ISA Updates and New Products

First it was Aloha Airlines, then ATA, then Skybus. American Airlines Cancelled more than one third of their flights today for maintenance. In the course of five days, tens of thousands of passengers are left stranded, unable to get home. The others have just discovered their vacations are never going to happen.

On the Skybus Web site yesterday was a brief announcement saying the airline had ceased operations because of rising jet-fuel costs and a slowing economic environment. The note said people with reservations should contact their credit-card companies for refunds. Passengers who paid cash are just plain out of luck. One scuttled Skybus passenger said he had been quoted $2,000 for a last-minute ticket home to Ohio.

This is when your clients can be glad they had the foresight to purchase trip insurance from you.

However, as with all policies, it is important to read the fine print. Skybus insurance policies covered things such as the illness of a traveler, inclement weather, and in policies sold after March 5, airline-caused delays and cancellations. But Skybus did not include “default" — going out of business — as one of the circumstances covered by the insurance. This is why it is also important to make sure your clients purchase trip insurance from a reputable insurance agent like yourself, who is focused on getting the most comprehensive coverage available. The kind of customer service and coverage that you will not find from an airline, cruise line, or travel agent.

At Insurance Services of America, we have trip insurance and travel medical insurance plans that will cover your client whether their destination is Istanbul or Idaho, and everything in between. If their luggage gets lost, or they miss their connection, or if their trip gets cancelled for whatever reason, including airline default or bankruptcy, they're covered.

Americans taking leisure trips spent more than $1.3 billion on travel insurance in 2006, a growth of 20 percent over 2004, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Travel Insurance Association. Not yet appointed with our Trip Insurance plans? Don't let the travel agent take your business and sell your clients sub-par coverage.

Call Graham, Aaron or Kina at 800-647-4589 for a sales kit.