Our family is planning a trip to Europe from Bengaluru soon. With all the stories about flight chaos and lost luggage, I want to get the best possible travel insurance. What should I look for? Are there specific policies from companies like HDFC Ergo or Bajaj Allianz that are highly recommended?
Choosing the best travel insurance for an international trip isn’t about finding one single ‘best’ policy, but matching the right features to your travel needs. For a typical family trip, the key factors are high medical coverage, robust trip cancellation benefits, and strong protection against baggage delays or loss.
Top Travel Insurances :
HDFC Ergo Optima Secure: For High Medical Coverage
A friend of mine, whose parents were travelling to the USA, opted for a high-coverage plan from HDFC Ergo. Their biggest concern was the exorbitant cost of healthcare in America, so they prioritized a high sum insured of $500,000. For them, the policy’s main selling point was its reputation for a strong cashless hospital network and a reliable claims process for medical emergencies, which was their absolute priority.
Bajaj Allianz Travel Ace: For All-Round Family Protection
For my own family trip to Southeast Asia last year, I went with a Bajaj Allianz plan. It was a fantastic all-rounder. While we didn’t need the highest medical cover, its benefits for trip delays and baggage loss were excellent. Our return flight was delayed by over seven hours, and we were able to successfully claim the policy’s specified compensation for meals and essentials, which was a surprisingly smooth process.
Tata AIG Travel Guard: For Senior Citizen Travellers
My uncle and aunt, both in their late 60s, were planning a trip to Canada to visit family. Their main challenge was finding a policy that would cover acute flare-ups of their pre-existing conditions. They found that Tata AIG’s Travel Guard plan was one of the few that offered this specific benefit, albeit with certain conditions. The premium was higher, but the peace of mind it gave them was invaluable.
Digit Insurance: For a Simple, Digital-First Experience
A younger colleague who was backpacking across Europe chose Digit Insurance for his trip. He wanted something fast, affordable, and with a completely paperless claims process. He ended up having his check-in baggage delayed by a day. He told me he was able to file the claim, upload the necessary documents, and track its status entirely through his smartphone, receiving the payout quickly without any calls.
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