Comparing Canada’s Leading Credit Cards – Emergency Medical Benefits

“I don’t need travel insurance. I already have coverage with my credit card!”
Sound familiar?

This is a common excuse many travellers have for not buying travel insurance. While their credit card travel coverage may be free, it often just doesn’t cut it.

Travel Underwriter's Product Specialists have compared some of Canada’s leading reward credit card providers’ emergency medical coverage. Here are some features that stood out:

Pre-existing condition stability periods:   
Some of these credit cards have pre-existing condition coverage, but their stability periods can’t compete. Travel underwriters’ competitive stability periods let us protect more of the customers, more often.

No penalty for waiting to notify assistance company*
Travel Underwriters puts the customers first, protecting them when they need it most. They don’t penalize travellers for waiting to notify them when something’s gone wrong. With the cards compared, travellers must call immediately before receiving care, leaving them vulnerable in a medical emergency.

Coverage for scuba** and more
Travel Underwriters’ insurance will provide coverage for fun ways to unwind including scuba diving**. This allows your customers to take the vacations they want.
                                                                             
The product you buy has the right coverage, with higher limits and more options, ensuring you feel protected on their travels.

Bridges International Insurance Services is an agent of Travel Underwriters.

Passport Trouble.....

After our recent article about passport renewal it seems we were just in time. MPs say they have been inundated with complaints from constituents who have found their passport applications delayed and friends on Facebook have shared their thoughts regarding the delay.

Thousands of people face having their summer holidays ruined because a growing backlog at the Passport Office means they may not receive their documents in time.

Some new applications are now taking as much as two months to process and there are warnings things could get even worse as the holiday season gets into full swing.

The backlog has already reached half a million according to some estimates and staff from other departments have now been drafted in to help deal with the growing crisis.

But unions claim officials only acted when the backlog reached 350,000, by which time it too late to make a significant impact.

They claim poorly paid staff are being forced to “paper over the cracks” by working overtime and have waned they could be forced to take industrial action unless urgent steps are taken to address their concerns.

In a letter seen by The Daily Telegraph Newspaper, the Unions says many of the current problems can be traced back to job cuts at the Passport Office and the use of private companies to undertake work that used to be done in-house.

As mentioned in our article HERE, you really should give yourselves plenty of time before your holiday to renew or order a passport.

For Travel Insurance quotes and Information check our website HERE.www.holsure.com

Reasons To Buy Travel Insurance - Part Three

This is our final look at reasons you should buy travel insurance - one of your first considerations - not your last. If you remain unconvinced - especially as this advice comes from a Travel Insurer - or if you think that perhaps it's too expensive, then please take a look at our web site HERE to see just how little impact a comprehensive policy can have on your overall holiday costs.

Personal Liability

What if you were to cause an accident that affected another person or their property? The legal in many countries is harsher than ours - certainly very different - and often, having a good travel insurance policy in a relatively minor situation can help you avoid arrest, an overnight stay at a local police station or worse, so it's worth reading your policy to ensure that this is included....

Legal Expenses

.....and this, as you will be provided with professional help, not only in the above situation, but also if you are injured or your property damaged by a third party. Legal expenses can be prohibitively expensive when fighting a claim - so look at your policy.

Peace Of Mind

Last, but by no means least. Just knowing you have a good policy, one that will look after you in all circumstances can help you enjoy your holiday more. Just like knowing you have a lovely meal and a great bottle of wine in the rack at home helps you get through a long Friday - having a trustworthy policy in your travel documents can help you unwind faster, relax more easily and smile more readily - and it needn't cost very much at all.

Sort yours out today.

Top Reasons to Purchase Travel Insurance

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

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 in Jamaica 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, airline or tour operator 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 Rio and twist your ankle. Who can help you find an English-speaking physician?
9. Three weeks before your scheduled arrival, a terrorist incident occurs in the city to which you are planning to visit. Who will pay if you want to cancel your trip?

