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Forecasters predict the Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June to November, will be the strongest in over 4 years, with hot spots along the U.S. East Coast, Florida and the Gulf Coast.

Though it’s rare that vacation plans are affected by such an event, it’s always good to prepare your customers if they are traveling to a hurricane-prone area. Even still, it’s a good idea to help ensure your customers are protected this season so they can be reimbursed for their trip costs in case they need to cancel their vacations for a covered reason.

Our travel insurance plans provide coverage for a number of weather-related events your customers might encounter during hurricane season, such as mandatory hurricane evacuations, flight delays and/or cancellations, and the traveler’s personal home being made uninhabitable by hurricane or natural disaster.

Keep in mind: Once a hurricane is forecasted or it becomes evident that a storm will impact travel to your customer’s destination, the event is considered foreseeable. This means the insurance plan can no longer be purchased to cover losses that your clients might suffer from that specific storm. For this reason, it could benefit your customers to purchase travel insurance sooner rather than later.

What the forecasters are saying

• “The 2016 and 2017 Atlantic hurricane seasons will be the strongest in over four years, and have the most United States hurricane landfalls since 11 were experienced during the destructive seasons of 2004 and 2005,” according to Global Weather Oscillations.
• Probability that at least one major hurricane will make landfall:
  • Along entire U.S. coastline- 50%
  • U.S. East Coast Including Florida- 30%
  • Gulf Coast- 29%
• NOAA predicts a 70 percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms, of which 4 to 8 could become hurricanes, including 1 to 4 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).
• Want to know what the probability is that a hurricane or named storm will make landfall in your county this season? Check out the United States Landfalling Hurricane Probability Project.

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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Sign up to sell CSA's travel insurance plans

A majority of Americans are planning a vacation this summer, but did you know that their favorite foreign destination is Mexico? Or how many travelers consider issues like the Zika Virus when choosing a destination? Those are just some of the questions answered in a recent survey about summer travel habits, recently released by our 24-Hour Emergency Assistance provider, Generali Global Assistance.

See if these statistics about summer travel plans match what you’re seeing in your business. You may even notice an insightful travel trend you hadn’t seen before!

• 61% of Americans intend to go on a trip this summer, for one week (39%) or two (26%).

• The average budget is $1,771. Less than half of Americans consider summer trips to be a category in which they want to cut costs, slightly for 25% or even significantly for 17% of them. However, their intended budget plays a major role in their choice of destination (55%). Opportunities for leisure or cultural activities also play an essential role (52%).

• 27% of Americans consider health risks to be an essential factor in the choice of destination.

• When they think of their ideal vacation, they want to get together as a family, with their spouse or with friends (30%), as well as rest and find peace of mind (21%).

• The seaside (44%) and the city (43%) are the favorite destinations for their summer trips.

• As far as their practices are concerned, the preferred way for Americans to book accommodations is by computer (77%), mainly for the convenience (37%) and also because they usually book this way (21%).

• While 55% intend to book a hotel, 35% would choose to stay for free with friends or family, or at their vacation home.

• They show interest in renting an entire private home (38%) and in renting a room or shared space (20%).

• 35% of Americans would not completely switch off from work during their vacation. Half of them would spend between 30 min and 2 hours per week on it.

Read more about the survey findings

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Note: Conducted by Ipsos at the request of Generali Global Assistance on a sample of 3,000 Europeans (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Belgian and Austrian), the aim of this reference survey — carried out by telephone and published for the 16th year running — is to offer an annual estimate of the vacation plans of the citizens of the countries in question, in addition to their motivations, destinations and preferred types of trips. The 2016 survey was also carried out in the United States and Brazil with a view to comparing practices (samples of 750 individuals surveyed online in each country).

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 0821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as CSA Travel Protection 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 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.

Sign up to sell CSA's travel insurance plans

It may not seem like it, but short vacations, like Memorial Day getaways, are prime trips for offering travel insurance to your customers. It’s important that all travelers are offered travel insurance, because you never know who might find it useful or necessary.

On a short trip, one long flight delay or road closure could mean having to cancel an entire vacation, and medical emergencies can happen wherever your customers are traveling. Even last minute bookings can be disrupted by last minute cancellations, and travelers may not be able to afford to lose what they’ve invested in their trip.

Last year, a projected 37.2 million Americans traveled more than 50 miles from home and on roads that were typically clogged. And while Memorial Day is synonymous with hitting the road, more and more Americans are opting to fly, with approximately 2.6 million people taking flight during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. For those road trippers, many of our plans have rental car damage coverage available, and for those taking flights, travel delay and baggage delay coverages can help.

Chances are, this could be the only trip your client takes all year. It’s no secret that Americans are vacation-starved. A survey by online travel publication Skift found that 41% of Americans didn’t take a single vacation day in 2015, and 32% took 10 days or less. If this is the only trip they’ll take in 2016 and one of the travelers gets sick, then they could be out of luck if they rented that deluxe vacation home or have non-refundable airline tickets. For a relatively small fee, travel insurance may reimburse those non-refundable, prepaid trip costs.

