• Travel Insurance Blog

  • Friday, February 03, 2012

It seems like airline travel is becoming an increasingly unpredictable proposition. Beyond personal and professional issues which might pop up to prevent or delay travel plans that you have already scheduled, you also need to worry about mechanical issues, weather delays, and safety issues like the one which caused a delay last week. With these factors always looming in the background, it is important to always protect your flight plans with trip cancellation insurance.

In the incident in question, a Hawaiian Airlines flight scheduled to head from Los Angeles to Honolulu was delayed due to a threat issued in a phone call. For many of the 225 people on the flight, Honolulu was likely their end destination, so the delay was more of an inconvenience than anything. But some travelers may have been connecting in Honolulu on their way to Japan or a similar international destination.

This delay could have caused them to miss their connecting flight. And that could be extremely costly if they have to purchase new tickets, if they miss out on a night in a hotel they have already booked, or if they have purchased event tickets that they will no longer be able to use. Thankfully, trip cancellation insurance can protect those significant investments.

This type of insurance will allow you to recoup any lost expenses on flights and subsequent travel plans that are delayed or cancelled. This includes cancellations that you make voluntarily or from situations beyond your control. And you can make the cancellation in some instances with as little as 48 hours notice - even on refundable flights.Think of how much you are spending on travel plans; can you afford to lose that because of a delay?
Anyone paying attention to the news over the past few weeks has likely heard of the controversial plan of a Florida-area pastor who plans to hold a Qu'ran-burning event. While leaders throughout the world have denounced this idea, and the pastor seems to have backed off of his plans, the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for U.S. citizens. When unexpected events like this arise, you will feel more secure if you have purchased trip cancellation insurance.

The department's rationale for issuing the advisory is that they anticipate anti-U.S. demonstrations in countries throughout the world due to this event. These demonstrations could potentially make it difficult and dangerous for Americans to travel to other countries.

With this warning being issued, you may no longer feel safe visiting another country for a few weeks. But if you have bought airline tickets and hotel accommodations already, what are you to do? After all, those are not cheap, and airlines and hotels are typically not willing to offer refunds or re-bookings.

With trip cancellation insurance, you can cancel or re-schedule flights, hotels, and events with as little as a few days notice and not lose your investment. This even applies to many flights which are advertised as nonrefundable. Therefore, when potentially dangerous situations like this arise, or even when your personal or professional schedule gets in the way of previously-arranged travel, you know that you won't be taking a big financial hit.

On September 1, a typhoon struck South Korea, causing damage not only to the area but also to travel plans in and around the country. When these disasters occur, your best option is to be prepared with international travel insurance.

The typhoon killed five people, and was being followed by another tropical storm (Tropical Storm Malou). International and domestic flights were diverted or canceled, leaving travelers in a difficult situation. International travel insurance can help in these types of situations in multiple ways.

First, if you become injured during a natural disaster, your insurance plan will help you get the quality medical care you need at an affordable rate. Your normal health insurance policy may not cover events occurring in other countries, so it is always a good idea when traveling abroad to be prepared with an international policy.

Second, the plans can help with travel. They may contain evacuation coverage which can assist you in exiting an affected area. And they can often include trip cancellation coverage which will protect your investment when you must cancel travel plans on short notice. This will save on your original purchase of the ticket as well as any re-booking fees.

Have you ever considered purchasing flight insurance, but dismissed it because you did not think you would be likely to ever be in a flight accident? Passengers of a recent flight may have never thought they would be in an accident either, but what they now realize is that A. it is more likely to occur than you may think and B. a flight accident does not necessarily have to mean a plane crash. With this in mind, it makes sense to prepare for any flight with flight insurance.

On the flight in question, passengers were injured during a landing. That is right, one of the most basic events that occurs while on an airplane resulted in injuries for passengers. This shows us there are many more types of flight accidents beyond an actual plane crash.

The flight was run by JetBlue, and it experienced a blown tire during landing in Sacramento, CA. Of the 86 passengers being carried, only 4 were injured, however those four did visit the hospital. Without the appropriate medical coverage, such a visit could cost you anywhere from hundreds of dollars to several thousand dollars.

Airline flight insurance will help minimize those costs by absorbing the bulk of them on your behalf. Even in relatively minor events like this one, it pays to have the protection of a reliable insurance policy. Because even though a flight may seem routine, the unexpected can arise at any time.
Trip Cancellation Insurance
International Medical Insurance - Short Term

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