Doctors recommend that if you have a fever and are regular coughing or sneezing, you are probably contagious and shouldn’t fly.  The CDC recommends only traveling when you feel well because staying away from others when you’re sick can help protect everyone’s health, but let’s face it:  staying home is not always good for business and canceling a trip because you’re sick is not always a good career move. Therefore, business travelers may very well be in the position where they must travel when they are sick.

What can you do about it?

• If you are sick and can change your trip, call the airline and politely ask for their help. If you can get a doctor’s note, that may help. If the first representative refuses to accommodate, politely thank them and call back to get a different representative.
• Sick or not, consider carrying anti-bacterial wipes and swiping them across the tray tables, door and sink knobs in airplane lavatories, remote controls (in the hotels too!), and wash your hands every chance you get.
• Always do your best to get plenty of good quality sleep, stay hydrated, get enough exercise and eat well. These are standard operating procedures at home and have to be carried through to your travels as well.
• If you must be on the road a lot, familiarize yourself with the change fees of the various airlines on your routes. For example, Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge cancellation or change fees, but they may not handle the routes you need to travel.

Invest in an Annual Travel Insurance plan

Frequent travelers should invest in an annual travel insurance plan. If you find yourself ill in a hotel room in a foreign country, a call to your travel assistance services line can help you find a local doctor that accepts your travel medical insurance.

If you have to return home on an emergency, you’ll have help scheduling alternative transportation and with trip interruption coverage, you won’t have to pay for those unexpected charges.

Accidents and injuries can occur on a business trip just as easily as on vacation. A serious accident or illness abroad could bankrupt you, as these stories make clear:

• A vacation-turned-horrific-nightmare underscores the need for medical and evacuation travel insurance
• Don’t rely on a Facebook campaign to raise funds after your travel disaster
• Bungled Cruise Ship Evacuation Highlights the Need for Evacuation Coverage

So, be sure your annual plan has medical evacuation coverage to get you back home if you are seriously ill or injured.

See our recommendations for business travel insurance for complete details.

When you arrive at your hotel, however, you want the room you reserved. So, what happens when the hotel overbooks AND it can’t find alternative accommodations AND that results in your having to fork over additional money in a region that is clearly packed with travelers?

Travel Guard has a few travel insurance plans with a unique benefit. It’s called Hotel Overbooking and it means that Travel Guard will reimburse you those unexpected lodging costs.

Protection for hotel overbooking can be found in Travel Guard’s annual travel protection plan called Travel Rite.

The description of coverage for Hotel Overbooking reads like this:

The Insurer will reimburse the Insured for additional, alternative
lodging expenses, less any reimbursed deposit and/or pre-paid
Hotel arrangements up to the Maximum Limit shown in the
Schedule, for 1 night’s lodging for each room guaranteed or
confirmed by a Reservation made through the Insured’s Travel
Supplier that is oversold, if the Insured’s Hotel is unable to provide
reasonable, alternative accommodations.

Of course, it’s important that you insure the original lodging costs when you purchase your insurance, and you’ll need to get some written confirmation from the hotel saying your stay could not be accommodated.

This is only a brief description of the coverage(s) available.

The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. Insurance is underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., a Pennsylvania insurance company, with its principal place of business at 175 Water Street, New York, NY 10038. It is currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. NAIC No. 19445. Coverage may not be available in all states.

So, we decided to take two travelers we know and the trips they plan to take in 2012 and run the numbers to see whether it would be more cost-effective for them to purchase annual travel insurance.

Meet Sam and Sylvia

Our travelers: Sam and Sylvia are 53 and 50, respectively, and these are the trips they plan to take in 2012:

• A vacation in Bali, Indonesia for 20 days in May
• A 4-day getaway in New York, New York to attend their niece’s wedding in July
• A one-week visit to California to spend time with old college friends in September
• A pre-Christmas snow-shoeing adventure in Aspen in late November/December

Let’s say our travelers like the RoundTrip plan and they’ll purchase that for their three U.S.-based trips, and they like the TravelEx plan for their Bali trip. Their travel insurance plans would be:

Bali – $72
New York – $55
California -  $55
Aspen -  $55

Total = $237

Covering their trips with annual travel insurance

It’s important to remember that with annual travel insurance, travelers do not get trip cancellation protection.

