TRAVELERS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE ISABEL COVERED BY TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY
Policyholders Already Taking Advantage of Travel Guard International's Livetravel Emergency Travel Assistance and StormGuard Information Site
As Hurricane Isabel snarls travel plans along the eastern seaboard, anxious travelers have the phones ringing at Travel Guard International, the nation's largest provider of travel insurance.
"As the hurricane has moved closer to land, causing evacuations and cancelled flights, our call center has been flooded with calls," reports Dan McGinnity, vice president for Travel Guard. "Right now, travelers are primarily calling to check on the status of their flights, rebook cancelled flights or make alternative hotel reservations. Early next week, we expect a significant number of calls from policyholders filing claims for their trips that have been cancelled or interrupted by Hurricane Isabel."
Trips delayed or cancelled by Hurricane Isabel are covered by Travel Guard's two most popular policies - Cruise, Tour & Travel and ProtectAssist, McGinnity said. For example, if a traveler is forced to cancel a trip due to a hurricane, travel insurance will provides a reimbursement for nonrefundable expenses, up to the limit of coverage purchased. If severe weather forces the evacuation of the traveler's hotel or resort, the travel insurance provides reimbursement for nonrefundable expenses, and additional travel expenses covered by the policy. To be eligible for the coverage,
McGinnity said travelers must purchase their travel insurance policies before the hurricane is forecasted or predicted. Once a warning has been issued, losses resulting from the hurricane are excluded.
Travelers can learn more about travel insurance and severe weather by visiting Travel Guard's StormGuard Information Center at http://www.travelguard.com/info/stormguard/index.asp. The site also includes answers to frequently asked questions about hurricanes and travel insurance, hurricane preparedness tips and links to hurricane tracking and prediction Web sites.
The Cruise, Tour & Travel plan, along with Travel Guard's complete family of travel insurance and assistance services, can be purchased online at www.travelguard.com , through Travel Guard's 24-hour World Service Center (800-826-1300), or from one of the more than 16,000 travel agencies who offer Travel Guard products.
Travel Guard International is America's leading travel insurance provider, covering more than 6 million travelers each year. Travel Guard's travel protection plans include coverage for trip cancellation penalties, travel interruptions and delays, emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation expenses and lost or delayed baggage. All Travel Guard coverage also includes 24-hour travel emergency service for emergency medical assistance, last minute or emergency travel changes, lost luggage tracking, pre-trip travel advice and more. The insurance for the Cruise, Tour & Travel and ProtectAssist programs is underwritten by American Home Assurance Company, with its principal place of business in New York, NY. Non-insurance services are provided by Travel Guard International.
This is only a brief description of the coverage available. The policy will contain limitations, reductions, exclusions, and termination provisions.
