Financial institutions today offer many extra’s to entice customers to apply for their credit cards and/or charge cards; one of the extras commonly offered is free travel insurance. This extra can lead to confusion for many potential travelers. Although some high end cards such as Platinum and Gold Cards offer reasonable cover many of the standard cards have very restricted insurance and therefore should not replace standard travel insurance.

Listed below are some of the common pitfalls:

– Possible restrictions on medical coverage It is important to check that the medical coverage is adequate for the destination that you are traveling too. For example, it is recommended that travelers have unlimited medical cover for US travel as medical expenses can be massive. – Possible restrictions on coverage E.g Some cards only offer ‘travel inconvenience which occurs in the case of flight delay, missed connections and delayed or lost luggage or for ‘travel accident insurance for example loss of life or limb in an accident during transport such as a flight but not during the trip. – Your travel insurance my be void if you pay for your trip with cash E.g This is very important to check as the Insurance Ombudsman Service in Australia recently saw a claim refused because the consumer paid for the trip deposit in cash and not with their card. – Most policies have an excess that needs to be paid if you make a claim. – No option to pay a slightly higher premium to ‘buy-out’ the excess as with normal travel insurance. – Pre-existing medical conditions are covered only if the customer specifically applies to the insurer and they approve. – Pre-existing medical conditions may only cover the main cardholder and may not be available for your spouse or children.

As shown by these pitfalls not all travel insurance will be adequate for your trip. It is therefore important to understand the conditions and restrictions found in the product disclosure statement before you travel. It is essential for you to check all the small print on your policy before you make a decision. So even though travel insurance may be a ‘free’ extra the consequences of not being properly covered will cost you in the long run.

Australia Travel Insurance wishes you a wonderful and safe journey.

Francis

Whenever you plan to travel abroad, travel insurance, from one of the reputed travel insurance companies, needs to be considered for the trip. Traveling anywhere outside your country of citizenship is not without risks. An easy way to offset some of this risk is through travel insurance.

Travel insurance may include an accidental death and dismemberment policy, a policy for repatriation of the remains, or medical emergency and emergency medical evacuation while you are on a trip outside the United States.

Depending on where you are going for your trip, and why, additional coverage like foreign commercial liability, foreign automobile liability or foreign workers compensation and sickness policies might become necessary.

Make sure that you check with your doctor or contact your insurance professional in order to discuss the details of your trip, and figure out your insurance needs.

Travel insurance from most travel insurance companies can be arranged a long time, even months, before the actual trip, and consists of a range of insurance coverage services safeguarding you throughout your trip, before, during, and after. In truth, accidents, emergencies, and unforeseen events can happen anywhere, and to anyone. Travel insurance companies, and their policies give you the peace of mind of having protected your investment and your health, as well as your belongings. It

> Protects your investment if you have to cancel

> Provides emergency medical referral and assistance

> Reimburses unexpected expenses due to emergencies

> Protects you during the medical emergency

> Provides medical assistance abroad

> Provides emergency evacuation if necessary

The AAA Insurance Company, for example, provides insurance for the basic travel needs, along with many other services. While many other companies like Travel Guard, have plans that provide Primary Emergency Medical coverage, and Trip Interruption plans that refund the a large part of the cost of a one-way ticket or the non-refundable trip cost.

Travel Guard guarantees payment to the relevant medical facility and makes your admission easy, and also continues to cover your medical expenses for as long as one year after you return home.

If you have to seek medical treatment while you are on your trip, companies like Travelex will cover Emergency Medical & Emergency Medical Evacuation / Repatriation. Advance payment is generally made to the Hospital if it is needed to secure admission.

In addition, some policies may cover the cost of delayed flights and lost luggage, and evacuating the person to the nearest adequate medical facility, or a hospital of choice, if necessary.

The Emergency Medical coverage usually ends, however, as soon as you reach your home, especially if you have been returned under the Emergency Medical Transportation/Evacuation coverage

The plans from travel insurance companies like Travel Safe cover the losses incurred due to family members not scheduled to travel with you, up to a maximum of six people per cancellation / interruption claim due to an accident or sickness of just one person in the party.

