Editorials from our staff traveling through the world. We share our best travel tips, and how to get a better value out of your travel insurance.
Hotels are being pressured to cut corners, and that means that even in the best hotels, the service staff is being forced to take time to fold the toilet paper and replenish the minibar, but they have less time to actually clean the room. Be proactive, and be prepared. A few simple sanitation precautions can help keep your trip happy and healthy.
Tipping is one of those things that is misunderstood at home and abroad. There recently was an article in the San Francisco Chronicle not long ago complaining that San Franciscans are among the nation’s worst tippers. But then, San Francisco…
A lot of people travel without carrying travel medical insurance. They assume that their health care coverage will follow them wherever they go. Nothing could be farther from the truth, especially when you are traveling abroad. Most conventional health insurance…
Often younger individuals and families assume that travel insurance is not for them. Older persons better understand the need to purchase travel insurance. As we age we are more likely to suffer illness or injury, it’s statistically a fact of life! But there are still many risks that younger families need to cover with travel insurance.
While there are many costs associated with travel, not all travel arrangements need to be insured. Travel Arrangements can be made for the following: Air Arrangements – prepaid airfare Land Arrangements – prepaid costs for tours, hotels, etc or for…
Realtime critical international travel alerts provided courtesy of e-Travel Alerts.
When is the best time to buy travel insurance? For a variety of reasons, it is prudent to purchase travel insurance when you first book your trip (i.e. make your first payment for travel arrangements). Why? Most travel insurance policies contain one or more time sensitive provisions that broaden coverage.
Although are many covered reasons for the Trip Cancellation Benefit, not every possible reason is covered. Travel insurance policies do not cover fear of traveling or a change of mind or other similar discretionary reasons. Cancel For Any Reason gives the traveler 100% freedom to cancel a trip for a non-covered reason, generally 2 days or more before the scheduled departure date, and be reimbursed for a percentage of the cancellation penalty amount (such as 75% or 80%).
Medical benefits included in travel insurance policies are provided on either a primary or excess basis. What does this mean to you and which is better?
Primary coverage means that the policy will cover you from the very first dollar of expense without regard to any other insurance you may have. However, primary insurance only covers medical expenses for treatment during your trip. . .
A travel insurance plan is composed of a package of benefits intended to protect you, your travel investment and your belongings. At a minimum, a good plan will provide benefits for:
Generally, the more coverage the better the plan. All plans that include a trip cancellation benefit provide coverage for sickness, injury or death, but may or may not cover a Pre-Existing medical condition. “Better” and “Best” policies may cover many of the following additional reasons:
Travel insurance is designed to cover both you and the cost of your travel arrangements against a variety of unforeseeable reasons that may affect you or your travel plans. Following is a more detailed description of each of the travel insurance benefits and its importance.
Most travel insurance policies exclude losses resulting from “Pre-Existing Conditions”. While the policy language may vary from company to company, generally, policies exclude any condition treated or recommended to be treated in a 60 to 180 day period prior to the purchase of the policy.
Travel insurance benefits are conditioned upon key concepts, terms and provisions which define not only what is covered, but items that may not be covered or are limited by definition. Understanding what these provisions are and how they work is key to understanding what you are buying.
Like last year, a volcanic eruption in Iceland is causing flight delays and cancellations. The current eruptions began on May 21, 2011. How does travel insurance respond to this situation?
How can you navigate airport security more easily? Know the rules of the road and use some common sense. Remember not only do you go through security, but your checked luggage does, as well.
Prepare before you arrive at the airport so that you move more quickly and efficiently through the security process. Following are some guidelines to help you.
Baggage and Baggage Delay – What happens if your bags are damaged or lost or delayed? The baggage benefit provides coverage on your baggage and personal. If your bags are delayed (generally for 12 hours or more) for a covered reason,…
Medical Expense/Emergency Assistance – This benefit reimburses you for medical treatment during your trip if you become sick or are injured while traveling. Additionally, air transport expenses (such as upgraded air arrangements, air ambulance, including doctor or nurse escort expenses)…
Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation – What if you are unable to take your planned trip? Are some of your payments non-refundable? This benefit covers the non-refundable trip costs when you must cancel your travel plans before departure. Post-Departure Trip Interruption –…
More and more, travelers are realizing that buying travel insurance can be a wise financial decision when planning a trip, especially when traveling internationally. Purchasing travel insurance protects your vacation investment, your belongings and most importantly, you from unforeseen events…
One of the most important factors in choosing a travel insurance provider is its reputation and financial stability. To learn more about a travel insurer: Review your travel insurer’s financial ratings – there are several organizations which rate the financial…