We ran our traveler’s details into the quote engine to see what they would pay for annual travel insurance and found these two plans:

The prices on these two plans are wildly different, but the coverage is different as well. Note that the Travel Guard plan includes up to $100,000 per person for non medical evacuations. So, if there is a non medical emergency Sam and Sylvia can have help getting to safety. There are other differences as well. Travel Guard includes up to 2 evacuations per person with their coverage, and the HTH plan delivers ups to $250,000 per person (which should be more than adequate – even for their Bali trip).

In this particular circumstance, Sam and Sylvia might find that purchasing the HTH Worldwide plan would be best for them. It would cover the trips they are planning to take, but for a price that totals to less than the individual coverage totals, it would also cover any surprise trips.

Of course, travel insurance is like any other insurance in that individual people purchase more or less based on their own circumstances and their comfort level. This is just a comparison, and your own numbers will vary.

In addition, we heard from one of our colleagues at CheapFlights.com and they’ve put together a set of travel tips on getting senior discounts, including links, phone numbers, rules and more.

We hope this information helps all senior travelers get back on the road – safely, of course.

For U.S. and non U.S. Senior Citizens

• Patriot executive from IMG is designed for frequently traveling executives up to age 75. It provides medical coverage with a fixed deductible (waived for accidents) and it’s available for individuals or groups of five or more. It includes some trip protections as well.
• Reside from Seven Corners is designed to provide worldwide medical coverage for up to one year for travelers leaving their home country and those up to age 74. Up to two kids under age 9 are free with two covered parents.
• Liaison Silver from Seven Corners is excellent travel medical coverage for active travelers over age 50, providing a few travel insurance package benefits and low premiums for dependent children and grandchildren.
• CitizenSecure from Travel Insured International is international major medical coverage for travelers up to age 74 leaving their home country. Coverage for ages over 75 available as well.
• CitizenSecure Economy from Travel Insured International is international major medical coverage for travelers up to age 74, and a senior option is also available.

U.S. Seniors

• Liaison Silver from Seven Corners provides travel medical coverage up to a $1,000,000 maximum for seniors traveling abroad. It includes discounted premiums for dependent children and grandchildren too.
• TravelGap Excursion from HTH Worldwide offers choices of medical limits and coverage for trips up to six months long for travelers up to age 85. This plan requires travelers to have a primary health plan back home.
• TravelGap Voyager from HTH Worldwide offers single-trip travel medical for trips up to six months long for travelers up to age 75. This plan does not require a primary health plan.
• Global Citizen from HTH Worldwide is annual international major medical health coverage for world travelers up to age 75. It includes global travel benefits such as evacuation, repatriation, and AD&D too.
• TravMed Abroad from FrontierMEDEX offers full medical and evacuation coverage benefit limits up to age 85. This is comprehensive, short-term travel medical and evacuation coverage with worldwide travel assistance services. Available with an annual option.
• The Complete Plan from MH Ross provides premium travel insurance coverage for travelers up to age 75 and trips costing as much as $100,000 per person.

Non U.S. Citizens

• Inbound Guest from Seven Corners is offered at four plan levels with two over-70 levels. It provide for hospital expenses, surgical expenses, ambulance services, prescription drugs and more.
• Visit USA HealthCare from Travel Insurance Services offers strong medical coverage for non U.S. citizens up to age 70 traveling inside the U.S. This is single-trip coverage for up to one year of international travel.

Travelers may find themselves worrying over this situation: someone in their family dies and suddenly they have to postpone a trip and change their flight plans. So they worry that their insurance coverage will not cover the flight change they need because of a death in the family.

