Travel blog

Travel insurance: Your festive season holiday essential

Travel insurance is a festive season essential you don’t want to leave home without. Here’s advice from Flight Centre on how to travel with peace of mind.

2min read

Published 4 December 2023

Flight Centre

Travel insurance is a festive season essential you don’t want to leave home without. Here’s advice from Flight Centre on how to travel with peace of mind.

Let's have a serious chat about travel insurance. Mzansi, it's almost time to pack your bags and head off on that long-awaited December holiday! That festive feeling is in the air, and we can almost smell the pina coladas and sunscreen.

We know, we know -- travel insurance isn't fun. It seems like just another expense when you're trying to stick to a travel budget. But skimping on insurance could leave your dream holiday in tatters, and no one wants that.

You may be wondering, why is insurance especially vital for holidays over the chaotic December period? Simply put, there's way more potential for travel disruptions when everyone and their auntie is flying at the same time.

From crowded airports to busy roads, flight delays, lost luggage, and fully-booked hotels, travelling at this hectic time of year makes mishaps way more likely to happen. And that's not even thinking about suddenly falling ill on your holiday. Eish!

According to Travel Insurance Consultants (TIC), Flight Centre South Africa’s recommended travel insurance provider, the claims they see most often from December travellers involve:

Missed connections when flights are delayed
Lost or delayed bags with airports stretched to capacity
Medical emergencies abroad

Why travel insurance is non-negotiable

CHECK IT OUT

5 Scenarios You Really Don’t Want to Face Without Travel Insurance:

1. Delayed luggage

Your luggage gets delayed and you're stuck wearing your airplane hoodie in tropical Mauritius without so much as a bikini or flipflop in sight! Travel insurance can help reimburse you for emergency purchases.

2. Getting injured

Busting your best dance moves at a New York club, you twist your ankle or stub your toe - it could be broken. As dollar signs flash before your eyes at the thought of an ER visit, you promptly faint on the floor. Medical coverage to the rescue, without you sacrificing an arm and a leg!

3. Visa delays or denials

Your visa gets denied and your flight is tomorrow. Did you know that you can get a visa denied cover? This is essential cover for South African passport holders should your visa be denied.

4. Family emergency/hospitalisation/death

A family emergency involving hospitalisation back home means you must suddenly change your flights and return early from your Thailand getaway. Insurance can help cover change fees and new flight costs.

5. Flight delays

You’ve booked a red-eye flight from Johannesburg to London but upon check-in, you’re informed of a 12-hour delay. Disappointed, you realise you'll be spending the night on the hard airport floor instead of your comfy seat. The right travel insurance policy could've covered costs for a hotel, meals, and sorted out any subsequent flights that you may miss as a result.

The travel insurance bottom line?

Don't let a lack of preparation turn your holiday into a nightmare. Investing in comprehensive travel insurance from a trusted provider like TIC will give you financial protection and peace of mind against festive mishaps.

Here's an insider holiday travel tip - don't only consider overseas insurance! Many South Africans road tripping locally will need to hire a car. A local travel insurance policy includes cover for the excess in the event of a car accident (car rental excess waiver) up to R10 000.

Want to ensure you have an epic December with all the right travel essentials in place? Chat to the experts at Flight Centre today to plan your dream December getaway and get set up with tailored recommendations on insurance, visas, and more!

Find your nearest Flight Centre store here.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information only, subject to terms and conditions and is subject to change at any time without notice. It does not constitute insurance advice.