Several insurance companies offer stand-alone medical evacuation insurance. The costs range from $69 to $109 a trip at Travel Guard to Access America’s annual policies beginning at $190 per person.

Travel insurance companies like Medjet Assist specialize in medical evacuations and offer a range of membership options. These may vary from seven-day coverage, at $85 a person, to a year’s coverage at $225 a person. Most also have slightly cheaper package options for families.

Travel insurance companies, like Travel Guard, may also cover some pre-existing conditions as long as the policy is bought within 15 days of the trip booking.

Christopher

Many families go on vacation together each year. This is actually one of the best things a family can do together. Going on a family vacation means that you can see the world, visit exciting attractions, relax on the beach, and spend quality time together. That is what wonderful family memories are made of, and as airfares fall in price each year, it is becoming much more affordable for families to travel together and enjoy unforgettable family vacations.

There is no shortage of family vacation deals. Just visit a few travel websites or a few travel agencies and you will discover that there are deals all over the place when it comes to family vacations. Also, there are so many interesting and educational places that you can take your family, and there are many options for paying for it all as well. Fact is, no matter how great family vacations get, the reality is that they can get expensive.

Once you have added up the costs of transport, accommodation, and admission fees, you can end up with a pretty big number. With so many important things to budget for during your vacation, you may be tempted to skimp on travel insurance to save a little money which you can use for “more important” things. After all, it is not something that you ever plan on using.

Just Because You Don’t Plan on Needing It

You may not plan on needing travel insurance, but that does not mean that you can forget about it. Travel insurance is something that is very important

Joel

Copyright (c) 2008 Terry Hely

The need for travel insurance when traveling from Australia involves a couple of considerations that are unique. While much of the world can travel between international destinations with one direct flight, travel from Australia to the rest of the world might involve as many as 4 separate flights in each direction.

For example, fly to Sydney to connect with your carrier airline, Sydney to the airline hub city, from hub city to major European city and then on to your final destination.

That’s eight opportunities for your luggage to suffer damage or go astray. If just one of those flights is delayed (and it’s not the airlines fault) and you miss the next connection you are faced with some serious costs. While those are obviously worst case scenarios and seldom happen, their significance should not be lightly dismissed when assessing your need for Australian travel insurance.

Any experienced traveler will tell you that travel insurance is the one thing you should never leave home without. Sure its tempting to save costs by not taking insurance but when something unfortunate happens and you don’t have any cover, you realize just how cheap the insurance actually was.

The first step in deciding what level of insurance cover is appropriate is to assess the likelihood of risk, be it physical, financial or both, that will apply to the type of travel you are undertaking and the places you are visiting.

So when deciding on a sensible level of cover, what are some of the things to consider?

** Hospitals & Medical Expense

If there is one reason to buy travel insurance, this is the one. It makes a lot of sense to protect against hospital or medical bills incurred while traveling outside of Australia. Costs in private hospitals in most overseas countries are horrific. In a worst case scenario, a medical evacuation back to Australia can easily exceed $150,000.

In the case of serious injury you’ll want the insurance to cover the cost of your return home using commercial airlines or a network of private medical evacuation aircraft. The cost of a travel insurance policy is insignificant when compared to spending all of the family finances to bring home a loved one.

Things to look for in a this part of a travel insurance policy:

- Unlimited hospital and medical cover when travelling to the US, Canada or Japan.

- Cover for an emergency evacuation.

- Provision for a relative to accompany you if you’re ill or injured and travelling alone.

- Cover for emergency dental work.

- Cover for pre-existing medical conditions or pregnancy.

Take the time to read the policy exclusions. The hospital and medical cover of a policy will stop when you return home.

** Your Luggage

The most common reason for travel insurance claims is the loss of, or damage to, luggage and personal effects. The next time you are in the baggage claim area, look over to the customer support desk where those with lost luggage are waiting to lodge their details. The loss of luggage can result in a significant outlay to replace the lost items.

With suitable travel insurance cover, you can start replacing the lost items almost immediately while still traveling.

Always read the policy wording carefully to see what is covered. Expensive items such as laptop computers and cameras may have a limit on the amount that can be claimed.

Things to look for in this part of a policy:

- Are there individual item limits?

- Are you covered if your luggage is stolen from your hotel room?

