Posted by Are you excitedly planning your dream vacation abroad? I hope you are aware that making sure you have comprehensive travel insurance should be on your pre-trip checklist. What if you fall ill or your luggage gets stolen? That’s where Ekta Travel Insurance comes in – to protect you financially if an emergency arises.
Ekta Travel Insurance promises affordable and easy-to-buy travel coverage online. But are they legit and reliable? Travel insurance can protect you from a range of issues like cancelled flights, lost baggage, or medical emergencies while traveling.
Travel insurance can give you peace of mind should in case something goes wrong on your trip. But how do you know which provider to trust? This article reviews Ekta Travel Insurance based on online customer feedback, including pros, cons, concerns, and things to consider before buying their insurance.
Overview of Ekta Travel Insurance
Ekta offers trip protection plans for both international leisure travel as well as domestic travel within your home country. They sell directly to consumers online rather than going through travel agencies.
Their plans are available to residents in over 15 major countries in Europe and Asia. So availability is a bit limited globally.
Ekta allows you to customize coverage based on your unique trip. They offer three main tiers:
Basic – Emergency medical transportation, some cancellation coverage
Standard – Adds baggage, accident protection, 24/7 travel assistance
Premium – Includes cancellation for any reason, rental car damage, adventurous actives
All plans include emergency medical coverage, Ekta’s 24/7 global travel assistance services, and evacuation benefits in case travel becomes unsafe.
Review of Coverage Benefits
Here’s an overview of some of the common benefits offered within Ekta’s different travel insurance plans:
Emergency Medical – Up to $100,000 overseas medical coverage. Includes hospital visits, prescriptions, ambulances.
Evacuations – Covers evacuation costs if deemed medically necessary or if political/weather crisis.
Trip Cancellation – Reimburses prepaid trip costs if you need to cancel due to covered circumstances like illness or injury.
Trip Interruption – Helps cover cost of shortened trip due to covered incident.
Baggage – Provides reimbursement for checked baggage that is lost, damaged or stolen. Up to $500 limits.
Travel Assistance – Gets access to Ekta’s 24/7 global travel assistance team that can help with medical issues, evacuations, or logistical issues while traveling internationally. Very useful perk!
Some exclusions to be aware – pre-existing medical conditions, mental/dental health, high risk adventurous actives. These can be added optionally for extra premium cost in premium plans however.
Costs of Ekta Travel Insurance
Exact Ekta travel insurance costs depend on your age, trip cost, destination, dates, and selected coverage tier.
But in general, at the time of writing:
- Basic plans started around $37 for younger travelers or $60+ for seniors
- Standard plans average about $50-$100 based on the above factors
- Premium plans ranged from $100-$500+
To save money on Ekta plans, take advantage of discounts like:
- Kids insured for free with parent plans
- 10% off when you bundle multiple trips
- 7% off if you are renewing an existing Ekta plan
Ekta also offers very generous cancellation windows – you can cancel within 21 days for full refund. Helpful if your trip plans change last minute.
Ekta travel insurance provides reliable protection for international or domestic trips with flexibility to customize coverage based on your needs.
Pros
- Add optional coverages missing from other plans
- Generous trip cancellation refund window
- Price discounts available
Cons
- Limited primarily to Asian residents/travelers
- Slightly pricier on premium tiers than some competitors
- Does not cover pre-existing medical conditions without added rider
How to Make a Claims
If an unfortunate event occurs on your trip, here is how Ekta handles travel insurance claims:
You submit a claim online or through the mobile app including supporting documents like police reports for theft, medical records, proof of expenses paid, and explanation of incident.
Ekta aims to process straightforward claims within 15 business days. More complex claims dependent on external validation may take 30 days.
In the case your claim does get denied, Ekta allows you to instigate a single appeal for the company to review again. Solid process overall.
Who Should Consider Ekta Travel Insurance?
- Solo Budget Travelers: Their affordable rates cater best to backpackers and youth looking to minimize trip costs above all else. But recognize coverage compromises.
- Already Healthy Voyagers: Those without prior medical conditions have better odds of approvable claims if emergencies appear during trips.
- Schengen Visa Applicants: For basic mandatory insurance needs, Ekta checks the box on paper. But verify policy documents meet embassy rules.
- Anyone Valuing Reliability: We suggest looking at established insurers where possible despite higher premiums. The opacity around Ekta still poses too many red flags. Reconsider using them.
While positive experiences do occur with cheaper carriers like Ekta, you generally get what you pay for with travel insurance too. The trade-off for lower premiums could well be nasty surprises when you actually depend on these policies. Our advice is to always prioritize trust, transparency and quality coverage.
Alternative Travel Insurance Options to Consider
Rather than risk it with questionable providers like Ekta, we recommend exploring these more reputable players in India instead:
- Bajaj Allianz Travel Insurance: Industry leader renowned for strong claim settlement record and ratings. Wide coverage options.
- TATA AIG Travel Insurance: Financially sound backing by TATA group. Comprehensive plans including COVID-19.
- HDFC ERGO Travel Insurance: Flexible premiums with add-ons like adventure sports cover.
While pricier, opting for established carriers better safeguards your trip with ethical practices and reliability. Ultimately, securing travel insurance is about getting proven security blanket, not just the cheapest document.
Conclusion
While Ekta Travel Insurance offers fast and affordable policy issuance, ambiguity around their authenticity and mixed customer experiences make it hard to recommend buying coverage through them if you have better options.
Review alternate providers instead for greater assurance your critical trip safeguards are actually dependable, despite possibly higher premiums.
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