http://www.zflightinsurance.com//blog Blog for Tourists visiting USA en sowmur@gmail.com Copyright 2012 2012-04-18T18:34:55+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/lightning-strike-shows-unusual-dangers-that-can-occur-midflight/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/lightning-strike-shows-unusual-dangers-that-can-occur-midflight/#When:04:29:53Z The phrase "lightning strikes" is often used to describe an extremely rare and unexpected occurrence. For the passengers of a recent flight, the saying could be taken literally and be quite accurate, as lightning actually did strike their plane. While thankfully no one was hurt, this event serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of flight insurance. The flight in question was a US Airways flight departing from Philadelphia and headed to New Haven. The strike occurred in the afternoon, and the plane was immediately rerouted to a New York airport. As mentioned earlier, none of the 30 passengers aboard the plane were hurt, but it is not hard to imagine a scenario in which they were. Flight insurance is your best option for protecting yourself financially during a flight accident of any kind. It offers you access to high quality medical care at an affordable rate. This is especially important on flights because medical treatment can be quite expensive because of its highly-specialized nature. And if you have been injured on a flight, you certainly do not need the added headache of figuring out how to pay expensive bills. In addition to medical care, this type of insurance can also include trip cancellation and lost luggage protection. So imagine your plane is rerouted like the one we just mentioned, and your luggage gets lost. Your insurance plan will offer reimbursement on buying replacement items. This type of insurance offers a variety of protection for even these rarest of needs. 2011-01-15T04:29:53+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/why-do-we-need-flight-cancellation-insurance/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/why-do-we-need-flight-cancellation-insurance/#When:18:34:55Z One of the most common problems travelers face today is of flight delays or cancelled flights. Apart from the frustration of your ruined travel plans, there is also the added burden of making immediate arrangements and spending money on hotel accommodation and transportation. It can be particularly nerve wracking if you are stuck at a place far from home. Even the most perfectly planned trip can turn complicated by such unforeseen emergencies. To avoid your travel plans from going out of control, it is a good idea to opt for a flight cancellation insurance or trip cancellation insurance plan. You can buy cancellation insurance as soon as you book your flight. Trip cancellation plan not only offers reimbursement if you are unable to travel due to flight delays or cancellations, but also covers unplanned expenses while you wait for your flight. Though airlines do offer some compensation, most often it is not enough and you end up pocketing most of the expenses on your own. In case your travel plans are delayed by several hours, your insurance plan will cover hotel accommodation, food arrangements and also make new travel plans for you. It also pays back non returnable deposits on hotel accommodations and missed excursions. Flight cancellation insurance comes in really useful in case you have booked expensive trips such as cruises or luxury vacations and are forced to cancel because of flight delays or other reasons. Since flight arrangements are made in advance, sudden cancellations make you lose a lot of money. But with the right insurance plan, you have peace of mind, knowing that you are covered. With all its benefits, flight cancellation insurance is an inexpensive way to safeguard your journey and protect your finances. Buy an insurance plan that is right for your travel needs and enjoy worry free travel. 2012-04-18T18:34:55+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/invest-in-flight-travel-insurance-for-a-stress-free-trip/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/invest-in-flight-travel-insurance-for-a-stress-free-trip/#When:10:17:22Z All of us look forward to travelling and visiting new places. We make our travel plans well in advance to ensure that our trip goes perfectly well. But there is one thing we do not pay attention to, the likelihood of our travel plans going haywire, because of some unexpected events, be it a flight delay, loss of baggage or trip interruption. Flight travel insurance comes in handy in such situations. For a low fee, it protects your trip by giving you worldwide coverage in any travel emergency. There are many types of flight travel insurance plans to suit individual requirements such as, flight delay insurance for delayed travel due to weather issues, flight accident insurance for death or dismemberment due to a flight accident, flight life insurance to cover the death of a passenger on an airplane. There is a trip cancellation coverage plan which will reimburse any prepaid expenses that you would lose if your flight were cancelled. Before you make your travel plans, it is a good idea to compare prices and options of insurance plans and go for a comprehensive one that offers the best coverage. 