FISH EAGLE SAFARIS
11152 Westheimer #150, Houston, TX. 77042 • Tel 800/513-5222 * Tel 713/467-5222 • Fax 713/467-3208 * E-mail:
TRAVEL INSURANCE
WHY OBTAIN TRAVEL INSURANCE?
With the combination of political unrest in some parts of the world, the recent financial crisis and worldwide recession affecting major travel companies, and the prevalence of non-refundable airline tickets, more travelers have been purchasing travel insurance to protect themselves against unforeseen events that may impact their travel plans. There are several different types of travel insurance policies available, ranging from Trip Cancellation Insurance (TCI) to Emergency Medical Evacuation (EME), all of which vary widely in what their coverage includes.
If you are asking yourself whether you need to buy travel insurance for an upcoming trip, first look at the insurance policies you already have to see what they will cover. Some medical insurance policies will cover medical emergencies overseas while others will not. Many homeowners' policies cover Baggage Loss. Also, many credit card companies (particularly gold & platinum cards) offer their members Baggage Loss, International Medical Assistance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance if they simply charge their airline tickets on their credit card or for a small additional fee.
Another consideration is the amount of non-refundable money you are paying up-front for your trip. If you have purchased an airline ticket with no restrictions that can be changed or refunded and you are planning on paying for hotels and everything else as you go, then there is no reason for purchasing Trip Cancellation Insurance. If you're spending a lot of money for a cruise that is non-refundable if you cancel for any reason, then buying Trip Cancellation Insurance might be a prudent idea. If you're an adventure traveler who has paid $3,000 up-front for a white water rapids package deal in a remote area of South America and you won't receive any refund if you cancel, then you might want to consider both Trip Cancellation Insurance (TCI) and Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance (EME). The same is true for an African safari, which has to be paid for in full 90 days prior to departure, with cancellation penalties ranging from 20% to 100%, depending upon time of cancellation.
Evaluate carefully
Before 9/11, the travel insurance industry basically had a one-size-fits-all policy. Now, there are many different types, including low-cost policies aimed at last-minute travelers and students.
It is important to know exactly what you're purchasing. Every traveler needs to evaluate his or her issues. Not all policies cover pre-existing conditions either, and those that do usually need to be purchased early. Terrorism coverage varies, too. While the majority of claims involve trip cancellation, this is only one element of a comprehensive policy. I strongly recommend insurance that covers emergency medical needs, including potential medical evacuation -- which can cost thousands of dollars. Don't assume your personal or corporate health policy covers you on a cruise or in a foreign country.
Where to buy?
In most instances I suggest buying a policy from an independent company – we’ve used Travel Guard International, AccessAmerica, CSA Travel Protection and Travel Safe, but there are others -- as opposed to a tour packager. Why? Because if the tour operator goes out of business, your "protection" may be useless. Most insurance certificates state, "The company will not pay benefits if the tour operator or airline from whom you buy the insurance defaults. You will only be covered if you buy the policy from a third party, either a travel agent, one who is not the tour operator, or the insurance company itself." Be careful from whom you buy your contract.
A comprehensive independent policy also covers air arrangements not arranged through the tour packager. Policy costs are primarily based on trip cost and coverage levels. Typically, comprehensive travel insurance costs between 5 percent and 8 percent of the fare. If you prefer to research online, and offer comparisons of multiple companies' offerings.
TripInsurance.com can save you 40% or more on travel insurance by going directly through the underwriters rather than some of the other providers out there.
TripInsurance.com is the industry’s easiest to use, full service, travel insurance website. Consumer direct prices make the site the low cost source for quality insurance plans. Products are sorted into logical categories, and a travel insurance buyer’s guide helps travelers choose the best product for their budget.
For more information, please visit:
TRIP CANCELLATION/INTERRUPTION
Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance covers you if unforeseen events cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip. In general, this coverage is meant for illness, injury or death suffered by the insured or a member of the insured's immediate family. Some policies also cover cancellation in the event of illness, injury or death to the insured's travel companion. Most policies exclude trip cancellation in the event of war or other hostilities including terrorism, natural disasters and bankruptcy of tour operators, Some policies also exclude travel to specific destinations which are prone to political unrest.
ACCIDENT & SICKNESS COVERAGE
If you have an accident or fall ill while on your trip, you will be reimbursed for reasonable medical expenses incurred. Coverage varies widely from policy to policy. In addition, the coverage you seek should depend on what your regular medical insurance does or doesn't cover while you are traveling out of the area, particularly when traveling overseas. You should also consider the medical care offered at your destination. Many western countries have excellent socialized medical care available and you may not even be charged for the care you receive. On the other hand, you may be in a remote area of a developing country and need to be evacuated for adequate medical care, which can get quite expensive. Certain hospitals and doctors overseas will only accept cash. Therefore it is suggested to secure an emergency-medical evacuation or medical policy that will advance the needed cash and/or pay the hospital direct (the best option) or carry money instruments that can easily be converted into cash, such as dollar bills and ATM cards.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL EVACUATION
Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance covers emergency evacuation if a qualified physician determines that you must be evacuated for medical treatment to the nearest medical facility or to the United States if warranted, due to a physical injury or sickness. This insurance is highly recommended for adventure travelers who are traveling in remote areas. For example, if you fall and are injured while trekking in the Himalayas, you might need to be evacuated by private helicopter, then by airplane. This can get quite expensive. However, accidents happen anywhere. There is a documented case of a fall on a cobbled pavement in Europe which resulted in complications with a bad wrist break, etc. ending in more than $23,000.00 in medical and transportation bills.
