7 Must-Read Travel Tips for Families – from a Road Warrior

This post was written by Kathie, a USI Affinity employee.

Let me first start by saying that I’m a seasoned business traveler. However, all of that experience left me unprepared for the first family vacation with my newly blended family - which includes three children. I lived and learned and hope you’ll benefit from my experience.

The security line on the outbound flight was just the beginning of the adventure. Grandma had very kindly packed the kids up for the trip. I made the completely off-the-mark assumption that she was up to date on security protocols. Each child had a minimum of one item that flagged their bags in the security line – juice boxes, plastic bottles with Snapple, and a water bottle to name a few. All of these items were lovingly packed with the best of intentions by a Grandma just wanting them to have their favorite beverages available to them on the trip.

As it turned out, I was the worst offender of all. My purse got the dreaded “bag check.” As each item got pulled out, I wondered what in the world that I, the road warrior, could have possibly missed. As the sleek black case got removed from the bottom of my purse, I gasped in horror. “Oh no, I left my darts in my purse from dart team last week,” I exclaimed. My face turned shades of red that I didn’t even know were possible.

This trip was off to an interesting start for sure.

When we finally arrived at our destination in Sunny California, 6 hours of flying were behind us. And so was our sanity. The kids were unprepared to now have to hike another hour and a half in the rental car. So began the choruses of “he touched me” and “shut up.” On top of it all, we had completely failed on our food intake. Not only were the children cranky, but so were Mom and Dad.

We crammed a lot of activities into our trip – typically more than one in a day. For example, it seemed like a great idea at the time to combine seeing Hollywood Boulevard, Rodeo Drive and the Griffith Observatory into one day. After all, who wants to drive in L.A. traffic twice? It seemed like such as efficient plan. If we had a dollar for every time we got short with one another that day, the trip would be paid for and we could probably afford a small vacation home in Southern California to boot.

So, what tips do I have for your family travels over the holidays?

1. Do a quick check of all of the carry-on bags right before you leave the house. Kids have a funny way of sneaking things into their backpacks when you’re not looking. Grandmas are equally guilty.
2. Plan activities for the car and plane rides. If you don’t have room to pack actual games, you can make games out of seeing how many different state license plates or certain restaurants you see. 
3. Check online to see if there are area passes that you can purchase for multiple activities. As it turned out, we could have saved about $50 a person if we realized these passes existed for our trip.
4. Don’t pack your bags too full on the way out the door. As much as you say you’ll resist the temptation to buy tchotchkes, your children will look at you with those big eyes and you will fail. Miserably. Leave room for these lovely treasures to get packed in your suitcases for the trip home.
5. Bring way more batteries than you think you’ll need for the camera. Don’t forget an extra large storage card or a laptop and camera cable.
6. While you can’t bring your favorite drinks onto planes, you can bring snacks. Pack plenty of snack bags for your entire trip so no one gets cranky due to hungriness.
7. Grin and bear it. While you’re sure to drive each other nuts on your trip, as soon as you get home, only happy memories will remain. Studies have been done that show that as adults, we rarely remember the presents we were given, but almost always remember family vacations. You are giving your family the best gift of all as you create these memories that will last a lifetime. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays on behalf of all of us at Travel Insurance Services and USI Affinity. Enjoy your trip – whether it is across the country or across town to Grandma’s house.

Get Your Cuddle On

If you happen to be flying from Los Angeles to Auckland and need to cuddle with your honey to get some sleep, you’re in luck! Air New Zealand is now offering you this opportunity on the airline's new Boeing 777-300ER jets in seating being called “Cuddle Class.” While it’s not exactly the giant, cozy bed you might be accustomed to at home, the airline seeks to help you get your winks by also providing you with a seat covering, fleece blanket and two full-size pillows to make Cuddle Class as comfortable as possible.

So how exactly does this work? Couples purchase their two seats plus the third seat next to them (usually around half of the price the seat would cost if you bought it solo). You and your favorite cuddler then lay sideways (yes, with your feet hanging into the aisle). Since the airline also had to make the aisle smaller to accommodate the three-seat layout, those middle-of-the-night bathroom trips might be even more challenging as you wade through the sea of feet blocking your path.

Although the systems of most travel agents haven’t been adjusted to handle booking seats in Cuddle Class, you will be able to book your flight directly through the airline.

Not planning on traveling to New Zealand anytime soon, but still looking to make your airline snooze time more comfortable? Here are a few tips:

• If you’re willing and able to do your duties in an emergency, exit rows usually offer a little more leg room to stretch out and snooze. 


