For travelers, one of the defining aspects of 2010 was the manner in which airlines added what seemed like new fee after new fee to their service. Many items which were previously free of charge now cost travelers extra, and those incremental charges add up fast. At one point, an airline was even rumored to be considering adding a fee for using the restroom on its flights! According to some experts, 2011 could hold more of the same for travelers. So if you are looking to save money with even more pricey new fees on the horizon, one of your best options may be to invest in international travel insurance.

International travel insurance offers multiple ways to save you money. First, it protects you in the event of accident or illness occurring abroad. The insurance plan you use in your home country will likely not be accepted internationally, so a visit to the doctor or hospital could be your ticket to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in medical fees. Your travel plan will absorb the bulk of those costs, offering you the quality care you need at a fraction of what it would cost uninsured.

Second, these plans offer reimbursement in the event that your luggage is lost. Replacing your luggage itself as well as the items contained in it is not only annoying, it can be very expensive. So getting some financial assistance from your insurer can be a great way to preserve your travel spending money. Who wants to spend time or money on things they already owned?

Finally, many plans offer trip cancellation coverage that can be added for a small fee. Even a brief flight delay can cause you to miss an international connection, which in turn can cause you to miss a night’s stay at a hotel you’ve already paid for, as well as events, attractions, or tours you’ve already purchased. That one simple delay, which could result from weather, mechanical issues, or other undisclosed factors, could wind up costing you a significant amount of money. But trip cancellation insurance saves you the money you would spend on buying a new plane ticket, new hotel room bookings, and new event or attraction tickets. By absorbing that cost, you may void potentially doubling your vacation expenses. Don’t let illness, injury, lost luggage, or trip delays make your international travel experience any more expensive than it already is.

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