REAL LIFE TRAVEL TRAUMA QUIZ

Last week we learned about the different types of travel insurance and reviewed some of the travel benefits that some credit card companies provide without charge.   Armed with this knowledge, you should now be able to make a recommendation to the unlucky souls who experienced the following true life travel trauma: (answers at the end of this blog)

Runaway Couch

Okay, this one happened to me!  I was driving late at night returning to a beach house south of Clearwater, Florida after a long day at Disney World.  My pre-school daughter and my brother were both asleep in the backseat.  About mid-way across the Howard Frankland Bridge (an eight lane, three mile long bridge that spans Tampa Bay), I noticed a flicker of taillights from the car in front of me and then saw something tumbling end-over-end through the air, heading directly for my windshield.  Just as my mind registered that it was a couch cushion, I noticed the couch that was partially blocking my lane.  Too late!  My brand new rental car was damaged and the couch was destroyed.  Just another victim of what the locals call the "Frankenstein Bridge".  I had waived the collision damage coverage from the rental car company knowing that my auto insurance covered me when driving another car, which it did.  I had to pay my $500 deductible, however.  What recommendation would you give me?

Hurricane Delay

A friend of mine decided to take part in an organized tour of Washington, D.C.   Unfortunately, the tour ended just as Hurricane Sandy shut down air traffic on the East Coast.  What type of travel insurance might reimburse her for expenses she incurred during the two day hurricane delay? 

Rehab Abroad

Imagine stepping off of a train in Europe only to fall and injure your spine.  An injury like this is terrible enough close to home.  Add the fact that you are isolated from family and friends, you don't speak the language, and you won't be able to travel for months, and you have real life travel trauma.  What coverage saved the day?

ANSWERS:

Runaway Couch:  Luckily, someone reminded me to check my credit card benefits.  Sure enough, the card I had used to rent the car had 'car rental collision damage waiver coverage'.  Within a few weeks, the credit card company had reimbursed me in full for the $500.

Hurricane Delay:  Being a well-seasoned traveler, my friend had purchased a travel insurance package plan which included 'trip delay protection'.  The plan reimbursed her for the extra hotel and meal expenses that she had incurred.  Her other option would have been to check with her credit card company. 

Rehab Abroad:  Again, this happened to a seasoned traveler who understood the value of comprehensive travel insurance.  Because he had purchased a package plan that included medical insurance, expense was one thing that he did not have to worry about during his misadventure.   Medical evacuation coverage would have paid for his return home in a special medical transport airplane if he had coverage that allowed him to pick the 'facility of his choice' rather than the 'nearest appropriate facility'.  Contract language is everything - so read it word for word.  His primary health insurance was Medicare, which does not cover health expenses outside of the U.S.  People with primary insurance other than Medicare should check to see whether out-of-state and out-of-country health expenses are covered by their plan.

Registered Principal, Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC.  Investment Advisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor.  Cambridge and Wilcox Financial Advisors, s.c. are not affiliated.  Wilcox Financial Advisors, s.c., is located at 10521 West Layton Avenue, Suite 200, Greenfield, Wisconsin  53228. www.laurawilcox.info