Commuters from the Bath and Bristol areas were in a bad moo’d recently - udderly fed up with being forced to ride cattle class. Hundreds of them staged a protest by wearing cow masks as they rode the overcrowded trains provided by First Great Western. Their main gripe was being forced to stand on long journeys because insufficient seating was provided for the demand. The service was also said to be unreliable - with frequent delays. On top of all that, First Great Western fares are believed to be Europe’s most expensive!

Good for them, I say! We Brits are far too polite for our own good and don’t complain enough when we’re being milked. We pay more of our hard-earned moo-la for everything, yet are expected to put up with inferior service dished out in the pursuit of corner cutting to increase profits. Such greed is hard to stomach - even with two stomachs. Whatever happened to common decency?

The protesters have called for a freeze on any more fare hikes until First Great Western improves its train service and they are no longer treated like cattle. In fact, it would probably be illegal to treat cattle that way - the perpetrators would have the animal rights people all over them like flies on a cow pat. Unfortunately, the company knows that the commuters are at their mercy and have no choice but to use their trains. They’ve continued to make hay while the sun shines - and even when it mostly doesn’t. They’ve continued to cash in on the discomfort of their passengers until they reached the end of their tethers and won’t stand for it any more!

We’ve all had that familiar childhood ‘are we there yet’ feeling as we sit grimacing in our budget airline seats. We keep a stiff upper lip and don’t complain because… Well…At least we have a seat to strap into, and we know that without a cattle-class airfare we wouldn’t be going anywhere at all. We’re led by the nose - like cows to the slaughter - and we can’t bring ourselves to say no to those tempting budget flights and holidays.

Despite all the talk about global warming and carbon hoof prints we still flock to the airports for our cheap flights, getting fleeced at the airport shops and restaurants along the way. It’s easier to blame the cows for global warming, what with producing all that methane gas…

Travel has become more affordable and available to the masses, but does it really have to be less comfortable? We save time by eating lunch on the hoof. We save money by flying with no frills. We endure the crowded departure lounges and sit on the floor. We brace ourselves against the panicked stampede created by the lack of seat assignment. We’ve got used to being prodded and herded onto planes - but we don’t like it. We complain about the high taxes on everything. We chew it all over and swallow it anyway - but it’s hard to digest.

Fortunately, there’s one field where you can still get value for money - and that’s with your travel insurance - if you choose wisely! Get a quote from an established travel insurance company where you’ll find affordable prices with no cuts to either customer-service or products - and you’ll never be treated like cattle. Getting to your destination in cramped conditions is one thing, but if your luggage goes missing or anything else goes haywire during your trip it could be the last straw!

April

Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover financial, medical expenses and other losses incurred while traveling, either within one’s own country, or internationally.

Travel insurance can usually be arranged at the time of booking of a trip to cover exactly the duration of that trip or a more extensive, continuous insurance can be purchased from (most often) travel agents, travel insurance companies or directly from travel suppliers such as cruiselines or tour operators.

Travel insurance often offers coverage for a variety of travelers. Student travel, business travel, leisure travel, adventure travel, cruise travel, and international travel are all various options that can be insured.

The most common risks that are covered by travel insurance are:

• Cancellation

• Curtailment

• Delayed departure

• Loss, theft or damage to personal possessions and money (including travel documents)

• Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)

• Medical expenses

• Emergency evacuation/repatriation

• Overseas funeral expenses

• Accidental death, injury or disablement benefit

• Legal assistance

• Personal liability and rental car damage excess

Some travel policies will also provide cover for additional costs, although these vary widely between providers.

And in addition, often separate insurance can be purchased for specific costs such as:

• high risk sports

• travel to high risk countries

• pre-existing medical conditions

Travel insurance can also provide helpful services, often 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that can include concierge services and emergency travel assistance.

www.travelinsuregenie.com

Emma

According to the latest report by the UK travel analysts, “In the past three four years people in UK have taken travelling as the basic requirement for them round the year. Earlier it was only once a year when people step out to have the holiday bash. Due to the sudden drop in air-fares and the mounting work pressure, people now await more eagerly for the outings.

Huge Mark, a Sales executive comments on the same, “I usually take on a holiday trip several times in a year in order to make an escape from the hefty work schedule”. With the fast growing travelling needs among the people, the concept of travel insurance policy has also made its foray hugely into the market. People now are not willing to take risks with their holiday plans as it is the only time during the year when one can relax without any impediments on the way. It has also been revealed that nearly 60% people in UK opt for travel insurance.

But taking a travel insurance policy is not enough; one must make a thorough study of all the policies available in the market to get the appropriate choice. It takes only few minutes to make a comparative study between the various offers available in the market. Inapt travel insurance cover may increase the problem instead of providing help whilst the trip. Cheap travel insurance cover is not that tough to find as people assume about it. Through a proper navigation online one can also get to know about the new policies and about their exact requirements.

Commenting on the same Rudy Jennson, a regular traveller added, “Initially I used to get cover on each of my single trips through out the year. Actually I wasn’t aware the provision of multi-trip policies which not only saves the money but also offers an apposite coverage for the regular travellers.

Sometimes the travel agents in the market also mislead the customers, as they earn more commission by selling in various individual policies. Naturally a travel will look for his/her benefit instead of taking care of your specific requirements. Usually, buying a policy costs to a person much more than the actual rates in most of the cases.

