Archive for September, 2011

International Travel Insurance

It can be an exhilarating experience traveling to another land but many a times unforeseen events are overlooked and the carefree traveler simply forgets to protect himself for such eventualities. Different emergencies can arise, like a medical emergency, visit to the doctor, cancellation of the flight, losing baggage etc. for which travel insurance is necessary.

As far as loss of baggage due to theft is concerned, an individual can be covered who uses a credit card for booking tickets. In such a case, additional insurance will not be required. Even if you are embarking on a short trip it is best to have trip cancellation insurance cover as there could be nothing worse, than not be able to afford to get back that ticket money due to lack of insurance.

Why is traveler insurance so necessary?

There could be many unforeseen expenses on an international trip.

1:- Accidents, medical emergencies, drug prescriptions and many other costs could bring on unforeseen expenses.

2:- In a number of countries international health insurance is provided to those travelers who are less than 75 years of age, where for an additional premium the dependents, if eligible and the spouse can also get covered.

3:- If a person returns home by cutting short of his vacation, this international travel insurance benefit with refunds, provide the submitted travel itinerary is not fixed.

4:- A group travel insurance policy can be applied for if the person has a pre-existing health condition. Coverage under a group health insurance plan can be obtained when an individual is refused an individual health insurance plan.

Additional coverage:

In case of medical complications, rehabilitation, dismemberment coverage, cost of ambulance, home nursing etc. medical help is made available for an additional premium to the international traveler under worldwide travel insurance. The cost of medical treatment is high in a number of countries. Quality medical care may not be available in a third world country and the individual may need emergency evacuation facility. The travel insurance coverage takes care of that. It also addresses prescription drugs for an additional premium. During an overseas travel, a person feels comforted when he knows that he can afford the drugs even in the alien land. The destination of travel determines the need for these drugs.

Medication is very costly in developed countries, which becomes unaffordable for the traveler sometimes. Worldwide travel insurance coverage may not be necessary in countries where health care is the responsibility of the government. Then in this case, since most of the medicines are available at subsidized costs, this kind of coverage may not be necessary.

For women who intend to give birth in a foreign country, a maternity coverage is very important. Before filing a claim, the woman would have to wait for a year at least, which means, that at the time of getting her policy upgraded to include coverage of maternity insurance, she should not be pregnant. The age of the would-be mother will determine the amount of premium. A higher premium would result with medical complications. International travel insurance plans can be extended to a number of other medical services.

A Review of the Guardian International Travel Income Opportunity

Traveling on vacation is a great family venture. Unfortunately it can also be an expensive one. Taking a cruise, trips to the Bahamas, or even taking the kids to Disney World costs a few thousand dollars and a lot of planning. Guardian International Travel offers people a way to do all of this and make some money while you are at it.

Guardian International Travel was started in February 2005 by Swainson Hawke, a board game inventor and certified forex day trader. A sales and marketing company for profit, the company adheres to a strict policy that does not allow any Internet marketing by their members. All sales must be made in person via the telephone or mail.

The products sold by the company all have to do with the travel industry. The Zee Card membership allows the customer to be able to book travel deals from airline tickets to hotels and motels to entertainment. Cost of this card is $189.95 plus an $18.95 monthly subscription fee. The website includes a coupon printing demonstration so interested parties can see how this option works. The Condo Card offers members discounts and rebates to thousands of hotels and resort locations around the world.

These cards have an expiration date of ten years and can be purchased for a value of up to $25,000.00. There is a resort search page available on the website that can help the customer determine where they can use the card. There are even rebates available for using your Condo Card. Guardian International Travel also has a Cruise Card and opportunities in Asia. Prices for the cards are not clearly specified. The company offers special discounts for children as well.

There are four levels of memberships available by the company. They range in price from free to memberships costing over two thousand dollars. Getting started is fairly simple. After signing up, members make an initial purchase of at least $550.00 on a Condo Card.

Each level of membership is awarded their own website similar to the company’s main site, back office privileges, and the ability to purchase products at a wholesale price. Profits are earned when the purchased product is sold at the retail value. The member then receives the difference in a commission check awarded on the fifteenth of each month. The website also states that to join you must have a referral by a current member.

Unfortunately, according to industry information, Guardian International Travel has not issued a commission check since March of 2007. There are a lot of negative things being said about the company and they are no longer accepting new members.

This venture is definitely not for a low-income or fixed income member. Getting started is quite expensive and many travel agents offer the same types of discounts at a more reasonable rate. With the negative things that have also been said about the company, and the fact that they have not issued a check in eight months, this is not a lucrative business. Potential members would be better served by looking into another company to allocate their discretionary funds.