We are all getting more adventurous – not only in the distances we are prepared to travel, but in the activities we indulge in once we get to our holiday destinations. Lying on a beach with a good book seems so passé when you can go bungee jumping, galloping a horse down a beach, skiing or paragliding. But with excitement comes danger, especially if you don’t ensure you’re sufficiently covered by your travel insurance.
American Express Travel Insurance recently issued a warning, stating that not all skiing-trip travel insurance will cover inexperienced skiers who go off-piste (even if accompanied by a guide). This has become a particular concern following an unusually mild winter with low snowfall across Europe. Many holidaymakers risked going off-piste to find the best snowfall, resulting in twice as many accidents in the French Alps compared to the year before. If you are thinking of going skiing in the next year, it is essential that you check your insurance policy before you leave – you could be liable for huge costs if you have an accident off-piste and you discover your policy does not cover you. Airlifting you from the French Alps, for instance, could cost as much as £2,000. Quite simply, you need to tell your insurers if you are planning any kind of activity that could put you at greater risk of injury.
According to recent research, 15% of British people risk going abroad without any kind of travel insurance, let alone ‘extreme sports’ cover. Consider some of the costs you might incur should you fall ill or have an accident abroad, and you might think twice before gambling with your health and finances. Even if you holiday in Europe where your medical treatment might be covered by a European Health Insurance Card, you may still have to cover the costs of getting home to the UK, following your accident.
Examples of typical medical costs abroad:
Air ambulance (East cost USA) – £30,000-£35,000Air ambulance (Canaries) – £12,000-£16,000Scheduled flight, stretcher and doctor escort (Australia) – £15,000-£20,000Scheduled flight, seated economy with a doctor escort (Mediterranean) – £1,800-£4,000 Source: health and wellbeing provider, First Assist Tales of woe, however, shouldn’t put you off travelling far and wide, and enjoying all the activities on offer once you get there. The following guide provides some tips on how you can holiday, while gaining the best travel insurance at the best price for what you would like to do abroad:
If you are going to do anything that will be seen as risky such as skiing, canoeing, scuba-diving or climbing – you must tell your insurers and ensure your policy covers you in the event of an accident. Some activities such as paragliding or ski jumping may require special policies.Do not skimp on your travel insurance. If the worst happens and you are injured abroad, you will want to know that you have the right insurance policy and company behind you to make the best of a bad situation. Check that the policy covers everything you need and choose one with a 24-hr international helpline.Beyond your potential holiday activities, make sure your travel insurance covers other basic essentials, such as medical and dental treatment, getting you back home, personal liability, missed departure, cancelled flights, theft and lost luggage.Shop around for the best deal. Don’t just assume that your travel agent is the best option for travel insurance – look at the different insurance options and choose one that works for you both financially and practically.Ensure you take all your travel insurance documents with you. If you need to make a claim, you will need all your details close at hand.
One final piece of advice: once you have your travel insurance secured, try and forget about the potential dangers and enjoy your break. After all, holidays are really meant to be about having fun…
By: Caroline Poynton
Tags: Air Ambulance, American Express, American Express Travel, British People, European Health Insurance Card, Extreme Sports, Fligh, French Alps, Health Insurance, Health Insurance Card, Holiday Destinations, Holidaymakers, Insurance Policy, Medical Costs, Medical Treatment, Mild Winter, Paragliding, Skiers, Snowfall, Trip Travel Insurance
Travel America | admin August 29, 2009 | 
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The American Express card company is one of the most reputed financial service organizations functioning worldwide. Founded in 1850, the credit cards of this company have become synonymous with excellent customer service, immediate purchasing power and amazing benefits to its cardholders. Jet Blue from American Express is one such card and is travel based.
The Main Features of Jet Blue from American Express
The Jet Blue from American Express is ideal for those with good credit and who fly regularly with Jet Blue Airlines thereby taking advantage of the excellent rewards program. The introductory APR for this card is 3.99%, which continues for a period of for six months and applies to purchases and balance transfers submitted with the application. Thereafter, you are introduced to a regular APR, which standing at 18.24%, is above average.
There is also an annual fee of $40, which, however, is much less compared to other airline reward cards from Amex. There is no spending limit on this card. There is a system of rewards in the form of award points for every dollar spent using this card, which can be redeemed for shopping, travel and entertainment.
The Reward Points
The points program for the JetBlue card is that for every dollar spent using the card, cardholders receive 1 Awards Dollar. Two Award Dollars are earned for each dollar spent on JetBlue flights, restaurants, movie theaters, gym memberships, event tickets and golf course fees. Cardholders earn $ 5000 bonus dollars when they make their first purchase with the card.
