Do you really need travel insurance?

Travel Insured Responds to MSNBC Article Questioning Travel Insurance
Travel Insured responded to a June 11th article on the MSNBC News Web site that posed the question, “Is Travel Insurance Worth the Extra Money?,” and then gave a negative answer. “In rare instances it is a good deal, but it often duplicates existing coverage,” the sub-headline stated. Travel Insured Emailed MSNBC writer Laura Coffey recommending she consult the U.S. State Dept. Web site (http://travel.state.gov) for the government’s advice regarding medical insurance. Contrary to Coffey’s statement that “your medical insurance may be valid in other countries.” the State Dept. says “U.S. medical insurance is generally not accepted outside the U.S., nor do the Social Security Medicare and Medicaid programs provide coverage…”

Travel Insured also cited experts, such as former Consumer Reports travel editor Ed Perkins, whose research disagreed with the MSNBC opinion that “airlines reimburse lost baggage.” Perkins, in his SmarterTravel.com article of December 2006, reported that airlines find ways to avoid reimbursing clients for lost bags and added, “government rules tend to protect airlines, not passengers.” Travel Insured also suggested writer Coffey consult published accounts of the 2007 Valentine’s Day ice storm, and travel agents’ customer experiences, to learn that travelers often do not receive refunds after a natural disaster, contrary to MSNBC’s opinion that “you are likely to get a refund if your trip gets cancelled” due to a natural disaster.

Just today, I had to cancel a cruise for a new client who didn't think she needed travel insurance. She took out the policy in March, when she purchased the cruise. In April, she underwent surgery which had to be repeated last month since the injury did not heal. Had she not taken out insurance, her penalties from Royal Caribbean would have been $1884. Luckily she will be getting that money refunded by Travel Insured.

Globus tour of Switzerland Review

Globus Tour -- Switzerland at Leisure

As my 11 day bus tour of Switzerland with Globus approached, I began thinking about the possible bus mates I would have. I was already going with seven other friends, but the makeup of the bus can make or break your vacation. I was very pleasantly surprised. Since our group was made up in age range from 21 – 65, we were hoping to have a varied group to complement our group. We did. We had a family with teenagers, several young singles in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, a few family duos and several couples ranging from 50’s – retirees. Everyone was friendly and we got along very well.

I was also very pleased at the accommodations that we had. All the hotels were very centrally located which made it very easy for us to stroll at night or during the day when we had some free time. The rooms were very nice. At some of the hotels we even had balconies. All the hotels offered a large and varied buffet breakfast ( equivalent to breakfast on a cruise.) There was no way that you could walk away hungry . Staying at only three hotels in 11 days does take the edge off of packing and unpacking every night and it does make for a more relaxed vacation.

Globus has a very good system for rotating seats on the bus. The tour guide explained the daily rotation system that they use, therefore everyone gets to sit in the prime location front seats and everyone gets the dreaded back of the bus. There was no arguing and running onto the bus as soon as it arrived. It made for a very pleasant bus ride.

This trip was labeled “at leisure.” We were always busy. The down time that was listed in the brochure was filled in with extra excursions to complete the trip. Yes, you did not have to go and you could have some more leisure time, but I figured I will only be here once and some of the offerings I really did want to see. I decided that if the excursions had something extra to see I would do it, if it was only another Swiss meal I would pass. The reason, I picked this tour was for the itinerary. I was very pleased about the tour itself. We definitely did see most of Switzerland. Starting out in Zurich – went north up to the German border – west to the capital, Bern near France and south to Zermatt in which you can see the highest Alps of the country. The only part of the country the tour was missing was the southern tip adjacent to Italy. My group did the 3-day pre stay that Globus offered. It was well worth the extra money. We were able to see all of Zurich at our own speed and we even spent a day going out to the traditional Appenzell region which is the western most part of Switzerland adjacent to Austria.

