Travel insurance is a safety net that all travelers should have when traveling. While airplane accidents are rare, there is a chance that travelers will be forced to cancel their flights due to personal crises or emergency situations. Air fares can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and travelers may not get a refund after they cancel their flights. Therefore, travelers should be proactive and invest in a travel insurance policy that includes flight cancellation coverage, so that they will have peace of mind when they are traveling.

There are many insurance companies that offer travel policies that include flight insurance coverage. Typically, flight insurance will provide coverage for flight accident and cancellation, but some policies may even cover for loss of baggage, delay of baggage, flight delay, and evacuation. It is also possible for travelers to insure themselves against natural and man-made disasters, as well as terrorism. It does not matter what airlines policy holders are traveling on; the travel insurance policy will provide coverage for them all the same. Nevertheless, travelers will only be protected from the kinds of losses that are listed in their policies. For instance, if flight delay is not one of the coverage that are included in their insurance plans, policyholders cannot file claims for compensation if they were delayed and missed their flights.

Airlines may also offer flight insurance to their customers, and some of them have a complete range of coverage, which include trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, baggage delay, loss or damage of baggage, emergency medical services, and emergency transportation. Although buying flight insurance from airlines is the most convenient way to get coverage, it is usually more expensive than buying from an insurance company. The policies that are offered by airlines are underwritten by major insurance companies, and they can be gotten directly from the insurance companies at lower rates. Also, airlines do not insure travelers who are suffering from pre-existing medical conditions.

Before you purchase a travel insurance policy that includes flight insurance, you should ask the insurer a number of questions to make sure that the policy is worth buying. Find out if the insurance policy offers financial protection against bankruptcy of airlines. If an airline truly goes bankrupt, you should be compensated with lodging and a replacement flight with a different airline. Additionally, if you are traveling with your pet or renting a car, ask the insurance company if these things can be covered. To ensure that it will be easy for you to claim compensation if misfortunes do occur, it is best that you get your travel insurance from an established insurance provider.

Whether a person is traveling to another state or country, he or she should get a travel insurance policy before setting off. A travel insurance policy will protect travelers from various unexpected losses that may occur during the course of travel. It is especially important for those who are traveling to a foreign country, because they will be exposed to higher risks of illnesses and injuries, which may result from their inability to adapt to the unfamiliar way of life in the country. With a travel insurance policy, travelers will not be so badly affected when they meet with accidents or fall ill, because they know that they will get financial recovery for their losses.

Those who wish to get insurance coverage for their trips should be aware that travel insurance rates may vary from one destination to another. Many insurance companies offer worldwide travel insurance, which means that travelers will pay the same insurance rate no matter where they are traveling to. On the other hand, there are providers who offer travel insurance plans for specific continents, such as North America, Europe, and Australia. In this case, the rates will differ from one continent to another. Insurance for travel to a specific continent is cheaper than worldwide insurance. Travelers should be aware that policies may not provide coverage for trips to Cuba, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Liberia due to their geopolitical climate.

There are also special travel insurance plans for those who are visiting specific cities around the world. Travelers can get such policies from insurance companies, specialized travel insurance providers, and even travel agents. It is not a good idea to purchase insurance from travel agents, because they are known to charge higher premiums than insurance companies. When getting an insurance policy for travel to a specific city, travelers should find out if the policy covers travel to attractions that are outside city limits. The area limit of the coverage can be extended, but an additional fee will be charged. Those who are traveling to places that are known for their high crime rates should get extra coverage for loss baggage and valuable belongings.

If you want to get a good deal for your travel insurance, you should get quotes and information from a few insurance providers. Compare the offers and see which one best suits your travel needs and budget. Try not to purchase policies from small insurance companies, because they may not be able to pay claims promptly, and they usually do not have the connections to provide good emergency services.

