Cruise Value Center Customers Left Suddenly Adrift

One of the largest online cruise suppliers in the United States has folded, and given us another reason why you should always invest in trip insurance, and only through a reputable insurance company. I am always talking about how you should never purchase your travel insurance form a tour operator or travel agent, and here is yet another reason why:

The 14-year-old cruise retailer Cruise Value Center has shut down abruptly. It appears they have literally closed their doors, and walked away. Over the last few days, worried clients of Cruise Value Center have come to realize their ship has sailed along with their travel dollars. The links on their website no longer work, either, and although the site is still up, it's basically inoperable. Cruise Week's Special Edition today notes insider reports saying as much as $3 million dollars in customers' money never made it to the cruise lines!

You're probably thinking "I hope those people were smart enough to buy trip insurance to cover that." Guess what. They thought they were smart enough. But now there are reports that an additional $1.5 million dollars in customers' insurance payments never made it to the insurer, either! The insurer for Cruise Value Center has sent out a letter to over 1500 customers, explaining that their policies, believed to be in force by the consumer, were actually null and void, and cancelled for non-payment by the online cruise company. It's too soon to know all the details, but early indications are Cruise Value Center took these peoples' money and has now left them with no vacations, no money refunded, and no recourse other than through the judicial system. Keep in mind; this was one of the largest online cruise suppliers in the US.

If you purchase trip insurance from your travel agent our tour operator, and that travel agent or tour operator goes belly-up, naturally your coverage does too, but when you do business with a reputable agency like Insurance Services of America, you can be assured that you are dealing with honest, trustworthy folks who have been providing quality service for over 38 years.
Let the experts at Insurance Services of America show you how easy and affordable it can be to protect yourself and your investment if your tour operator should happen to sink.

Smooth Sailing… from your friends at Insurance Services of America

Tips for Saving Money This Holiday Travel Season

With today’s tough economy your Holiday travel plans might be changing. Although you’ve probably found that ticket prices for Thanksgiving or Christmas travel are significantly higher than last year, it’s not too late to find a reasonable fare. Over the next few weeks, I will be providing tips on how to save a little cash during these times, without putting a damper on your holiday cheer.


1. Avoid flying on the busiest days:


Holiday ticket prices are 25 percent higher than they were in 2007, with the average price for a Wednesday-to-Sunday itinerary a whopping $460 round-trip.Merely delaying your return until Monday could save you $80 on average, and you’d save an additional $63 by waiting to fly home until Tuesday. For Christmas travel: Avoid departing on Saturday, Dec. 20, or returning on Sunday, Dec. 28, and you could save $25-$40 per ticket.


2. Drive to (or from) an alternate airport:



For example: There are 10 percent fewer seats this November on flights from Gainesville, Fla., compared with last November. And, not surprisingly, the fare on a sample peak trip to Phoenix for Thanksgiving weekend is a sky-high $572 round-trip. An alternate approach would be to drive to a nearby airport. The fare from Jacksonville to Phoenix is just $466, and from Orlando it’s only $351. Just be sure to factor in the cost of gas, tolls and parking so you’re not squandering all of your savings on the road.




3. Watch carefully for price drops:



Fares during the holidays tend to be more unpredictable than at other times of the year, with price reductions of $15 or more happening 50 percent more often. So it’s a good idea to watch the fares daily and buy your tickets during one of these decreases, when it’s possible to save $100 or more per person.


Since airlines typically release only a few seats at the lowest prices at a time, book quickly if you see that a fare drop is taking place. That will help ensure that you’re not shut out by other travelers who are also trying to snatch up that low fare before the price goes up again.



4. Don’t wait too long before booking:


The trick with booking holiday travel is to wait long enough that you can enjoy the treat of price drops — but not so long that seats at the lowest fares are sold out. Bottom line: If you haven’t bought your Thanksgiving ticket yet, now’s the time to start watching for price drops; book your trip as soon as you feel comfortable with the fare, even if it’s higher than last year.



5. Plan for the unexpected:


Getting sick or injured while away from home can be financially devastating. Travel Medical Insurance is a small price to pay when you consider the costs of a medical evacuation. Trip insurance can reimburse you if your bags are lost, or if your flight gets delayed or cancelled. Cancelled flights and congested Holiday travel could leave you stranded. Let the experts at Insurance Services of America help you safeguard your Holiday Travel plans at a price that won’t leave you saying “Bah Humbug.”

INSURANCE SERVICES OF AMERICA

800.647.4589

For 38 years, SERVICE is our middle name.

Airlines announce plans to cut flights

The airlines have given us yet another reason why you should never travel without trip insurance. Below is a list of popular carriers and the percentage of flights they are planning to cancel this season.

