Top 10 Reasons to Buy Travel Insurance

There are many circumstances that could cause you to cancel your trip, return home early or force you to seek emergency medical treatment while traveling.

While most trips happen without any hitches, insurance covers your investment on the chance that something might go wrong. To demonstrate the importance of purchasing travel insurance and emergency travel services, here are 10 common examples of what could go wrong.

1.It's 10 p.m. and you and your immediate family arrive at the airport for a connecting flight, only to find that your flight has been cancelled. Who can assist you with finding new flights to get everyone home?

2.Your bag was lost with your insulin inside. You need help to locate your bag as soon as possible and have your emergency prescription filled. Who do you call?

3.Your first visit to Europe, and your passport and wallet are stolen. Where do you turn for emergency cash, and how will you get your passport replaced?

4.You're involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. Who will help arrange and pay for a medical evacuation?

5.If your sister-in-law becomes seriously ill and you must cancel your trip, what happens to your non-refundable deposits or pre-payments?

6.You arrive at your destination and your luggage doesn't. If it's lost, who will help you find it? If it's delayed, who will pay for your necessities? If it's stolen, who will pay to replace it?

7.Your cruise line or airline goes bankrupt. Who will pay for your non-refundable expenses? Who will help get you to your destination?

8.You're walking down a street in Arusha and twist your ankle. Who can help you find an English-speaking physician?

9.Just before your scheduled departure to Africa, a volcano in Iceland begins erupting and disrupts travel throughout Europe (where you are scheduled to connect en route). Who can help you change your travel arrangements or who will pay if you must cancel your trip?

10.You are at a beach resort and you are forced to evacuate due to an approaching cyclone. Who will help you evacuate and who will reimburse your lost vacation investment?

British Airways Strike?

There are reports today that British Airways cabin crews are planning to strike up to 20 days between May 18th and June 9th, 2010. At the moment, all flights are operating normally. If you are booked on BA during these dates, check their website or phone them to ensure your flight is operating normally.

Also, that pesky Icelandic volcano is acting up again causing some havoc in Europe. The ash cloud has reached Morocco this time. The impact to air travel is less significant this time, but significance is all about who is affected - especially if it is you. All of this is a reminder to purchase travel insurance when you invest in a trip! It gives you peace of mind knowing that should a problem arise, you are protected.

FAQs About Travel Insurance and the Iceland Volcano from Travel Guard, one of our Preferred Providers

Frequently Asked Questions The below questions and answers apply to policies purchased through Travel Guard Group, Inc. USA (Travel Guard), one of AAC's preferred travel insurance providers.

Question One: "I am scheduled for future travel and purchased my insurance policy prior to this volcanic event. If this volcano subsides and then erupts again, causing my future travel plans to be disrupted, will this be considered unforeseen and could coverage apply?"

Answer: Under most of our US products, you would be covered based on your purchase date being prior to April 14, 2010, subject to policy terms and conditions. We encourage you to contact our 24/7 Service Center or your Travel Guard sales representatives with additional questions as coverage and benefits vary by product.

Question Two: "I am scheduled to travel this summer and have not yet purchased a policy. If I purchase a policy today and a future eruption of the Iceland volcano occurs would I be covered?"

Answer: If the current Iceland Volcano situation subsides and commercial airlines resume normal schedules prior to your trip, any new eruption would be considered a new event under our US policies. Coverage would be administered according to the product purchased (based on limits and exclusions). We encourage you to contact our 24/7 Service Center or your Travel Guard sales representatives with additional questions as coverage and benefits vary by product.

Question Three: "I have insurance and am scheduled to fly out later this week. What should I do if my flight is cancelled?"

Answer: The first call you should make is to your air carrier as all airlines have made rebooking passengers impacted by this event a priority. That said, please contact Travel Guard for additional assistance, both for flight rebooking and to initiate a claim if applicable.

Question Four: "What is the coverage cut-off date for the current Iceland volcano event?"

Answer: Eligible US plans would need to have been purchased before April 14, 2010.

Question Five: "My customers are stranded away from home. What can you do to help them?"

Answer: Our 24/7 assistance centers stand ready to help you and your customers. Our services include flight rebooking, hotel rebooking, cash wire transfers, translation services, message relay and more. Our worldwide reach has also helped our insureds avoid spending nights in airports, as we have helped get them accommodated in hotels during their delays.

To purchase Travel Guard Insurance, go to this link: Travel Guard, or give us a call at 866-778-1089.