I get asked all the time, do I REALLY need travel insurance?

Just as with our homeowner’s, auto, and health insurance, you only need it when you need it. But, when you need it, you NEED IT. And in that time of crisis, you want to be with a company that treats you fairly and makes things easy. 

We recommend insurance on all trips – international and domestic – that have nonrefundable components (hotels, airfare, tours, etc.). For our international travelers, the most important aspect is medical coverage. The majority of health insurance policies do not extend coverage abroad. In the event of a broken arm from a bike tour or crashing your Vespa scooter in the Chianti countryside, medical bills can add up quickly.  And if medical evacuation is ever necessary, get ready to hand over the house. 

Here are some other reasons we highly recommend travel insurance: 

• Travel delays: they happen. All the time. With some travel insurance policies, you may qualify for benefits right away at the airport to cover meals and unforeseen accommodation needs. 
• Delayed baggage: if your bags have ever been delayed, or worse, lost, you know it’s painful enough to take time away from your vacation to replace your items. Having the policy to help cover the replacement costs is one of the helpful travel insurance inclusions. 
• Supplier Default: we work with travel partners who are well vetted and are financially stable. However, we’ve seen instances where well-established partners go out of business, leaving travelers stranded. The most recent cases being Wow Air and Thomas Cook. It is possible that your travel supplier could be covered for reimbursement in the case of default.
• Your family: with our partners, your entire extended family is covered under the plan. If you’re traveling and have a family member get hospitalized or in a car accident back home, your policy will help cover the costs to get you home.
• Hospitalization: can you imagine being in an international location and needing a hospital? Scary! Our travel insurance partner, has feet on the street that assess and rate hospitals, so they can advise travelers in-need of where to go for treatment. 
• Cancel anytime: the Allianz “Cancel Anytime” gives you the extra flexibility and peace of mind that you can cancel your trip for almost any reason that your plan does not already cover and receive 80% of your non-refundable trip costs back in cash. So whether you have a last-minute illness, or have an unexpected change in plans, you’re covered! 

• Trip Interruption: this year, we had a client have a medical emergency during her trip to Jackson, WY. So we were forced to cut their trip short and send them home early. Because they were covered with travel insurance, they were reimbursed for the prorated costs of the portion of the trip missed. Plus, the policy covered her medical deductible.
• Hurricanes: if you really want to get to a tropical location during hurricane season, go ahead and roll the dice. With hurricane coverage included in the Premier Plan, you’ll be covered when a hurricane warning is in effect.