Travel insurance is a necessity for every traveler, because it can be a saving grace when unfortunate incidents happen during travel. Travelers will experience considerable financial loss if their trips are cancelled due to unexpected circumstances, their luggage is loss or stolen, or they need treatment for illnesses or injuries while they are traveling. With a travel insurance policy, they can have the peace of mind to enjoy their vacations, because the policy ensures that they will receive adequate compensation for unexpected losses that are sustained during their vacations.

Travelers should purchase travel insurance whenever they go on a vacation. Some people decide to forgo travel insurance during peak travel seasons, because they think that insurance rates will be higher during these times of the year. In actuality, rates for standard single trip travel insurance policies do not fluctuate according to season; they remain the same throughout the year. Nonetheless, travelers may need to upgrade or add a number of coverage to provide the best security during certain travel seasons, and this will contribute to a change in travel insurance rates.

When people are traveling during the peak season, they have to be prepared to deal with crowded airports, hotels, restaurants, and places of interests. Since there will be a lot of people around, it is more possible that they will miss their flights or lose their baggage or personal belongings. Also, there is a higher chance that they may get involved in accidents when they are driving or taking part in sports and recreational activities. Therefore, they should get better coverage for trip cancellation and delay, loss of baggage, and medical costs, so that they can claim a higher amount of compensation if these incidents occur. As a result of these coverage upgrades, the prices of their travel insurance policies will be higher.

Another coverage option that travelers must consider is the high-risk activities coverage. With this type of coverage, travelers will be entitled to compensation if they sustain serious injuries while they are taking part in high-risk activities. Some of the popular hazardous activities that are performed during spring or summer include white-water rafting, mountaineering, scuba diving, and others, and during winter time, many people travel to the mountains to do some skiing or snowboarding. Travel insurance policies that provide coverage for such activities are more expensive than standard policies. If you want to customize your travel insurance policy to suit your seasonal travels, you should go to a reputable insurance company that offers a wide range coverage. You can even ask the company to recommend coverage that will meet your specific insurance needs.

How are pre-existing conditions handled with travel insurance? I’ve heard of the “look back” period; can you explain this?

A Pre-existing Condition Exclusion Waiver is offered in some travel insurance plans through Travel Guard. In order to obtain the waiver the travel insurance needs to be purchased within 15 days of the traveler’s initial trip payment. If the traveler purchases an insurance plan that offers a pre-existing condition waiver and doesn’t purchase within 15 days of their initial trip payment, we do have a look back period. A look back period is the length of time we would look back to determine if a pre-existing medical condition exists. The timeframe can vary based on the insurance plan purchased and the insureds state of residence, but is generally anywhere from 60-180 days.

Travel Guard is the nation’s leading provider of travel insurance, assistance, and service plans, covering more than 6 million travelers worldwide each year. Travel insurance plans through Travel Guard are distributed by more than 12,000 travel agents across the United States.

Travel insurance plans through Travel Guard may include coverage for trip cancellation, travel interruptions and delays, emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation expenses, and lost or delayed baggage. Most plans also include 24-hour travel assistance services* for emergency medical assistance, last-minute or emergency travel changes, lost luggage tracking, pre-trip travel advice, and more.

Buying travel insurance for a trip is an absolute must. Many people decide that they don’t want to buy trip insurance because they figure that nothing bad will happen on their trip, but travelers may find themselves in a tight spot without the benefit of general travel insurance or medical travel insurance, should they be involved in an accident or have their personal belongings or travel documents lost or stolen while traveling. If you are traveling, it’s always safer to get travel insurance to protect yourself.

Why is travel insurance so important? No matter how well you plan for a holiday, sometimes, the unexpected can happen. In most cases, accidents happen when you are least prepared. Travel insurance coverage can be specialized to meet the needs of the individual traveler and can be customized to ensure that all needs are met, including medical coverage and compensation for lost of stolen property. For instance, a plan may provide up to $1 million to cover medical bills and air transport to quality medical facilities. The plan may also include something like $800 in luggage protection to replace lost items.

