Travel takes time and money. Whether you’re planning a short hop to a nearby city or an extended international trip, it’s just a fact that there’s plenty of time and cost involved. Because of that, it’s important to take some time and figure out what you can do to save the time, money, and minimize the efforts you put into your travel. Here’s a look at some of the most effective ways that you can save the costs for your travel.
Travel Insurance
The first, and most common way to protect your travel costs is to invest in travel insurance. There are all sorts of options for travel insurance nowadays, and those options make it easy for you to get money back on all sorts of things, from delayed flight compensation to the Airbnb that you were going to stay at for a few days.
Always read the fine print before you sign up for travel insurance, however. Some of these policies are a lot more inclusive than others and, because of that, you need to carefully read the documents. Is the policy a “no matter what” type of policy? Or will you have to meet certain criteria in order to get your money back?
Now, there are some trips (lower cost/lower risk) that you may not need travel insurance for. Thankfully, there are other options that you can consider when it comes to protecting the money you spent for a trip.
Compensation for Flight Delays
Flights can be one of the most complex things to sort out when it comes to protecting your money spent. They’re expensive and some airlines are hesitant to provide delayed flight compensation for any reason.
If you had a delayed or cancelled flight, you have a right to compensation for a flight delay or cancellation based on the laws of the country that you are flying out of (not the destination country). You can start the process the moment you know there is a delay or cancellation.
Compensation can include monetary compensation (up to 600 € per passenger), meal vouchers, and overnight hotel stay, if necessary. If you missed any train, or had to incur direct expenses that can be reimbursed by an airline. The air carrier should also help you to find a flight that will get you to your destination, even if it’s with another airline.
Sometimes airlines will try to give the bare minimum. If you find that you’re having that issue, there are companies that can help you to sort things out. These companies specialize in helping people to get their money back from cancelled or delayed flights and some will even assist with legal situations if necessary.
Credit Card Options
One of the best things about having credit cards is the consumer protection that comes with them. Credit card companies often have their own “insurance”, so to speak, and they will do what they can to make sure that you don’t have to pay for things that you didn’t get to use or experience.
This process can take some time, but you can file a dispute or refund request directly with your credit card company if there’s an issue related to travel. They end up dealing with it for you, and will sort out the information so that you can get your money back (and/or get the charges reversed for appropriate reasons).
Look into your credit card’s consumer protection rules to get a better idea of what they have to offer. If you have a question about it, just give them a call and ask – they have professionals that work only on consumer protection and can explain all of the details to you.
Learn Refund Policies
Lastly, before you buy anything, take a look at the company’s refund policies. When it comes to travel, a lot of airlines will do their best to protect themselves and make sure that they have to pay you as little as possible. So, read things carefully and understand how you may be able to get a refund if it’s necessary for you to do so.
Now, there are certain refund policies protected by law (for example, the compensation for flight delays that we discussed earlier in this article). But, you may need to look and compare those laws with the refund policies you’re looking at. The better you understand refund policies, the easier it will be to get your money back if it comes to that point.
There are a lot of ways to make sure that you don’t lose money on travel, and if you plan well, you can ensure that you are prepared for any sort of situation. By being prepared, you can have a much better experience and know that you’re going to be covered no matter what may come along.
