Author: deb

Sell More Insurance—While Leaving Coverage Discussions to Us

Offering travel insurance can be tough. Insurance isn’t easy for anyone and coverage matters can be complicated. With years of experience, we know a few ways to make the sale a little simpler, while leaving the coverage conversations to us—your travel insurance experts. Follow these three tips, make more commission and help your clients travel satisfied.

1. Assume the sale

Not everyone thinks about purchasing insurance, but the troubles that insurance covers could happen to anyone. When offering coverage, assume your clients are aware of these risks and can travel with more peace of mind if they insure their plans.

Scripting:

“Your total before purchasing travel insurance is $X.”

2. Present the penalties

Clients with non-refundable plans may not be able to afford another vacation if they have to cancel or interrupt their trip unexpectedly. Make your clients aware of this risk. If your clients have a penalty schedule, offer travel insurance after you explain it to them.

Scripting:

“If you have to cancel within X days before your trip, you will be held responsible for $X in cancellation penalties. However, I can add travel insurance to your booking for $X and you’ll receive coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions from covered reasons.”

3. Better safe than sorry

Coverage is detailed and your clients might want to think about it. Travel insurance comes with a free look period for this purpose. Clients can buy coverage when they book and review their plan details within the free look period. If they decide to cancel their coverage during the free look, they’ll receive a full refund of their plan cost, (provided they haven’t traveled or filed a claim). This scenario is preferable to clients opting out at booking and something happening while they’re deciding whether or not to purchase coverage. At that point, it’s too late.

Scripting:

“We highly recommend purchasing insurance while booking today. Sometimes travelers aren’t sure and decide to wait, then something happens before they’re able to purchase coverage and it’s too late. If you buy coverage now, it comes with a free look period and you have the next 10 days to decide if you want to keep it. If you decide to cancel, you’ll receive a full refund of your plan cost, as long as you haven’t traveled or filed a claim.”

If your clients start asking coverage questions, don’t fret, our representatives are happy to help answer them. Encourage your clients to contact our customer service team: 866-999-4018.

Insurance aside—what are some of your tried and true tips for making the most out of your wave season bookings? Send them to us, we’ll be sharing your suggestions on social media in the coming weeks.

Send My Suggestion

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as Generali Global Assistance and Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance, in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general information on Generali Global Assistance’s products and services only. The information contained herein is not part of an insurance policy and may not be used to modify any insurance policy that might be issued. In the event the actual policy forms are inconsistent with any information provided herein, the language of the policy forms shall govern.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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Winter Travel Chaos: How Vacation Rental Insurance can Help in Case of Sickness, Weather and More

Whether your guests are escaping the cold or headed to the slopes for a ski weekend, traveling during the winter season comes with its own set of hazards. Smart travelers know that getting caught without a travel insurance plan could be a costly opt-out, especially when winter brings illness and travel delays.

Last winter was one of the most severe flu seasons in recent memory and winter storms packed a wallop, causing trip cancellations and travel delays across the country. Read below for risks for guests to be aware of when traveling this winter season, how travel insurance might help alleviate those risks, plus some winter travel tips.

Vacation Rental Insurance for Flu Season

Flu season can have serious consequences for a trip. For instance, just before your guests expect to leave on a vacation, someone staying at the reservation gets too sick to travel. Your guests could be out of luck if they have a non-refundable reservation, airline tickets or other prepaid trip costs and can’t get a refund. One in six U.S. adults have been forced to cancel, interrupt, or delay their travel plans, and medical conditions are often the cause. But, a travel insurance plan can help your guests in this situation

Generali Global Assistance vacation rental insurance plans include coverage in case your guests get sick and need to cancel or interrupt their trip. They can be reimbursed for unused, non-refundable, pre-paid trip costs that they would otherwise lose. Keep in mind that the illness must occur after your guests purchase their plan, the sick person must seek the in-person treatment of a physician and be unable to travel, according to a physician. Your guests can also be covered if a non-traveling family member is hospitalized and your guests are unable to make the trip.

The 2018 flu season was one of the most severe in the last 40 years, with record hospitalization rates and more than 80,000 deaths.  The flu season can last from October to May, but often peaks in January and February.

Typically, people over the age of 65 are the most likely to be hospitalized during flu season. Travelers in that age range should be especially aware of winter travel risks and how travel insurance can help.

Watch the Ice on the Steps

With winter weather comes the increased risk of injury from falling on ice and snow, shoveling snow or de-icing your car along with accidents from winter sports. The rate of car accidents also sky rockets this season. Each year, more than 418,000 people are injured in weather-related car crashes in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control ranks falls as the top cause of injury among older Americans, a situation that becomes even more concerning during the winter.

Similar to illness, a vacation rental insurance plan can cover the cost of your guest’s vacation if they’re injured before or during their trip and they’re within a penalty window. Whether or not your guests decide to insure their plans, we recommend following these tips to avoid common winter accidents that could throw a wrench in their travel plans.