Travel insurance is important, no matter how long or adventurous a trip might be, it is better to be well-prepared than to be overwhelmed with unnecessary medical costs or other taxing situation. If you get into an accident during your travels in a foreign place, the medical charges can financially cripple you if you don’t have any travel medical insurance. This is why it’s necessary to get travel insurance. A small cost upfront is nothing compared to how much you will end up spending on medical expenses or replacing your luggage.

When it comes to buying travel insurance through schools, most often, it is bought as group travel insurance. This makes sense because most students take trips with their classes, meaning that multiple students at a time will need to purchase travel insurance for safety purposes. It should be noted that with these types of policies, there are many different specific instructions that go along with them. At the very least, there will be a group arrival and group departure date, meaning all members of the group are required to both arrive and leave at specific places and times.

The group travel insurance can also cover cancellation or curtailment costs. If circumstances beyond your control keep you from going on the trip, you will be able to reschedule or not have to pay certain fees. Some plans also offer personal liability insurance as part of the package. Most of these plans can be attained either through your school directly or on their recommendation. It can usually be obtained at a discount, too, through the school as part of a special student discount, which is another good reason to get travel insurance when leaving on a school trip.

It is beneficial for travelers to get travel insurance before they go on their vacations or trip, because a travel policy provides protection against unforeseen expenses due to illness or injury, lost luggage, and a number of other delays that the traveler may experience. In the event that they become sick or are involved in an accident during their trips, they can get compensation for medical costs.

Travel insurance will also cover for loss and theft of baggage and personal belongings, as well as trip cancellation and other unexpected situations. Most travelers will want to get a travel insurance policy, so that they can have peace of mind during their travels, but some people may have their applications denied because of certain reasons.

All travel insurance providers are eager to offer insurance to travelers. In fact, as long as a traveler is healthy, they should be able to get approval for both standard and specialized travel insurance. Insurance providers even offer coverage for high-risk activities, such as skiing, mountaineering, white-water rafting, and scuba-diving. Special policies for many different types of travelers, including students, backpackers, missionaries, seniors, and people with pre-existing medical conditions may also be offered by specific travel insurance providers. Even children are eligible for travel insurance.

Seniors and travelers with existing medical conditions should not apply for standard travel insurance coverage. Instead, there are specialized policies for these groups of travelers that can meet the specific needs of each individual. A senior travel insurance policy meets the specific insurance needs of travelers who are 60 years old and above, and it usually includes coverage for medical expenses, personal liability, cancellation, and loss of luggage, cash, and passport. This type of insurance may be more costly than standard travel insurance, and many senior travelers have difficulty finding a quote that suits their budget. There are insurance providers that specialize in providing senior travel insurance, and they offer very attractive rates and benefits.

Some travel insurance providers are not willing to insure travelers who are suffering from serious medical conditions, such as heart illnesses, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and epilepsy, because there is a higher chance that they will need medical care during their travels. Travelers with medical conditions are required to provide information about their health problems to insurance providers, and their cases will be evaluated before approval is given. The stability of their conditions and their age are important considerations for the providers. Usually, they can get coverage for their pre-existing conditions if they can prove that their conditions have remained stable for a minimum of 90 days. Similar to senior travel insurance, a pre-existing medical condition policy is also more expensive than standard travel insurance.

I wish I had some better news to report, but I wanted you to stay out of the storm so to speak. The NOAA is predicting this years hurricane season to be an active one. Now is the time to insure yourself and your trip by purchasing travel insurance.

How Does the 2010 Hurricane Season Affect Travel Insurance?

The 2010 hurricane season could be one of the worst

It has never been more important to protect yourself with travel insurance. With events like the ongoing volcano eruptions in Iceland and the Gulf oil spill capturing headlines every day, more and more people are becoming aware of the value of trip insurance when air travel is disrupted or destinations change. Now, there’s a new danger for savvy travelers to be aware of: the 2010 hurricane season.

2010 Hurricane Season: Predictions and Warnings

Of course, hurricane season itself is nothing new: conditions are right for hurricanes in the Atlantic from approximately June 1 through November 30 every year, and in the Pacific from May 15 forward. The first named tropical storm of this season, Agatha, became active in Central America in late May and caused an estimated 15 deaths.

