WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD VACATIONS...

TRAVEL INSURANCE

With the “next” normal we need new ways to think and care about our amazing vacations. As a travel professional, travel insurance is probably my greatest challenge. No matter how extravagant or low-budget your vacation may be, there are so many things that are outside your control that could change your dream vacation into a nightmare faster than you can say “Super Storm Sandy”. For many years I, like many other travelers, was one who believed that once I had committed to a trip, I was going…NO MATTER WHAT! It just didn’t seem necessary to add the premium to the cost of the trip for something as un-romantic as travel insurance. I have seen so many situations over the years that have affected my clients, and even my own, travel plans, and my eyes have been opened to the need for a good travel policy.

One of my travel professional friends recently experienced a 7-day European River Cruise on the Danube from Nuremberg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary. While enjoying the beautiful Danube River, an elderly gentleman had to be taken off the ship by an ambulance and have open-heart surgery at a German hospital. Then 2 days later, a woman who had recently had a knee-replacement bent over to pick up her slippers and completely dislocated the new knee. The ship had to make an emergency stop and evacuate her to a medical clinic for treatment. One of the most common is a missed connection. On the way home from the river cruise, the flight from Budapest to Vienna was delayed for mechanical reasons and a family on the flight missed the tight connection to their Transatlantic flight home to Chicago. They were forced to stay an extra night at an expensive Vienna Airport Hotel, including having to purchase dinner and breakfast for themselves and their three children. Any of these situations would be extremely stressful and could be financially devastating if you don’t have adequate travel insurance. And I bet in each instance they told their travel agent: “Nothing is going to keep us from going on that trip…NOTHING!”

So, you’re not elderly…you’re healthy…you’ve already confirmed with your boss 3 times that you can have the time off…nothing is going to keep you from going on your vacation and nothing is going to go wrong while you are there…right?!?!

Consider these possibilities:

1. One of your parents falls and injures themselves and needs you to be their caregiver

2. One of your adult children falls ill or needs surgery and has nobody to watch the grandchildren…they need Grandma!

3. Your flights to Miami are delayed or canceled due to the new Polar Vortex and your miss the Caribbean cruise you have been planning all year…and the ship has the nerve to sail without you!

4. Two days before your amazing Italy tour, your largest client at work announces that they will be canceling the contract if you aren’t in their offices by 9:00 am 3 days from now

5. The volcano in Iceland erupts again, spewing ash into the sky and all Transatlantic flights are canceled for 3 days. You are stuck in Paris for an extra few days where the average hotel room costs $400 per night and you miss an important sales call back at work that costs your company a huge contract…

And the list could go on and on…isn't protecting your dream vacation worth the minimal cost of travel insurance? Your peace of mind and financial well-being are well worth the investment to your Travel Professional…What about you?