Winter Storms

Winter storms are inevitable. They happen every year, and whether your guests are flying or driving to their destination, if they get caught in one, chances are they’ll experience some sort of travel delay.

Bad weather is always a risk when flying, but if a winter storm hits, flight cancellations and delays are bound to happen and your guests may take on some unplanned costs. If this happens, travel insurance can provide coverage for additional expenses to help get your guests to their destination as planned or back home, in addition to reimbursing for lost trip costs. Coverage is also included for certain out-of-pocket costs, such as meals, local transportation or even additional lodging or parking charges.

Check this list of the U.S. airports with the most weather delays. Your guests may wish to avoid connecting in those airports during the winter.

Keep in mind, if a weather event, like a blizzard is foreseeable, then travel insurance may not cover it. If the plan is purchased after a storm is named, coverage is typically not provided for losses resulting from that named storm.

Winter Sports

Whether your guests are traveling to take part in wintertime sporting activities or are ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, sledding or any of the other cold weather sports before their trip, one wrong slip can send someone to the hospital and put a quick end to their vacation plans.

Travel insurance also provides coverage for emergency medical evacuations if a guest is injured during their trip—a potentially important safeguard for winter sport travelers.

Baggage

Airlines are updating technology each year and doing a better job of handling bags so they don’t get lost as often. But, all that progress can be quickly lost during the chaos of a winter storm. Just last year, tens of thousands of bags were lost at JFK Airport during a storm, and even 11 days afterwards, hundreds of travelers were still left without their baggage.

47% of airline’s delayed bags in 2016 were misplaced during transfer.

The best tip for avoiding such a fate is to fly direct whenever possible, and if a connection is necessary during the winter, your guests should try to connect through an airport that isn’t usually hit by winter weather. Or, follow these tips to only pack a carry-on and still bring the winter weather clothing you need.

It may also be helpful for your guests to have travel insurance with coverage in case their bags are delayed. Generali travel insurance includes this with each of our vacation rental insurance plans. This means they can receive coverage if they have to buy additional personal effects because their bags were delayed.

From storms to the flu, travel is all the more unpredictable during the winter months. The best way to help your guests plan ahead for unforeseen travel mishaps is to offer a vacation rental insurance plan when booking their trip.  To learn more or to set up a training session, contact your account manager.

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as Generali Global Assistance and Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance, in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general information on Generali Global Assistance’s products and services only. The information contained herein is not part of an insurance policy and may not be used to modify any insurance policy that might be issued. In the event the actual policy forms are inconsistent with any information provided herein, the language of the policy forms shall govern.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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Risks without Reward: Why It’s Important to Insure

Travel insurance is pretty much never your client’s top-of-mind concern when booking a trip. The cost of purchasing a plan may not seem worth it when it comes time to buy. So why recommend they spend their hard-earned vacation savings on something so “un-fun”? The simple answer: because things happen and they can happen to anyone. Getting caught on a trip without insurance could be costly if your clients opt-out.

Purchasing a plan could be the difference between knowing what to do and having to make a tough decision. Or the difference between having travel insurance coverage and assistance services on your client’s side vs. a heap of uncovered, out-of-network medical bills.

Here are a few common scenarios resulting from covered events where travel insurance can make all the difference for your clients.

Family of five taking a beach vacation: Tough decisions

It’s the day before a vacation and a quick trip to the doctor confirms your clients’ fears: the youngest has the flu. Being well prepared and savings-savvy, your clients purchased their travel arrangements well in advance, including flights, their condo reservation, theme park passes and concert tickets—all of which are non-refundable.

Your clients aren’t sure what to do—should some of the family try to take the trip anyway? Nobody likes the idea very much and their youngest has been looking forward to their first visit to the family’s favorite theme park for months. If your clients purchased travel insurance, making a tough decision could be a lot easier. Instead of worrying about trying to salvage the vacation in some way, your clients could cancel and file a claim for reimbursement for up to 100% of their insured trip costs, provided all coverage requirements are met—giving your clients the opportunity to reschedule their vacation for a time when everybody can take the trip and enjoy it as they’d planned.

Single professional touring Europe: Unexpected itinerary changes

Your client just started their multi-city, two week trek through Western Europe when an unexpected storm cancels their flight out of JFK. Stuck in the states, your client will have to wait and fly across the Atlantic the following day, missing their connecting flight in Dublin. Unsure when they’ll make it to Brussels, your client is also forfeiting at least one night of lodging and is worried they might miss their tour group’s departure to Paris the next morning.

These types of unexpected delays are what travel insurance is designed for and if your client purchased a plan it can help in several ways, up to the benefit amount provided. Because your client’s delay is six hours or more, the plan provides coverage for dinner and an overnight hotel stay in New York—a weight off their shoulders while they call our 24/7 travel assistance team for help planning their new itinerary. Your client’s travel insurance can provide coverage for their prepaid travel arrangements they have to forfeit, like their first night of lodging in Brussels and any missed tour days. And if it turns out your client has to book a flight with another airline or purchase additional transportation to catch up to the tour in Paris, travel insurance can provide coverage for these costs as well. Having booked their long-anticipated tour on a budget, your client is relieved and relaxed to have travel insurance on their side, and grateful you recommended it to them since airlines aren’t obligated to cover any of these costs.