But this year, experts are raising the alarm. The NOAA’s hurricane season prediction calls for an extremely active Atlantic hurricane season, with 14-23 named storms and 8-14 hurricanes. A full 3 to 7 of those hurricanes could be devastating category 3, 4, or 5 storms. Category 5 storms have sustained winds in excess of 156 miles per hour, and can bring with them long-term disruption of utilities, public services, and businesses throughout the affected area, with widespread evacuation to shelters.

A number of factors are fueling more dire hurricane season predictions. Weak wind shear, associated with the end of El Niño in the Pacific, means that storms are less likely to be disrupted. Ocean temperatures at the surface are higher than usual, providing fertile grounds for storm development. Lastly, 2010 is part of a “high activity era” designated by scientists, who mark 2005 as first place in storm development for the last 15 seasons. In 2005, there were 28 named storms, including the monstrous Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Season Predictions Key to Travel Plans

There’s no question that the 2010 hurricane season will be one of the more active in recent memory. The only question is how much more activity there will be. For travelers, this means it’s the right time to be proactive about finding the best travel insurance and protecting your travel investment. Check out our travel insurance reviews and online resources to find the best travel insurance for your trip. If you’re new to trip insurance as part of your travel planning, try Travel Insurance 101 to get started.

Volcanoes, floods, and other unpredictable acts of nature have left millions of travelers stranded or disappointed already this year, but according to top climate scientists, one thing is certain: the 2010 hurricane season is going to be more volatile than ever, and that means further travel disruptions can happen at short notice. There’s never been a better time to make travel insurance part of your long-term trip planning routines. With our help, you’ll be prepared and ready to enjoy your trip with true peace of mind. Read comments from our editors on travel insurance reviews.

Many travelers don’t stop to think about the dangers of a much needed vacation, especially when they are excited about their upcoming cruise; but misfortune can happen anywhere. It is not uncommon for people to experience sea-sickness while they are vacationing on a cruise ship, and recreational activities can also result injuries. A cruise travel insurance policy will protect vacationers against unexpected losses and incurred medical costs that may occur on-board a cruise ship.

Cruise-goers should make sure that they have the appropriate insurance coverage before they embark on their vacation, because cruise ships do not offer travel insurance on-board. If vacationers become ill or injured during a cruise vacation, they may have to seek medical attention at the ship’s infirmary. One thing that cruise-goers should know is that medical services on a cruise ship can be very expensive. Do not be surprised if the medical bill amounts to hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. The bill will be charged to the on-board account of the patient, and the cruise line may not accept standard health insurance in international or foreign waters. This means that those who receive medical care on-board a cruise ship are required to pay their bill out of their own pocket first, and then claim compensation when they return home. Cruise ships are considered foreign vessels, and basic travel medical insurance may not work on-board.

There are many places that sell cruise travel insurance, and they include insurance companies, travel insurance providers, banks, travel agents, and the cruise lines themselves. It is best that cruise-goers do not purchase the insurance policies that are offered by cruise lines, because these policies are mostly secondary policies. This means that the policy holders have to claim compensation from their own insurance companies first, and then get reimbursement from the cruise companies’ insurance providers. Most policies from cruise lines only cover for incidents that occur on-board the cruise ships. Also, some cruise lines compensate cruise-goers by offering travel credits instead of monetary recovery.

Specialized travel insurance providers offer some of the most competitive rates for cruise travel insurance, and they have a wider range of coverage, which include higher maximum medical coverage, trip cancellation, sports injuries, evacuation, and accidental death. It is a good idea for cruise-goers to purchase a third-party travel insurance policy. With this type of policy, there is a chance that they may be offered upfront financial assistance, or they may get compensation in a shorter time.

To ensure that you get a good travel insurance policy for your cruise trip, you should buy from an established insurance company. Such a company has the necessary experience to provide valuable advice and assistance when you are in an emergency situation, and it can pay claims promptly.