Don’t worry because this is exactly the kind of thing travel insurance is meant to cover. The short answer is: Yes, travel insurance will cover a flight change because of a death in the family. In fact, many companies not only cover flight changes, they cover flight cancellation. If your family member dies and you suddenly have to postpone or cancel a flight entirely, the insurance company pays the costs and fees. So, if you just change the flight, they cover or reimburse you for the fees of the flight change. In the event that you actually cancel the flight, most policies will also reimburse you for the cost of the tickets since most airlines refuse to refund plane tickets.

This applies to all kinds of insurance. It is most commonly applied to single trip travel insurance because these trips are more often interrupted due to family emergencies. These policies are only meant to cover a single, short trip so it’s a very good idea to get travel insurance in case a death in the family does occur. This way, you don’t have to pay for flight changes or worse, absorb the cost of the entire plane ticket.

For annual travel insurance, you may not actually need it. Annual travel insurance is meant to cover multiple trips taken over a year. Since this kind of travel insurance is most commonly used for business trips, the company will have arranged for some kind of insurance policy when it comes to emergency plan changes. Most annual travel insurance plans do cover flight changes which result from a family death.

Long stay travel insurance usually includes clauses that cover emergency flight change. Long stay travel insurance is actually intended for people who travel extensively or who plan to take a long holiday or vacation, anywhere from 3 to 18 months. These policies actually are quite flexible when it comes to return dates so there may not be an issue at all with flight change or ticket cancellation fees.

The bottom line is, the death of a family member and the sudden change or cancellation of plans is exactly the kind of thing travel insurance is intended for.

Single Trip
When purchasing single trip travel insurance, you are buying insurance for just a single trip that’s usually relatively short. As a result, the age restrictions are often a bit more lenient. Most companies offer special plans for senior citizens between the ages of 65 and 89 years. Naturally, these policies have higher premiums because a person within this age range is more likely to need medical coverage over that period of time. Single trip insurance typically covers prescriptions and emergency medical services as well as lost luggage.

Travel Medical Insurance
When obtaining travel medical insurance for traveling abroad, there are usually age restrictions as well. These restrictions are usually not that different from single trip insurance policies, and the premium is higher. This kind of insurance covers prescription medications and lost luggage as well as emergency services.

Annual Travel Insurance
When it comes to annual travel insurance, age restrictions are a bit different. As the insured person is planning on staying in a certain place for at least a year, the age restriction is usually a bit lower because younger people are less likely to need medical coverage. For most companies, the cut-off is around 79 years of age. If you are older, it can be tough to find an annual insurance policy.

Rental Car Policies
Most rental car companies have age restrictions. There is usually a minimum age restriction because car companies do not want to rent to people more likely to get into an accident. Typically, they will only rent a car to adults 21 years of age and older. Similarly, there is a maximum age range as well. Most companies do not rent to individuals over 74 years of age because the risk of a car accident is higher.

Flight Accident Insurance
Flight accident insurance has age restrictions although they are very different from company to company. It’s very common for companies to use a traveler’s age to determine the rate of coverage. For instance, the payout for a senior is typically less than that of a middle-aged man because the insurance company weighs many different aspects before issuing a flight accident policy.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
Typically, there are no age restrictions when it comes to accidental death and dismemberment insurance. There is generally no fluctuation in rates due to age. This type of coverage is designed to provide for the family of the person who is dismembered or killed in an accident.

Medical Evacuation
Medical evacuation service is basically an insurance covering the cost of airlifting or emergency transport. There are no age restrictions for this kind of insurance; the premium rises with your age. It’s most expensive for people who are 85 years of age and up.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherdale/

The major benefit that an annual plan travel insurance policy offers regular travelers is savings. Rather than paying for a single trip travel insurance policy each time they travel, which can add up to quite a lot of money, those who travel frequently can purchase an annual multi trip travel insurance policy and get the same coverage for every trip at a lower overall price. The savings will be greater for travelers who go on many trips, but generally, it will benefit those who travel more than two times a year. In some cases, one annual plan policy is even more affordable than two single trip insurance policies.

