Since air travel has become more affordable, many vacationers choose to fly to their destinations instead of traveling by road or sea. Traveling by air is the best way to get to a vacation destination, because it is much faster than other forms of transportation. Nevertheless, air passengers have to be prepared for certain undesirable incidents that are known to happen during air travel, and one of them is the loss of luggage.

Most of the time, checked baggage pieces will show up in the baggage claim areas of their intended destinations, and their owners will pick them up. Due to errors made by baggage handlers or airlines, a small percentage of bags will be delayed or lost. Those who are taking indirect flights have a higher risk of losing their luggage, because the process of transferring their bags is more complicated. Checked bags on indirect flights will be transferred to at least one other airport before they are delivered to their final destinations, and there is greater opportunity for errors to occur. Nonetheless, this does not mean that passengers on direct flights will not lose their luggage. Bags may be temporarily misplaced or sent to a wrong airport, and they may be reunited with their owners after some time, or lost permanently.

It can be distressing for travelers to lose their baggage. Other than causing great inconvenience, loss of baggage can also result in substantial financial loss. While some bags only contain clothes, toiletries, and other less expensive items, others may contain jewelry, cash, laptops, electronic gadgets, antiques, or costly sports equipment. Air passengers who lose bags with expensive items may have to suffer financial loss that amounts to thousands of dollars, and they may have to save money for long periods before they can replace all their lost belongings.

In the event that your checked baggage is lost permanently, your airlines have the obligation to compensate you for your losses. One thing you have to know is that compensation for lost luggage from airlines is often insubstantial, and you will probably get an amount that is far lower than the true value of your lost belongings. If you want to get complete financial protection for your luggage, it is best that you purchase a travel insurance policy. A travel insurance plan that features good coverage for loss of baggage and other damages will give you absolute peace of mind throughout your vacation.

Traveling provides many sightseeing opportunities. Almost everybody brings a camera when they are traveling to capture the beautiful scenery and preserve their fondest experiences. While some people use the cameras in their mobile phones to take pictures, others bring digital cameras and elaborate photography equipment. If you are planning to bring expensive photo equipment during your vacation, make an extra effort to be careful when you are using or transporting the pricey equipment, because unforeseen incidents can cause you to lose or damage your camera equipment. The best thing to do is to purchase a travel insurance policy that covers photo equipment, as well as your other personal possessions.

Typically, travel insurance will provide compensation for lost and damaged personal belongings. There are certain things that may not be covered by a standard policy, including valuable items such as jewelry and antiques, costly sports or photography equipment. Before you purchase a policy, it is important to find out from your insurance provider exactly what the insurance policy covers and whether you will get reimbursement if your photo equipment is lost or damage. The extent of coverage varies from one policy to another, and it is recommended that you obtain a policy that offers a high compensation amount for loss of personal possessions. If you buy a cheap travel insurance plan that features minimal coverage, you may not be covered if your expensive camera is damaged, stolen or lost during your trip.

In most cases, travel insurance policyholders are required to purchase a rider if they want to insure their expensive photo equipment. A rider is a special policy that offers coverage for things that are not covered by a standard policy, and you have to pay an extra premium to add a rider to your policy. When you are getting a rider for your photo equipment, you have to let your insurance provider know exactly what kind of equipment you will be bringing on your trip. Keep a record of the models and serial numbers of all the photography devices that you will be carrying, so that you will know how much your insurance company has to pay you in the event that your equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged.

It is important that you do some comparison-shopping first before you buy a travel insurance plan. There is a huge selection of insurance companies on the Internet, and you can shortlist a few reputable ones and compare their offers. One convenient way to compare offers is to use a travel insurance comparison tool.

It is estimated that the late 2004 tsunami claimed more than 275,000 lives, and the Kobe earthquake in 1995 posted property damage in the region of $150 billion.

Natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, and volcanic eruptions can be devastating for those who live n or are visiting the affected areas, but they also affect travel on a wider perspective. If one airport is closed due to a hurricane, for example, that affects air travel for a number of people waiting in other airports. A secondary side effect is that they also scare travelers away for months (even years) after – thus having continued devastating economic effects on the already damaged region.

So, how can travel insurance help?