• Find a travel kit to meet your sleeping needs. We found a great one that holds a blanket, eye mask and inflatable pillow inside a soft zipped case that becomes the pillowcase.


• Some people find a “C” shaped travel pillow just what they need to support their necks while they slumber off.


• Keep your shades on to help block out the light a little so your body doesn’t think it’s time to be awake. 

Let us know your favorite tips and tricks for catching a few Z’s when you’re in the air.

The Importance of Requiring Travel Insurance Information

In any given year, we generally see several costly medical evacuations and numerous hospitalizations of travelers. Unfortunately, we discover that many people travel without the protection of travel insurance. Some are under the assumption that they are covered by their domestic insurance, while others think Medicare will provide for them while they travel abroad. For these reasons alone, it is wise for travel providers to ask for travel insurance information on a Personal Information Form.

You should ask your travelers if they have coverage for medical expense and medical evacuation while traveling outside the country. Ask for specific policy information including contact phone numbers. When you require an answer to the questions, it should result in their having to investigate their coverage  in order to discover if it is adequate. This will help protect them as well as lessen your liability should something go awry on the trip.

Your travelers will naturally look to you for assistance and guidance since they are traveling on a trip sponsored by your organization. The more you can do to be prepared, the better off you and your traveler will be. If you aren't currently requesting this information, it's a good idea to start collecting it.

If you need help with the verbiage or need a sample form, give me a call at 1-800-937-1387 or email me at linda.witt@travelinsure.com.

Is travel insurance worth the added expense?

We were recently asked that question. People want to know if travel insurance is "worth it" and if so, what to look for in a policy.

Travel insurance is just as important as any other insurance. You would never think of driving your car without automobile insurance or go without home owner's or renter's coverage. Part of the trip planning routine should be securing a good travel insurance policy. There are so many perils that may befall the person prior to departing as well as while on that long awaited trip.

In my 20-plus years in the industry, I see that the most frequently used benefit is pre-departure cancellation. When one is planning an exciting vacation, the last thing you want to think about is the need to cancel that trip. Even if you are hale and hearty and ready to go, there are things other than your own illness or accident that can disrupt those plans.

• A family member's unexpected illness or death can put an end to your well-laid plans. What happens if the operator or cruise line you are using suddenly declares bankruptcy and you are out all the funds you have paid? Travel insurance can offer relief in such situations.

• Travel insurance can be a saving grace when you are on your trip and have to return home due to your illness or a family member's illness or death. You can be reimbursed for the unused travel arrangements as well as the additional ticket cost to return to your home.

• The insurance can certainly come in handy if, while traveling, you have an accident or become gravely ill and need emergency evacuation, hospitalization, and then transportation home. Those expenses can run into thousands of dollars and many foreign hospitals will not release you without full payment or at least a guarantee of payment. The insurance company's assistance service can get involved to help facilitate the payment guarantees as well as arrange, oversee, and cover the medically necessary evacuation.

• If you are traveling alone and are hospitalized for an extended period, most policies will bring a family member to your bedside.

• There are also the simple things provided by travel insurance policies such as baggage delay to reimburse for some of the emergency items needed if you arrive and your bags don't. Or Trip Delay benefits that would provide a daily amount for additional accommodations if travel is delayed.

All of the above are some features that should be available in a good travel insurance policy. There are also policies available, at a higher premium, that will cover a percentage of your loss if you cancel for any reason at all.

There are things you should look for when in the market for Travel Insurance in addition to the benefits above.

• Be sure that it is insurance underwritten by an insurance company and not simply a waiver. Many waivers offered by travel suppliers will only offer vouchers to replace the trip at a later date with no refunded cash.

• Also be aware that most policies will not cover the financial default of the organization providing the travel.

• It is also very important that the policy you purchase offers a 24-hour assistance phone number. You need to be able to reach help if the need arises.

Travel insurance is a wise investment any time you travel away from home and especially if there are travel costs involved. It is extremely valuable if you are traveling outside the country and experience a situation where language barriers could cause difficulty in communication. An emergency medical evacuation to a medical facility or back home could be very costly. When difficulties arise, having travel insurance in place can seem a small price to pay.

So the answer to the question is: Of course!

Travel Insurance and Hurricane Irene

Were your plans disrupted by the recent hurricane? Travel Insurance Select may be able to help if your policy was purchased prior to Sunday, August 21, 2011.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption is covered if Inclement Weather caused delay or Cancellation of your Trip.

The Travel Delay benefit will cover the cost of necessary additional accommodations if your plans are delayed for 12 hours or more due to Inclement Weather.

