you might not be covered for interruptions or cancellations caused by the region’s instability. In other words, it is too late to obtain travel insurance at this point in time. 

Carrier’s Strike Announcement 

If an airline you booked your flight with announces a strike for the scheduled week of travel, it may again not get covered. At this point, you will not be able to purchase a policy to cover the related disruptions, as the strike has come to everyone’s knowledge and is no longer an unforeseen event. 

Disruptions Due to Pre-Existing Concerns 

If, a short while before your departure, your heart condition worsens and necessitates your hospitalization, it could again be a little late for purchasing policy. If you had already bought the travel insurance, you might have been covered, but it won’t be an option after you have had the ailment since it's not unexpected anymore.  
 

After the Deadline for Special Coverage Is Missed 

Some specialized coverages are time-sensitive, meaning they must be purchased at a certain time to qualify for reimbursement or claims. If this “time” is bygone, travel insurance won’t include benefits for these. Here are two such coverage options: 

Cancel For Any Reason 

This specialized coverage is meant to offer protection against cancellation of trips for any reason whatsoever. However, coverage for cancellation for any reason begins on the effective policy date and ends a maximum of two days before your departure. This means you must cancel your trip at least two days before your scheduled departure to receive benefits. 

So, let’s say you purchase travel insurance one day before you are about to jet off, thereby excluding this coverage altogether. You must get this coverage in your plan soon after you book your trip, and then you will be able to include CFAR coverage in your plan. 

Coverage for Pre-Existing Health Issues 

Pre-existing condition coverage is another time-sensitive inclusion, which means it must be purchased within a certain time window, typically 14 days after your first trip deposit. This means if you plan to get travel insurance two weeks after the first allocation toward your trip, the coverage becomes unobtainable, for it’s now too late to be included. 
 

Why Time of Coverage Buy-Out Matters 

As discussed above, some coverage options are time-sensitive, which means they may not be acquired unless purchased at a precise time. Thus, whether you can access the coverage depends critically on the purchase timing. 

If you delay purchasing, the coverage options available are limited to a few, and time-sensitive inclusions like CFAR and pre-existing illness can’t be obtained under any circumstances. 

Therefore, if you are looking for coverage options to protect against travel hiccups before you leave for your trip, buying travel insurance well ahead of time can be crucial. Next, let’s discuss what many of you might wonder- when exactly is the right time to purchase coverage? 
 

The Right Time to Purchase Coverage 

The right time to purchase coverage so that you can maximize the benefits and get the most value out of travel insurance is as soon as you make your first trip deposit. Yes! You heard that right. 

As soon as you make your first payment toward your travel plans, you can go ahead and buy travel insurance. This first payment could include plane tickets, room bookings, dining or table reservations, and passes for activities or events. 

Early purchase of travel insurance gives providers time to evaluate the associated risks and offer coverage at relatively low premiums. Also, it ensures the waiting period falls well before the day you depart, and you are entitled to protection against pre-departure and post-departure benefits.  
 

FAQs 

1. Should I buy travel insurance soon after I make the first trip payment? 

Travel insurance must be purchased well ahead of departure. The sooner you secure coverage, the more benefits you may be able to lock in. So, it is highly suggested that travel insurance be obtained soon after making your first trip payment to maximize your trip’s value. 

2. Are there exceptions if I buy travel insurance after my trip has been disrupted? 

Yes. Coverage may not apply if the event you are buying protection against has already occurred. When disruption occurs, it is no longer unforeseeable and hence not covered by travel insurance. 

3. When do I need to purchase coverage for pre-existing conditions? 

If you purchase travel insurance within two weeks of making your first trip deposit, you can qualify for coverage under pre-existing health issues, provided you meet other eligibility conditions, too. 

4. Will travel insurance cover a flood after it’s been in the news? 

No. Since the flood has already been forecast and become public knowledge, you won’t be able to make claims if related disruptions occur on your trip.