- Are you covered if your luggage is stolen from the boot of a locked car?

- Does the policy cover loss of cash?

** Cancellations & Curtailment

Will your policy need to cover financial loss if you have to cancel or cut short the trip under certain circumstances. If you break your leg a week before your trip, or need to return home mid way through a trip to attend to a sick relative, how much will you be out of pocket? What do you stand to lose if the trip is all paid for but suddenly you can’t go due to a serious illness/accident involving a close relative?

Things to look for in this part of the policy:

- Protection against loss of non-refundable deposits and any costs paid in advance if you cancel before departure due to illness or injury, compulsory jury duty, unforeseen retrenchment and natural disaster.

** Personal Liability

Tourists can and do make mistakes and sometimes face litigation in a foreign country. If your actions when abroad cause an accident and injure someone, a good policy can cover your liability and legal expenses. Most policies will not pay legal expenses if you have a car accident.

** Rental Cars

If you are involved in an accident overseas in a hire car, there is usually a policy excess (aka deductible) that you have to pay to the rental car company. Travel insurance can cover the costs of the excess amount.

** Delays

Flight delays happen, it’s a fact of life. If you have only limited time between connecting flights, it’s makes a lot of sense to protect yourself against the unexpected costs that can arise from missed connections. Delays can involve hotel costs, transfer and shuttle fares, extra meals and can quickly become very expensive.

Airlines will usually only compensate their passengers for delays when the airline is obviously at fault. There are many factors that can cause delays where the airlines are not at fault and in these cases, the customer is liable for their own costs. Conditions and benefits vary considerably between policies so always read the policy wording carefully if you need this cover.

** Resumption Of Journey

Travel cover ends the moment you arrive home. Some policies allow for special circumstances where you were required to return home because of a sick relative or a death in the family. Not only will you be able to claim for some of these costs, but you can also resume your journey.

The conditions and benefits vary considerably between policies so always read the policy details carefully.

This article would be incomplete if it failed to touch on one last, important aspect of travel insurance…. the COST! Insurance bought via your travel agent will usually include a 40%-50% commission to the agent. It is nearly always far cheaper to buy your insurance online and save yourself those huge commissions which can run into hundreds of dollars for a family group.

So….. the question is not really do you need travel insurance, but what level of cover do you need?

Bessie

Although insurance has been in existence, in one form or another, for the past two - three millennia, starting with the Babylonians in circa 1750 BC, Travel Insurance is a relatively new insurance, with respect to other insurances like Life Insurance, Property Insurance, Car Insurance, etc. In the past two centuries, travelling for business and leisure has been growing exponentially and providing a multitude of services for travellers has become a huge business. Due to the ever increasing number of travellers and the many problems encountered by travellers within their own country and abroad, insurance companies came out with comprehensive Travel Insurance Packages for intrepid travellers, businessmen who travel regularly, and for families and groups. Besides these comprehensive Travel Insurance Packages, insurance companies also came out with Cheap Travel Insurance Packages for budget travellers, backpackers, and those travelling alone or in a group, but on a shoe-string budget.

A comprehensive Travel Insurance Package covers almost all risks and includes all facilities and many services and assistance like medical assistance in case of accidents and injury, including air lifting to hospitals if required through an Air Ambulance, hospital expenses, compensation and assistance for lost or stolen baggage, lost documents, booking cancellations, etc. All these services and assistance come at a cost, which is the premium charged for the insurance package. But this does not mean that the Cheap Travel Insurance Packages are useless or should not even be considered. Cheap Travel Insurance means that the package covers the essential and most common risks like medical assistance required, accidents, etc, but some cheap packages may not include some risks covered in the comprehensive packages, and which may not be required or essential for the policy purchaser.

Many insurance companies may also charge a lower premium for comprehensive Travel Insurance packages, based on their assessment of the risks and calculations. This does not mean that these Cheap Travel Insurance packages are not as good as the ones that charge a higher premium for the same package. Offering cheaper travel insurance by an insurance company may be due to its own internal assessment of travel trends, risk factors, calculations, and experiences with previous policyholders and policies issued. Offering of Cheap Travel Insurance and charging a lower premium may also be due to the competition in the insurance industry to entice customers to purchase their Travel Insurance packages.

