Vacationing during the summer months means two things for travelers: large crowds and peak prices. Whether your clients are crowd-dodging value hunters planning their dream excursion or spontaneous realists looking to pull off a fun trip on the fly, following some seasoned advice can help them stay ahead of the herd this year—and maybe even pay less for it.

Dealing with Crowds

The Dream – How to Avoid Crowds

Get a guide: For some travelers, dealing with crowds may be as easy as avoiding them altogether. One way to accomplish this is by connecting with a local guide who knows how. A number of networks and websites can help travelers get in touch with reputable guides with local knowledge for varying costs, sometimes for free.

Show up early, skip the lines: Travelers visiting historic landmarks, natural wonders and other highly-trafficked attractions may want to show up early, even before operating hours as it could be the difference between unavoidable photo bombs and frameable keepsakes. For an additional cost, many museums and theme parks offer skip-the-line options that may be well worth the time your clients will save waiting.

Try smaller airports: Booking flights via smaller hubs could save your clients from headaches at busier airports. Airports like LAX and O’Hare are known for high percentages of flight delays during the summer months compared to smaller, neighboring hubs like John Wayne and Midway.

The Reality – How to Prepare for Crowds

Accept them: Even if your clients plan their best to avoid crowds, experienced travelers know doing so during peak season is in some ways impossible. Preparing your clients for dealing with crowds could help manage their expectations and put them in the right mindset to go with the flow and enjoy themselves.

Protect their trip: Offering protection with travel insurance can help provide the peace of mind that even if your clients’ plans don’t go perfectly, they have some safeguards in place. Should your clients get stuck at an airport because their plane has a mechanical breakdown or because of a storm, travel insurance can help give your clients the backing they need to get back on track. Even if the original airline doesn’t have seats on another flight right away, travel insurance can provide reimbursement for additional costs your clients have to pay to catch up to their itinerary. So if your clients can only find seats on another flight with another airline, you clients can go ahead and book without having to persuade the original airline to endorse their ticket.

Ways to Save

The Dream – Book in Advance with a Flexible Schedule

Time it right: The best way to save money on peak season travel is to book well in advance as prices rarely drop as summer travel dates approach. Ideally, your clients have some flexibility with their schedule and can snag the best deals by vacationing mid-week or at the early/late end of the season. Steering clear of local happenings like big summer events, religious celebrations or school breaks can also help keep costs down in addition to helping your clients travel during quieter times of year when locals are more receptive to visitors.

The Reality – Be Open to What’s Possible

Alternative lodging: Your clients may have missed the “book early” boat and be rustling up a last-minute trip. They can still save by being open to options they might not have previously considered. For instance, alternative lodging like home sharing can help travelers save when booking late.

Alternative destinations and trip types: If your clients have rigid schedules and their dream destination is out of their price range, encourage them to be flexible. Having a few destinations in mind and letting the airfare decide could help them save hundreds, as can considering counter-intuitive trip types— like cruising the Caribbean during hurricane season. Its off-season status keeps the Caribbean affordable during the summer months and while it may seem counter-intuitive, a cruise ship’s ability to redirect itself and travel to alternative ports can make for a preferable option to a resort vacation during the storm-prone summer.

Help protect their trip: If your clients aren’t sure about taking a leap of faith, telling them about how travel insurance can help with certain risks could give them the confidence they need to try a trip they hadn’t planned on. For instance, protection offers reimbursement for prepaid costs if they need to cancel because of a hurricane-related event like a cancelled flight, mandatory evacuation and more. Plus, plans provide 24/7/365 emergency assistance so your clients have help in their back pocket while traveling, anytime.

Get your clients ready for their peak season vacation by passing on these pieces of wisdom and they’ll be well on their way to unwinding along with the rest of us­—crowds, costs and all—complete with a protection plan from Generali Global Assistance and a commission for you. Want to discuss other ways to earn more this summer? Contact your dedicated account manager to set up a customized sales training and to learn more about maximizing insurance take rates at your agency.

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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From sickness to adverse weather to terrorism to natural disasters, travelers are faced with an innumerable number of disruptions that can affect their carefully calculated plans. With so many possible problems on the horizon, your clients may be aware travel insurance can’t take care of everything that could go wrong.

So how can travel insurance help the everyday traveler? Check out our top four travel protection features and discover the ways insurance provides peace of mind for millions of travelers every year.

Financial protection for prepaid expenses

Travel purchases are frequently subject to cancellation penalties. If your clients have to cancel or interrupt their plans, they may only receive a partial refund of their prepaid trip costs. In some cases, they might not be eligible for a refund at all. More than 87% of the travel insurance plans purchased in 2016 included coverages for trip cancellations and interruptions. If your clients have to cancel or interrupt because of a covered reason, travel insurance can reimburse their prepaid, non-refundable trip cost such as airfare, lodging, cruises, tours, event ticketing and more.

Worldwide medical coverages and 24-hour emergency assistance

Whether traveling domestically or internationally, traveling safely means helping your clients make sure they’ll have medical coverage during their trip if needed. Some health insurance plans don’t cover out-of-network costs such as hospitalization and most don’t cover international expenses. Travel insurance offers a unique solution. Generali Global Assistance plans include coverage for medical expenses if your clients get sick or injured on their trip, coverage for emergency evacuations—which can be especially important for cruisers and international travelers—along with access to 24/7 worldwide assistance services for help anytime.

Baggage protection and tracking services

Lost and mishandled bags continue to pose a problem for the air travel industry, a challenge that the International Air Transport Association’s recent resolution attempts to tackle. IATA Resolution 753 requires airlines and airports to track bags more diligently—good news for travelers since a 2017 study conducted by SITA revealed 82% of participants checked at least one bag for their flight. The bad news is only 35% of airlines expect to be compliant with the resolution by this upcoming June. More good news: travel insurance can help if your clients’ bags are mishandled. Baggage coverages can help if your clients’ luggage and personal belongings are lost, damaged, stolen or delayed while 24/7 travel assistance services can help your clients locate and replace their lost or stolen baggage.

Reimbursement for unexpected costs

Delays happen. Approximately 22% of departing and arriving flights in 2017 were delayed. If your clients have a flight delay for 12 hours or more, they may need to buy unexpected meals, use local transportation, find overnight lodging or even pay additional parking or pet kennel fees. Travel insurance can reimburse for these out-of-pocket expenses, provided the delay resulted from a covered event. Generali Global Assistance plans can also reimburse additional costs to get your clients caught back up to their trip or returned home if they’re interrupted because of a covered reason, like a flight delay because of adverse weather. And if your clients’ bags are delayed for 12 or 24 hours (depending on the plan they purchased), travel insurance can reimburse for clothes and other necessary items needed during the delay.

As the travel industry evolves, travel insurance continues to help solve some of travelers’ most commonly encountered problems. Don’t forget to prompt each of your clients to travel smarter and insure their plans this peak season—you’ll earn a commission on each plan sold. To learn more about improving your agency’s travel insurance sales or to set up a customized training, 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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