Most people don't buy travel insurance because they either don't believe their going to need it (a gamble) or they believe that their present insurance and credit card assistance plans will protect them. I wish that any of it were true. A careful reading these plans provisions may surprise you as to what IS NOT included. Even in the best and most generous plans there are serious gaps in coverage.
First, your employer provided insurance does not cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, missed travel connections, lost luggage and/or trip delays. These are common issues that Trip Insurances Plans addresses directly. It only takes one trip to the airport to realize that your trip can be ruined events beyond your control. Missed flights, delayed flights, cancelled flights or bad weather on travel.
Second, while your credit card assistance program may ARRANGE for emergency medical evacuation it probably does not cover the actual medical cost associated with the evacuation or the evacuation itself. Travel or Trip Insurance directly addresses these issues and provides 24/7 assistance as well.
Even when health insurance does cover "out of country" expenses it probably will require you to pay out of pocket for medical expenses and then apply for reimbursement and all the out of provider network provisions will apply. Medicare does not provide any coverage outside the USA!
Don't get caught unprepared. When your travel consultant recommends trip insurance accept their advice and get the trip insurance. They have seen the loss suffered by clients who didn't and they are trying to help you avoid a similar fate.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
My High School Reunion
In a few weeks I will be attending my high school graduating class's 45 year Reunion. Unlike the previous reunions, none of which I attended except the 25th, I will be attending this one.
I suppose the main reason for not going to past reunions was that I only received an invitation to one. Yep, you guessed it, it was the 25th -- the only reunion I ever attended. But I doubt that was the real reason why I didn't attend, albeit it is hard to attend meetings you don't know about.
But even when I did finally get the invitation I fought a battle within myself as to whether to attend or not to attend. Seems like a simple thing doesn't it. Either you do or you do not want to attend. Well, it wasn't that simple for me.
I really did want to attend. However, at some level because I'd never received an invitation (I was a pretty public figure then and easily located) I felt a little "unwanted." Now that was a paranoia on my part perhaps born of my own insecurities.
Then there was the was the corollary to the paranoia that kept telling me that no one at the reunion would remember me. After all, I was pretty vanilla in those days. Additionally, I was pretty sure my best friend in High School wouldn't be there. Not only would no one know me I figured I wouldn't recognize anyone there. After all they were all getting old now. No, when the invitation arrived I'd send it back with the biographical information and be done with it.
Well, the invitation arrived and with a little encourage from my wife to "man up" I filled out the forms, signed the checks for the fees and mailed it that same day. So much for the battle.
The day of the reunion came and we checked into the Houstonian Hotel and had an absolutely wonderful time. To be sure some folks didn't remember me but many did. My best friend wasn't there but I made some new friends. But more importantly an odd feeling came over me that was a mixture of joy and regret that produced as resolution to not equivocate next time I had a chance to see the people with whom I shared some of the Best Years of My Life.
So I am all registered and paid to attend the 45th Reunion of the PHS Class of 1965 and I still have some of those old anxieties. But I am nervously, no excitedly, looking forward to October 30 when once more in spite of the 45 intervening years I shall be magically transported back to a simpler and wonderful time we called our high school days at Pasadena Senior High.
If your a PHS class of 1965 alumni visit our class web page and register for this years reunion. Make this one less thing about which to have regrets. http://www.classreport.org/usa/tx/pasadena/phs/1965/
I suppose the main reason for not going to past reunions was that I only received an invitation to one. Yep, you guessed it, it was the 25th -- the only reunion I ever attended. But I doubt that was the real reason why I didn't attend, albeit it is hard to attend meetings you don't know about.
But even when I did finally get the invitation I fought a battle within myself as to whether to attend or not to attend. Seems like a simple thing doesn't it. Either you do or you do not want to attend. Well, it wasn't that simple for me.
I really did want to attend. However, at some level because I'd never received an invitation (I was a pretty public figure then and easily located) I felt a little "unwanted." Now that was a paranoia on my part perhaps born of my own insecurities.
Then there was the was the corollary to the paranoia that kept telling me that no one at the reunion would remember me. After all, I was pretty vanilla in those days. Additionally, I was pretty sure my best friend in High School wouldn't be there. Not only would no one know me I figured I wouldn't recognize anyone there. After all they were all getting old now. No, when the invitation arrived I'd send it back with the biographical information and be done with it.