Whether you opt for comprehensive Travel Insurance or Cheap Travel Insurance, one should always enquire about the risks covered, services provided like online help and call facilities, and assistance provided in case of emergencies and problems. If you are travelling overseas to another country, you should also inquire about the assistance that is provided overseas in case of medical emergencies, cancelled flight and hotel bookings, etc.

Resource Box

For more information on Travel Insurance or Cheap Travel Insurance Packages, please do visit our site or write to us.

Jonathan

If you have special needs you must ensure that your special circumstances are covered by the policy you choose.

Pre-existing medical conditions

Most insurers do not automatically cover pre-existing medical illnesses or medical conditions. However traveler’s can apply for coverage for their pre-existing illness via an application, which is, then subject to approval and possible payment of a premium. Keep in mind there are illnesses and conditions that will not be covered under any circumstances. Some insurers offer automatic coverage for common illnesses/conditions such as tinnitus, asthma or stable high blood pressure but the onus is on the traveler to check because conditions can apply. For example if you are on a hospital waiting list for treatment for your illness or condition you may not be covered. Sometimes insurers will offer you a policy that excludes claims caused by your condition or they may not offer a policy because of the destination of your travels.

What is a pre-existing medical condition?

In general they are usually defined as any chronic or ongoing medical or dental condition for which you have received treatment or advice within a specified time prior to the policy being issued or any chronic or ongoing medical condition, illness or disease that’s been medically documented prior to departure.

If the insurer does agree to cover you it is recommended you get it in writing. There may be an additional premium. Also check the excess in relation to a claim relating to the pre-existing condition. If you cannot get travel insurance for your condition it is still important to get travel insurance for other claims.

Pregnant Women

Most policies will cover pregnant women on application but you might be charged an additional premium for prior complications.

The cut-off point for coverage during pregnancy varies from 26 weeks to ‘no time limit’, with 26 weeks being the norm. Many policies cover unforeseen complications of the pregnancy during that time period, but they don’t all cover the medical costs of a premature baby.

Some charge an additional premium. Policies do not cover full-term birth. A few policies don’t cover you if you buy a policy and depart on your journey without knowing you are pregnant.

Older Travelers

Most of the policies offered have special conditions for older travelers. Some will require the payment of an extra premium while others will not offer cover after a specific age such as 75.

Most will require a medical assessment; some will charge a higher premium or extra fee. Others have no fee but have an extra excess for medical claims.

Adrenalin Seekers & Adventure Travelers

It is very important to check what activities you are covered for and more importantly what activities you are not covered for. Most amateur sports are covered however there are many exclusions. Exclusions can include mountaineering using ropes, base jumping, running with the bulls, snowboarding and professional sports. All product disclosure statements will outline the specific ‘adventures’ which are covered. Be aware that an extra premium may apply and read the conditions.

Single Parents traveling with children

If you are a single parent or adult traveling alone with several children most policies will cover the children for the single premium. However, some only allow cover for two dependent children travelling with one parent. It is important to check the age limits for children traveling with one parent.

Duo policies

These are policies that enable two people to travel together under the same policy. Make sure you check the restrictions because some may only allow you to travel with a spouse or family member others may require you to have the exact itinerary whereas others may allow you to spend 50% of time together.

Working while overseas

Working and traveling is a cost effective way of financing your trip. However some policies don’t cover you for manual labor or an accident that has happened while working. Policies that do provide cover usually don’t charge an additional premium but a few do.

As always make sure you check and double-check what you are buying. It is very important to understand the conditions and restrictions found in the product disclosure statement before you travel. It is essential for you to check all the small print on your policy before you make a decision. Read many policies carefully before making a decision and make sure you understand exactly what you are covered for and more importantly what you are not covered for.

Australia Travel Insurance wishes you a wonderful and safe journey.

Ella

There are many reasons you could be taking a trip - perhaps for work, perhaps just a holiday to recharge your batteries and re-focus. There are lots of great places to see in the world, and so many things you can do on holiday, but remember to spend a while thinking about the practical things before you go. Boots travel insurance, for example, is worth considering to make sure that should things go wrong, you have something to fall back on.

