Travel Insurance Revisited

Back the first of August I had a brief discussion regarding travel insurance and the benefits that are available to the traveler to protect their travel investment. On this past trip with a group going to Hawaii, I was privileged to see first-hand the benefit of having coverage.

We had one couple who had paid in full, including insurance, and they were pumped to go!! It was their “honeymoon” trip, she had never been on a flight before, neither had ever been to Hawaii. The Sunday before we were to leave on Thurs. she tore a hamstring while bowling and the attending physician said she was in no condition to travel, so they had to cancel the trip. After completing the forms required for the insurance claim, they will be refunded the cost of the cruise less the insurance payment.

On the first stop of the cruise on Maui, on the first excursion, one of our guests had an accident at an aquarium. She was treated initially at the infirmary on the ship, but when we inquired about the charges for the service rendered, the nurse said there would be no charge to her because she had PURCHASED A TOUR THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE CRUISE LINE. That's a very important statement!!!

She was referred to a local hospital that had MRI facilities and it was determined that she had fractured her pelvis. They could not release her back to the ship because it was departing for another port the next day, so she had to stay and rehab at that hospital. She stayed at that hospital for the entire week and a guest service representative of the hospital took care of all the re-accommodation required to get her back to Abilene. That representative even escorted her from the hospital, provided first class air from Maui to DFW, and made sure she got to her car in Dallas where her nephew drove her back to Abilene. She had purchased travel insurance that covered accidents while on the cruise, so the attention she received the entire week was covered by that insurance.

Those two recent incidents reinforced my contention that when a person has invested quite a bit of their treasures to take a vacation that they might want to consider taking out travel insurance to protect that investment. Big trips, or bucket list trips designated to celebrate an anniversary or birthday or family trip are prime considerations for travel insurance coverage.

The folks involved with the two incidents on our Hawaii trip did not intend for those accidents to happen. Guests with excellent health can all of the sudden be hit with a medical issue right before the trip or while on the trip....we just never know.

One of the added benefits to most travel insurance coverage is the baggage protection clause. Luggage often “takes a vacation” too, and when that bag with all your vacation clothes does not show up on the airline carousel, trust me, it is not a good feeling. The airline often helps somewhat in providing expense for replacement clothing, but if you save the receipts, the travel insurance policy you purchased will also cover reasonable costs when you return home.

The experienced travel agents at The Travel Factory are well versed in visiting with our travelers about travel insurance, so when you are considering your next trip, remember your peace of mind in protecting your travel investment. We are located at 4150 Southwest Drive, between Rosa's and Chick-Fil-A, or call us at 698-1421 or toll-free 800-760-4040. We serve our guests with experienced advice, so call on us today.