A recent review of Department of Transportation reports by ConsumerReports.org indicates that the average prices of airlines tickets at smaller, secondary airports (Colorado Springs versus Denver, for example) have gone up and prices at larger airports has gone down.

Why?

Apparently, larger airport hubs are luring customers back from the competitive regional airports. Bigger airports have begun streamlining the travel experience by opening more gates, reducing delays and convincing discount airlines like Southwest and JetBlue to do business at their airports.

What does this mean for you?

The price of a domestic ticket at O’Hare in the last quarter of 2010 averaged $372, down 12% from the same price in the last quarter of 2000. Over the same period, the average price of a domestic ticket at Midway, Chicago’s regional airport, increased by 25% instead.

Although flights are still cheaper at Chicago’s smaller airport, the gap in price differences has reduced considerably because larger airports and the larger airlines are able to reduce costs in order to offer cheaper tickets. Airline mergers – often seen as the impetus for higher ticket prices – can reduce congestion and delays at airports too. Industry consolidation such as this can mean a reduction in the regional airlines and losses at regional airports, which can mean less competition and the potential for higher ticket prices.

Luckily for many travelers in the U.S., regional airports seem to be holding their own so far.

Last year’s volcanic eruption in Iceland is shortly followed by another. Iceland’s Gromsvotn (pronounced GREEMSH-votn) volcano erupted over the weekend and its ash plume is already affecting air travel in Iceland and Greenland. So far, only flights into and out of Iceland and Greenland are affected, but Norway’s Svalbard islands may soon be affected.

A recent study validated the previous ban on flights; stating that volcanic ash particles can be harmful to aircraft engines and thus put the crew and passengers in danger; however, better radar imaging, better preparation, and more knowledge should mean far less disruption than last year. That being stated, some UK airports are canceling flights already, so those flying to, from, and within Europe should monitor their flight schedules closely.

The EU Air Passenger Rights website site is posting updates on the developing ash cloud situation, including warnings and useful information. You can also see a map of the predicted ash movement.

Last year, many travelers who bought trip insurance before the larger Eyjafijallajokull volcano eruption were covered for trip delays and cancellations. Once an event becomes a known event, travel insurance companies cannot cover it – therefore travelers who purchased their plans on or before May 21, 2011 should be in luck.

Check your travel insurance policy for natural disaster and weather-related clauses to understand what is and is not covered in the policy. Similar to having trip cancellation coverage for hurricane disasters, you must have purchased your plan before the volcano erupts, not after.

If you plan to propose on your trip, good for you – and good luck to you! But, please keep the ring with you. All baggage protection – even that offered by the airline – comes with limits. If you store the ring in your bag and check that bag, you could be in trouble if the bag is lost or stolen.

You can read more about what the airlines owe you when your luggage is lost, but the short story is that they won’t cover the loss of a particular item if that item is worth more than  ($150) and it must be accompanied by the original receipt. See how travel insurance covers jewelry.

Travel insurance coverage for individual items is higher, but it’s limited as well – between $600 and $2,000 depending on the policy limits. See the specific limits per plan here.

Your best bet, when traveling with a valuable item is to keep the item with you – on your person or in your carry-on. This can include valuable personal documents or papers, jewelry, and more. You can read more about safe travel tips recommended by the State Department, but the key is to keep your valuables with you and protect your bag at all times.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 600,000 Americans have deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, which is caused by blood clots that form in a person’s lower leg or thigh and break off to join the blood stream. These blood clots can travel to the lung or other parts of the vascular system and create serious, even fatal, conditions.

What increases the risk of blood clots?

According to the National Institute of Health, the risk of blood clots forming deep in a person’s vein is increased by:

• becoming pregnant
• being overweight
• being older than 60 years of age
• anyone with a history of DVT

You can read more about the signs and symptoms of deep vein thrombosis as well.

How do travelers prevent blood clots?

In addition to getting regular medical checkups and taking care of your health, travelers are reminded that during long trips, your risk of developing DVT is small but can be prevented by:

1. Getting up and moving around. If traveling for long periods by car, stop and move around at least every hour.
2. Stretch, flex, and move your legs to encourage blood flow into and out of your calves.
3. Wear loose, comfortable clothing when you travel.
4. Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.

If you are at increased risk for DVT, compression stockings while traveling can help as well.

The Federal Trade Commission reported over a quarter million customers were affected by identity theft in 2010. The explosive growth in quality and access to smart phones and social media means that many people are far more exposed than they think they are.

Many travel insurance companies include identity theft recovery services with their plans. These services can help you restore your credit, deactivate and replace lost or stolen cards and passports, and work with you to file loss reports with the local authorities.

Of course, prevention is the first best defense, so it’s important to take a quick refresher course on identity theft protection strategies.
Here are the current best tips:

1. Use credit cards, not debit cards, for travel. Credit card charges can be disputed and reversed, but unauthorized use of your debit card taps into your cash back home.
2. Do not give your credit card number over the phone at the hotel – even to a hotel employee. If necessary, visit the front desk and confirm the request.
3. Block your use of any automated teller machine (ATM) and watch for anyone taking your picture with a mobile device or digital camera.
4. Leave your social security card back home – locked in a safe, preferably.
5. Leave your check book behind as well.
6. Use the hotel safe to store your travel documents when you don’t need them.

For additional information on how to protect your identity on the road and at home, see  Protecting your Identity when you Travel.

Many women travel just fine while they are pregnant, but it’s important to note that travel insurance plans do not provide trip cancellation coverage just because you are pregnant. In fact, pregnancy is generally excluded from all travel insurance coverage, which means they will not cover any loss due to pregnancy or complications of pregnancy.

Alternatively, Travel Insured International extends some aspects of cancellation coverage for a traveler’s, or traveler’s companion’s, pregnancy as long as the pregnancy occurred after the policy was purchased.

‘Cancel for any reason’ as your backup plan

If you are planning to get pregnant and are worried that you might not be able to travel because of a pregnancy, then consider ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage which will allow you to cancel your trip and get up to 100% of your money back if you, in essence, change your mind about the trip and decide not to go.

‘Cancel for any reason’ coverage will protect your trip investment, so if you become pregnant and decide to forgo your trip, you can get some or all of your money back.

Call with questions

As always, if you have any questions about your travel insurance policy, use the review period and contact the travel insurance company with questions. You can cancel your travel insurance policy during the review period if you find out it won’t provide the coverage you need. See the 24/7 assistance services numbers.

Recently, there seems to be a lot of confusion around making claims on travel insurance policies and pre-existing conditions – even Peter Greenberg felt compelled to write about it. We’d like to take a moment to clear up some confusion and point you to our resources.