Following are the few noteworthy points which must be considered while taking any policy:-

1) You must be fully aware about the kinds of coverage offered within your travel insurance policy. Usually most of the travel insurance policies cover the change and cancellation of trips, emergency medical assistance, etc. But there are various situations when you require more than it, like coverage for loss, damage of important belongings, flight delays and others. So it is very important to get to know about all kinds of coverage and for that you also must specify all your exact requirements to the travel insurer.

2) Compare the shop for the best insurance cover. The best way to compare the policies in on internet.

3) Read the small prints properly.

4) Check out for the cover confines and also for any prohibition if there are any.

Check out for the websites like insurancebookers.co.uk, saga, insure and go and thus compare their vibrant policies.

Gail

Anyone planning a vacation will likely experience that almost-inevitable excitement in anticipation of a great time, but there also may be nervousness and some anxiety over events that can possibly go wrong. Though there may be a sense of exhilaration and huge relief to be taking a break away from work (and life in general), there are still a lot of mishaps that can take place prior to or during a vacation to sour those feelings very quickly. That is why you may wish to consider purchasing travel insurance, so your mind can be at ease when you do depart for the vacation of your dreams.

Travel insurance is available to cover certain occurrences that may happen during your trip such as lost luggage, sickness, and even cancellation. The further away from home you travel, the more likely you will need travel insurance. For example, there is little more frustrating with planning your ideal vacation to Paris only to arrive and learn that all your luggage was delivered in Sweden. International trips can be very expensive, so you need to protect your investment.

Travel insurance doesn’t need to be very costly if you are budget conscious. However, if you travel more than once a year, it is imperative you make the plunge and buy it. Like other insurance, you can purchase travel insurance annually so you only make one payment. Then no matter where or when you travel, you will be covered. It is a more cost effective way to travel whenever you wish without the concern of getting insurance for each individual trip. Prices vary depending on the company, but it is an expense that won’t break the bank.

Make sure you hook up with an insurance company that has worldwide locations so that if you do run into an emergency in a foreign nation you can get in touch with them quickly. Even if they are only located in the area in which you live, the company should at a minimum have a 24 hour-a-day toll free hotline for you to reach customer assistance to handle your needs. If not, avoid them.

When you do find a company you have confidence will come through, take a look at their prices and the coverage they offer. Your insurance coverage should never extend beyond your financial investment in the vacation. It is important that you are fully covered, though, so take the time to look through the terms and conditions to ensure the limits are acceptable to your vacation need. At the very least your policy should cover flight cancellation or delay, lost luggage or delay, accidents or sickness during the vacation, and finally, evacuation support due to natural disasters.

Also, consider purchasing a refundable policy just in case your plans change and the vacation is put on hold for a while. Depending on timing, deferring a trip when reservations have already been made can be very expensive.

If you take vacations several times a year, an annual insurance policy can help put your mind at rest concerning most potential mishaps during a typical trip.

Alma

You had planned your perfect vacation and taken care of every detail. Now nothing could go wrong. But you somehow managed to loose your luggage at the airport. Now what!! Panic time. You lodge a complain with the concerned authorities and the first question the ask you is the name of your insurance company. That’s when you tell yourself, “God, I wish I had got my trip insured.” Don’t put yourself in situations which can very much be avoided or taken care of.

Murphy’s Law states ‘things will go wrong in any given situation, if you give them a chance.’ So why leave loopholes, why not take care of things beforehand. The right suggestion is to buy travel insurance.

No doubt, you need to plan a lot of things before you leave for your vacation like where to go, where to stay, things to pack. But regardless of all the planning there are things that are absolutely out of your command and control. This is where travel insurance fits in and it can take care of unexpected out of the blue situations.

But what exactly is travel insurance? It is a security or guarantee that intends to cover financial and other kind of losses that can happen anywhere either in your own country or abroad. In simpler words, travel insurance takes care of you where you anywhere in the world, in any kind of crisis.

Loosing your baggage is not the only problem that can incur when traveling. There are other

emergencies too that can pop up. To tackle different situations there are different types of insurances. You can choose the insurance you need depending on the kind of trip and the duration of your stay. Bad weather, sudden illness or death or bankruptcy of airline or cruiser before departure is covered by most of the travel insurance policies. There are also travel health policies that cover medical emergencies. It is advantageous to individuals who suffer from chronic illness and would need medical attention at any point during the trip. This policy takes care of doctor visits, evacuation out of the country and medication.

Imagine being in a foreign land stuck in a crisis and language is a barrier and you are not able to locate the nearest emergency facility. When help does come the medication bills, evacuation bills are so high that instead of the trip being the budget-fit kinds completely crosses the budget graph. The cost of the ‘help’ turns out to be much more than the trip. With no international health insurance you will end up paying an obscene amount for any medical treatment or doctor visits. It turns out to be very expensive and taxing. This is where International Health Insurance steps in. It works as your safety net.

There are also travel insurances for people who are frequent fliers. It is kind of difficult to predict the nature of the problem that might pop up on a trip, so for such trips these policies take care of any loss regarding money or any other kind of emergency. Travel insurances take care of you from the moment you leave home to the time you come back.

Another important thing to bear in mind is to choose the right kind of insurance policy. Don’t go in for cheap travel insurance as they may cover less and you may end up paying more later. At the same time don’t end up buying a policy that is very expensive just because it says a lot. Take a policy that fits in your budget and takes care of all essential requirements.

Remember that vacations are about relaxing, having fun, leaving all tensions behind. To fulfill these requirements travel insurance is a must. After all emergencies come unannounced and your schedule not only goes haywire but so does your budget.

Bertha