(Special to The Travelling Adventurer)
Any time travelers hit the road, or the skies, they are faced with the question of what kind and how much – if any – insurance they need.
Anything can happen while you’re on vacation, so it’s important to be prepared before your bags are even packed.
Now, Consumer Affairs (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/insurance/travel-insurance/) has provided travelers a series of travel tips to help them make informed insurance decisions.
Check out these common travel insurance scenarios from Consumer Affairs to see if you could benefit from travel insurance on your next trip.
Planning the perfect vacation is a task that takes months, and many people sink thousands of dollars into a trip. A sudden emergency, bad weather or lost luggage can turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. Travel insurance offers peace of mind when planning a vacation. It may cover cancellations, flight delays, property damage, lost luggage and much more.
Sometimes, situations beyond your control impact your travel plans. Weather, family tragedies, illness, work and other issues can cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip.
o Weather or worker delays: Some travel insurance policies offer reimbursement for trips interrupted by worker strikes or the weather.
o Sickness, injury or death: An illness, injury or death of a loved one might require a trip cancellation, but with the right coverage it won’t cost the policy holder financially.
o Work-related interruptions: If work interferes with your ability to travel, you can cancel and get your money back. The same is true if you become unemployed, making a trip an unwise expenditure.
Medical coverage
Many health insurance policies will not pay for services incurred outside of their coverage network. This can leave travelers facing huge medical bills in the event of an issue during a trip. Travel insurance can make up the different.
o Emergency transportation and care: If you suffer from a medical emergency during a trip, your travel insurance may cover medical and ambulance expenses. Make sure you are clear about medical air transportation – which can be immensely expensive.
o Dental coverage: A dental emergency may not be immediately life threatening, but it can certainly ruin a vacation. Be sure that dental coverage is included in your travel insurance plan.
o Pre-existing condition coverage: A pre-existing condition can act up at any time, but many insurance policies will not cover them. Ask about pre-existing conditions since premium policies may include this type of coverage.
Transportation coverage
Anything that interrupts a trip could leave you struggling to meet back up with your travel group. A missed flight connection could leave you holding the bag on an extra airline ticket. Travel insurance picks up the bill for transportation services needed to keep you on schedule.
o Cancelled flight coverage: If your flight is canceled and it causes you to miss a connection, travel insurance can pay for hotel stay and a new flight as soon as it’s available.
o Easy logistics: When you miss a flight, it can throw your entire itinerary out of whack, but your travel insurance company should do the work to put you back on track.
o Interruption coverage: If something happens at home, and you need to cut your trip short, travel insurance can help cover the cost of return fare and reimburse the unused portion of your trip.
Customer service
The best coverage in the world doesn’t mean much if you can’t use it. Poor customer service can leave you on the phone for hours or trying to contact your insurer in vain. Good customer service makes all the difference.
o 24/7 helpline: When you need to make a claim, you need to make it now, not tomorrow or after you get home.
o Available online assistance. : Phone service may not always be available, but there may be internet access, so it’s important to be able to reach your insurance company using different avenues.
o Extra services: A good travel insurance company will offer additional services like concierge, currency exchange and travel assistance.
Property loss or damage
Lost, delayed or damaged luggage can start any trip off on the wrong foot. It can also cost an arm and a leg to buy a wardrobe for a vacation.
o Clothing allowance: If your luggage is lost, be sure to ask about a clothing allowance to help you get through your vacation and replace your missing items.
o Property replacement: You may travel with some items, like jewelry or personal care products, that have significant value. Be sure to discuss them with your insurance company before traveling to ensure they’re covered for replacement.
o Dealing with luggage delays: If your luggage is permanently lost, your insurance will probably replace it, but if it’s only delayed, you might need to deal with some interim needs. Insurance may pay for an outfit or two, or for toiletries, just to hold you over until your luggage can be delivered.
Extensions on demand
Typically, travel insurance covers a specific trip, which is arranged in advance. If you decide to extend your vacation, you might lose your travel insurance.
o Ask about policy extensions: You may want to extend your trip, so it’s always a good idea to know whether you can also extend your travel insurance coverage.
o Long-term and short-term policies: Many travel insurance policies only cover a short time frame, sometimes only a week or two. If you plan to travel more extensively, be sure to ask about long-term options.
o Limited coverage on extensions: Some travel insurance may allow for limited extensions with little to no extra cost. They may not include all the premium services, however, so it’s important to find out what is and is not covered on an extension.