Other than savings, an annual multi trip travel insurance policy also provides great convenience for regular travelers. This is especially true for business travelers, because it means they do not have to book travel insurance every time they go on a business trip. Adventurous travelers who may make last minute trips will also find that an annual travel insurance plan is a better option, because they may not have enough time to make arrangements for travel insurance before their trips. Annual travel insurance also provides coverage for eventualities that are more likely to happen to adventurous travelers.

There are different types of annual multi trip insurance policies to suit the needs of different travelers. Families and couples can avail of special annual travel insurance packages that offer great discounts, and some policies even offer free coverage for children. Another option usually offered with an annual travel insurance plan is activity-based coverage. Such a plan can cover a variety of sports and recreational activities as well as special events, such as: golfing, winter sports, or weddings, but the coverage is usually only valid for a limited number of days, and extra money has to be paid to extend the duration of the coverage. Many travel insurance agents also provide special policies for businesspeople and professionals, and these policies offer coverage for certain work-related activities, but they are usually not available to manual workers.

One of the main reasons why travelers choose annual multi trip insurance is because it is flexible, and it can be easily customized to suit the insurance needs of different individuals or groups. Besides getting extra coverage for special activities, travelers can choose to exclude certain coverage items, such as: baggage, cancellation, or cash, and get a discounted rate. Ordinarily, an annual travel insurance plan has a limited coverage of 31 days for each trip within the year, but the duration of coverage can be extended to 45 days or 60 days at an additional cost.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimfrazier/

Annual travel insurance plans are different from multi-trip plans, which are used to cover multiple trips over a specified amount of time. Instead, annual travel insurance is designed to cover all the trips you have to take throughout the year with the same consistent set of benefits and a single company to call when you need help.

What are the benefits of buying annual travel insurance

The benefits of buying a year’s worth of travel coverage can include:

• consistent coverage for all your trips for the next 365 days
• coverage without the hassle of applying for each trip
• coverage that is automatically in effect — even for unexpected travel
• coverage that applies even if your travel plans change
• a single contact to call when you need help

In addition, if you have to travel often or frequently travel with little advance notice, the cost of buying an annual plan may prove more cost effective than buying a multi-trip plan. It can certainly provide consistent, year-long peace of mind, which is valuable in itself.

Essentials to look for in an annual travel plan

The travel insurance policy you choose should provide coverage for all the locations in which you may travel, and it should provide enough protection for the least safe place in which you will travel. For example, if you think you may travel in countries that are routinely plagued by civil strife and war, you will want to ensure that your travel coverage has the protection features you need.

At a bare minimum, you will want your annual travel insurance plan to cover the following:

• lost or delayed baggage and personal effects
• trip cancellations, delays and interruptions (including missed connections)
• accident- and illness-related medical expense coverage
• emergency evacuation and repatriation

Of course, you will have to check the plan details to be sure all of the minimum benefits are in effect in each of the locations in which you may travel. You may also want an annual plan with automatic renewal, so be sure to find out if the plan you want provides that feature.

Other benefits useful in an annual travel plan

In addition to the the required basic features, you may want to include these additional features, depending on your personal level of comfort and your financial situation:

• accidental death and dismemberment
• adventure traveler or sports accident medical coverage
• rental car protection
• flight accident protection
• protection against financial default or bankruptcy of travel suppliers
• terrorism coverage for common carriers
• terrorism coverage for your target destination
• return of minor children and emergency medical reunion if you are hospitalized

Of course, depending on the type of travel you will be doing, you may be able to eliminate some of these features or need to add others.

How to protect yourself with your annual travel plan

Be sure to keep the details of your plan with you when you travel, so you have the information you need to contact your insurance company. Also, this will help if you suddenly encounter a new situation and want to check the plan for specifics. It is especially important to keep the contact details and policy number with you as you travel – one copy in your wallet and one in your bag, just in case your wallet is stolen.

Photo: frischmilch

If you take several trips on an annual basis, it might be smart to purchase an annual trip travel  insurance policy, made specifically for frequent travelers. Travel insurance companies design these plans to cover you throughout the year, regardless of how many trips you take.

