Travel Insurance- You Should Never Leave Home Without it.

You Should never leave home without Travel Insurance

A wise traveler should always have travel insurance and I was taught in college that you should book with a third party insurance company, not take out insurance with the cruise line or tour operator you have booked with. Why, if they should go bankrupt, you have no insurance and it has happened in the past. Their price might be the cheapest, but it is not recommended.

Your travel professional should give you brochures so you can decide which option is best for you, and if you aren’t sure, then you should ring the insurance company yourself and discuss the plans.

There has been a tremendous increase in the sale of insurance. People are realizing that in today’s world, you need it no matter your destination. The global market is expecting to see an increase of 8.5% by the year 2022 according to Allied Market Research. This is perhaps why travel agents are seeing more and more enquiries regarding travel insurance.

A good travel agent always recommends that the client leave home a day or two before the tour or cruise so they are in the destination for the departure date. Yes, this adds to the cost of the trip, but it is worth it to have peace of mind. The cost of insurance can vary due to policy on existing conditions and that is why you need expert advice before booking.

Two horror stories San Francisco airport is well known for cancelling flights and long delays due to fog. A man with a family of five flying to join a cruise had his flight cancelled, and lost $60,000 since he missed the cruise sailing later that day. He sued the travel agent and said she never told him about travel insurance. The judge ruled in his favor, since the agent had no signature. All she had was a comment in the computer itinerary saying – client declined travel insurance. The agent should have had him sign a waiver to protect herself.

Three elderly ladies went on a 10 day Mexican cruise, took no insurance, and at the first port of call they were in an accident. One lady broke an arm and a hip, and was put in hospital. The two friends also left the cruise and went to a hotel to be near their friend. She was several weeks in hospital, and when flying home, had to be accompanied by a nurse. The lady in hospital paid for the hotel costs for her two friends and refunded them the cost of the cruise. What is sad is that this was such a horrible experience for all three of them, that they said they will never travel again.

Many travel agents don’t feel comfortable discussing insurance so each year at the Travel Professionals organization which I belong to we always invited experts from Insurance Companies to go over all the options with us. There are several insurance companies which sell varying plans, and this month we had Anthony Suarez, Director of the Western Region of Travel Safe who has lectured to us many times. As he told us, the most important aspects for you to consider when choosing an insurance provider are :

Are you being taken care of in an efficient and affordable way?

Does the coverage apply to your trip, your belongings, and your emergency/medical needs

Will I have the necessary support I need as a travel agent should I experience a claim issue, have questions specific to coverage, or need help finding a plan that is most suited to your needs?

A travel agent must find a partnership that helps you protect your clients in the best way possible.

Remember, don’t leave home without it. The internet is a wonderful tool but you can’t beat dealing with a professional travel agent who has the right connections.

Maureen Jones

All Horizon Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park, California

650-961-2340 Direct

Maureen.Jones@Frosch.com