Why you should purchase travel insurance

I have always offered insurance to each and every client and require a waiver from those who choose not to purchase it. We are just such a litigious society these days and I don't want to leave myself open to liability in case someone realizes too late they did need the coverage.
So why is insurance so important? Check out Peter Greenberg's advice. Though the article is a couple of years old it is still relevant. Maybe even more so with the steady decline of airline service and increase of fees!
Maybe I'm extra cautious from personal experience with all types of insurance, but I always get it. (living in south Florida we had 5 car accidents in 2 years, only 1 our fault...my health insurance hates me I think) Luckily I've never had to make a travel insurance claim, but the peace of mind is definitely worth it. I have heard some horror stories from people who did.
My personal top reasons to buy travel insurance.....

Medical coverage
It's not just for old people! One couple on vacation in Greece found themselves needing emergency medical attention when the husband slipped and hit his head on a rock during a shore excursion. This will also cover you if you need assistance replacing your prescriptions, or if you personal health insurance does not cover you outside the U.S.


Lost or delayed baggage
The airlines lose an average of 10,000 bags PER DAY! Yep, not a year. It's still a small percentage of the total amount of luggage handled, but it still sucks when it's yours. What happens when your bags are delayed and you're hopping on your cruise ship in a couple of hours. Who's going to reimburse you for all the clothes you have to buy till you get back? (Well, let's hope you're not in this situation b/c you've also taken my advice to never fly in on the day of sailing, but that's another blog)

Travel Guard covers your kids free!
pretty self explanatory, you can't beat free.

Hurricanes
Cruisers biggest fear behind 'not being able to drink all that water'. Get your money back, not just a cruise line voucher in the event your trip is canceled.

NY Times says 'Worst Part of A Trip May Be Booking It on the Web' My thoughts exactly!

A New York Times article this week expressed consumers growing frustration with online booking. According to Forrester Research, people are getting frustrated with all of the small print restrictions a room categories that they must sort through using an online only booking. “Travel companies expect the consumer to behave like a travel agent,” he explained. “The question I always ask these guys is, ‘Could your mother-in-law use your Web site without having to call you for help?’ The answer is always no.”

Top 10 Tips to Overcome Airline Stress

Check out Forbes Traveler's Top 10 Tips to Overcome Airline Stress. I don't know if you can overcome the airline stress, but there are some great tips to deal with it. Airports and flights are just a necessary transportation evil to me. They are a pain to deal with! One of the best parts of living in South Florida was not having to fly to go on a cruise. I wish I could just wake up in my chosen destination without having to go through this pre and post trip torture.
These travel cartoons pretty accurately reflect my view of air travel these days.