Senior couple taking a cruise: International medical costs

Your clients are enjoying a Caribbean cruise for their 45th wedding anniversary when the Mrs. takes a spill on the upper deck and injures her ankle. She receives medical assistance from the ship’s on-board physician, but the facility is limited so your clients will have to cut their trip short to seek more thorough care for their medical emergency. Your clients contact our 24/7 assistance team who speaks with the on-board physician and arranges for your clients’ transportation to the nearest suitable medical facility that can adequately treat the injury

In addition to assisting your clients and arranging for their transportation to the nearest hospital, your clients’ travel insurance plan can also reimburse them for their missed cruise nights and overnight lodging, meals and local transportation while your clients are delayed. Once your clients can return home from the hospital, travel assistance can help arrange the flight back and their insurance coverage can provide coverage for the cost to modify their return tickets.

Without travel insurance, your clients would be navigating this difficult situation on their own, facing unfamiliar circumstances and international medical expenses that their primary insurance is likely unable to cover. With our plan on their side, Generali Global Assistance is able to work with the cruise line on your client’s behalf to help them get the treatment that they need.

While no one wants to think about them when planning a trip, travel mishaps are quite common. Relying on travel suppliers to “make things right” if something goes wrong might leave your clients high and dry, so recommending your clients purchase travel protection could be the best piece of advice that you can give them. If you have any questions about our plans our customer service team is available seven days a week.

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as Generali Global Assistance and Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance, in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general information on Generali Global Assistance’s products and services only. The information contained herein is not part of an insurance policy and may not be used to modify any insurance policy that might be issued. In the event the actual policy forms are inconsistent with any information provided herein, the language of the policy forms shall govern.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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Summer Vacations are Ripe for Travel Protection

More Americans are taking summer vacations this year—68%, a six percent rise from 2016, according to our annual survey findings.* This good news for the travel industry comes with even better news for you: although nearly half of travelers are planning to stay in the U.S. (46%), summer’s travel trends call for trip protection. Find out how Americans’ summer travel habits can benefit from protection this season, helping you sell more insurance, earn more commission and improve overall customer satisfaction.

Advance Bookings

46% of U.S. travelers are booking their summer trips at least four months in advance. If your clients book ahead and have to change their plans, their prepaid travel arrangements may be non-refundable or subject to cancellation penalties or fees. Travel insurance can help your clients recover their prepaid costs if they have to cancel or interrupt because of a covered reason, like a flight delay from adverse weather, involuntary termination of employment or school year extension.

Credit Card Coverage

Our survey findings revealed most Americans are relying on their credit card company for travel insurance. We recommend travelers review their credit card coverage before assuming it will suit their needs. Only around 15% of credit cards offer coverage for trip cancellation, most cards don’t cover pre-existing conditions and cards typically only cover the cardholder. Travel insurance plans from Generali Global Assistance can cover up to 10 travelers, can provide coverage for pre-existing medical conditions if certain requirements are met and include trip cancellation coverage for covered events, among other advantages.

Home Sharing

Home sharing’s popularity continues to rise, particularly among millennial travelers with 59% saying they’d rent a privately owned home or apartment this summer, compared to 38% of the general public. 55% of travelers are choosing to stay in a hotel (still the most popular lodging choice) but this number fell two percent from last year. If your clients are exploring home sharing options, they may find cancellation policies can vary between listings sites and home owners. Travel insurance can help provide peace of mind for new home sharers accustomed to  free cancellations up until a day or two before check-in. Should your clients need to cancel their home share reservation due to a covered reason, travel insurance provides coverage.

International Travel

Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Italy, France and the Olympic Games in Tokyo are the favored foreign destinations for those wanting to travel internationally, according to our annual survey. Highly recommended for international trips, travel insurance provides medical coverage and 24/7 emergency assistance services for travelers. International travelers may also be spending more than the average American vacation budget ($2,643), standing to lose more should they have to cancel or interrupt their plans because of a covered reason.

Remind your clients about the ways travel insurance can help protect their summer vacation plans this year and beyond so they can relax and enjoy themselves and so you can make the most of the season. Generali Global Assistance plans can be purchased up until the day before departure and our customer service team is happy to answer any coverage questions that you have. To set-up a customized training or to discuss ways to improve insurance sales at your agency, contact your dedicated account manager.

*All statistics are based upon Generali Global Assistance’s annual summer travel trends survey, unless otherwise noted.

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as Generali Global Assistance and Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance, in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general information on Generali Global Assistance’s products and services only. The information contained herein is not part of an insurance policy and may not be used to modify any insurance policy that might be issued. In the event the actual policy forms are inconsistent with any information provided herein, the language of the policy forms shall govern.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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