Well, the invitation arrived and with a little encourage from my wife to "man up" I filled out the forms, signed the checks for the fees and mailed it that same day. So much for the battle.
The day of the reunion came and we checked into the Houstonian Hotel and had an absolutely wonderful time. To be sure some folks didn't remember me but many did. My best friend wasn't there but I made some new friends. But more importantly an odd feeling came over me that was a mixture of joy and regret that produced as resolution to not equivocate next time I had a chance to see the people with whom I shared some of the Best Years of My Life.
So I am all registered and paid to attend the 45th Reunion of the PHS Class of 1965 and I still have some of those old anxieties. But I am nervously, no excitedly, looking forward to October 30 when once more in spite of the 45 intervening years I shall be magically transported back to a simpler and wonderful time we called our high school days at Pasadena Senior High.
If your a PHS class of 1965 alumni visit our class web page and register for this years reunion. Make this one less thing about which to have regrets. http://www.classreport.org/usa/tx/pasadena/phs/1965/
Friday, August 20, 2010
I hear more and more people saying that the "bad" economy they just can't afford or are afraid to take a vacation. Instead, they are opting for close to home trips commonly referred to as "Staycations." These, in general mean taking a picnic lunch to a local theme park, zoo, historical site, etc. I don't want to minimize these because they are certainly things that you should avail yourself of as often as possible. But the truth is, they are just that, local attraction available on virtually any day at a moment's notice and not "real" vacations.
I can't do to much about the "fear" factor related to job security and it's affect on vacations but the economy itself should not deprive you and/or your family of a real vacation. For example, if you normally fly to your vacation destination why not eliminate the cost of airfare by selecting a destination closer to home and use the money saved on the airfare to upgrade the destination.
One thing you could do is consider a cruise vacation! With the exception of the "heartland" we all live within driving distance of some port of embarkation. For example, people in my area (Southeast Texas) have the cruise ports of Galveston, New Orleans, and Biloxi which are all within less than a day's drive. These offer cruises of 4, 5, and 7 day duration and a choice of itineraries.
You might even lower the cost by getting together with family, friends, neighbors, church groups etc and forming a cruise group. Sometimes "the more the merrier" really is. Especially if it adds value and lowers cost.
Cruising not your thing. Why not plan a trip to the "Big Easy" (New Orleans) or San Antonio with it's River Walk, Alamo and Mission Tail. Or how about one of my favorite places, the Texas Hill Country with it's Wine Tail. The view from the Driftwood Winery's tasting room is one of the best sunsets in Texas.
Is the economy down? You bet it is! Does it have to rob you of a real vacation? Absolutely not. Call a travel consultant and let them show you how you can still have a great family vacation at a great destination while not breaking the family budget. Texas Cruise and Travel can help you with that as well. Check us out at www.texascruiseandtravel.com.
BTW - Now is the time to start planning that 2011 vacation.
I can't do to much about the "fear" factor related to job security and it's affect on vacations but the economy itself should not deprive you and/or your family of a real vacation. For example, if you normally fly to your vacation destination why not eliminate the cost of airfare by selecting a destination closer to home and use the money saved on the airfare to upgrade the destination.
One thing you could do is consider a cruise vacation! With the exception of the "heartland" we all live within driving distance of some port of embarkation. For example, people in my area (Southeast Texas) have the cruise ports of Galveston, New Orleans, and Biloxi which are all within less than a day's drive. These offer cruises of 4, 5, and 7 day duration and a choice of itineraries.
You might even lower the cost by getting together with family, friends, neighbors, church groups etc and forming a cruise group. Sometimes "the more the merrier" really is. Especially if it adds value and lowers cost.
Cruising not your thing. Why not plan a trip to the "Big Easy" (New Orleans) or San Antonio with it's River Walk, Alamo and Mission Tail. Or how about one of my favorite places, the Texas Hill Country with it's Wine Tail. The view from the Driftwood Winery's tasting room is one of the best sunsets in Texas.
Is the economy down? You bet it is! Does it have to rob you of a real vacation? Absolutely not. Call a travel consultant and let them show you how you can still have a great family vacation at a great destination while not breaking the family budget. Texas Cruise and Travel can help you with that as well. Check us out at www.texascruiseandtravel.com.
BTW - Now is the time to start planning that 2011 vacation.
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