The Costs Of Traveling

Taking a trip can be expensive - there are lots of things to spend money on, from hotels, to train fares and flights - and then you need spending money while you are away. These expenses quickly mount up and your holiday budget can be gone before you know it.

Since you are going to be spending so much money on traveling already, having Boots travel insurance is a great idea. No matter how much you are spending on your trip, and no matter how much your trip costs, once you spend money on something like a vacation, you don’t want to lose that money in any way. There are many ways that money you have already spent can be lost when you travel.

As an example - the hotel could be overbooked, or your flights could be canceled due to bad weather. In cases like those, if you do not have travel insurance, you could find yourself in serious trouble - just imagine having to pay walk-up fares for a hotel while you wait for the airline to sort out a new flight.

Many places have fees that you are going to have to pay if your trip is canceled and it is not your fault. If your airline ticket is bumped, or if you aren’t able to get into your hotel room for any reason, having Boots travel insurance could be the thing that saves your money.

What Does It Offer?

Boots travel insurance can be beneficial in a lot of ways. You can buy it just like most other policies - either in the store, or online, and then it will cover you should anything unfortunate occur while you are away.

If you have to pay for something unexpected - such as new reservations or a different hotel room, then the travel insurance will cover you. Should your baggage go missing, or you be robbed while you are on holiday, then Boots travel insurance will help you replace what you have lost, and get you your money back. You can count on Boots travel insurance to look after you while you are away.

Bill

Vacations are for fun, it means leaving behind your job and responsibilities for a while. Having holiday travel insurance is one way of putting your mind at complete rest. It’s a lot easier to enjoy your trip if you know that you are covered from luggage lost to sickness.

The further your trip will be, the more you will need holiday travel insurance. This is common sense, as international trips are costly, so there’s a need to protect your hard earned travel money. So wherever you go, whether it’s to a local or international destination, it’s very important that you have the necessary insurance coverage.

Cheap annual travel insurance is an alternative choice for those budget- conscious travelers who are making more than one trip a year. The main feature of the annual travel insurance against regular travel insurance is that it saves you money. For a once annual payment, you become covered whenever you travel during the year. The terms and conditions vary between companies, but annual world wide travel insurance for unlimited travel is also available. Cheap annual travel insurance provides substantial cost savings than any regular type of holiday travel insurance.

Here are some tips for choosing your best cheap annual travel insurance:

Sign up with a reputable travel insurance agency that has worldwide offices which can easily be contacted during emergency needs.

The travel insurance agency should have 24/7 customer assistance which is essential for international travelers.

Always make your office’s 1-800 numbers available to you when you are abroad.

The cost of the insurance should not be more than 10% of your investment.

Read the terms and conditions of the policy to make sure you aren’t buying unnecessary or inadequate coverage.

Look for a refundable policy, especially if you have the history of changing your mind too often.

Good value travel insurance should cover at least the following:

a. Flight cancellation insurance or delay

b. Luggage loss and travel delay protection

c. Sickness and accident during the trip.

d. Evacuation support during an emergency situation such as natural calamities

Cheap annual travel insurance is good for you if you take vacations more than once a year. Instead of taking several insurance policies each time you travel, you can make use of a single travel insurance that could save you a lot of money and time. On the other hand, if you travel less often, an annual insurance policy is not for you since you will not be able to recover the cost.

Melanie

vel insurance need to know

In general terms, travel insurance protects all holiday costs against adverse events such as cancellation and interruption and also reimburses medical expenses, the loss or damage of property and transit delays. Travellers are compensated if they have to cancel or interrupt their travel, they will also be covered should they need emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation and other situations.

Many millions of travellers and holiday makers every year purchase some form of travel insurance, but few people know really what it is and how it can be defined. If you know what is included, and what is not you will be able to make the most of your protection.

There are four main categories of travel insurance:

1.         Delays and cancellation - including curtailment

Delay: This reimburses travellers for hotel, food or clothing expenses in the event of a flight delay. Some plans also cover costs associated with catching up with a cruise should another delay cause the traveller to miss embarkation.

Cancellation: Reimbursement comes into effect if travellers have booked and paid for a holiday, but are unable to embark because of personal illness or injury, death (of the individual or of a family member), adverse weather conditions, airline strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, jury duty or by sustaining serious damage to their home causing it to be uninhabitable due to fire or flooding.