For every 200 Award Dollars accumulated, cardholders receive 1 trueBlue point and for every 100-trueBlue points, cardholders receive 1 Award Flight. In mathematical terms, this means $200 (real dollars) spent on the card gives you 1 trueBlue point and $20000 spent on the card gives1 Awards Flight.
Using the Card or flying JetBlue will extend the life of your points to a full year. There is no limit to the amount of Award Dollars that can be earned but TrueBlue award-points expire 1 year after they are issued.
Redeeming The Award Points
Points can be redeemed against rewards from 21 airlines, hundreds of hotels worldwide, vacation packages, over 50 cruise itineraries, and spa retreats. Members can also transfer points to 11 frequent flyer programs – in most programs you get 1 point for 1 airline mile. Points can also be redeemed for rewards from over 50 of the finest names in shopping and entertainment, including Banana Republic, Saks Fifth Avenue, COACH®, DellTM Computer, Callaway® Golf, and The Sharper Image®.
Who the Card Is Ideal For
Jet Blue from American Express is good for someone who can afford to pay in full after the introductory period expires and will spend at least $20000 on the card and uses JetBlue services frequently. Awards dollars never expire, but points and rewards expire after 1 year. That is what makes it so important to use JetBlue at least once a year. This card is not meant for someone who will need to make large purchases and carry a balance.
Other Benefits
You can receive up to $100 annually if you book your trip with American Express Travel. The purchase protection plan protects purchases made with this card up to 90 days. There is online fraud protection guarantee. While using the card online for shopping, you will not have to pay for unauthorized charges. Also various Internet account related services, auto rental insurance, emergency card replacement, medical and legal referral services and up to $100000 in travel accident insurance are provided for by the Jet Blue from American Express.
By: Richard Gilliland
Tags: American Express, American Express Card, Amex, Balance Transfers, Bonus Dollars, Cardholders, Credit Cards, Excellent Customer Service, Financial Service Organizations, Golf Course Fees, Gym Memberships, Introductory Apr, Jet Blue Airlines, Mathematical Terms, Movie Theaters, Purchasing Power, Reward Cards, Rewards Program, Shopping Travel, Trueblue
Travel America | admin |
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Most people in the United States prefer air travel as compared to any other forms of transportation. Many people need to travel regularly for business trips and therefore are constantly on the lookout for cheap airfares. There is a multitude of air carriers that offer discounted airfares to passengers to generate more business.
As airfares continue to dip on the domestic front, it has become crucial to avail of the best possible schemes offered by airlines. You need to research on the Internet for best deals and compare airfares offered by various carriers.
Airlines such as American, United, Continental, U.S. Airways, TWA, Delta, Canadian, and Cathay Pacific offer incredibly low airfares during off-season and you can book tickets even at the last moment.
There are various last minute travel deals that come very cheap, as airlines cant afford to lose revenue on empty seats.
In order to get the best air travel deals, you need to be slightly flexible regarding your date of travel and the duration of stay. Ideally, you must choose to fly on weekdays, as mid week tickets are relatively cheaper than weekend fares. Airfares will also depend on the season and the time you choose to fly.
Odd hour flights are pretty inexpensive. You can fly with JetBlue at relatively low costs to places such as Las Vegas, Nassau in the Bahamas, San Juan, West Palm Beach, and Puerto Rico.
These places also happen to be some of the best holiday destinations and have tourists visiting every year from around the globe.
Spirit Air offers amazing connectivity in the U.S. by flying between destinations like Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Jose, and San Francisco. Although Spirit Air mainly offers domestic flights, there are convenient and cheap flights available to Kingston, Cancun, and Jamaica.
If you are planning to stick to one particular airline, you will find great deals anyways through the frequent flyer programs offered by various airlines. One way of saving money on your air journey is to book well in advance.
This can be possible if you are planning to fly somewhere during Christmas or you want to reach some destination on a particular date for a friend’s wedding. This gives you enough time to book well in advance and avail of fantastic discounts.
You may make reservations through travel agents, as they are the ones who keep a track of all airlines. Airline sometimes tie up with reputed travel agencies to sell their seats to avoid the hassle of advertising offers in newspapers.
Your agent may also help you plan your itinerary in case you are considering traveling abroad. Break journeys will cost you less than direct flights.
Discounted domestic air ticketscan also be purchased through auctions. You can bid on the Internet for lowest airfares and enjoy handsome discounts.
By: Will Moore
Tags: Air Carriers, American United, Cathay Pacific, Cheap Airfares, Cheap Flights, Discount Airline Tickets, Domestic Flights, Forms Of Transportation, Frequent Flyer Programs, Holiday Destinations, Jetblue, Last Minute Travel, Last Minute Travel Deals, Low Airfares, Minute Travel Deals, Nassau Bahamas, Spirit Air, U S Airways, Weekend Fares, West Palm Beach
Travel America | admin August 25, 2009 |
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