One-time only
These plans are for a single trip and offer no extensions. Any additional coverage must be negotiated separately.
Annual plan
For the frequent traveler, an annual insurance policy goes into effect for every trip taken during the year. There may be some limitations on coverage.
Long-term plan
For those planning to travel for a year or more, long-term plans are the best option..
Group plans
Like many products, buying several policies at once may offer a group discount. Typically, these are sold to groups of 10 or more.
Domestic or international
Some policies only cover domestic travel, so for the world traveler, it’s important to make sure insurance coverage crosses international boundaries
.
If you plan to travel anytime soon, here is a look at the top 500 U. S. hotels, according to the Travel & Leisure Magazine survey:
Alabama
The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa (88.17),
Mobile
Arizona
The Boulders, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (87.58),
Scottsdale
Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain (88.80),
Tucson
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa (91.57),
Paradise Valley
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch (87.71),
Scottsdale
Royal Palms Resort & Spa (89.56),
Phoenix
The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort (89.10),
Phoenix
Enchantment Resort and Mii Amo Spa (91.49),
Sedona
L’Auberge de Sedona (89.56),
Sedona
Arkansas
21c Museum Hotel Bentonville (90.25),
California
The Peninsula Beverly Hills (92.51),
Beverly Hills
Post Ranch Inn (95.47),
Big Sur
Ventana Inn & Spa (93.36),
Big Sur
Calistoga Ranch (89.58),
Calistoga
Solage Calistoga (90.23),
Calistoga
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort (87.47),
Carlsbad
Carmel Valley Ranch (89.95),
Carmel
L’Auberge Carmel (92.94),
Carmel-By-The-Sea
Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel (89.97),
Dana Point
L’Auberge Del Mar (87.71),
Del Mar
Farmhouse Inn (94.67),
Forestville
Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay (90.21),
Half Moon Bay
Hotel Healdsburg (88.60),
Healdsburg
Lodge at Torrey Pines (88.75),
La Jolla
Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows (88.86),
Beverly Hills
Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (A Four Seasons Hotel) (88.07),
Beverly Hills
Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village (90.11),
Los Angeles
Hotel Bel-Air (92.50),
Bel Air
L’Ermitage Beverly Hills (89.90),
Beverly Hills
Montage Beverly Hills (91.18),
Beverly Hills
Auberge du Soleil (92.81),
Rutherford
Carneros Inn (90.30),
Napa
Resort at Pelican Hill (89.92),
Newport Beach
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa (91.24),
Ojai
Montage Laguna Beach (92.72),
Laguna Beach
Inn at Spanish Bay (89.21),
Pebble Beach
Lodge at Pebble Beach (90.67),
Pebble Beach
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa (90.91),
San Diego
Grand Del Mar (92.11),
San Diego
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco (90.55),
San Francisco
Hotel Vitale (89.60),
Embarcadero
Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco (90.67),
Financial District
Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco (89.71),
San Francisco
Scarlet Huntington (88.00),
San Francisco
St. Regis San Francisco (88.49),
San Francisco
Taj Campton Place (88.21),
San Francisco
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara (87.26),
Santa Barbara
San Ysidro Ranch (92.25),
Santa Barbara
Cavallo Point—The Lodge at the Golden Gate (92.88),
Sausalito
Meadowood Napa Valley (88.53),
St. Helena
Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe (90.00),
Lake Tahoe
Bardessono (91.88),
Yountville
Vintage Inn (88.11),
Yountville
Brewery Gulch Inn (95.00),
Mendocino
Colorado
Little Nell (91.20),
Aspen
St. Regis Aspen Resort (90.12),
Aspen
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa (90.32),
Avon
Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch (91.00),
Avon
The Broadmoor (89.10),
Colorado Springs
Four Seasons Hotel Denver (90.71),
Denver
Viceroy Snowmass (91.78),
Snowmass
Four Seasons Resort Vail (93.52),
Vail
The Sebastian Vail (92.61),
Vail
Florida
Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island (90.22),
Amelia Island
Gasparilla Inn (88.29),
Boca Grande
Sandpearl Resort (88.52),
Clearwater
Seagate Hotel & Spa (87.33),
Delray Beach
Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale (87.90),
Fort Lauderdale
One Ocean Resort (88.19),
Jacksonville
Ocean Key Resort & Spa (88.27),
Key West
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (87.21),
Orlando
Disney’s Polynesian Resort (88.15),
