Travel insurance remains one of the most underused but important safeguards for air travellers, particularly during disruptions such as flight delays, baggage issues, and unexpected changes in travel plans, according to aviation analyst Sean Mendez.
Speaking to The High Street Journal, he said insurance products are widely available in Ghana and internationally, but many passengers still do not fully understand what they cover.
He noted that travel insurance is often required for visa applications, particularly for destinations such as the Schengen area, where minimum coverage thresholds are mandatory. Despite this, many travellers treat the policy as a procedural requirement rather than a practical financial safety tool.
“In most cases, people treat travel insurance as a formality for visas, without actually understanding the coverage they already have for air travel disruptions,” he said.
Mendez explained that most travel insurance policies already include coverage for air travel-related risks such as emergency expenses, temporary accommodation, transport costs, and short-term disruption support. However, he stressed that passengers often fail to read policy terms in detail, which leads to missed benefits when disruptions occur.
He added that this misunderstanding contributes to unrealistic expectations about airline responsibility, particularly when passengers assume airlines must cover all costs arising from air travel delays or baggage disruptions. In practice, airline liability is limited under international frameworks such as the Montreal Convention.
According to him, travel insurance functions as a complementary layer of protection for air travellers, covering incidental costs that airlines typically do not reimburse.
Mendez also noted that most air travel disruptions are short-lived, with the majority of delayed baggage and related issues resolved within a few days, making insurance particularly useful for managing temporary financial strain.
“About 90 percent of delayed bags are delivered within 48 hours, and 99 percent within 72 hours,” he said.
Beyond disruption coverage, he highlighted medical protection as one of the most important components of travel insurance, particularly for international travellers who may face high healthcare costs abroad.
He urged passengers to treat insurance not as a formality, but as an essential part of air travel planning, adding that better understanding of policy terms would help reduce financial stress during disruptions.
