Travel Insurance: Airline vs. Insurance Services of America – Why We are the Better Choice

When planning a trip, one important aspect that should not be overlooked is travel insurance. It acts as a safety net, protecting you against unforeseen circumstances that may disrupt your travel plans. While airlines often offer their own travel insurance options, a wise decision would be to purchase it from a trusted insurance agent such as Insurance Services of America. In this blog post, we’ll compare travel insurance purchased from the airline with that purchased from an insurance agent, highlighting the reasons why the latter is a superior choice.

1. Comprehensive Coverage Options: One of the significant advantages of purchasing travel insurance from Insurance Services of America is the availability of comprehensive coverage options. Our travel insurance specialists work with multiple insurance providers, giving you access to a range of policies that can be tailored to your specific needs. Whether you require medical coverage, trip cancellation/interruption protection, or baggage insurance, an insurance agent can assist in selecting the most suitable policy that covers all your requirements. In contrast, airline-provided travel insurance often offers limited coverage and may not cater to all your individual needs.

2. Unbiased Advice: When purchasing travel insurance directly from an airline, it’s essential to remember that their primary objective is to sell their own products. Consequently, they may prioritize their own interests over what’s best for you. Conversely, our travel insurance specialists have a fiduciary duty to act in your best interest. They provide unbiased advice, carefully considering your unique circumstances and travel plans, and recommend the most appropriate insurance options available in the market. This ensures you get the coverage you need without being swayed by self-serving airline policies.

3. Personalized Customer Service: Insurance Services of America excels in delivering personalized customer service, focusing on building long-term relationships with our clients. We take the time to understand your concerns and answer any questions you may have, guiding you through the process of selecting the right travel insurance policy. With expertise and industry knowledge, our travel insurance specialists can explain complex policy details in a clear and understandable manner. On the other hand, airlines may not offer the same level of personalized service, leaving you with limited guidance and support.

4. Flexibility and Customization: Travel plans can vary significantly from person to person. Insurance Services of America understands this and provide the flexibility to customize your coverage accordingly. Whether you have unique destination requirements, a pre-existing medical condition, or specific travel activities in mind, our travel insurance specialists can find policies that accommodate your needs. On the contrary, airline travel agents tends to have standardized policies that may not offer the necessary flexibility or customization options.

5. Claims Assistance: In the unfortunate event that you need to make a claim, Insurance Services of America acts as your advocates throughout the process. We have experience dealing with insurance claims and can guide you on the required documentation and procedures. Additionally, we can help resolve any disputes or issues that may arise during the claim settlement. This personalized support is often lacking when dealing directly with the airline, making the claims process more complicated and time-consuming.

Conclusion: While airlines may offer travel insurance as an add-on during the booking process, Insurance Services of America provides comprehensive coverage options, unbiased advice, personalized customer service, flexibility, and customization, as well as valuable claims assistance. By choosing Insurance Services of America, you can ensure you have the right coverage tailored to your specific needs, allowing you to travel with peace of mind.

Remember, travel insurance is an essential investment in safeguarding your travel plans, so it’s crucial to make an informed decision. Call us at (800) 647-4589 or email us at help@InsuranceForTrips.com to find the best travel insurance policy that suits your needs, ensuring a worry-free travel experience.

Men Vs. Women on a Plane

US State Department Travel Warning for Honduras

Traveling around the world has risk.  Limit your financial risk of unforeseen illness and accidents with a high quality travel insurance policy.

The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning for Honduras to inform U.S. citizens about the security situation in Honduras.

Tens of thousands of U.S. citizens safely visit Honduras each year for study, tourism, business, and volunteer work. However, crime and violence are serious problems throughout the country. Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world. San Pedro Sula is considered to be the world’s most violent city, with 159 murders for every 100,000 residents in 2011. These threats have increased substantially over the past several years, and incidents can occur anywhere. In January 2012, the Peace Corps withdrew its volunteers from the country to conduct an administrative review of the security situation.  Read More »

US State Department Travel Warning for Mexico

If you are traveling to Mexico, the we recommend purchasing a travel medical insurance policy.  The US State Department warns in every US Passport to check with your current health insurance company to ensure you are covered outside the US; furthermore, the US State Department warns that Medicare does not cover you abroad.  Contact us for a travel medical insurance quote.

The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens about the security situation in Mexico. General information on the overall security situation is provided immediately below. For information on security conditions in specific regions of Mexico, which can vary, travelers should reference the state-by-state assessments further below. Read More »

What is the Dirtiest Item in Hotels?

Researchers from the University of Houston took bacteria samples from several items in 9 hotel rooms in three regions of the United States.  Not surprisingly  the toilet and bathroom sink recorded high levels of bacteria but you might not realize that the TV remote control and the light switch on the bedside lamp had bacteria contamination 2 to 10 times the levels acceptable at hospitals; however,  the highest levels of bacteria contamination were found in the maid’s floor mop and sponge.   That’s a problem because it means that bacteria are being carried from room to room without being sanitized.  You can read the full article online.

There are a lot of different ways to become ill while traveling.  If your current health insurance plan does not cover medical expenses while you are traveling, then contact us for an affordable travel health insurance quote.

Sardines Have More Legroom

Travel reporter Hugo Martin talks about airline seats with Jan Breuckner, a UC Irvine economics professor who has studied airlines, and Barry Biffle, chief marketing officer of Spirit Airlines.

Travel Tips for Children with Autism

The New York Times published an excellent travel article for parents of autistic kids.  A few travel tips to ease the stress of traveling on a plane are:

• Visit the airport ahead of time to familiarize your child. If possible, participate in a mock boarding experience. If none is available, call your local airport to see if they will allow you to show your child the ticketing counters, security lines and waiting areas in advance.

• Call the TSA Cares hot line — (1-855) 787-2227 — 72 hours before your flight to alert them that you might need assistance going through security.

• Call the airline ahead to alert them that you might need to board early or require additional assistance onboard. Read More »

Security Tips to Keep Safe On Your Next Trip

Follow these simple security practices which can help keep you safe on your next international vacation:

1. Vary your routes and times of arrival and departure to and from your hotel;
2. Keep your rental vehicles locked and the windows rolled up at all times;
3. Maintain a low profile; do not linger outside of supermarkets, restaurants or public spaces for too long;
4. Be aware of what is around you;
5. Be especially alert during times of entry and exit from a cab, store, restaurant and hotel;
6. Always leave yourself an escape route when driving; do not allow yourself to be blocked in;

“Trust your instincts.  If a situation compels you to fear for your safety, your intuition is usually correct.”

Planning a Vacation? Consider Flying On These Days

Purchase Travel Medical Insurance

Uncensored Safety Tips from a Nuclear Power Plant Operator

Enjoy today’s featured article from our guest blogger who is also a client:

In my 20 years’ travel with the IAEA and nuclear power clients, I’ve had my share of “experience”; even my semi-diplomatic status with the UN does little to help.

Keeping yourself safe from passive pilferage is hard enough.  But, when traveling, whatever you do, don’t even consider accepting anything from, or doing anything involving, a stranger – wave-down taxi rides (not booked by the hotel), shell- and three-card monty games, “free” souvenirs, too-friendly locals (of either sex), shops with “deals of the century”, even thieves posing as police or government officials.   These are primarily in the “tourist areas” but not limited to by any means.   We Americans are friendly by nature and don’t want to be rude.  Without sounding too cynical, these folks gave up “politeness” and shame long ago, and are trying to survive in some very cruel places.  They are clever and motivated, and they understand your Western puppy-dog friendliness and how to use it against you.  Read More »