Lake Buena Vista - Walt Disney World
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa (89.89),
Little Torch Key
EPIC, Miami – A Kimpton Hotel (87.25),
Downtown Miami
JW Marriott Marquis Miami (88.16),
Downtown Miami
Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne (91.09),
Key Biscayne
Mandarin Oriental, Miami (89.41),
Miami
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort (90.00),
Naples
Marco Beach Ocean Resort (89.86),
Naples
Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples (87.78),
Naples
Ritz-Carlton, Naples (87.63),
Naples
Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando (87.42),
Orlando
Brazilian Court Hotel (87.80),
Palm Beach
Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach (89.93),
Palm Beach
The Breakers Palm Beach (89.20),
Palm Beach
Hammock Beach Resort (90.82),
Palm Coast
Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra Beach (90.13),
Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club (88.21),
Ponte Vedra Beach
WaterColor Inn & Resort (89.40),
Santa Rosa Beach
Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club (90.00),
St. Petersburg
Georgia
InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta (88.16),
Atlanta
Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta (91.44),
Atlanta
St. Regis Atlanta (89.18),
Atlanta
Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation (87.73),
Atlanta
Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront (88.00),
Savannah
Cloister at Sea Island (94.10),
Sea Island
Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club (95.58),
Sea Island
Hawaii
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (94.96),
Kaupulehu-kona
Halekulani (92.63),
Honolulu
Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort (88.56),
Honolulu
Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk (91.75),
Honolulu
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (88.55),
Koloa
Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort (87.20),
Kauai
St. Regis Princeville Resort (88.23),
Princeville
Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay (90.34),
Lanai
Four Seasons Resort Lanai, The Lodge at Koele (92.46),
Lanai
Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui (88.43),
Maui
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (93.86),
Wailea
Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort (88.30),
Wailea
Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua (88.68),
Kapalua
Illinois
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago (92.44),
Chicago
Park Hyatt Chicago (88.09),
Chicago
Ritz-Carlton, Chicago, a Four Seasons Hotel (89.58),
Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago (93.52),
Chicago
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago (92.38),
Chicago
Waldorf Astoria Chicago (90.92),
Chicago
The Langham, Chicago (96.00),
Chicago
Kentucky
21c Museum Hotel Louisville (90.93),
Louisville
The Brown Hotel (87.41),
Louisville
Louisiana
The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans (87.73),
Central Business District
Windsor Court Hotel (90.18),
Central Business District
Maine
Bar Harbor Inn (88.00),
Downeast + Acadia
Camden Harbour Inn (87.20),
Freeport + Mid-Coast
Inn by the Sea (92.47),
Greater Portland + Casco Bay
White Barn Inn (90.00),
Kennebunkport
Tides Beach Club (91.47),
Kennebunkport
Maryland
Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore (88.24),
Baltimore
Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond (89.60),
St. Michaels
Massachusetts
Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf (90.64),
Boston
Eliot Hotel (90.50),
Boston
Fairmont Copley Plaza (87.56),
Boston
Four Seasons Hotel Boston (89.38),
Boston
Hotel Commonwealth (91.39),
Boston
Mandarin Oriental, Boston (92.21),
Boston
XV Beacon (91.62),
Boston
Chatham Bars Inn (87.60),
Chatham
Wequassett Resort and Golf Club (91.75),
Chatham
White Elephant (93.68),
Nantucket Town
Michigan
Townsend Hotel (89.00),
Birmingham
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel (87.46),
Grand Rapids
Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island (89.47),
Mackinac Island
Minnesota
The Grand Hotel, Minneapolis (88.47),
Minneapolis
Missouri
Raphael Hotel (88.00),
Kansas City
Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis (88.00),
St. Louis
Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis (87.31),
St. Louis
Montana
Triple Creek Ranch (97.44),
Darby
Nevada
ARIA, Las Vegas (87.23),
The Strip
Bellagio, Las Vegas (88.69),
The Strip
Encore Las Vegas (87.70),
The Strip
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas (90.42),
The Strip
Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas (94.83),
The Strip
The Palazzo (89.93),
The Strip
The Venetian (88.73),
The Strip
Wynn Las Vegas (89.96),
The Strip
New Hampshire
Wentworth by the Sea, A Marriott Hotel & Spa (87.11),
New Castle
New Mexico
Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi (90.77),
Santa Fe
New York
The Sagamore Resort (87.50),
Bolton Landing
Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa (89.33),
Lake Placid
Four Seasons Hotel New York (92.11),
New York City
Hotel Elysée (88.95),
Midtown East
Mandarin Oriental, New York (87.69),
New York City
Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park (87.26),
New York City
Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park (90.82),
New York City
St. Regis New York (91.03),
New York City
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (94.48),
New York City
The Peninsula New York (87.86),
New York City
The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York (92.53),
New York City
Trump International Hotel & Tower New York (90.50),
New York City
North Carolina
Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville (89.54),
Asheville
Inn on Biltmore Estate (90.11),
Asheville
Umstead Hotel and Spa (91.11),
Cary
Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte (91.27),
Charlotte
Old Edwards Inn & Spa (92.00),
Highlands
Pinehurst Resort (90.50),
Pinehurst
Oregon
Stephanie Inn Hotel (92.63),
Cannon Beach
Allison Inn & Spa (89.65),
Newberg
Heathman Hotel (89.20),
Portland, OR
Pennsylvania
Omni Bedford Springs Resort (87.69),
Bedford, PA
Hotel Hershey (89.41),
Hershey
The Rittenhouse Hotel (87.29),
Philadelphia
Rhode Island
Ocean House, Rhode Island (96.20),
Watch Hill
South Carolina
Inn at Palmetto Bluff, a Montage Resort (93.86),
Bluffton
Belmond Charleston Place (88.67),
Charleston
French Quarter Inn (93.58),
Charleston
HarbourView Inn (88.63),
Charleston
Market Pavilion Hotel (92.20),
Charleston
Planters Inn (94.78),
Charleston
Vendue Inn (89.41),
Charleston
Wentworth Mansion (92.76),
Charleston
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort (87.56),
Hilton Head
Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort (91.14),
Kiawah Island
Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes (89.94),
Myrtle Beach
Tennessee
Hermitage Hotel (90.58),
Nashville
Loews Vanderbilt Hotel (88.67),
Nashville
Blackberry Farm (93.29),
Walland
Texas
Four Seasons Hotel Austin (89.02),
Austin
Hotel ZaZa, Dallas (87.20),
Dallas
Ritz-Carlton, Dallas (88.61),
Dallas
Rosewood Crescent Hotel (89.88),
Dallas
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek (89.79),
Dallas
St. Regis Houston (88.00),
Houston
Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas (87.80),
Dallas
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa (87.41),
San Antonio
Omni La Mansión del Rio (89.00),
San Antonio
Utah
Montage Deer Valley (91.20),
Park City
St. Regis Deer Valley (88.91),
Park City
Stein Eriksen Lodge (94.97),
Park City
Waldorf Astoria, Park City (88.75),
Park City
Grand America Hotel Salt Lake City (88.23),
Salt Lake City
Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City (88.50),
Salt Lake City
Sundance Mountain Resort (91.05),
Sundance
Vermont
The Equinox Resort & Spa (87.20),
Manchester
Stowe Mountain Lodge (89.84),
Stowe
Woodstock Inn & Resort (88.50),
Quechee
Virginia
Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City (88.32),
Arlington
Keswick Hall (89.71),
Charlottesville
Tides Inn (89.47),
Irvington
Inn at Little Washington (93.33),
Washington
Williamsburg Inn (87.66),
Williamsburg
Washington
Four Seasons Hotel Seattle (91.86),
Seattle
Hotel 1000 (89.11),
Seattle
Inn at the Market (93.56),
Seattle
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel (91.42),
Seattle
Willows Lodge (88.00),
Woodinville
Washington D.C.
Willard InterContinental (89.36),
White House/Downtown
Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC (90.54),
Georgetown
Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown (89.69),
Georgetown
Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. (88.42),
Dupont Circle
Sofitel Washington D.C. Lafayette Square (88.54),
White House/Downtown
The Hay-Adams (89.52),
White House/Downtown
The Jefferson, Washington, D.C. (90.86),
Dupont Circle
West Virginia
The Greenbrier (92.31),
White Sulphur Springs
Wisconsin
American Club at Destination Kohler (90.00),
Kohler
Iron Horse Hotel (88.75),
Milwaukee
Pfister Hotel (88.50),
Milwaukee
Wyoming
Hotel Terra (90.44),
Jackson Hole
Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa (90.74),
Jackson Hole
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole (90.25),
Teton Village
