InsureMyTrip Blog

Given the headlines of the past month or so, I doubt very much that I have to work very hard to convince anyone at this point that travel insurance is a good investment.   It seems that the “why” of purchasing travel insurance isn’t really the question anymore.  What may be more important at this point is the “when” to buy it; too often, well-meaning travelers miss out on excellent coverage options because of timing.

Between airline strikes, civil unrest, and of course, the terrible tragedy of the Costa Concordia, there have been more than enough examples in recent days of travel gone awry.  And as a result, the InsureMyTrip Customer Care Center has seen what we by now expect to see after major travel news hits the airwaves: a big increase in calls from worried travelers who want to buy insurance.

You might expect that an increase in call volume would make us happy; after all, InsureMyTrip exists to help people find the right coverage for their trips, and to provide them with the peace of mind that they’re traveling with a solid insurance policy in their back pockets…just in case.  Unfortunately, when an influx of news-related calls comes in to our phone lines, it’s not always possible for us to help every one of those callers find the right insurance policy.  Too often, we have to tell customers the simple, but painful, truth: “You waited too long.”

Too long for what?  Too long to be eligible for that Cancel for Any Reason benefit you really wanted; too long to buy a policy with a pre-existing conditions waiver that our Customer Care rep can see you definitely need.  Too long to get the correct insurance coverage for your specific trip, so that you’re left with fewer options where once there might have been a virtual buffet.

We’ve said many times that if a volcano erupts in Iceland, you can’t call us the next day to get insurance against that volcano’s effects.  I’m pretty sure that message has gotten through to a number of travelers by now.  But what we need to add is the following piece of crucial information: If you want to be covered for the greatest possible number of unforeseen events, if you want to have travel insurance that offers the highest level of service and benefits to you, or even if you just want to have every option available when you buy…it’s worth at least taking a look at the range of plans that are out there as soon as you’ve booked your trip.

On behalf of our Customer Care Center, I ask you all not to wait before looking into travel insurance.  Not a week, not a month, not until a few days before your trip if you can help it.  As the days beyond your first payment on your trip continue to elapse, your options for insurance slowly diminish.  And nothing is more disappointing to us, or to a traveler we’re trying to help, than to have to say “I’m sorry…if you had called a week ago, you could have gotten that, but now you’re past the window.”  You don’t have to wait until every detail of your travels has been planned and paid for; in fact, your choices will be at their most broad when you’ve just made the first payment on your trip.

So go ahead — call us when the rush of that first booking is still fresh.  Call us when you’re still excited about making your plans for a new adventure.  We can’t wait to hear where you’re going, and we hope as always that you’ll want to take us with you.

It happens every year: the first official hurricane of the Atlantic season.  Somehow, even though we know it’s probably coming, it always takes us a bit by surprise.  As travelers, we do our best to be informed and prepared before it hits, and yet, when the first hurricane becomes a reality, there’s still that moment of mind-racing questioning, in which we ask ourselves: Do we have everything we need?  Is this going to change our plans significantly?  And if it does change our plans, does our travel insurance cover that?

As Hurricane Irene gathers strength, we encourage all travelers to re-acquaint themselves with their travel insurance policies.  (If you haven’t already purchased one, you won’t be able to get any coverage for Irene, but it may be advisable to take this storm as a sign of things to come and snap up an insurance policy for any upcoming trips you’re planning — since the chances of a one-hurricane season are pretty slim.)  Below is a quick reference guide to some of the hurricane-related topics we’ve covered on this blog recently, so you can refresh your memory on anything of which you’re unsure.  As always, we recommend that you call our Customer Care center at 800-487-4722 with specific questions related to your individual policy.

Read more about these topics on the InsureMyTrip blog:

Delays and Cancellations
Damage to your accommodations
Damage to your home or the surrounding area
Unique concerns

When asked what the most common concern of travelers might be, during Hurricane Season, most of our reps immediately answered; “They’re worried that they can’t get where they’re going.”  Inclement weather can, of course, close airports and other travel hubs, or cause a domino-effect of delays and cancellations rippling outward from affected cities and wreaking havoc with the plans of travelers even in areas with clear blue skies.  During Hurricane Season, it’s not hard to understand why travelers would be somewhat nervous about getting from Point A to Point B, or at least getting there in a timely fashion.

If  you’re concerned about hurricanes affecting the travel forecast in your city of departure, your destination city, or really, anywhere — that ripple effect is a tough reality of air travel — then travel insurance is one of the best investments you can make.  We suggest you become familiar with these types of coverage:

Trip Cancellation: This coverage, which is included in all of the package policies sold on InsureMyTrip.com, will help you recoup any pre-paid, nonrefundable expenses related to your trip if you cancel your plans due to a delay of 24-48 hours or more (make sure you understand what the specific time frame is for the policy you choose).

Trip Delay: Again, this protection is included in our package policies, and allows you to file for reimbursement of unexpected expenses you might incur as a result of a shorter (but still significant) delay– usually 6 hours or more.  If you need to purchase meals, for example, or pay for overnight lodging to avoid sleeping on the airport benches, travel delay coverage can help cover those incidental costs.

Of special concern is the possibility that your home or destination – -and logically, your travel plans — might be damaged by storms.  While many policies do state that a home or destination rendered “uninhabitable” by a hurricane would be a covered reason for cancelling your trip, we also urge travelers who are especially concerned about this possibility to look into CFAR.  CFAR, or Cancel for Any Reason coverage, would allow you more flexibility to change your plans as you see fit.  In some cases, minor storm damage to your home or destination might mean that you’re uncomfortable traveling, but may not meet the definition of “uninhabitable.”  If you happen to have purchased CFAR, you’d be able to cancel and receive reimbursement for your travel expenses in that scenario, while you may not receive the same benefit from a standard package policy.

It’s understandable for travelers to feel nervous about making plans during Hurricane Season, but the good news is that most of the major concerns you probably have can be addressed with a simple purchase: the right travel insurance policy for your needs.  We encourage you to speak to one of our licensed Customer Care Representatives,who can assist you in finding that policy, so you can secure your travel plans with confidence.