If your travelers haven’t already booked their holiday trips, they will be soon. The bustle around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year make it one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. Inclement winter weather and the increase in flight delays and cancellations around the holidays can create real travel headaches for your customers.
According to AAA, 2015 was the busiest Thanksgiving travel season since 2007 and the number of year-end holiday travelers topped 100 million for the first time. There’s no sign that that momentum will let up this year. Your clients might rest easier during this busy travel time if they have travel insurance backing them up.
Here are some reasons to offer a CSA plan to your clients when they’re booking their holiday travel:
More Flight Delays and Cancellations
Over the 2015 Winter Holiday travel period 26% of flights were delayed and 2% were canceled, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That’s about 50% more delays and cancellations than usual! A travel insurance plan with coverage for Travel Delay and Trip Interruption can really help travelers during the holidays.
Cold and Flu Season
Cold and flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter, with serious infection starting to spread in October—just in time for holiday travel. CSA’s travel protection plans include a number of coverages and services that could help in case of flu or other sickness.
If an insured or one of their family members or travel companions becomes sick and is unable to travel they could be reimbursed for unused, non-refundable pre-paid trip costs under Trip Cancellation coverage. If an insured traveler picks up a bug from a crowded airport while on vacation they could use the Teladoc† service included with CSA Travel Protection plans to connect instantly with a network of physicians for information, advice, and treatment, including prescription medication when appropriate. Or, if they need to see a doctor, Medical and Dental coverage is included with our travel protection plans.
Winter Weather
56% of travelers have reported experiencing a trip delay or cancellation due to inclement winter weather, according to TripAdvisor. Storms wreak havoc on travel plans, from flight delays to road closures.
When offering travel insurance to clients we suggest using anecdotes to express what could happen to disrupt a trip and how a CSA Travel Protection plan can help in those situations. With a majority of winter travelers having experienced a delay or cancellation of their trip first-hand, they’re probably already well aware of the potential impact of unexpected winter weather on their vacation. You just need to remind them and let them know how travel insurance can help.
Identity Theft
“The hustle and bustle of the holidays creates the perfect environment for thieves bent on stealing your credit cards or other financial information,” said Loretta Worters, vice president, Insurance Information Institute.
Identity theft is something that travelers should be especially wary of, as they’re usually carrying documents, IDs and credit cards in unfamiliar places. Throughout the year, 20% of travelers report that an item with sensitive information has been lost or stolen while on a trip, and chances that a traveler will be pick-pocketed go up when dealing with extra-crowded airports and tourist spots. Also, it’s more likely that busy travelers will connect to unsecured airport WiFi—well-known hotspots for identity theft scammers.
Travelers who buy a CSA travel insurance plan have access to our Identity Theft Resolution Service* while on vacation and also after their trip, since often times travelers don’t notice the theft until they arrive home. Identity Theft Resolution Service is automatically included for a full 180 days starting on the traveler’s scheduled departure date.
Rental Car Damage
If your client is renting a car, keep in mind that some of CSA’s travel insurance plans include Rental Car Damage coverage, in case the rental car is damaged due to collision, fire, flood, theft, vandalism, windstorm or hail.
If your clients don’t have coverage for an upcoming holiday trip, it’s not too late! Remember to offer your customers CSA Travel Protection.
*ID Theft Resolution does not include assistance for thefts involving non-U.S. bank accounts.
†Teladoc services may not be available in all states, and international services may be limited.
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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