AirTran Airways: Plans for capacity to fall 7 percent to 8 percent between September and December.
Alaska Airlines: Its parent company has said the carrier’s fourth-quarter mainline capacity will be cut by 5 percent compared with 2007.
American Airlines: Plans to cut its U.S. flying by up to 12 percent after the busy summer travel season ends.
Continental Airlines: Its plans include reducing flights in the U.S. this fall by about 10 percent.
Delta Air Lines: It has said it intends to cut domestic capacity by 13 percent during the second half of the year. A spokeswoman said a good portion of that would come during the fall.
JetBlue Airways: It has said it expects September capacity to be down 10 percent and does not expect to grow next year.
Northwest Airlines: It is planning to cut fourth-quarter consolidated domestic capacity by 7 percent to 8 percent.
United Airlines: Fourth-quarter mainline domestic capacity will shrink 16 percent compared with the previous year.US Airways: It will reduce capacity 6 percent to 8 percent on domestic flights in the fourth quarter.
Source: The Associated Press

Insurance Services of America has a policy to fit any traveler's needs and budget. They even include travel assistance benefits so if you get stuck, we'll get you on a different flight. Save yourself the headache and hassle. Call the pros at Insurance Services of America when planning your next trip!

INSURANCE SERVICES OF AMERICA
800-647-4589
SERVICE
is our middle name!

British Travel Company Collapses:

September 12, 2008. British Travel Company Collapses

SOURCE:Air Security International

Spokesmen at XL Leisure Group Plc announced the company has gone into administration on 12 September 2008, stranding thousands of travelers around the world. British Civil Aviation Administration officials stated that approximately 89,000 travelers who used the XL airline and travel agency will need to make other travel arrangements as the company will be unable to continue operating. An announcement on the XL Website cited rising fuel costs and a slowing economy as reasons for the financial collapse. XL Airways officials announced that all scheduled flights have been canceled and the company's aircraft will be unable to operate. TUI Travel Plc, a rival tour company based in Europe, announced that the firm will try to assist stranded travelers with making alternate travel plans.

Insurance Services of America policyholders: if you had a flight booked with an XL Airline, be sure to call the 24 hour travel assistance number on your ID card. Representatives are standing by to provide you with the astonishing travel assistance services outlined in your policy, such as book you on a different flight, get you a hotel room, emergency cash, and more.

You just never know what might happen while you travel; that's why you shouldn't leave home without adequate coverage. Call the experts at Insurance Services of America when you plan your next trip and see how affordable peace of mind can be.

800.647.4589

Insurance Services of America:

SERVICE

is our middle name!

Fish to the face? Yeah, we cover that, too...

So you're getting ready to take your trip, and you might be thinking you don't need trip insurance. It's a short trip, you're in good health, what's the worst that could happen?

Well, that's what trip insurance is for; to cover those unforeseen occurrences. The stuff you never thought would happen. Take for example, the story of Seth Russel, courtesy of the Associated Press:

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas - A teenager's jaw was broken when a fish flew from the lake where he was riding in an inner tube and smacked him in the face.
Seth Russell, 15, was cruising Lake Chicot in Arkansas on a large inner tube towed by a boat when a Silver Asian carp leaped from the water and hit him in the face. Seth was knocked unconscious.
"He doesn't remember anything at all," the boy's mother, Linda Russell, said last week. "He was laughing, and the next thing he remembers, he is waking in a hospital."

The teen has had oral surgery to wire several teeth together and still experiences back pain that doctors attribute to whiplash from the high-speed collision, his mother said.

Don't let a fish to the face ruin your vacation. Call the trip insurance experts at Insurance Services of America help you select an affordable plan to cover those 'What's-the-worst-that-could-happen" moments...

800.647.4587

Service is our middle name, And THAT'S no fish story.

WHEN IT COMES TO AIRLINES CHARGING FOR THINGS THAT WERE ONCE FREE, THE SKY'S THE LIMIT!

Airlines are now charging for extra bags, blankets and pillows, even to redeem your frequent flier miles!
Below is a list of popular carriers and what they will be charging for and what will still be complimentary.

(Hint: Bring your wallet or bring your own snacks!)

American
Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; beer, wine and cocktails are $6.
Snacks: Nuts, cookies, or cheese and crackers on flights of two hours or more are $3 or $4; chips are offered after 10 a.m. for $3.
Meals: Light meals — like a turkey bagel sandwich, Italian wrap or turkey-and-cheese ciabatta sandwich — are available for $6 on flights of three hours or longer. Boar’s Head sandwiches with chips are $10 on flights to and from Hawaii and on transcontinental flights.
Mealtimes: No specific times.