“Anyone planning a trip, whether domestic or international, should consider travel insurance to help protect them and their traveling companions in case things don’t turn out as planned,” said Bob Chambers, vice president of operations at CSA travel Protection.

Problems happen more often than travelers think. One in six U.S. adults had a trip cut short or changed travel plans, according to a recent U.S. Travel Insurance Association survey. Travel insurance plans are designed to help protect travelers from certain unexpected events that can occur before and during their trips.

Sign up to sell CSA's travel insurance plans

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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Sign up to sell CSA's travel insurance plans

Back in 2006, a consumer study conducted by the US Travel Insurance Association (UStiA) showed that many trip goers who optioned not to insure their travels were, nevertheless, familiar with flight and trip cancellation protection plans; however, the majority of those travelers were not familiar with travel health insurance, baggage coverage, and medical evacuation insurance. In fact, even when surveying travelers who did purchase travel insurance plans, the study found only 50% of those consumers were aware of medical evacuation insurance.

Much has changed in the travel insurance industry over the past 10 years. More travelers are purchasing insurance than in years past and, in a risk-laden travel landscape, the demand for trip protection is on the rise. Though the UStiA study suggests Trip Cancellation was once a more widely-known travel protection coverage, many standard travel insurance plans have always included, and continue to include, a number of perhaps lesser-known post-departure coverages that take effect when your clients begin their scheduled trip.

Helping your clients familiarize themselves with these valuable components of a protection plan could help reveal the product’s overall value and also help them decide if insuring their next trip is the right choice for them.

What Post-Departure Coverages Do

Post-departure coverages are designed to reimburse your clients for specific financial losses that they might suffer as a result of travel misfortune. Unlike Trip Cancellation, the post departure coverages don’t take effect until they begin their trip. Many plans include a variety of post-departure coverages and depending on the plan they purchase, multiple coverages could be of use to them if they encounter an unexpected event that interrupts their vacation.

For instance, say one of your clients is out sight-seeing on the second day of a long-awaited family tour package when, the next thing he knows, an extra step backwards to capture the perfect photograph sends him tumbling down an unfamiliar set of stairs. A hurried visit to the nearest Emergency Room (which happens to be by no means “near” his original hotel booking) results in a fractured ankle, a string of medical bills for out-of-network medical treatment, the family’s overnight stay at a hotel near the ER, and a now useless—and completely non-refundable—tour package because it’s medically necessary for him to return home.

In this scenario, Medical and Dental, Travel Delay, and Trip Interruption are three post-departure coverages that could potentially help your client recoup his losses. In addition to seeking reimbursement for the out-of-network emergency room bills that his primary insurance provider may not cover, he can also claim compensation for lodging, meals, local transportation, and telephone calls while he’s delayed; the unused, prepaid portion of his tour package; and even additional transportation costs to return home early. Provided your client insured the entire family’s arrangements when he bought his plan, your client and his family could all return home together and claim for the full remainder of the pre-paid family trip while limiting the stress of having to give up their vacation with no opportunity for reimbursement. Like Trip Cancellation, post-departure coverages are intended to make travelers “whole” again after suffering losses resulting from a listed covered event, like an unexpected injury.

Generally speaking, Medical and Dental typically provides coverage for physician-ordered medical services varying from prescription drugs and medicines to local ambulance services if your clients get sick or injured while on their trip, while Travel Delay aims to reimburse for reasonable additional expenses like lodging, meals, and local transportation while they’re delayed. Trip Interruption provides reimbursement for the prepaid nonrefundable portion of their trip that they had to forfeit due to the unexpected interruption as well as additional transportation costs that they had to pay to return home early or rejoin the rest of their travel party.

But these are just three of several post-departure coverages included with many standard travel insurance plans. Others include Baggage Coverage, Baggage Delay, Emergency Assistance and Transportation, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Missed Connection, and even Rental Car Damage Coverage.

What’s Right for Your Clients

Depending on the nature of your clients’ arrangements, their destination, and their unique individual needs and medical histories, many different types of travel insurance plans could be a good fit for their next trip. For instance, when traveling abroad, the U.S. Department of State advises travelers to learn about a protection plan’s health insurance and medical evacuation features to ensure they’re properly protected overseas or in the event of an emergency. Or perhaps they’re scheduling a cruise and intend to bring a variety of jewelry and formal wear on board. In that case, maybe a plan with increased baggage coverage limits appeals.

Wherever their next trip takes them, be sure to look beyond Trip Cancellation and explore what a plan’s post-departure coverages have to offer your clients. To learn more about the post-departure coverages available with CSA Travel Protection’s insurance offerings, contact your dedicated account manager.

Sign up to sell CSA's travel insurance plans

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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