This means that you can take a trip every month of the year, and have a single annual travel insurance policy cover you (although there are usually limits on the total number of days traveling, or the length of any individual trip, depending on the policy certificate).

Many of these plans are made for frequent business travelers that include special “business-related” coverage, but there are several focused on non-business, “everyday” travelers.You can save both time and money if you purchase one plan for your entire year of travels.

Annual travel insurance is primarily for medical purposes, but many plans provide additional benefits
Most people buy an annual plan for coverage like medical emergencies, emergency evacuations, interrupted trips, and emergency assistance. Many companies, however, offer additional benefits that make buying an annual plan a great choice for all of your year’s trips.

Annual plans are generally divided into two categories; Multi-Trip Travel Medical plans or Annual Trip Insurance plans. The multi-trip travel medical plans focus on medical emergencies/evacuations and similar coverage.

Annual trip insurance plans will provide coverage for trip cancellation/interruption, baggage, trip delays, flight accidents, and even rental car damage as with the Annual Deluxe plan from Mondial Travel Insurance. Other benefits of an annual trip insurance policy include the “services”, such as concierge, 24/7 assistance, and even entertainment suggestions.

For example: Travelex Travel Insurance offers an annual travel insurance plan called Annual Multi-Trip, and it includes their Worldwide Assistance & Concierge service.

Since every trip has varying non-refundable pre-paid costs (this is the amount of trip cancellation that you would buy), annual trip insurance plans usually have a set amount. For example: you might have an annual plan with a $1,000 per year limit on trip cancellation coverage.

Since there is a trip cancellation component, as well as some additional coverages, annual trip insurance is usually more expensive, but can still be had for a few hundred dollars a year.

Annual travel insurance is not just for international travelers
Many travelers link annual plans are just for jet-set international travelers, but this is not always true. A multi-trip travel medical plan is usually used for international travelers who are not covered by their home country health insurance. If you are going overseas, you need to make sure you have medical coverage, and most health insurance providers do no cover you outside your home country. This is why you would need travel medical insurance.

A domestic traveler, however, should have health insurance that follows them around their home country. For this type of traveler, an annual trip travel insurance policy would be a good choice to provide the additional benefits. It would also provide secondary medical coverage in the event your personal health insurance did not provide enough.

Travelers who take several trips in their home country would benefit from an annual trip insurance plan in several ways. Many companies, such as Access America Travel Insurance, offer plans like Annual Travel Protection that are very comprehensive:

• Trip Cancellation
• Trip Interruption
• Baggage Coverage
• Baggage Delay Coverage
• Travel/Trip Delay Coverage
• Rental Car Damage (this alone could be worth it!)
• Emergency Assistance….and more

Consider annual trip travel insurance if you travel more than 3-4 times per year
How many trips make it worthwhile to purchase an annual plan? It depends on the traveler, but if you travel 3+ times a year and purchase a policy each time, it’s worth getting a quote for an annual policy. Again, there are difference between a single-trip policy and an annual policy, but it might be the right choice for you.

Why you should never buy travel insurance from an airline, cruise line, or tour operator

When you decide to purchase insurance for your trip, you are entering into a contract with an insurance company. You are promising to pay a certain amount of premium, and they are promising to pay you under certain circumstances (a claim).

In the case of travel insurance, you should always purchase from a third party. Even though your cruise line, airline, or tour operator offers you insurance, it is not the same as purchasing it independently.

Insurance purchased from a travel supplier may not cover financial default (bankruptcy)

There has been a string of airline bankruptcies recently, causing many travelers to shop for travel insurance. For travelers who purchased a plan through their travel supplier, however, there might not be coverage for this situation. Many insurance plans offered by travel suppliers do not cover bankruptcy and financial default.

Always purchase travel insurance from a third party source

It is always wise to purchase travel insurance from a third party source who will provide coverage in the event of bankruptcy, when airlines or other travel suppliers stop service. Don’t be left without coverage when you need it.

Related Links
How do I know my travel insurance company is reputable?
3 Steps to finding the right travel insurance
Who has the best coverage for lost luggage?