2012-04-03T10:17:22+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/world-without-insurance-the-first-airplane-fatality/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/world-without-insurance-the-first-airplane-fatality/#When:18:47:06Z While the Wright Brothers are famously credited with inventing the first airplane, it is a matter of quite a lot of controversy. There are several competing claims, from all over the world. By the time the brothers had their first successful flight airborne in 1903, if all claims are to be believed, there were seven others who did the same before him. What’s more, Orville Wright was also the first pilot whose passenger died in a plane crash! While it might seem like nothing today, what with jet planes and rockets shooting off in to space, it was quite a dangerous thing, in those days. And imagine, if you happened to lose your life while flying, there was no flight life insurance to take care of your family either! Everybody remembers the brothers’ first flight, but hardly anyone remembers Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge. And yes, he was the passenger of the same Orville Wright, and the first documented passenger fatality. In what has now become a footnote in history, when the Wright Brothers were trying to sell their airplane to the U.S. Army, they demonstrated the capability of the airplane to some officials, and Lt. Selfridge was one of the volunteers who participated in an exhibition flight. He died in the crash in the line of duty, and so, presumably, his family would have been eligible for flight life insurance benefits, but regardless, his name is etched in history for a sad reason. 2012-03-02T18:47:06+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/flight-cancellation-insurance-rescues-your-travel-investments/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/flight-cancellation-insurance-rescues-your-travel-investments/#When:10:08:35Z In airline news, it is not uncommon to see strikes and cancellations by airlines every now and then. The problem is even more pronounced in the case of international airports and airlines, as thousands of passengers are affected immediately. Flight cancellation insurance comes to the rescue in just such a situation. In many cases, flights are rescheduled without any increase in fare. However, sometimes, as in the case of Kingfisher Airlines in India, the financial situation of the company forces the airline to ground nearly all its flights. In such a case, while the airline might provide alternate travel arrangements, it might not be until the next day. And if a person needs to get on the flight immediately, say for an emergency, it becomes very difficult and expensive. Flight cancellation insurance provides such coverage, and reimburses the plan holder for any non-refundable expenses a change in flight schedule may impose. It also covers voluntary flight cancellations due to unavoidable circumstances, and most plans feature an extra coverage for “Cancel for Any Reason” which covers reasons other than critical ones. 2012-02-24T10:08:35+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/strike-the-right-pose-with-cancellation-insurance/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/strike-the-right-pose-with-cancellation-insurance/#When:17:54:41Z A recent strike by the Frankfurt Airport runway staff has thrown the airport into disarray. When an airline announces a strike, passengers are immediately worried about their travel plans. A strike by an airline is usually managed by offering an alternative ticket on another airline. However, when strikes by airport staff occur, it is very difficult to reschedule the flight. Flight cancellation insurance can come in very handy in this situation. However, remember that strikes are generally announced well in advance, and any tickets purchased after the announcement of the strike will not be covered by the trip cancellation insurance plan. However, if a Cancel for Any Reason rider is purchased, the plan can reimburse cancellations for any reason. To be eligible for this benefit, the plan must usually be purchased no more than 15 days after the initial payment for the trip. Strikes are a common feature, especially in countries where unions are very strong, and for international travel, it is a great idea to purchase trip cancellation insurance. Any plan purchased before the announcement of a strike will cover travel delays and cancellations, and the minimum period of delay before benefits kick in vary from plan to plan. To be sure that travel investments are covered, it is best to purchase travel insurance. Another purchase a traveler might want to make along with airline cancellation insurance is travel medical insurance, which helps pay for any medical treatment you might need when traveling. 