Travel Insurance FAQs

What Travel Insurance does TWL recommend?

We love Berkshire Hathaway policies but there are many good ones. We recommend this website to receive quotes from several companies (including Berkshire) to find the best match for you!

How much does travel insurance cost?

Greatly depends on your age, the country, amount of program trip, etc. Our average teacher traveler pays between $50-$150.

Do I need to pay in full for my TWL package before buying travel insurance?

No. Just let them know the TOTAL price of your program trip, they will take it from there.

When should I buy a policy for my program trip?

We recommend within 14-21 days. Here is a better answer from a Travel insurance company “Many travelers think they can buy travel insurance anytime before their trip, and assume they will be covered if anything happens that impacts their travel plans. However, the best time to buy a policy depends on the benefits and the type of coverage you are interested in. Although Trip Cancellation policies can be purchased up until the day before they leave, we recommend travelers who want cancellation benefits buy as soon as possible, because only unforeseen events can be covered. Travelers who primarily want medical coverage during their trip should buy anytime prior to the day before they leave, unless they need Pre-Existing Condition coverage. Travelers who are interested in specific time-sensitive benefits, such as Pre-Existing Condition coverage or Cancel For Any Reason, must buy a policy within 14-21 days of making their initial trip deposit.”

Does travel insurance include flights?

Yes, just add the approximate price of your flight + TWL package for the total amount you give the travel insurance company for your quote. If flight price changes, just call your provider with the updated price of flight to adjust your coverage.

Do I have to buy my flights now?

No. You can just give the travel insurance an estimate of how much you expect to pay.

What information do I need to buy the travel insurance?

The information they will ask for is your travel dates, age of traveler, length of travel time, destination and the total package price (you can add flight price too.)

What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

“Travel insurance is designed to cover a variety of events that may cause a financial loss before or during your trip. This can include an illness or injury preventing you from traveling, severe weather impacting your travel plans, or a medical emergency that occurs during your trip, among others. Most policies are comprehensive and are built specifically with travelers’ main concerns in mind, including coverage for trip cancellations, medical emergencies, flight delays, and lost luggage. While most policies include many of the same benefits, the specific coverage varies. To make sure you have the coverage you need and select the best policy for your next trip, it’s important to read each policy’s documentation to understand what benefits are included.”

How Does Travel Insurance Work?

“Travel insurance is designed to protect travelers in case something goes wrong before or during their trip, such as a cancellation or medical emergency. Your policy can reimburse you if your trip is impacted for a covered reason, including benefits that provide coverage in the event of an emergency before your trip that forces you to cancel, as well as benefits in the event something occurs while you are traveling. To get a quote, enter your trip details into Squaremouth’s search form, which will then generate a list of all available policies for your trip. Once you buy a policy, the benefits included within that policy will become effective at midnight that day. If you have any questions about your coverage during your trip, you can contact your provider’s 24-hour Emergency Assistance department for immediate help or information about how your policy’s benefits work.”

How Do I Compare Policies?

Start with trying to think of any possible reasons/events you may need to cancel. Then look for coverage for those type of events. “Squaremouth helps travelers quickly search and compare travel insurance to find the best policy for their trip for the lowest possible price. To start a search through Squaremouth’s comparison engine, you must enter your trip details and traveler information. Once this is complete, you will be presented with a list of all available policies for your trip. Comparing the options and choosing the best policy for your trip depends on your specific needs. Most policies are comprehensive and include many of the same benefits, with the biggest difference being the coverage limits per benefit. Therefore, when comparing trip insurance, we recommend sorting policies by least expensive to most expensive, and using Squaremouth’s side-by-side comparison tool to choose the least expensive policy that matches your specific coverage needs, such as a certain amount of medical coverage you require.”

Can I use my credit card’s travel insurance plan that come with the card?

No. Due to the lack of comprehensive benefits in credit card travel insurance, we cannot accept basic travel insurance from a credit card as the choice of full travel protection.