Travel insurance is indispensable to your travel. There are some people who do not think much of travel insurance, and there are others who take low-budget ones that covers the basic things. But hold on; is your life trivial that you’d go without insurance? The right kind of insurance for your travel needs can be the best thing that will bridge the gap of a travel disaster and the emotional-financial loss. You may have coverage for travel in your credit card but that is not of much help because they have limited coverage.
Here are the three general types of travel insurance that you should take:
Travel Health Insurance: It is unarguably, the most important type of travel insurance. To know if you really need one, contact your health insurance provider and find out how much can be covered though health insurance when you are travelling. If you find things that are lacking in your health insurance, you need to take insurance for travel. You will be able to get instant hospitalization in the network of hospitals in the cashless scheme or you will be reimbursed for treatment costs in the destination country, if you take the insurance. Even expenses for medicines and transportation from the airport or hotel to the hospital and back can be covered. However, there are some clauses in which this insurance can become void. So make sure that you study the insurance thoroughly before signing the dotted line.
Luggage insurance: Most people are prone to lose their baggage, luggage and belongings while on travel, especially in flight travel. So, if you take luggage insurance in travel, you will be reimbursed for luggage that gets stolen or damage during the course of your trip. However, you may note that certain expensive products like jewelry, laptop, high resolution digital cameras and obviously cash are not included in it. Even if some of them may be included in the insurance, there may be some conditions that you may have to adhere to.
Travel Insurance for canceled trip: Travel insurance covers the cost of cancellation of trip for certain reasons. Some of the cases include sickness or death of the passenger, death of a family member, sudden job loss etc. However, every policy may have its own customization for this kind of insurance.
It is therefore important to study the travel insurance that you are taking; understand what it covers so that you are not inadequately covered. For instance, if you take budget travel insurance, you may not be covered for damages through natural disasters because they are deemed as ‘acts of nature’ and therefore excluded. So before you buy a travel insurance, make sure you go beyond just the price quotes and understand the insurance and the coverage properly. Find out things that are clear and look for the ones that flock your mind with questions. Highlight them and call up the prospective insurance provider and ask questions. It is the job of the travel insurance agent to help you make the right decisions.
By: Arunraj V.S.
Archive for the ‘Articles’ category
Different Types of Travel Insurance
April 30th, 2010The Pros And Cons Of Travel Insurance
April 30th, 2010
The prospect of travelling abroad on holiday is an exciting one. We all look forward to a trip overseas, to experiencing new cultures, new food, new sights and talking to people loudly but slowly, while gesturing wildly as we try to find our way to the nearest public loo. But its not all fun and games, there are some serious aspects that have to be considered before we leave for that holiday of a lifetime. One of the most important questions is whether or not we should buy travel insurance and the answer to that is a resounding yes. To not buy travel insurance would be like a fire-fighter walking into a burning building without his or her fireproof overall, hat and oxygen, in other words, not well prepared. The question that naturally follows on the first is: what kind of travel insurance should I get? That answer is not as simple as the first and depends on where you’re going, what you will be doing and your general health.
There are some things that your travel insurance will not cover. It is important that you ask a lot of questions of the people from whom you are buying your insurance and that you read the fine print. Remember that you do not have to buy your travel insurance from your travel agent; no matter how much pressure they put on you. You can shop around until you find someone who provides you with a service that meets your needs.
Some of the things that you won’t be covered for include:
1) bad weather, just because your holiday was ruined due to rain or heavy winds or dust storms does not mean that you are entitled to an insurance pay out. Weather constitutes one of the risks that you take when you choose the dates and destination of your holiday.
2) If you change your mind insurance companies don’t reimburse you either. Insurance companies don’t feel that being fickle natured is a sufficient reason for them to make a payment.
3) War, although apparently some policies have an “Acts of Terrorism” clause, which will reimburse you if you miss or are delayed in getting to your origination or destination due to acts of terrorism. Isn’t that comforting, “Sorry you were held up at gunpoint for 5 days and nearly blown up by a nuclear bomb, don’t worry, we’ll fully reimburse you for your late flight.” At least some people still care, right?