Continental
Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; for beer, wine and cocktails, $5.
Snacks: Free peanuts or pretzels, after 10 a.m., on one-to-two-hour flights.
Meals: Free on flights of two hours or more, including a muffin for breakfast, turkey sandwich with carrot sticks or chips and candy for lunch, or a meatloaf sandwich, a salad and sweets for dinner.
Mealtimes: Breakfast, 7 to 9 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; dinner, 5 to 7 p.m.

Delta
Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $3 for Vitaminwater; $7 for alcoholic beverages, including margaritas and pomegranate martinis.
Snacks: Free peanuts, cookies or peanut butter crackers. Chocolate bars, potato chips and other snacks are available for $2 or $3 on flights of an hour and a half to two hours.
Meals: From $4 on flights of more than two hours, including a strawberry cream cheese crepe ($4), mushroom pea orzo ($8), and grilled shrimp Caesar salad ($10).
Mealtimes: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

JetBlue
Drinks: Free soda, juice, water and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and tea; $3 for Vitaminwater; $5 for beer, wine and cocktails.
Snacks: Free Terra Blues chips, Frito-Lay Munchies, cookies, cashews, biscotti or animal crackers.
Meals: None.

Northwest
Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $5 for alcoholic beverages.
Snacks: Pringles, M & M’s, Twizzlers or trail mix are $3; snack boxes with crackers, cheese, cookies, trail mix and either beef sausage, chicken salad or tuna are $5. Fruit and cheese or vegetables with ranch dip, $7.
Meals: $10 for a breakfast sandwich and fruit salad with a breakfast cookie, or for a deli meat sandwich and salad with a chocolate bar.
Mealtimes: Meals are available only on “select flights” like those from its hubs to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico. Fresh snacks are offered only on such flights as well.

Southwest
Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $3 for Lo-Carb Monster Energy; $4 for beer, wine and cocktails.
Snacks: Free peanuts or pretzels on flights about two hours long. Honey Maid Snack Bars and Cheese Nips on flights three hours or longer; Oreos, Wheat Thins or Ritz Real Cheese crackers on the longest flights.
Meals: None.

Spirit
Drinks: $2 for water, coffee or tea; $3 for soda or juice; $5 for alcohol.
Snacks: $2 to $4 for Pringles, animal crackers, M & M’s, and other snacks.
Meals: None.

United
Drinks: Free soda, juice, water, coffee and tea; $6 for beer, wine and cocktails.
Snacks: $5 for snack boxes with bagel chips, vegetable cheese spread, granola, diced pears, cinnamon twist pastry, toffee and mints, or other assortments.
Meals: $7 for salads and sandwiches like a smoked turkey chipotle wrap or a Santa Fe chicken salad.
Mealtimes: Breakfast is available on flights departing before 10 a.m. Lunch and dinner, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

US Airways
Drinks: Coffee and tea, $1; bottled water, juices, and soda, $2; beer, wine and cocktails, $7.
Snacks: $5 for boxes of chicken salad, crackers, trail mix, a fruit bar and cookies on flights over two and a half hours.
Meals: From $7 on select flights over three and a half hours, including a turkey croissant and yogurt, chef salad or chicken Caesar sandwich.
Mealtimes: From 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Insurance Services of America is the nationwide leader of Travel Medical insurance. Call one of friendly knowledgeable agents today so we may assist you with your travel needs.
And don’t worry, our quotes are free!
One less thing to worry about, from Insurance Services of America,
Where SERVICE is our middle name.
800-647-4589

A Word About Comparison Websites

When discussing Trip Insurance options, I’m often asked about those comparison websites that show numerous different insurance companies to help you choose a plan. The problem with sites like these is that the choices can be overwhelming, and unless you are an insurance agent, you might not know exactly what you’re looking at while comparing the different plans. Do you know the details of the plans, the policy maximums, the benefits and the loopholes?

Do you know your insurance company’s AM Best rating?

Sometimes there can be such a thing as too many options.

That’s why at Insurance Services of America, we represent only the most highly rated and reputable companies out there. We won’t sell a mediocre plan and we won’t confuse you by throwing in a lot of ‘fluff’ that you don’t need. Furthermore, we’ll never ask for your name, email address, or any other personal information just to give you a quote.

Trip Insurance and Travel Medical Insurance plans are becoming more popular, as airlines continue to go bankrupt, as flights are cancelled, and as unforeseen illnesses interrupt our vacation plans. If you are traveling internationally or closer to home, there is no better time to consider protecting your travel investment with Trip Insurance.

When you visit our website, you can rest assured that we have selected the best travel insurance companies out there, and if you prefer to speak to a live person, we’re here to help.

Give us a call at 800.647.4589 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable agents.

Do one thing and do it right, that’s Insurance Services of America.