InsureMyTrip Blog

Bri, Marketing

Much has been said, on this blog and elsewhere, about the unimaginable devastation that’s occurred in Japan over the past several days.   However, what no one seemed to anticipate, back on Day 1 of the crisis, was that we’d soon be discussing not natural disasters, but man-made ones; not earthquakes and tsunamis, but a tangible nuclear threat.  From where I sit, it seems that the entire travel community is embarking on a somewhat familiar, though entirely unpredictable moment in time — as the ongoing radiation crisis unfolds, there’s no telling how much of an impact it may have on flights, transportation, accommodations, tourism, and the confidence of travelers themselves. (more…)

After the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11, 2011, our thoughts turned immediately to how we, as travel insurance professionals, could assist in the relief efforts.  While we can’t send the whole staff of InsureMyTrip to Japan, we can at least make sure that those traveling to the region as aid workers, or to visit and help family members affected by the disaster, are protected.

We’re partnering with HCC Medical Insurance Services to offer a 20% discounted rate on the Atlas International plan, which provides medical and evacuation coverage.  This discount is available only to travelers going to Japan for relief efforts or family reasons.  In order to redeem this offer, simply enter “Japan” as your destination in our quote form.  When your results appear, choose the “Atlas International” plan, and the discounted rate will automatically be shown.

Plan highlights include:

• Medical coverage from $50,000 to $1,000,000
• Emergency medical evacuation to $500,000
• 24-hour emergency assistance
• 24-hour accidental death coverage to $25,000 (for additional stand-alone AD&D coverage, consider our Travel Accident Plan)

Please be aware that if you are seeking coverage other than medical and evacuation benefits for travel to Japan, your options may be limited at this time due to the nature of this particular event.  We urge you to call our Customer Care Center at 800-487-4722 if you have questions about specific coverage options.

We continue to hold the residents of Japan, and all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami, in our thoughts.  We wish all those heading to that region safe travels.

Editorial Update: As of 4/7/11, this offer is no longer available.  Please contact our Customer Care Center to discuss other available policies for insuring travel to Japan.

Following the news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan today, certainly, our first thoughts have been for the people of Japan and for all those traveling within the country.  As we continue to stay updated on the news coming out of that region, and attempt to reach out to customers who may be affected, we’re also aware of the broader impact of these events on the state of general travel.

As the day progresses, news of delays and cancellations at airports, train stations, and ports of call in several locations has mounted.  Travelers whose plans include departures, arrivals, or connections through affected areas such as Tokyo and Honolulu should double-check their travel insurance coverage to be sure that they fully understand the benefits provided in case of a delay.  In general, travel delay coverage becomes effective after 6 hours and can provide reimbursement for incidentals such as food and lodging; some policies may also help with rebooking fees, though in this instance, many of the major carriers appear to be waiving those fees for passengers whose plans are impacted by the quake and/or tsunami.

In addition to delays and cancellations resulting from these events, travelers who plan to depart for Japan within the next few months may be concerned about damage to hotels and transportation hubs.  If you purchased a travel insurance policy prior to the earthquake, you may be covered for some of those damages.  For example, if your accommodations are still uninhabitable at the time of your scheduled trip, many insurance policies will allow you to cancel your travel plans.

As always, we encourage travelers who have questions about their specific policies to call our Customer Care Center at 800-487-4722.

The entire team at InsureMyTrip is greatly concerned this morning over the news coming out of Japan.  Our thoughts are with the residents of Japan, as well as any travelers who may be there at the moment.  We’re continuing to monitor the situation very closely and will update our customers throughout the day on our blog, Twitter feed, and Facebook page as any important details emerge.

Our Customer Care center is ready to assist anyone who has questions or concerns about coverage for travel to Japan and the surrounding region.  Customers who are currently in Japan should contact the emergency assistance line for their individual insurance providers; if you encounter any difficulty, you may also contact us so that we can assist you in connecting with your provider.  Those who have plans to travel to Japan imminently should make every effort to contact us with questions about their policies.

Again, we will be updating our information as necessary throughout the day; please feel free to connect with us to ask questions or share concerns.  We are here to help.

InsureMyTrip Customer Care Center: 800-487-4722 OR 401-773-9300 (Outside the U.S.)
customercare@insuremytrip.com

Editorial Update: We’ve added a related post about delays and damages resulting from the quake and tsunami.  Those who have more general questions about coverage may find this post helpful.