Interruption: Insurance companies pay money to policy holders abroad if they have to cut short their trip due to illness, death (of the traveller or a family member), terrorism, weather, airline strikes, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, and other adverse conditions which mean that, due to events outside the control of the holiday-maker, a trip has to be curtailed.

2.                  Health and Medical reasons

Medical evacuation: This provides emergency transportation to either a local hospital in the event that the traveller is unable to get there by themselves or back to a hospital near the traveller’s home town. If family members are covered on the same policy they can travel back home also.

Medical and health reasons: This reimburses medical and emergency dental costs. Almost all travel insurance plans work by reimbursing the traveller after they have paid locally for treatment. Claims are usually paid within 7 - 10 days. Pre-existing conditions are covered by most policies if the policy is purchased within (at the most) 21 days from the date the traveller made the first payment or deposit.

3.         Death of travellers:

Accidental death - covers death or dismemberment at any time of your trip. Usually provides the lowest amount of coverage due to a higher risk

Air Flight accident - this covers death or dismemberment during an air flight only. Usually provides the highest amount of coverage due to fairly low likelihood of this occurring.

Common carrier - Covers death or dismemberment while travelling on public transport such as a plane, ferry, train bus or taxi.

4.         Personal effects: Loss or damage

Baggage loss - reimburses travellers for lost, stolen or damaged personal items. This coverage is usually restricted to the duration of the trip and not confined to baggage damaged or lost by the airline. There are two policy limits, total claim and per item maximum. Some policies also place limits on the type of items that can be claimed for - such as precious jewellery, laptops and sporting goods

Rental Car damage - Reimburses travellers for damage or loss to a rental vehicle. It is designed to allow the traveller to decline collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage offered by the car rental companies. Liability coverage should still be purchased through the car rental company. Rental Car Damage coverage is also often included with the credit card used to pay for the car rental which is often matches the coverage provided in the policy.

Assistance services - provides a 24-hour collect telephonel advice and assistance service to travellers. This service can be used anytime a traveller needs advice. Make sure you don’t leave home without it.

Samantha

Are you leaving the country for a vacation or holiday? Do you travel once a year and want to make sure you have insurance to cover anything that can go wrong. Some travelers will tell you to avoid travel insurance if you have enough money to cover your trip, but in reality something always goes wrong and having travel insurance can be a great help. If your vacation is less than 120 days and you only travel once a year consider purchasing single trip travel insurance and you will be ready in case of that emergency.

Many different travel insurance companies specifically carry single trip travel insurance. Single trip travel insurance will provide compensation if your need emergency medical service or your trip is canceled. Travel insurance usually carries additional benefits such as compensation if your luggage is lost or damaged or legal assistance if needed. The benefits available with your travel insurance will vary from one company to another make sure you read your insurance agreement before leaving on vacation to know exactly what issues are covered. With single trip travel insurance you can rest assured that someone will be able to assist you in the event of an emergency during your vacation.

Before you purchase single trip travel insurance it is important to do your homework. The cost for single trip travel insurance will vary among companies you want. In order to find the best deal in single trip travel insurance it is recommended you research at least three different companies and compare their insurance benefits. Most companies will provide you an instant quote and benefit statement online, all you need to do is provide your travel dates and destinations. Some companies even provide a travel insurance benefit for children free as long as there is one paying adult over the age of 18.

Each insurance company’s plans will vary slightly but generally you should get at least $10,000 in emergency medical insurance and $3,000 for trip cancellations. Make sure that the amount of trip cancellation insurance you purchase will cover all your expenses in the event you need to cancel your vacation. The insurance company should also provide you with a period where you can cancel the insurance for a full refund, this is usually 15 days after you purchase the insurance. Generally you should purchase single trip travel insurance at the same time you book and pay for your trip but be cautious on expending the money right if you expect your travel plans to change.

Even for the most seasoned traveler things will go wrong. It may be a plane that can not take off due to an emergency, a lost suitcase, or a medical issue while visiting the outer regions of a remote island. Do not take the chance that you will be stranded without any assistance or money to take care of your medical issues. Single trip travel insurance is your best travel companion and with a little research very reasonably priced.

Alan