Nature
Travel Specialists
nature,
wildife, adventure and general travel to Australia, Southeast Asia
and South America
Travel Insurance
PLEASE READ
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE END OF THE PAGE REGARDING THE ICELAND
VOLCANO AND THE CHILE EARTHQUAKE (and an example of why travel insurance
is a good idea for everyone)
We highly recommend travel insurance,
as many of the costs involved in travel are not recoverable once deposited
or paid for. To bring you the best prices many air tickets are non-refundable,
and although within the US such tickets can often be converted for
a (usually substantial) fee, this may not be the case overseas, or
the converted tickets not useful as they must be used in the overseas
country. Many health insurers do not cover out-of-country costs, and
where they do, transfers to medical facilities, especially of an evacuation
nature, may not covered and can be expensive. Interruptions to travel
once underway can result in expenses for accommodation, meals and
to catch up with the tour if necessary. Such interruptions may be
caused by something as simple as a doctor's visit preventing you catching
a required air flight. In this case any additional expenses will be
at your cost, and the lost services will not be recoverable.
In addition to normal travel insurance
Medical Evacuation Insurance
is also available. While normal insurance gets you to the nearest
facility, and may cover certain evacuation scenarios from there, medical
evacuation insurance allows you to choose to go to the hospital of
your choice, rather than the nearest suitable facility, back in the
US, if you cannot use commercial airline flights without medical assistance.
Annual coverage in this program covers you anywhere, including within
the US, for evacuation to your hospital if more than 150 miles from
home, including within the US or even your home state (if it's large
enough). Moreover, this is available for one annual fee, regardless
of the number of trips you take. For more information on medical evacuation
insurance, click here.
What does travel insurance cover?
There are two major forms of travel
insurance - complete coverage including trip cancellation prior to
departure and trip interruption during travel, and medical coverage
during the trip only. Both forms include baggage loss protection.
The latter is considerably cheaper than the former, but only covers
the less often used medical claims. However, all travelers should
be covered for medical problems, emergencies and evacuations while
traveling and this is the minimum level which should be taken. Most
substantial claims involve cancellation, delay or interruption of
travel plans due to unforeseen circumstances. Such circumstances include
injury or illness to a traveler, companion or immediate family; jury
duty; house damage; car accident or delay on the way to the airport,
etc. A common covered problem is a missed connection due to a flight
delay, and the need to catch up with the tour or travel arrangements,
with attendant expenses. Bankruptcy of travel suppliers may also be
included (this provision does not apply to your primary supplier,
but rather to the ground opertors, cruise lines, airlines, etc providing
the actual operations), as may be terrorist incidents at home or abroad.
Recently Travelex has added (for a fee of $28) coverage for business
related interruptions, such a being required to work during the trip
dates, military re-assignment or leave revocation, various damage
to a business locations and similar problems. This is very a useful
addition to coverage.
Most travel insurance does not cover
risky activities such as sky diving, bungee jumping, hang gliding
etc. Often scuba diving is not covered, but the Travelex policies
we recommend do cover diving provided you have an open water certificate
(such as PADI or NAUI), are accompanied by a divemaster (dive tours
and day trips that we book are), and do not dive deeper than 130ft.
In addition to actual insurance, most
insurers have emergency assistance services which will assist you
if your passport and other travel documents are lost or stolen. They
can also provide the names and addresses of English-speaking medical
and legal help in foreign countries.
Some parts of your travel may be recoverable
without insurance, such as fully-refundable business class air fares
(but note not all business class upgrades may be fully recoverable),
first class air travel or optional tours. Your amount covered can
exclude these amounts to lessen the rate.
We strongly suggest you fully acquaint
yourself with what travel insurance covers, and doesn't, and decide
whether such coverage is appropriate for you. We are happy to talk
to you about this, as there are often details not obvious on initial
reading of different companies' offerings. We assure you there'll
be no pressure to purchase, just useful information.
Travel
Insurance and Acts of God
Please be aware
that tsunamis and similar events are considered Acts of God (Force
Majeure) and are not generally convered under travel insurance. Some
policies, such as the Travelex ones below, will cover up to the limit
of trip interruption coverage for accommodation, etc, but this does
not cover returning to your home (although Travelex usually will,
in fact assist travelers under these circumstances, outside the terms
of the insurance agreement, as it did with the 2004 Tsunami), or cancelling
the trip due to damamge at the destination.
Who do I buy insurance from?
There are several well-known, national
travel insurers, and others available through credit card companies,
car organizations, and others. Any of these can be selected to cover
your trip with us. Please review their coverage carefully, as it can
vary considerably, as can the cost. As a guideline, our recommeded
insurer, Travelex,
offers complete coverage on a $4500 vacation for a traveler under
60 years of age for less than $200.
You will often read that you should
not buy travel insurance from your travel supplier. By this travel
writers mean insurance underwritten by the company supplying
the travel, not third party insurance offered through a travel
agency by independent insurance companies. If the insurance is underwritten
by a tour company, and it goes bust, so does your insurance. If you
insure through a third party, your insurance is still in place (although
you should make sure that the insurance is paid for, by receiving
a confirmation from the insurer). Even where the brochure comes in
the name of the travel company, the actual insurance may be offered
by a third party. Look on the brochure for a phone number or address
different to the travel company's one, and for information on the
underwriter.
Does Nature Travel Specialists recommend
anyone?