2012-02-17T17:54:41+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/warned-or-not-stay-at-peace-with-flight-cancellation-insurance/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/warned-or-not-stay-at-peace-with-flight-cancellation-insurance/#When:00:28:54Z Happiness is usually planned; sorrow arrives without warning. Cancelling an already booked tour can be mentally very strenuous, since cancellations are typically done in the case of an unforeseen and (very likely) sad reason. Flight cancellation insurance, at that point, can ensure that the trip’s finances, at the very least, are secure. When close family passes on and a trip was planned at that time, for example, trip cancellation insurance pays for the cancellation. Since many flights are booked online on travel sites, and the rates are low, the fine print often gets lost. That fine print includes the fact that many of the flights have a non-refundable clause, in case of cancellation. An important thing to note is that while a boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancée have a place in formal society, they are not recognized as “close family” in case of flight cancellations, and their grave illness or demise does not render the cancellation refundable. In most cases, however, the significant other usually accompanies the plan holder, and there is a clause that includes the traveling companion under the valid reason for reimbursement in case of grave illness or demise and subsequent cancellation. Flight cancellation insurance can indeed be a great help at difficult times such as these. 2012-02-12T00:28:54+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/schedule-your-life-with-flight-insurance/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/schedule-your-life-with-flight-insurance/#When:18:14:57Z Recently, a Canadian judge ruled that a widow could not collect on a life insurance policy because the husband was traveling on a chartered flight, not a commercial flight. Flight life insurance plans pay for accidental death, and dismemberment, on commercial flights which operate on a schedule between fixed points. Chartered flights, unfortunately, are not covered by most flight life insurance plans. While airlines offer some life insurance for all passengers, it is often not enough. Flight life insurance also covers the loss of sight due to a flight accident. While medical benefits are usually not part of a flight life insurance plan, the plan may include benefits for medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, and trip cancellation as well. However, if you think simple, and want to purchase coverage simply for life and dismemberment, there are simple airline flight insurance plans that do not offer any extra benefits. These plans are cheaper than the plans which include medical evacuation and other benefits. The benefits can be as high as $1 million for life, and $25,000 for dismemberment. However, these figures vary by plan. Flight life insurance can provide that extra layer of protection for the air traveler. 2012-02-03T18:14:57+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/flight-accident-insurance-leaves-no-moment-of-trip-uninsured/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/flight-accident-insurance-leaves-no-moment-of-trip-uninsured/#When:17:58:43Z When flight accidents occur, the airline typically reimburses the passenger for the loss. However, the reimbursement may not be commensurate to the need of the passenger or his/her family. Flight accident insurance can help bridge that gap. Flight insurance typically covers the plan holder when boarding, traveling on, or boarding the flight, for the duration of a trip. For example, if the plan holder visits the United States for a month, all commercial flights taken to and from the United States, as well as any interim flights, are covered. Most flight accident insurance plans also feature benefits for accidental death and dismemberment, baggage delay, and travel assistance. While medical expenses are typically either not included or minimal, medical evacuation and repatriation of benefits are included. When a person purchases a travel insurance plan, it is best to purchase flight accident insurance as well. If flight cancellation insurance is not included with the travel insurance plan, it is best to purchase that with flight accident insurance, as it will help the traveler be completely covered through the duration of the trip. 2012-01-27T17:58:43+00:00 http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/crazy-weather-sanity-lies-in-flight-cancellation-insurance/ http://www.zflightinsurance.com/blog/crazy-weather-sanity-lies-in-flight-cancellation-insurance/#When:09:48:56Z Global warming is changing weather patterns all over the world. Summers are getting hotter and winters colder. Scientists are unable to agree on where this will lead, but reports of unseasonal hurricanes and storms around the world are causing concern among people. For those of us who have to deal with the vagaries of weather on a daily basis, the fallout is that flight cancellation insurance is nearly a necessity. Flight cancellation insurance protects a person against any losses the plan holder might incur because of his/her not being able to fly as planned. This can be because of a situation on the plan holder’s end, such as the loss or grave illness of a close family member or traveling partner, or because of an external situation, such as the cancellation of the flight because of weather, or financial insolvency of the airline. While winter is traditionally when people opt for flight cancellation insurance, keeping in mind snowstorms and possible cancellations, it is prudent to purchase flight cancellation insurance for any travel that has some non-refundable portion. With last-minute fares and internet booking, this can be a substantial cost, especially for international flights. Even if the airline reimburses you for the next available flight, in case of weather-related cancellations, the difference in the price of the ticket, if any, and any accommodation costs will be taken care of by the flight cancellation insurance plan. 2012-01-20T09:48:56+00:00