• Travel insurance plans with trip cancellation coverage often list weather or natural disaster coverage. This includes a natural disaster that affects your primary residence and your destination. The key to this coverage, however, is that the natural disaster must have rendered the residence uninhabitable (not just unpleasant to look at).
• Travel insurance plans with trip cancellation coverage may also allow for cancellations if the business where you work (and where you are key to the business’ recovery plans) is destroyed by natural disaster. So, if a hurricane wipes out your real estate office and you’re the boss, you may have a covered reason to cancel your vacation plans and get reimbursement for your pre-paid costs.
• Travel insurance plans that do not have adequate coverage for natural disasters can be enhanced with ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage that allows you at least some of your money back if you decide to cancel – no questions asked.
• Travel insurance plans with trip interruption coverage may provide reimbursement for weather-related natural disasters when the airline, cruise line, tour operator, or travel supplier stops all services for at least 24 consecutive hours due to a natural disaster or severe weather.
• Travel insurance plans with travel delay coverage sometimes include adverse weather as a covered reason for travel delay benefits as well. This helps when the airlines are experiencing significant delays because an airport or two is shut down due to a hurricane, for example. This coverage can help you with unexpected expenses like hotel rooms and meals when you are stranded waiting for your connection.
• Travel insurance plans sometimes provide coverage – usually trip interruption, but often additional expense reimbursement – when a traveler is displaced from paid accommodations due to mandatory evacuations ordered as a result of forecasted natural disasters.

Of course, travel insurance plans with travel medical coverage also provide reimbursement or direct payments to hospitals if you are injured or become ill as a result of a natural disaster. Accidental death and dismemberment will also provide compensation if you are severely injured or die on your trip as a result of a natural disaster.

In short, depending on the policy (and every policy is different), travel insurance does provide a number of coverages to help with natural disasters on your trip.

See this post for more information: If my home floods, can I be reimbursed for my travel costs?

 

Every day, millions of people around the world travel to one destination or another. They may travel for various reasons but generally, travelers fall into two main categories, leisure and business. For leisure travelers, the opportunity to go on a vacation in another country may be a dream come true; a chance to explore a new country and culture and to detach from the stresses of daily life. Business travelers may travel abroad to expand their business, delve into new markets, or to meet with a client. No matter the reason for traveling, it is essential to get travel insurance.

For people who have never had a negative travel experience, like loss of luggage, loss of personal property, trip cancellation, illnesses or accidents, they may not clearly understand why travel insurance is so important and how it can benefit the traveler. Unanticipated accidents and complications can happen to anyone, it is important to have a plan of action in an emergency; travel insurance can help. There have been instances where travelers have been stranded in an airport due to sudden national emergency or natural disasters. Sometimes, travelers are able to cancel their trips when they come across travel alerts, but what happens if they are already in the country? Does travel insurance cover people in countries under travel alert?

Natural disasters typically do not fall under the coverage of a general travel insurance policy. Some travel insurance providers offer added coverage options to cover travelers during natural disasters and bad weather. Disasters, such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and other natural disasters may cause areas of travel to be red flagged as a state of high alert or a travel adviser may be issued, which means that travelers are warned not to travel to that location until the alert has been lifted. Within the next few hours, the earthquake happens, causing major damage.

With natural disaster or bad weather coverage added to your travel insurance policy, a traveler will be covered and compensated for losses that result from weather related complications. If you are in a country under travel alert, and you are unable to return home, you should contact your travel agent immediately. There should not be any problems for you to claim some form of compensation from your travel insurer. Some countries have also been placed under travel alerts due to political unrest or other situations, it is important that travelers properly research their destination before purchasing airline tickets or non-refundable accommodations; take all necessary precautions. With travel insurance, you will be able to make claims for your air ticket and other losses in the event of a travel alert.

When people think about travel, their vision might be clouded by anticipation, but it is important to protect your assets when traveling abroad. Travelers do not like to think, or prepare for, such possibilities like loss of personal items, loss of luggage, flight delays, and medical expenses. It is in every traveler’s best interest to cover all of their bases before leaving on their trip, protecting the investment and time put into planning any trip is an important, yet often overlooked step in the travel planning process.

How do travelers protect themselves from the risks of traveling? It is simple. Get travel insurance! Whether it is single trip travel insurance or annual trip travel insurance, all travelers should sign up for travel insurance, before they set off on their trip. With the added protect of travel insurance, people do not have to worry about the extra expenses that would come about if their trip were canceled or their luggage was stolen.