Our recommended insurer, Travelex,
is a major, independent third party insurer, who we have worked with
and who we consider offer excellent coverage at a very competitive
price. One of our favorite aspects of their coverage is their family
travel insurance - children under 16 traveling with a covered
adult are covered as well, without taking out their own coverage,
a considerable saving. To find out more about Travelex's coverage
and prices, please click on the Travelex logo on the left or top of
the screen, or click here.
Travelex Travel Insurance brochures for Travelex
Basic, Travelex
Select and Travelex
Max can be downloaded by clicking on their respective names. Basic
is only available to those under 50. Most of our clients choose Travelex
Select.
Our recommended Evacuation Insurer,
MedjetAssist, is endorsed
by the Medical Society of Virginia, the Southern Medical Association,
the American College of Radiology, the American Academy of Dermatology
and a number of leading travel organizations. The annual subscription
is just $250, $385 for families (all costs subject to change), and
both per-trip and grandchildren rates are available.
To find out more about MedjetAssist's coverage and prices, please
click on the Medjet logo on the left or top of this page, or click
here. A MedjetAssist
enrollment form can be downloaded here.
We strongly advise you to call us
toll-free - 1 877 285 1170 - to discuss travel and evacuation insurance
more fully, as choosing the correct coverage is more complicated than
it appears. In our experience most people pay more than necessary,
and have more coverage, than is necessary.
ICELAND VOLCANO
ERUPTION
UPDATE ON ICELAND VOLCANO
MAY 7
Explanation of Benefits Update
Coverage for plans underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
and affiliated companies or United States Fire Insurance Company
Ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Iceland have caused flight
delays in major European airports and beyond. While most airports
have recovered from the event and are maintaining normal flight schedules,
Travelex Insurance Services is pleased to provide our travelers with
coverage should they experience an upcoming travel disruption.
Travelers are eligible for coverage with any future travel issues
that occur due to the volcanic eruption over glacier Eyjafjallajokull.
This will protect a traveler for any new eruptions to the same volcano
or neighboring volcano, as well as any travel disruptions due to the
current ash cloud produced by the volcano.
Travelers who purchased a Travelex policy according to these dates
will be eligible for coverage:
· On or before April 14, 2010 or
· On or after May 5, 2010
Resulting volcanic ash clouds will be considered a covered reason
due to weather and a loss due to the physical eruption of a volcano
will be considered a covered reason under natural disaster. Coverage
is subject to the terms and conditions of the policy and applies in
the following areas:
Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption Coverage
· Weather that causes complete cessation of services of the
common carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours.*
· Delayed arrival due to a covered reason (defined under Trip
Delay) causing 50% or more of the covered trip to be missed. (Does
not apply to Travel Select for residents of NY or WA or Travel Basic).
· Natural disaster at the site of your destination that renders
the destination accommodations uninhabitable.
Trip Delay Coverage
· Delay while en route to or from final destination for at
least 5 hours or more due to a covered reason, such as delay of common
carrier or due to a natural disaster.*
Extended Coverage
· Common carrier delay causes the covered trip to be prolonged
beyond the scheduled return date.
24 Hour Travel Assistance Services
· Travelers stranded abroad can receive assistance ranging
from emergency travel arrangements and money transfers to message
relay services. Simply call the travel assistance phone number listed
on your Confirmation of Coverage.
Travelers who purchased a Travelex policy on and between April 15,
2010 and May 4, 2010 are not eligible for coverage for known events
due to the volcanic eruption and the resulting ash cloud.
*Notice WA residents: Special limitations, terms and conditions apply
to Travel Select benefits.
EARLIER INFORMATION
Ash clouds from the Wednesday volcanic eruption in Iceland have caused
flight delays in major European airports and beyond.
Travelex insurance policies consider this a covered reason due to
weather. Coverage applies in the following areas for Travel Basic,
Travel Select, Travel Max, TraveLite and Travel Plus.
Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Coverage
Complete cessation of services of the common carrier for at least
24 consecutive hours due to the covered reason.
Delayed arrival due to the covered reason causes 50% or more of the
covered trip to be missed (does not apply to Travel Basic).
Trip Delay Coverage
Delay while enroute to or from final destination for at least 5 hours
or more due to the covered reason.
Extended Coverage
Common carrier delay causes covered trip to be prolonged beyond the
scheduled return date. Conditions may apply specific to the policy
purchased.
CHILE EARTHQUAKE
The earthquake in
Chile is a natural disaster under travel insurance rules, and travelers
affected by this event are covered under a number of scenarios if
insured with our preferred insurer, Travelex (coverage may also apply
to other insurers). This coverage is described by clicking on this
Chile
Earthquake Travel Insurance link. In our opinion the unpredictability
of such events, including the Machu Picchu landslides, and the expenses
that can be incurred, from mere trip interruption problems to injuries
and evacuation, add even more weight to the wisdom of taking out travel
insurance. Company owner Andrew Haffenden was in Colombia when the
quake struck, and could just have easily been in Chile (or the earthquake
could have been in Colombia). Events such as earthquakes are not usually
considered when thinking about travel insurance - personal and family
health issues are more to the forefront - but these events can be
very costly if not covered. "I always takes out insurance when
I travel, even though I has never yet had occasion to use it (but
the time must be coming). For the usually small additional cost to
a trip the peace of mind is hard to put a value on. It would only
take one reasonable use of the insurance to repay and more all the
coverage I have taken over the years."