Bri, Marketing

Yesterday, as I was chatting with another IMT-er, he abruptly asked me the following question:

“Did you know it snows in Turkey?”

I’ll admit, it gave me a moment of pause.  Did I know that it snows in Turkey?  Well, yes, I supposed I did; after all, I knew that Turkey was not a wholly tropical climate, and I knew that it was perfectly possible for temperatures there to dip into the 30s and 40s, if not often, then at least every once in a while.  Logically, snow might follow.  While Turkey might not top the list in my mind of picturesquely frosted, wintry destinations, I had to answer that certainly, I could see how it might snow there.

“But I mean,” my colleague pressed, “a LOT of snow.  They don’t know what to do with it.  Look.”

He showed me the article he was perusing at the time, which confirmed that Turkey was in the midst of its worst snowfall in 10 years, and that as a result of the unaccustomed weather, air and road travel in and around Istanbul was nearly at a standstill.  Yes, I conceded, it was a lot more snow than I would have pictured if you asked me how much snow might fall on Turkey, especially at this time of year.  But with all the odd weather patterns the world has endured in recent weeks and months, how surprised could I really be?

It’s a fact of traveling that the unexpected will happen; in fact, I’d go so far as to say that from my personal perspective, if you’re traveling because you crave predictability, you may want to re-think your plans.  Fortunately, as I so often remind people, there’s travel insurance for many of those unexpected occurrences.  However, it seems to me that among people who tend to buy insurance for their trips, there are two camps: those who always buy some sort of insurance, because “you never know,” and those who only insure trips when they’re relatively convinced that something may happen — like buying coverage for a cruise during hurricane season, or making sure they have coverage for a flight to the Midwest in December.  For the latter group of travelers, I’d venture to guess that buying travel insurance for a trip to Istanbul in March wouldn’t have been a top priority.

Was the major snowstorm in Turkey a fluke occurrence?  Probably.  But then again, so was the now-legendary volcanic eruption in Iceland last year.  In some ways, having travel insurance seems to me to be a bit like traveling with your overly cautious grandmother.  You might scoff at her for packing all those extra umbrellas, fleece jackets, and mittens when you take off for a Floridian vacation; but when the temperatures dip to record lows and it rains the whole time you’re trying to enjoy the attractions, you’ll be awfully glad that Grandma came prepared.

Yes, it snows in Turkey — sometimes, apparently, quite a bit — even in March.  While the snowstorm there isn’t exactly splashing all over the headlines, it’s fairly likely that if you were a traveler whose plans got derailed yesterday by the wintry mess, it would have felt like big news to you.  None of us has a crystal ball to alert us to possible pitfalls; but we do have the opportunity to at least pack a little extra security.  And the really good news is that a travel insurance policy, unlike Grandma’s overstuffed carry-on bag, won’t take up too much space in the overhead bins.

John, Customer Care Manager

The recent earthquakes, snowstorms and other natural disasters triggered an increase in calls to our customer care staff with questions about how travel insurance responds. The following highlights some features offered by most of our Package Policies.   Coverage applies to both pre-departure Trip Cancellation and post-departure Trip Interruption: (more…)

Peter, EVP

Our customer care team is reporting a steady increase in call volume from relief workers and volunteers flowing into Haiti. With this, questions have arisen concerning appropriate and available travel insurance coverage. It is important to be aware that many Trip Cancellation Package Policies provide limited or no coverage to Haiti due to the earthquake, whereas certain Travel Medical plans are much better alternatives. (more…)

Jim, CEO and President

In the travel insurance business, we frequently deal with the effects of natural disasters. The products we sell are designed to protect against these very effects. But observing the human cost of these disasters never gets any easier.
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Vikki, Public Relations

Working in the travel insurance world as I do, you’d think I’d have a pretty good understanding of all things travel insurance. Actually, I guess I know more than I realize, but sometimes I’m slow to fully appreciate some of the neatest things about these products. For instance, coverage for natural disasters.

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen folks snowed in and flooded out in the Midwest, Mt. Redoubt erupting in Alaska, and of course that devasting earthquake in Italy. I know that for people with planned trips to these areas there are a number of covered reasons for cancelling them such as:

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