InsureMyTrip Blog

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.

Bri, Marketing

Thanks, Mother Nature.  Happy Holidays to you, too.

Pardon us for the moment of sarcasm, but the current insanity that’s happening at Heathrow — at last check, the airport has announced that fully less than 1/3 of its flights (both inbound and outbound) will be operating until after Christmas — is just one more major upheaval in a string of weather-related travel nightmares.  The 2010 Holiday Travel Season is upon us, and since Thanksgiving, the traveling public has been peppered with gloomy announcements of delays and cancellations, all courtesy of what meteorologists the world over are euphemistically calling “events.”  Yes, Mr. Weatherman, it’s pretty eventful out there. (more…)

Bri, Marketing

I couldn’t help but notice that the NY Times recently ran an article about the frustrations travelers are experiencing lately, as airlines find ways to avoid taking any kind of responsibility for delays and cancellations that severely disrupt people’s plans.  As I read the article, a little voice in my head kept saying, “…but if you have travel insurance, you might be covered….”  But alas, the Times piece doesn’t mention travel insurance at all. (more…)

John, Customer Care Manager

Cruises tend to be popular with IMT travelers, and because so many of the most desirable cruise destinations are in potential hurricane hotspots, we often hear from customers who are hesitant to book a voyage for themselves or their loved ones at this time of year.  Fear not, cruise-goers: there are several travel insurance solutions that can make you feel more comfortable hitting the high seas. (more…)

Bri, Marketing

National Hurricane Preparedness Week is almost over already, and not a storm-specific post has crossed our blog (shame on us).  With so many newsworthy, travel-related events happening worldwide, the impending hurricane season has been simply a backdrop for more urgent subject matter.  But yesterday’s release of NOAA’s storm predictions for 2010 has put hurricanes squarely at the front of our minds — and possibly yours as well. (more…)

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…)

Debra, Customer Care Traveling during the winter holiday season can be exciting, but also frustrating. Most of our Package Policies cover a travel delay and/or a missed connection due to common carrier, such as an airline.

For example: You are scheduled to fly out of Boston with a connection in Colorado. Your plane from Boston leaves on time, but when you get to the Colorado airport all flights out are delayed due to inclement weather.
(more…)