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Airline passengers update latest security measures
Happy Monday!
News is slow today. I thought it would be nice to post the latest video about airport security. Have any of you experienced the full-body scanners yet?
I have not, but it’s in my very near future.
Associated Press | USA Today Travel
Oversees Company Launch Family Travel Insurance Package
This might be worth checking out if you’re planning to travel abroad with the family in the near future.
Insurance Business Review, TravelSmart is re-underwritten by Lloyds of London
Enaya Insurance has partnered with Kuwait-based Gulf Bank to launch TravelSmart, a new worldwide family travel insurance policy targeting Gulf bank customers – reported AME Info.
Reportedly, annual premium for worldwide family coverage is KD37 and covers the insured, spouse and their dependant children under the age of 21. The policy insures customers of age up to 75 without any additional premium payments.
It has also been reported that the latest TravelSmart comes with a medical emergency limit of KD2.5 million. The Gulf Bank travel insurance policy is valid for one year for its customers traveling abroad. Customers can avail the pre-approved travel insurance certificate at any one of the banks’ branches and get a personalized insurance card within a short span of time. It is accepted at all foreign embassies including the US and Australia, reported the newspaper.
To learn more about the agency, visit www.enayainsurance.com
Business Journal Encourage Travelers to Thoroughly Investigate Travel Insurance
I remember purchasing travel insurance, only once. That was the time my husband and I took our first cruise in 1999. I’m not even sure why I felt compelled to purchase the insurance. I think it had something to do with the agent on the phone offering it to me every other sentence. I finally gave in and said yes, but had no clue what this “all important” insurance actually covered.
Today, things are different. With the Swine Flu, lost luggage and just down right terrible customer service, experts are encouraging family travelers to buy travel insurance and know what it covers.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.com, Gail Liberman & Alan Lavine
Looking to squeeze in a family trip before the end of summer? Seems like there are added risks that you might not have considered several years ago.
Among those: The H1N1 virus, a terrorist attack and natural disasters.
So it might seem as though travel insurance is really worth buying.
But first, examine your coverage with life, credit card, auto or homeowner’s insurance. Also, examine your health insurance policy. Most health insurance policies fail to cover you outside the United States. (READ MORE)
Buying Travel Insurance From the Trip Booking Agency May Prove Costly
It’s officially travel season and I know that many parents are taking advantage of all the great deals out there. A story we found today is warning against insuring your trip through the same company that you purchased the trip from. In today’s economy, it’s proving too risky to “put all of your egss in one basket.” Beware. Keep this story in mind when the agency makes it seem like “not” purchasing the insurance would be the wrong thing to do, especially if you are purchasing a trip for future travel.
Detroit Free Press, Ellen Creager
Never buy travel insurance from the company providing your trip.Even if they twist your arm.
Even if they make it sound like it is the only option (it’s not).
If you are insured by your own tour operator, airline or cruise line — and then it goes under — you’ll have no recourse.
Nobody’s answering the phone. You can’t collect. Money’s gone.
That’s what happened to students across the United States recently when a popular educational tour company went bust and took their payments with it.
Voyageur Educational Tours of Worcester, Mass., declared bankruptcy in May, and students at 42 schools around the country lost trip money. Luckily, another company, the National Educational Travel Council, stepped in to help the students with the land costs of another trip, but they still were out lots of money. Individual travelers also were left in the lurch.
“I gave them $12,000 and they never even booked our flights or hotels. They stole from me,” says Julie Nichols of Commerce Township, who paid for her whole family to go to France. Yes, she had trip insurance — but guess what? It was bought through Voyageur, so it is now worthless.
“I keep going over and over it, thinking, what could I learn from this?’ Nichols says. “It just killed me. I’m still upset.”
If students at the time of booking had bought their own policies from a third party (for example, through a travel agent who offers various companies’ policies or a big insurer such as Travel Guard for about $140 each) their 10-day France trip would have been protected against the financial default of the provider.
So here’s the lesson. Within 7 to 14 days after paying for an upcoming trip, go to a site like http://www.insuremytrip.com/. Compare plans, rates and coverage. It may look confusing, but in general I’ve found that choosing a middle-priced plan — not the cheapest or most expensive — will provide the coverage you need. Make sure financial default is covered on the policy you choose. Make sure your tour provider isn’t excluded by the insurer (most insurance companies post the exclusions on their Web sites).
If it sounds like a big hassle, think about how you would feel if you lost $4,000 on a trip.