Contact us for Travel Guard
http://www.travelguard.ca/agentlink.asp?ta_arc=5592

Bridges International Insurance Services

Reasons To Buy Travel Insurance - Part Two

Loss of documents or cash needn't be a trial, while you're away

Following on from our intermittent articles elaborating upon the reasons not to skimp on your Travel Insurance costs, here are four more reasons which may give you thought....

Personal Accident

I'm afraid that this is just another one of those areas none of us like to consider, yet time and agian we all hear stories of mishaps that happen to unfortunate travellers while away from home, the safety net offered by the NHS and the comfort of our friends and families. Loss of limbs, sight and even life can all leave devastation in their path and while compensation won't change the outcome of the events it may help the recovery or grief of you or your family.

Lost Luggage

Haven't we all had the nightmare of arriving at our destination, only to find that our baggage is on another continent? Or Worse - Stolen! With Travel Insurance, you can be compensated for the loss, and some policies will even cover you replacing lost clothes at your holiday destination.

Lost Documents

It's a hard enough truth to discover that you've lost your passports, tickets or other vital documents - but then to find that you have to pay for them all again.....while you're abroad....

Money

Being robbed, mugged or careless while on holiday needn't be a trial. With a good policy you can be fully covered for the loss and your holiday need not be totally ruined by your misfortune.

More to follow, but please check our website for more Travel Insurance information HERE

Hotel Wi-Fi

According to The Telegraph, Britain's hotels are among the worst in Europe when it comes to providing free Wi-Fi.

Free connection to the net is available these days in most cafés and bars on the high street and even fast food outlets have free internet availability, yet the UK lags behind the rest of Europe when it comes to hotel access. Of the 10 worst cities offering free Wi-Fi, three are in the Uk. Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester offer lower than average free availability, with the latter's hotels only offering 64% availability. 

With charges as high as £6 per hour or £20 for 24 hours, it seems that we Brits are still not vocal enough in our dissatisfaction with theses fees. 

Costs to set up Wi-Fi can range from £10 a month for smaller properties to around £300 per month for a 100 room establishment, yet many of our UK firms (Premier Inn, Travelodge,) still charge and expect us and our European visitors to pay.

The ten best cities are in Sweden (top two and number 5), 2 in Turkey, 2 in Spain, 2 in France and St. Petersburg in Russia.

Of the top 10 worst cities, 5 are German, 2 are Swiss, 3 English and 1 is Italian. 

In the high tech age of iPads, Smart Phones and Lap Tops, travellers should check whether their hotel has free internet access before booking, this may make the hotels think twice before charging in future.

If you do have Free Wi-Fi, why not check out our website HERE

Reasons To Buy Travel Insurance Part One

It's an added expense and it's already worrying you how fast these costs for your annual holiday are rocketing. You feel that you need to cut some corners somewhere to make sure the kids can have all the fun you want them to have and that the wife and you can enjoy an evening in the restaurant without wondering whether you can afford a second bottle of wine.

But it's absolutely vital that Travel Insurance is NOT one of the corners you cut - and here are some timely reminders why.....

Cancellation

Circumstances can change. Illness, work, a posting (if you're in the forces, see our earlier article HERE) or, sadly, a death in the family are just a small handful of reasons why you may not be able to even start on your long planned break. You may have lost your holiday - but you won't have lost your money....

Curtailement

You may get to where you're going only to find that you can't stay due to some of the circumstances mentioned above, but with a comprehensive policy you should be able to regain the cost of the missed portion of vacation. Again, holiday lost - but not the money.

Medical 

Ok, so you have your EHIC card in Europe (see previous article HERE), but you're unwell and you're definitely going to need more help than an EHIC card will provide, and you'll certainly have problems securing medical attention if you're elsewhere in the world. Again, with a comprehensive Travel Policy your medical bills, medicines and even repatriation to the UK will be covered. Air Ambulances can cost between £15,000 and £40,000 depending where you are, so it's very easy to see how these costs can mount.

More reasons to look at Travel Insurance coming soon, but in the meantime, why not take a look at our website HERE