For more information, call us at 800-937-1387.

New Information for Trip Planners, Educational Travel, Brokers, Students, Customers, and More

Travel Insurance Services is proud to introduce new blog topics and authors!

Topics will include travel and insurance information for:

Trip Planners, Associations, and Educational Travel
Linda Witt, who has been at TIS for over 21 years, will be sharing her expertise in the unique needs of travelers and trip planners in the educational travel community. Much of her knowledge also applies to associations that have travel programs or want to offer them.

Brokers and Insurance Professionals, including Chinese-Speaking Brokers and Travel Agents
Wendy Tian Miller draws from 6 years of experience to assist insurance professionals and customers. Her posts will focus on agents and brokers, who can in turn pass important information along to their clients. 

Students and Schools
Kris Lavezzoli has worked for TIS for more than a decade, and she uses her experience to help schools navigate the confusing world of student health insurance so they can make sure their students have the coverage they need.

Customer Questions and Issues
At TIS, we receive lots of questions about all kinds of travel insurance issues. It's important to us that customers understand insurance details and feel comfortable with the policy they choose. Posts from "Customer Care" are another way for us to get these answers and explanations out to more people.

We hope the new topics are helpful to you. Feel free to ask our new authors specific questions by commenting on their posts or contacting them directly.

Of course, we'll still post general travel articles and alerts that you may be interested in. If you'd like to see a post about a specific topic, let us know in the comments!

Chilean Volcanic Ash Cloud Continues to Cause Travel Disruptions

Travel issues from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle’s volcanic eruption continue as an ash cloud moves over Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa and Australasia.

• Qantas Airways has canceled all New Zealand flights for today and postponed Buenos Aires flights until Friday. Domestic flights will operate as scheduled.
• Air New Zealand will continue to fly at a lower altitude to avoid the ash cloud, which requires about 10% more jet fuel.
• Turkish Airlines has cancelled flights to East Africa – including Istanbul-Addis Ababa, Istanbul-Khartoum, Istanbul-Entebbe, Istanbul-Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam-Nairobi, Nairobi-Istanbul.
• Kenya Airways has canceled all flights on the Ethiopia-Djibouti route.
• Dubai’s Emirates airline canceled flights to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Experts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's volcanic ash unit say they expect the ash cloud to continue to cause travel disruptions for at least another 24 hours. If you are scheduled to travel in these areas, check with your travel agent or airline to see if you're affected.

Hundreds of Flights in Europe Canceled Due to Volcanic Ash

Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano began to erupt on Saturday, sending clouds of ash into the air over Europe. European air traffic controllers say they expect about 700 flights to be canceled today, however the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation has said that the worst is over, and they expect flight schedules to return to normal by Thursday.  

Some airlines are rebooking passengers on later flights or fully refunding their fare. Travel Insurance Select has coverage for Inclement Weather and Natural Disaster, so travelers who purchased the policy before 5/21/11 and are affected by the volcano can call us at 800-937-1387 for details.

For more information on finding travel insurance that can refund the cost of a trip, go to www.travelinsure.com/what/selecthigh.asp.

 

Riding the Rails in Europe? There’s an App for That.

Travel industry experts say most people are continuing with their summer travel plans despite high prices. For those heading overseas to Europe, traveling by train may not be cheap, but a new iPhone app may make it easier.

Rail Europe has released a new booking app that allows travelers to plan and book trips on their iPhone and iPod touch. The application uses geo-location technology that connects 35 railroads in 32 European countries. App users can choose their seat, buy their ticket, and plan their arrival with a calculated time and distance function.

The app is available at Rail Europe’s site at http://www.raileurope.com/mobile/index.html.

Travel Insurance and the State Department Worldwide Alert

Following recent events in the Middle East, the State Department issued a Worldwide Travel Alert on Monday. It warns all U.S. citizens of “the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan” and urges those in affected areas to "limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations.” Read the full alert.

Travelers looking for travel insurance with Terrorism coverage can purchase Travel Insurance Select Plus or, in most states, Travel Insurance Select Elite. The policy covers “a Terrorist incident occurring within 30 days of your arrival in a city on your trip’s itinerary.” The Elite option also includes Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, which allows travelers to cancel their trip for any reason - including fear of traveling to a politically unstable area - and receive up to 75% of their insured trip cost. (To receive the CFAR benefit, insurance must be purchased within 21 days of initial trip deposit and the trip must be cancelled at least two days prior to departure.)

Get an instant quote for Travel Insurance Select or contact us at 800-937-1387.