Travel Insurance Review- Freestyle Luxe from CSA Travel Protection

January 19, 2007 By Leave a Comment

CSA makes travel insurance easier by offering fewer options

CSA Travel Protection is a very reputable company selling travel insurance. They recently consolidated several different policy choices into two, simpler package plans: Freestyle and Freestyle Luxe. Freestyle is their basic plan which offers great overall coverage for most travelers. Freestyle Luxe is an upgraded plan that offers higher coverage amounts and a couple extra benefits.

“Just give us the best plan”

CSA made the choices simpler for travelers seeking trip insurance. They found many travelers simply saying, “just give us the best plan”, and they answered by putting together a comprehensive plan called Freestyle, and an upgrade plan called Freestyle Luxe.

Just like CSA’s Freestyle plan, the Freestyle Luxe travel policy includes coverage for:

  • trip cancellation
  • trip interruption
  • travel delay
  • baggage loss and delay
  • medical expense/emergency assistance
  • emergency medical evacuation

In addition, Freestyle Luxe provides these policy upgrades

  • higher baggage coverage (from $1,000 to $1,500)
  • higher baggage delay coverage ($200 to $500)
  • higher medical expense coverage ($50,000 to $250,000)
  • higher medical evacuation coverage ($250,000 to $1,000,000)
  • higher collision damage waiver coverage ($25,000 to $50,000)
  • higher AD&D flight only ($100,000 to $200,000)
  • AD&D travel accident $50,000
  • pre-existing condition coverage
  • supplier bankruptcy and default coverage

Freestyle Luxe gives travelers higher levels of coverage and additional benefits

The upgrade to Freestyle Luxe gives travelers significantly higher coverage amounts in 6 areas: baggage, baggage delay, medical expenses, medical evacuation, rental collision damage waiver, and flight AD&D. The policy also adds coverage for travel accident AD&D, pre-existing medical conditions, and supplier bankruptcy or default.

Online quotes and purchasing made easy

Travelers can easily get quotes for CSA Travel Protection products at csatravelprotection.com , and even buy their policy online using a credit card. They offer both Freestyle and Freestyle Luxe.

Use a comparison site to shop around

Another option is to use a comparison site(see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site), where you can get a quote for CSA products and compare them side-by-side with other similar plans. This is the best way to find the right plan and get the best prices. The policy costs the same whether you buy from a comparison site or directly from the carrier.

Travel Insurance Review- Travelsafe Vacation Insurance

January 17, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Travelsafe’s vacation insurance is a great overall package policy

Travelsafe is a long established company with an A- A.M.Best rating, meaning they are very reputable. A division of the Chester Perfetto Agency, Inc., Travelsafe has been in business since 1971.

They offer a variety of products, but their Vacation insurance is their most popular product, and is perfect for most travelers.

As with most package plans, Travelsafe’s Vacation insurance policy includes coverage for:

  • trip cancellation
  • trip interruption
  • travel delay
  • baggage loss and delay
  • medical expense/emergency assistance
  • emergency medical evacuation with hospital of choice
  • AD&D
  • 24 hour emergency assistance hot-line
  • “cancel for any reason” option available

Travelsafe offers innovative “cancel for any reason” coverage

An option offered with the Vacation plan, “cancel for any reason” allows the traveler to cancel their trip, up to 2 days prior to departure, and receive a 75% reimbursement of pre-paid, non-refundable trip payments. This option costs more, but gives travelers great flexibility.

Online quotes and purchasing made easy

Travelers can easily get quotes for Travelsafe products at Travelsafe.com, and even buy their policy online using a credit card. They offer their vacation plan, as well as other travel insurance plans including Premier, Custom, and Insure-A-Flight.

Use a comparison site to shop around

Another option is to use a comparison site (see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site) where you can get a quote for Travelsafe products as well as several other companies’ products, and choose the best one for you. The policy costs the same whether you buy from a comparison site or directly from the carrier.

How do comparison sites work when shopping for travel insurance?

January 12, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Comparison sites make shopping for travel insurance easier

One way to buy travel insurance is to go directly to the source, the travel insurance company. Groups like TravelGuard, CSA Travel protection, and TravelSafe all have websites where you can sign up and buy a trip insurance policy online. This works just fine…if you know what you are looking for.
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Many travelers do not know what they need without comparing different policies. It just makes sense. Most planned purchases require some research…if for no other reason than to get the best price.

Find the right plan and get the best price

Travel insurance comparison sites give you quotes from all the different companies at the same time. You can also compare the different coverages, benefits, and “small print” in the insurance policies.
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Is it cheaper to buy directly from the insurance company?

No. Travel insurance comparison sites are agents and earn a commission on each policy sold, just like your local agency that insures your home or car. If you buy directly from the travel insurance company, they simply keep the portion of the premium that would go to an agent. Since the price is the same either way, you might as well use a comparison website and find the best policy at the right price.

“Shopping for travel insurance with comparison sites is like shopping for plane tickets at Expedia.com”

(see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

Cancel for any reason coverage provides peace-of-mind

January 9, 2007 By 2 Comments

Want coverage no matter what happens? Buy “cancel for any reason” coverage

If you want cancellation coverage no matter what happens, some travel insurance companies offer policies with an optional “cancel for any reason” clause. This lets you cancel your trip, no matter what the reason, and receive 75% of the non-refundable trip cost.

