Traveling with family especially with kids can be a daunting task. You can plan all you want but something, somewhere can always go wrong. Someone could get ill, you could misplace your valuables or an elder might need emergency medical attention, but with a good family travel insurance plan in place, you can head out on your vacation without having to worry about all of these possible situations.
Who is covered?
The definition of what a family is can differ from one insurance company to other. Most companies in Nigeria cover two adults and up to four children under a family travel insurance plan, but in some cases it can be up to 10 children or dependents. A dependant is someone who you are supporting financially for the trip. Age limit for children in most cases is under 18, but it can go up to 21 for some companies. It is important to ask the company before buying your plan to make sure you and your family are adequately covered.
Why a family plan is cheaper
Buying a family travel insurance plan instead of buying it individually for all family members is cost effective for obvious reasons since most companies in Nigeria offer plans that are better priced for families as compared to single insurance plans. Furthermore, you can get additional perks buying a family travel insurance plan such as enhanced baggage cover, better accidental cover and increased cancellation cover.
What is covered in the plan
A good family travel insurance plan will cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, accident protection, baggage loss, theft, travel assistance and more. Adventure activities or anything borderline risky is usually not covered by most insurance companies in Nigeria. It is therefore important to read the fine print to know exactly what is covered and to what extent and if you’re not satisfied with something, contact the company directly.
Deciding which plan to choose
If you have to travel abroad from Nigeria only once or twice a year, it is best to choose a single trip family travel insurance plan. Whereas if you are a frequent flyer and like to take the family with you more than three times a year, it is better to choose an annual or a multi trip plan which will cover you for as many trips as you make for 12 months. This means you only have to choose an insurance plan once and get the peace of mind for an entire year. For example, you could have a two week vacation in France with the family in August and another one in December to Italy, you wouldn’t need to buy another family travel insurance plan for the second trip.
Once you have selected a travel insurance plan you are satisfied with, its time to plan the rest of your holiday and look forward to having a good time with the family, knowing that you’re covered in case anything goes wrong.
However remember that the initial fault is clearly NOT covered for compensation under the rules.