Travel Insurance, please don't leave home without it!

So I'm writing this in between Kleenexes as I fight off the last vestiges of a bout of common cold.  I've been coughing and sneezing my way through this week and, to make matters worse, the rest of my family is now starting to show symptoms.  Soon they will also know the inconvenience and irritation a simple illness can bring.  Luckily, I didn't have any travel plans this week- no cruise or tour booked.  If I had, I might have considered cancelling it.  "What? Cancelling it!" I hear you through my laptop , "You would have been crushed with cancellation penalties!"

Nope. I never travel without Travel Insurance. One of the benefits of a Travel Insurance policy is the Cancellation Protection.  With valid proof of an illness, travel insurance will reimburse you whatever cancellation penalties you incur from the travel suppliers.  I've used it before, when my wife became ill right before a Bahamas cruise.  It took about 30 days to process the claim, but the money was reimbursed.

I hear from clients, all the time, when discussing insurance- "Oh, we're going no matter what."  That's very easy to say when you're feeling great!  But it doesn't take much of an illness to change your mind about that cross country flight or that cruise that's gonna go uuup and down and uuup and down. Also, keep in mind that many travel providers have restrictions about travelers who are ill-  it doesn't take much to be DENIED BOARDING at the pier.  Cruise ships do not want even mildly sick people on board, because their closed environment makes illnesses easy to transmit.  You've probably heard the stories about outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships- this one way it happens.

Another fairly common scenario is when a family member falls ill- say an elderly parent- and you find yourself in the situation of deciding whether to stay by their side or eat a huge cancellation penalty.  Any travel insurance policy worth its salt will cover not only the travel party but close family members as well.  I never hope you never have to be in the situation of  having to decide to care for your sick relative or go on your 14-Day Tour of Ireland, but if you are, it's great to know that you've covered your travel with a great insurance policy.

Travel Insurance does much more than just protect you from cancellation penalties.  It protects you in case you run into unexpected medical situations while traveling- including air evacuation, it covers loss of baggage, and offers you a 24 hour hotline to get emergency help in a foreign country.  It's a lifeline I wouldn't leave home without.  Coverage may vary by state, so you'll want to get the specifics on your policy.

AMS Travel Sales uses Travel Insured International, an insurance company that has been trusted with thousands of trips.  They are a great company to work with and make the claims process as easy as it can be.  With AMS Travel Sales working with you through the claim, you can know it will be handled correctly.