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
A telephone number/service you can call that will direct you to English-speaking doctors while you are overseas. In some cases they will also provide a physician monitoring service, where a qualified physician from the U./S. will monitor over the telephone, the treatment you are receiving by a local physician.
ACCIDENTAL DEATH & DISMEMBERMENT
Cash payment to the insured or beneficiary in the event of accidental death, loss of sight or loss of limb.
BAGGAGE LOSS
Covers loss, damage and theft of your baggage and personal belongings. Often includes a cash payment if your luggage is delayed for more than twelve hours after your arrival at your destination. Insurance coverage varies widely from policy to policy. Prices also vary widely depending on coverage and length of trip. For comprehensive plans expect to pay anywhere from $1/day to $10+/day per person. Buying only the coverage you really need can significantly reduce your costs. Make sure you read the fine print on all plans so you know exactly what coverage you're buying.
PITFALLS IN APPLYING FOR TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE
Be aware that the application you fill out is not a legal document. To find out exactly what is not covered, read the certificate of insurance which usually is mailed to you after you sign up. You then have the right to cancel if you don't like the provisions. To know what you're getting into, insist that the company mail you a sample of the certificate before you sign up. With a little prodding, it will do so. Most travel insurers nowadays make the certificate of insurance available on their web sites.
INITIAL TRIP DEPOSIT & PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS
To qualify for the waiver of pre-existing conditions, you must take out the insurance within 7 to 14 days of making your initial trip deposit, which is the very first time you make a payment of any kind related to your travel. Thus, if you buy an airline ticket, you must buy your policy within seven to 14 days of paying for that ticket.
AIRLINE TICKETS
Please note that most airline tickets (even ones issued by consolidators) are refundable, but a cancellation fee may be charged, if you cancel after the tickets have already been issued. If you need to calculate the total amount for coverage, be sure to include the airline ticket cancellation. Cancellation fee for some SAA tickets bought through Fish Eagle Safaris is $350.00 per ticket; others are non-refundable (depending on specific fare rules).
TRAVEL INSURANCE PERTAINING TO WILDERNESS SAFARIS TRIPS:
By taking out cancellation insurance at the time their deposit is paid, the guest can usually recover any cancellation fees incurred later. Part of the contract between ourselves (Fish Eagle Safaris) and Wilderness Safaris is that our guests must be adequately covered for all insurance issues including:-
*Medical costs
*Personal accident
*Lost baggage
*Cancellation and curtailment
*Emergency evacuation from the scene of the accident or sickness to the nearest best hospital and then back to the guest's home town
Wilderness Safaris will not accept guests on safari if they do not have adequate insurance cover issued in their home country. In some parts of the world it is illegal to let a guest book travel arrangements without travel insurance. Wilderness Safaris echo these sentiments and go as far as believing that any agent who lets his or her guests travel to Africa without full insurance cover, could be held liable for negligence in the event of an incident. If a guest has no insurance and needs to be evacuated from the camps etc. then the full cost of the evacuation and medical costs will be charged to their account.
Each and every guest of Wilderness Safaris is covered by our emergency evacuation policy. After some bad experiences with the locally based emergency evacuation companies, Wilderness moved their policy to Lloyd's in London. This policy will automatically and without any exclusions, guarantee that all guests needing emergency treatment will be flown out in an emergency to the nearest best hospital, the cost of which will be recovered from the guest or from the guest's insurance policy by Lloyds.
A good policy will usually cover the costs to get the patient (and often their family too) to the best hospital with the best doctors. The policy will also take care of all the medical bills in the best hospitals - and it will also pay for the cost of getting the patient and their families back home again when the patient is ready to travel. Most air tickets cannot be changed without incurring expenses and the insurance may cover this cost as well. No policies issued in Africa will cover this with certainty. If guests do not have medical insurance, they will probably not be admitted to the better private hospitals and will have to accept whatever treatment they can get in the public hospitals (many of which are not up to First World standards).
In emergency situations Wilderness Safaris ensure that the guest is evacuated by guaranteeing payment to cover the whole evacuation on our policy. Once the evacuation procedure is underway, the guests' own policies will be used to cover the evacuation, medical bills, etc. The guests are taken care of in the best possible way, with the least possible delays.
FLYING DOCTORS SERVICE, EAST AFRICA
In East Africa our associates Nomad Tanzania and Origins Safaris as well as Savannah Tours enroll all their guests in the Flying Doctors' air ambulance service which transport patients in serious medical conditions to Nairobi, in the event that evacuation via ground ambulance is not possible or feasible.
TRAVEL INSURANCE COMPANIES
Here are the contact details for four travel insurance companies whom we have dealt with in the past. Please read insurance brochures carefully before purchasing any insurance and make sure the policy you are buying covers your destination:
Travel Guard International - 800/826-1300 -
CSA Travel Protection - 800/348-9505 -
Global Alert – 800/423-3632 –
Travelex Insurance – 888-457-4602 - website
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