Interest in Travel Insurance on the rise

May 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Interest in Travel Insurance on the riseWith the recent earthquake in Japan, civil unrest in multiple regions of the world, and a recent rash of travel delays caused by massive wind, hail, and tornadoes across the southern regions of the U.S., interest in travel insurance protection is on the rise.

Travel costs have gone up in the last five years, partly due to rising gas prices, and the end doesn’t appear to be in sight. Many people have put off expensive travel over the past few years in favor of ‘staycations’ (vacations at home with family) due to fears of the economy, unemployment, and slow job growth. Those who are currently making travel plans may find that adding the cost of travel insurance to the tab is worth the cost simply to avoid the huge financial bills that can occur on vacation.

Any good comprehensive travel insurance policy comes with a 24-hour assistance services number staffed with representatives who can provide travel assistance, help navigate a medical emergency, and provide assistance and reimbursement for canceled or delayed plans in addition to problems with accommodations.

Travelers wanting financial protection may opt for these coverages

In addition to having a help hot-line at your fingertips, travel insurance can provide reimbursement for unexpected travel costs that can wreck your travel budget. Protection for financial losses due to stolen baggage, missed connections, and travel delays are included in many comprehensive travel insurance package plans.

If you plan to rent a car on your vacation, avoiding the high charges imposed by rental car companies if the car is damaged is also crucial – especially since this type of coverage is not typically provided by your own auto insurance coverage or the coverage provided by your credit card.

Of course, it’s important for those traveling abroad to consider any pre-existing medical conditions along with medical coverage because U.S.-based health insurance does not extend outside the American borders. If you or someone traveling with you gets ill or injured on the trip, you could face a large medical bill very quickly.

Having travel delay and missed connection coverage can help in instances when a tornado crashes through the airport you planned to flight out of or land at. The airlines don’t provide any help when the situation that caused the delay is a natural act, but travel insurance protection for these situations can mean the difference between sleeping on the floor of the airport and having a hotel room and meals reimbursed.

National Passport Day 2011

April 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Get your passport on U.S. National Passport DayNational Passport Day in the U.S. is this Saturday, April 9th. On that day, passport agencies in 26 cities will be accepting passport applications without an appointment.

The travel website of the U.S. Department of State has a load of information available for first-time appliers and those who need to renew their passport in advance of the summer travel season.

See the Travel.State.Gov website for information and download a passport form.

  • Applying
  • Renewing a passport
  • Processing times
  • Fees
  • Photo Requirements
  • Getting a passport quickly
  • Passport card info
  • and more.

Check out the link, double-check your passport expiration date (if you’ve got one already), and get ready to travel!

War has broken out. How do I get out of here?

April 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Libyan evacuation sceneWhen thousands of Britons could not get out of Libya recently due to holes in their holiday travel insurance coverage, they realized that war effectively nullifies their coverage. Many travel insurance plans include exclusions similar to the following:

This plan does not cover any loss caused by or resulting from war or act of war, whether declared or not, civil disorder, riot, or insurrection.

Therefore, it’s vital that those purchasing travel insurance plans understand their policies and what is (and is not) covered.

How Travel Insurance Covers War, Civil Disorder, and Unrest

Travel insurance plans cover travelers for war, civil disorder, and political unrest by allowing travelers to cancel their trip if they have ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage.

Some plans allow for non medical evacuations that include social upheaval as a covered reason for evacuation, but it’s important to understand your policy limits and exclusions. See a list of plans offering non medical evacuations.

Important notes
  1. If political unrest is not listed as a covered reason for a non medical evacuation, you won’t have coverage.
  2. All evacuation arrangements must be arranged and coordinated by the travel insurance provider’s assistance services for coverage to apply.

 

Avoid Being Stranded due to British Airline Strikes

April 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Unannounced British Airways strikesWhile thousands of employees and crew have voted in favor of a series of well-timed British Airways strikes (potentially over the coming Easter holidays), the union has yet to set the strike dates. This means that passengers worried about being stranded as a result of flight delays or cancellations still have time to purchase travel insurance to protect themselves. Once the strike dates are announced, the strike is no longer an unforeseen event and it cannot be covered.

One report indicates that the British Airways strike action must take place between April 4th and the 25th. Travelers are encouraged to purchase travel insurance that specifically allows for strike action as a covered reason for claims including travel delays and trip cancellations.

Key points to understand
  1. If the travel insurance policy does not include strikes as a covered reason, you will not have coverage for potential losses should their flight or travel plans be disrupted.
  2. If you purchase the travel insurance policy after the strikes are announced, you will not have coverage for losses the occur as a result of the strike action.
Important note

British Airways has indicated it will update customers whose flights are affected using the methods of contact provided by the customers. This includes sending notices via e-mail, SMS, or phone. It’s vital that customers verify their contact information is updated in their booking details if they are to receive those notices.

 

U.S. Issues Warning Urging Citizens to Avoid Travel to Syria

April 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On March 31st, 2011, the U.S. government advised its citizens to put off all non essential travel to Syria, and urged those in Syria to leave, due to protests in which a number of people have died. The latest U.S. travel warning described ”the potential for ongoing political and civil unrest” in Syria and specifically cautioned them against travel to the flashpoint city of Deraa and to the port city of Latakia.

Demonstrations and revolts across the Arab world appear to have inspired this latest unrest, but the U.S. has long had contentious relations with Syria, which maintains an anti-Israel alliance with Iran and supports the groups Hezbollah and Hamas. As clashes between Syrian security forces and protesters continue, the U.S. is particularly concerned about what activists have dubbed the “Friday of Martyrs”.

Although President Assad claimed to be taking steps toward addressing the demands of protesters yesterday, including forming a panel to study the path to eliminating an emergency law that has been in force and used repeatedly by security forces to control the population, the continued demonstrations seem unlikely to be satisfied just yet.

Travel Insurance Companies explain post-earthquake for Japan

March 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Japan earthquake travel insuranceTravel Insurance Review extends deepest sympathies to everyone who lost loved ones or is otherwise affected by the recent disasters in Japan.

A s a result of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear plant worries, many travelers are scrambling to figure out whether their travel insurance plans provide coverage for current and future travel. Travel insurance companies consider the earthquake and tsunami to be natural disasters and will provide benefits to the extent natural disasters are covered in their policies. You can read the insurance provider position statements here.

For travelers already traveling

As of Friday, March 11, 2011, the tsunami is no longer considered an unforeseen event; therefore, insured travelers in affected areas may be eligible for trip cancellation, trip interruption, and trip delay benefits as well as emergency medical and medical evacuation coverage depending on their travel insurance plans. Some travel plans provide coverage for non medical evacuations when government-issued warnings are in place.

For travelers with future travel plans

Travelers who have purchased travel to Tokyo prior to the earthquake and have not yet departed may have valid reasons to request trip cancellation benefits, but travel that is scheduled to take place later in the year may not be covered once the travel advisory is lifted. For those who purchased ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage, it’s important to cancel within the number of hours prior to your scheduled departure in order for coverage to be effective.

As always, refer to the specific terms and conditions of the policy you purchased to understand coverage terms and exclusions.

 

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