We used every mode of transportation that Switzerland has to offer. Trolleys, small cable cars, standing room only cable cars, trains, cog rails, ferries and of course a tourist bus. This tour allowed us to interact with native Swiss people, to experience their culture and to see what is is like to live in their country. We found out a lot about their customs. Sitting on a tour bus all day and going only to the designated tourist attractions would not offer you this. Globus had townspeople, at two of our stops, give us local walking tours. I do commend Globus on their varied itinerary.

One negative was the included meals and of those on the excursions. We were not given a choice. The meals were pre – set and after a few of them I did get tired of just beef and veal and swiss pasta or fondue. There are more than enough restaurants in every town that we visited to eat in. We did have to find them ourselves, since our tour guide would not really give us any names if we didn’t join her on the extra excursion dinners. Many nights we joined others from our group who also did not go on the pre- arranged dinners. We went with their suggestions that they were given at home or we asked reception at the hotels.

The only other negative that we found with this tour was that my group would have liked more time at many of the stops. We spoke to the tour guide and she told us she would do
the best she could in changing the length of each stop. It would depend on how much we had to do that day. This negative would be found with any bus tour though. Each day is jammed packed. This is why many people go traveling on their own. Although we would never would have seen so much of Switzerland as we did on our own.

Switzerland has a bad rap about how costly everything is. I found dinners to be about the same price I would pay for a dinner at home in New Jersey or in New York City. I spent an average of sixteen – thirty dollars depending on what you ordered. Bottled water is quite costly about $3.00 per bottle, but I found that you don’t need to buy it – tap water was one of the best I have tasted – equal to NYC. Transportation was also equal to large city prices. You can buy an all day pay in which you can use any trolley, train or ferry within the city. Swiss Rail prices are the same as New Jersey Transit.

All in all, I would highly recommend going to see Switzerland. It is a beautiful country at any time of year and definitely use Globus.

Sherry
New Jersey
Globus Tour July 2007

Help Keep Fuel Costs Affordable

An Open Letter to All Airline Customers


Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing
oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now.



For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers.

Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known.

Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.

The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem.

We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com/sos.




Sincerely,


Robert Fornaro
Chairman, President and CEO
AirTran Airways, Inc.


Bill Ayer
Chairman, President and CEO
Alaska Airlines, Inc.



Gerard J. Arpey
Chairman, President and CEO
American Airlines, Inc.


Lawrence W. Kellner
Chairman and CEO
Continental Airlines, Inc.



Richard Anderson
CEO
Delta Air Lines, Inc.


Mark B. Dunkerley
President and CEO
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc.



Dave Barger
CEO
JetBlue Airways Corporation


Timothy E. Hoeksema
Chairman, President and CEO
Midwest Airlines



Douglas M. Steenland
President and CEO
Northwest Airlines, Inc.


Gary Kelly
Chairman and CEO
Southwest Airlines Co.



Glenn F. Tilton
Chairman, President and CEO
United Airlines, Inc.


Douglas Parker
Chairman and CEO
US Airways Group, Inc.

Just some fuel for thought

Yes, we are all bombarded with the doom and gloom news about rising gas prices and that people are staying home instead of taking a vacation this year.

This week, there was an article in the Newark Star Ledger comparing the cost of taking a drive vacation this year vs last year. They compared costs of gas for 2008 at $4.09 per gallon vs $2.97 for 2007, using a car that got 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

Here were a few comparisons:

From Morristown, NJ to the Orlando area in Florida----about 1100 miles each way and about 39.5 gallons of gas each way. Price difference (1 way) in gas- $ 44.44- less than $100 round trip more than last year.

From Morristown, NJ to Las Vegas- about 2500 miles each way and almost 90 gallons of gas each way. Price difference, each way, a bit over $100- so just over $200 from this year to last year.

From Morristown, NJ to Los Angeles- about 2762 miles and 99 gallons of gas each way. The price difference is about $111 each way- or less than $225 round trip.

Of course, most of us don't drive cross country but some do drive down to Disney World or Universal Studios instead of flying.

The moral of the story is:
Despite all the news on TV which can scare the dickens out of you, is it worth not taking a vacation for a few hundred dollars?