Travel insurance covers all aspects of traveling, it is important to find the travel insurance policy that meets your specific needs. For example, if your hotel room has been burglarized and badly damaged. Does travel insurance cover damage to a hotel room in the event of a burglary? If you are able to prove that there was forced entry into your hotel room, you can submit claims for loss of personal items up to the amount that specified by your policy. On your travel insurance claim form, you have to provide a list of the lost items and their estimated value. It is always recommended that you submit proof of purchase, but it is not necessarily required because people do not usually keep the receipts of all their purchases with them.

What about damages to the hotel room? Will your travel insurance provide coverage for the damaged TV or cabinet? Since hotel property is not classified as your personal items, it is unlikely that your travel insurance will provide coverage for the damaged items in the hotel room. Are you responsible? It is also unlikely that you will be liable for the damages to the hotel room because the burglary occurred without any input on your part. In fact, the hotel holds a heavier responsibility because the premises lack the proper security measures. Usually, hotels have hotel insurance, which provides coverage for these damages.

Most people who go traveling will have a grand time, and they will return home with pleasant memories of their trips. Nevertheless, there are also unfortunate travelers who encounter problems or delays during their vacations, and some of which suffer substantial financial losses. Since certain accidents cannot be prevented, the best thing that travelers can do to protect themselves against complications is to buy a travel insurance policy.

Travel insurance is important because it offers partial or complete protection against certain unexpected situations that can arise during a trip. It costs only approximately 5% to 10% of the total amount of money paid for a trip, and it is a small price to pay considering the fact that it offers complete peace of mind for travelers. Many travel insurance companies are offering travel policies online, and this makes it easy for travel insurance seekers to find a plan that suits their budget and needs. The best way to look for travel insurance on the Internet is to use a travel comparison tools and information, found on many travel insurance review websites. Comparison tools may display rankings of the top travel insurance companies, and it can help you choose the right travel insurance provider.

Different travelers have different concerns and constraints to consider when they are searching for a suitable travel insurance provider. Budget-minded travelers will try to find a cheap travel insurance policy, whereas those who are more cautious will look for a policy that features quality coverage options. Most travel insurance comparison tools rank companies according to the attractiveness of their premiums, their reputations, and the coverage options they offer. When the ranking is determined by price, the company offering the lowest premium will appear at the top of the list. Travel insurance may also be measured by the quality of the insurance, and coverage options provided and how they match up against their competitors.

When choosing a travel insurance plan, it is not necessarily a good idea to opt for the cheapest policy that is available, because the cheap policies may not offer a satisfactory level of coverage. You can spend a few more dollars to get a travel plan that provides coverage that is more comprehensive. It is also important to select an insurance company that has a good reputation, because this kind of company offers excellent benefits, reliable services and superior claims handling.

Traveling by air is one of the safest ways to travel; flight accidents are very rare. Although it is very unlikely, there is still a chance that an airplane will meet with an accident when it is in the air or on the ground. In a serious airplane crash, passengers will most probably suffer very serious injuries or lose their lives, and it can be a devastating experience for them and their family members. Minor flight accidents do occur too, and they may only result in injuries or flight delays.

If you are injured are a result of an accident on a flight, you may have to seek medical attention. Injuries such as fractures, brain injuries, and dismemberment require extensive medical care, and you will need to pay a large sum of money to get the necessary treatment. Your hospital bill may reach tens of thousands of dollars, and you may not be able to work for an extended period of time. As a result, you may find yourself in great financial trouble. One thing that you can do to protect yourself from financial damages that result from flight accidents is to buy a travel insurance policy that includes flight insurance. If you have travel insurance, you may be able to claim financial compensation from your insurance company if you become a victim of a flight accident.

Although money cannot compensate for all the pain and suffering that can result from a flight accident, it can be very useful when you are in need of costly medical services. You can use the compensation money to seek better medical services, which may help you recover faster. The most basic form of flight insurance covers medical expenses as well as accidental death and dismemberment. This kind of flight insurance covers all kinds of flight accidents that cause passengers to suffer financial losses, regardless of whether they occur on the ground or in the air. There are also policies that offer compensation for flight delay or cancellation and loss or damage of baggage.

You can obtain flight insurance from insurance companies or airlines. Since major insurance companies mostly underwrite policies that are offered by airlines, it may be more cost-effective for you to get your insurance policy directly from specialized insurance providers. It is highly recommended that you buy your flight insurance from a leading insurance provider. A good insurance company does not only provide high quality coverage; it also offers essential travel assistance services as well as proficient claims handling.

