How I could have saved $500 on my last trip

 

I love to travel! Probably why I left corporate America to become a travel writer. However, the more I travel the more I learn about what to do and not do while traveling, how to plan and prepare for my trip. Typically when you purchase a plane ticket you’re prompted to buy travel insurance. However, with all the small print you actually end up with very little coverage. I bought it one time and then when something happened I felt like I had been scammed because nothing was covered and I was just out money.

Instead of doing more research and learning about travel insurance I just stopped using it all together.  And let me tell you, that was a bad idea. Definitely, not smart on my part. I learned this the hard way on my most recent trip to San Francisco.  Being a travel writer gives me so much flexibility, I’m able to spontaneously change my trip plan whenever I want. Sometimes I want to stay longer, add on a destination, or totally change where I’m flying to if an opportunity comes up. Unfortunately, doing that has caused a few problems.  By booking a new ticket and not catching my return flight home, I’m essentially losing money!

This last trip to San Francisco is a great example. I booked a flight to Hawaii for the 24th -30th.  Then an opportunity to go to San Francisco came up for May 19-22 so I took it! Realizing after the fact that I’d have to travel back from SF to Atlanta and then immediately fly back 10 hours to Hawaii had me feeling some type of way, so I decided to extend my stay in San Francisco and fly directly from SF to Hawaii. Unfortunately I lost $500 from those two flights in the form of unused airfare. If you cancel your flight or want to change it at the last minute you run into a $200 change fee plus the flight difference of a last minute flight which gets expensive and in my opinion wasn’t worth it. Fail.

So I did some research and found Generali Global Assistance, formerly CSA Travel Protection.  CSA Travel Protection is recognized as one of the industry leaders in providing full-service travel insurance solutions within the U.S. In 2017, CSA is rebranding to Generali Global Assistance to better leverage the global resources of its parent company, Generali Group. Generali dates back to 1831 and is a brand known for its travel products throughout Europe. It is one of the largest insurance providers in the world. While Generali is a longstanding Fortune 500 company—ranking 48th as of 2014–the brand is not quite as well known in the U.S.

If you are planning international travel or have ever experienced travel interruptions, trip cancellations, or medical emergencies overseas, travel insurance would have been beneficial. Travel insurance is needed for those traveling overseas, as many health insurance companies do not extend coverage to you when traveling internationally. For a small cost you can save yourself some major travel pains and expenses.  You’re able to compare plans and find one that fits for you.  There are even add ons like rental coverage and protection for trip cancellation for any reason. ANY reason! To be covered from the unexpected and have peace of mind, I feel like I hit the jackpot of travel insurance! I’ll definitely be traveling smarter from now on.

Generali travel insurance differs from the competition in that it offers:

  • Global presence with:
    • 208 countries covered by our plans
    • 35 assistance centers
    • 400 health care professionals on staff
    • 750,000 certified assistance partners
  • Higher trip cancellation benefit limits
  • Trip cancellation justification covers extended family members
  • Higher coverage options for stolen or damaged items
  • No per-item limits on baggage coverage
  • 24/7 emergency assistance hotline
  • On Demand Medical Care, where you don’t have to pay out of pocket for medical services up to $1,000
  • Access to Teladoc –virtual doctor service– that connects you to medical experts via video from anywhere in the world
  • Coverage for pre-existing conditions may still be available for purchase, even all the way up to final trip payment
  • Identify Theft Resolution services are available at no extra cost and remain available for a full 6 months starting on your trip’s scheduled departure date

Want to check it out for yourself? Take a look at their new website (www.generalitravelinsurance.com) that’s packed full of information and great travel info! I typed in my trip information and got a quote. It was such an easy buying experience!

*Screenshot from my personalized quote

You dream. You plan. You save. Even the best laid travel plans can be affected by trouble at home, medical emergencies, lost luggage, flight delays or severe weather. A travel insurance and assistance plan from Generali Global Assistance can help protect your vacation investment from certain unforeseen events that could upset your travel plans and cost you. Problems happen more often than you think. One in six U.S. adults reported having to cut a trip short or change travel plans, and of those affected, only 22% had travel insurance to protect their investment, according to a recent U.S. Travel Insurance Association survey. Between the time you plan a trip and when you leave, many things that are out of your control could affect you, your traveling companions, or family members, and force you to cancel or change your trip. Luckily, with GGA you can be reimbursed for unused, pre-paid, nonrefundable trip costs if you need to cancel your vacation for a covered reason.

With GGA you can be reimbursed for unused, pre-paid, nonrefundable trip costs if you need to cancel your vacation for a covered reason.

 

You can also check them out on the Generali Facebook and Twitter pages!

 

 

 

 
This post was sponsored by Generali Global Assistance but all opinions are my own.