“Cancel for any reason” coverage is a new product that gives travelers more flexibility

This is a relatively new product to come to the market, and it shows how travel insurance companies are tailoring their products to the customer’s needs. Two companies offer policies with “cancel for any reason” options: Travelsafe and M.H.Ross, who operates Tripinsurance.com.

Coverage costs extra, but provides peace of mind

Cancel for any reason coverage costs extra money, but many travelers like the flexibility of being able to cancel their trip without taking a total loss financially.

Cancel for any reason coverage will pay 75% of the non-refundable trip cost. Even though it is only partial refund of payments, it is better than a total loss, and many travelers spend the extra money for the peace of mind.

Be aware of the small print with “cancel for any reason” coverage

There are some conditions for cancel for any reason policies. This policy option covers 75% of the non-refundable trip costs. Cover requires that:

  • the plan be purchased within 15 days of the trip deposit
  • you select the “cancel for any reason” option when purchasing the policy
  • all pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs are insured
  • your trip is canceled 2 days prior to the departure date

(see How to Compare Quotes with a Travel Insurance Comparison Site)

SRI re-brands company as Seven Corners

January 9, 2007 By Leave a Comment

screenshot_21.pngSRI re-brands travel insurance company under the name Seven Corners

Specialty Risk International, or SRI, of Indianapolis has re-branded the company under the name Seven Corners.

Started in 1993, SRI has incorporated several related businesses in the travel insurance industry, and wanted to re-brand under the Seven Corners name to unify the company.

All policies, contact information, and claims are handled in the same manner as before. The former homepage at www.specialtyrisk.com is still operational, as well as the new site, www.sevencorners.com.

(read disclosure on about page)

How does the baggage coverage work with travel insurance?

December 5, 2006 By 1 Comment

Trip insurance is a must-have for travelers worried about baggage

Lost baggage can ruin an entire trip, and even delays can cause unneeded stress. Your baggage can also suffer rips or tears, or the contents can be damaged beyond repair. If any of these happen on your next trip, how will you make sure the entire vacation is not ruined?

Baggage coverage protects against lost, stolen, damaged, or delayed bags

Most package plans include coverage for baggage, ranging anywhere from $500 all the up to $2500. This is enough coverage to buy new clothes, pay for a lost camera, or get new luggage.

Typical coverage includes:

  • Loss
  • Theft
  • Damage
  • Destruction

This coverage applies to travel baggage, as well as passports, visas, and other travel documents. This will provide a lot of peace of mind in a foreign country.

Some items are excluded from baggage coverage, including:

  • Animals
  • property used in trade, business or for the production of income
  • household furniture, musical instruments, brittle or fragile articles
  • sporting equipment if the loss results from the use thereof
  • artificial limbs or other prosthetic devices, artificial teeth, dental bridges, dentures, dental braces, retainers or other orthodontic devices, hearing aids, any type of eyeglasses, sunglasses or contact lenses
  • documents or tickets, except for administrative fees required to reissue tickets
  • money, stamps, stocks and bonds, postal or money orders, securities, accounts, bills, deeds, food stamps or credit cards
  • contraband

Each company has different specific policy wording in regards to baggage coverage, so it is important to read your certificate thoroughly. There are some general guidelines however.
Tips to get the most out of travel insurance baggage coverage:

  • inventory your baggage and belongings, write down a total value
  • when shopping for a policy, find a plan that matches your baggage value
  • receipts are very important in case of a claim. Many plans pay only 75% of estimated value for items without receipts (to adjust for depreciation)
  • in case of a loss, notify the local authorities and get documentation
  • also in case of a loss, contact your insurance company as soon as possible, and make any claims in a timely fashion

Here is a table listing the baggage coverage provided by major travel insurance companies. As you can see, some companies offer different plans under different names. The difference is usually some sort of policy upgrade, which provides more coverage for more premium.

Company Name Product Name Coverage
TravelSafe Vacation Insurance $2500
Travelex Travel Plus $2500
IMG (International Medical Group) Patriot T.R.I.P. Elite $2000
Access America Deluxe $1500
CSA Travel Protection Freestyle Luxe $1500
HTH Worldwide Trip Protector Preferred $1500
M.H.Ross GlobalAlert! Enhanced $1500
M.H.Ross GlobalAlert! Extra $1500
RBC Travel Protection Deluxe $1500
Access America Classic $1000
CSA Travel Protection Freeestyle $1000
HTH Worldwide Trip Protector $1000
IMG (International Medical Group) Patriot T.R.I.P. $1000
SRI (Specialty Risk International) Round Trip $1000
Travel Guard Cruise, Tour, and Travel $1000
Travelex Travelite $1000
Travel Guard Protect Assist $750
RBC Travel Protection Standard $500
Travel Guard Essential $500 ($50 ded.)
Travel Guard Essential Expanded $500 ($50 ded.)
Travel Guard My Travel Guard $500 ($50 ded.)
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