If I get sick or have an accident while traveling abroad and require emergency evacuation can I go to the hospital of my choice or to the first available?

Travel Guard plans offer worldwide travel medical evacuation that will transport you to the nearest adequate licensed medical facility or home for treatment or recovery, plus coverage for any qualified accompanying travel medical expenses you may incur while traveling. Transportation to hospital of your choice may be available as an upgrade depending upon the type of plan you choose. Our travel medical insurance programs are ideal for frequent international or business travelers and available as annual or per-trip plans.

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.

For thrill seekers, there is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of nailing a perfect cliff dive. In equal measure, cliff diving is as exhilarating as it is dangerous. Classified as an extremely risky sport, cliff diving involves diving over cliffs or varying heights. Olivier Favre who jumped off Villers-le-Lac in France at the height of 53.9m did the highest cliff dive ever recorded. Generally, cliff diving at heights of 20 to 30 meters is considered normal.

Now, you may be interested to try jumping off a cliff during your next vacation. You have made all your bookings, engaged a top cliff diving trainer, and you are all ready to embark on the adventure of your life. Then, you wonder if your single trip travel insurance covers it? This is certainly an interesting question.

A basic travel insurance policy provides coverage for loss of luggage, trip cancellation, medical expenses, and other normal travel risks. Cliff diving is considered an extreme sport that is not even covered under Grade 4 Activity Insurance. Some of the other activities include hang gliding, parasailing, rock climbing under 2,000m, kite surfing, and amateur high diving under 5m. The closest activity to cliff diving is amateur high diving under 5m. In most travel insurance companies, there is no coverage for the sport of cliff diving. To qualify for Grade 4 Activity Insurance, you will have to pay a much higher premium but cliff diving is specifically excluded on the list.

In this activity, the risk of injury or even death is extremely high. Performed in a natural environment in which you have little or no control over such elements like the height of the cliff, the wind conditions, and the strength of the waves, the dangers are obvious. Considering these hazards, you can understand why travel insurance companies are reluctant to provide coverage for this activity. It is unlikely that you will be covered for this by any form of basic travel insurance.

Just because most travel insurance companies would not cover cliff diving does not mean that you will not find insurance for this sport. There are specialized extreme sports insurance companies that offer travel insurance for dangerous sports, but you will have to be prepared to pay a much higher premium. In any case, the best thing to do is to talk to your travel insurance agent to find out if there’s any travel insurance policy that provides exclusive coverage for cliff diving.

Going on a vacation is a great way to unwind. It allows you to leave your worries behind and indulge in fun and adventure in a new environment. If you plan your vacation well, you will most likely have an enjoyable trip that leaves many good memories; but there is still a chance that something unfortunate will happen during travel, and it can ruin your plan and make your holiday a dreadful experience. Unfortunate incidents can also cause you to lose your prepaid travel expenses and incur other financial damages. In order to protect yourself from unforeseen financial losses, you have to make a point to buy a good travel insurance plan before you go on your vacation.

A travel insurance policy is beneficial because it gives you protection against certain accidents that can happen before or during your vacation. If an emergency arises before the date of your departure and you are forced to call off your vacation, you may be able to get a partial or full reimbursement for your prepaid travel expenses. For example, in the event that you become injured in an auto accident, you may be able to claim compensation for the medical bills that you have paid. Your travel plan will also cover loss of luggage and other personal possessions. These are the basic travel insurance coverage options, and they are included in most policies. There are also policies that offer coverage that is more extensive; including emergency evacuation, accidental death and dismemberment, personal liability, and tour company default.

After you have received your travel insurance plan from your insurance provider, you should spend some time to read your policy. This document contains important information, such as the coverage options that are included in the plan, the amounts of compensation offered, and the terms and conditions of the policy. If you are not satisfied with certain things in your policy or you wish to purchase a better policy from another insurance provider, you may choose to cancel your travel insurance plan; however it is important to be aware of any fees or charges when canceling an insurance policy. Some insurance companies offer a free-look or trial period. If you cancel your policy within this period and your travel has not begun, you can get a full premium refund from your insurance provider. The free-look period is actually a grace period for you to confirm acceptance of your policy, and it lasts for 10 to 15 days from the date of purchase. After this period is over, you will not get any refund, full or partial, if you decide to cancel your policy.