4) You won’t be covered for nervous or psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, neurosis, psychosis etc. They never cover the crazy people, if you’re nuts you’re on your own. Except that in the case of travel insurance they also don’t cover
5) Pre-existing medical conditions, unless you have been symptom free for an unspecified period of time. These are known as the cons of travel insurance, they are not good things. The act of terrorism thing pretty much summed it up.
The pros of travel insurance, and there are several of those in case you were starting to get depressed about the whole issue include:
1) being covered for lost or delayed luggage. This means that if they lose your luggage, which is a bummer and sucks because you probably packed all your favourite things and even bought new things for the trip, they will reimburse you and you can go out and buy a lot of new stuff to replace everything that you lost. It’s a brand new wardrobe.
2) You are covered for lost and stolen belongings, although there may be some limits on cash and individual item, this is where it pays to read your fine print.
3) In the case of unforeseen medical emergencies you’ll be covered for hospital and medical treatment, which, when that emergency occurs, will be a huge relief.
4) Holiday cancellation for valid reasons such as you being too sick to travel or a family death. No fickle mind changing. Cover for delays on departure, usually only if they’re more than 12 hours, and usually not for delays en route. Read your fine print.
5) If you have to cut your holiday short due to an unforeseen medical emergency or something similar, some policies may pay out.
6) If you are going to be taking part in dangerous activities like skiing or diving then you should take out specialist coverage in order to be covered and then there should be no problem if you need to be paid out.
7) Most insurance policies have a 24-hour help line that provides legal and medical assistance.
If you’re unsure of which company to go with or which policy to go for, ask yourself the following questions:
1) what’s the level of cover for the different types of claims?
2) What’s the policy excess for different types of claims?
3) What’re the policy exclusions?
4) Are you covered for hazardous pursuits?
5) Are you covered if you cancel your holiday and under what circumstances?
6) Does the medical cover include the costs of transporting you back to your home country?
7) In the US, medical bills are higher, is the level of medical cover sufficient for travelling there?
What’re your personal possessions and cash covered up to? Do you need to cover expensive items like video cameras separately?
9) Do they have a 24-hour help line?
Travel insurance is vital if you’re going to travel anywhere abroad. Anything could happen at any time and it is always better to be prepared for any emergency than to be caught short. Include travel insurance as part of your travel budget and don’t begrudge it. It could just save your life.
By: Sandy Cosser
Business Class Travel Vs First Class Travel
April 30th, 2010
Every day, hundreds of thousands of people board airplanes. In addition, everyday, thousands of these people report displeasure with their flights. There are always a number of concerns. The couple in front of you was gabbing loudly, the man beside you was snoring, the baby behind you cried half of the way over the Atlantic. No matter what the reasons, there are a variety characteristics of flying that make it unpleasant to people. It is no wonder, then, that a variety of people choose to fly either in business class or first class cabins. However, many people often wonder what the differences are between these cabins and which one they should fly.
Price
One thing is for sure; both classes of travel often cost a lot more than coach class. However, there are also price differences between the first and business class tickets. Domestically speaking, first class is usually cheaper and offers a bit less in amenity. Internationally, however, first class is the most expensive and extravagant way to fly. If you are concerned about price, but still wish to fly in a nicer cabin than coach, consider flying first class domestically and business internationally.
Space
One thing that both cabins offer is superior space. However, there is a difference between the space offerings of business and first class. When flying business class, especially domestically, you will find the most space and comfort as oppose to first class which will still be larger than coach but not as large as business. This is not the same for international flights, however, where first class cabins are very large and luxurious. If space is extremely important to you, you may want to consider flying first class internationally and business domestically so that you have the most space.
Service
One thing is for sure when you are dealing with business and first class: the service will be far superior to coach. However, unlike many of the other categories where business trumps first class domestically, you will probably not find much of a difference in service between business and first class. Internationally you will probably find the same thing: the service in both business class and first class will be excellent, but will not vary much.
If you are considering flying soon, you should consider flying first class or business. Domestically speaking, business tends to be more expensive and offer more space, however the service in the two cabins is quite similar. Internationally, the story is different however, where business is typically inferior to first class in terms of space and price. Of course many domestic flights do not offer a choice between first class and business class. Except for on the biggest airplanes, there is usually only a choice between coach and first class, and coach and business. Either way, you know that if you select business or first class, you will be making a choice that will probably give you a more enjoyable experience.
By: Mark Stone
