This Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer and the beginning of the fall season when many Americans will be heading off to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and explore some new domestic and international sights. Where are they headed?
According to a leading travel insurance comparison website, Cuba has seen a dramatic 149% increase in Americans insuring flights, just in time for the various commercial flights that will soon be jetting off to the Caribbean nation. You can read more about that in our previous blog.
Spain usurped France as the number three international travel destination with just over 70% of travelers insuring fall trips. South Africa also saw an 80% increase, representing the largest amount of growth among the top twenty international destinations.
With all of the travel activity this upcoming fall season, this begs the question: what are travelers concerned about? Over 120% more customers are specifically searching for policies that provide terrorism coverage, and perhaps more unusually, more than 60% of them are seeking hurricane coverage.
As for how much Americans will be spending on travel this season, it’s estimated to be about $2,836 per person, with the average total cost of a trip averaging about $8,040. This number represents an increase of close to 6% compared to fall of 2015.
This update is provided by travel insurance provider Trawick International. Some of our travel insurance plans include international and domestic inbound and outbound travel insurance, missionary travel insurance, trip protection and cancellation,, and Schengen Visa. Call 877-233-4591 for more information.
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Administrator at 2 Sep 2016
JetBlue will be jetting off on its first official commercial flight to Cuba this week, becoming the first American airline to launch commercial flights to the Caribbean island nation in over five decades. The airline has already been sending planes on charter flights from New York since President Obama eased travel restrictions that had remained in place since the Cold War.
American Airlines also launched charter flights to Havana late last year, and several other airlines like Delta, Southwest, and Spirit have received tentative approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fly to Cuba, albeit with as yet unconfirmed schedules. Because of this, the airlines are not permitted to sell Havana airfare until they have received final government approval.
Jus twenty non-stop flights will be allowed to fly out of the United States to Havana, fourteen of those from major Florida cities like Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando. The remaining six flights will connect the capital city of Cuba with the following cities: Houston, Charlotte, Atlanta, Newark, Los Angeles, and New York.
Six different airlines will launch weekly flights to other cities in Cuba during the next few months, collectively making for more than 150 weekly flights. If you’re interested in visiting Cuba, there are several entry requirements that must be fulfilled prior to your trip, which you can read more about through the U.S. embassy in Havana website.
This update is provided by travel insurance provider Trawick International. Some of our travel insurance plans include international and domestic inbound and outbound travel insurance, missionary travel insurance, trip protection and cancellation, visitor insurance, and Schengen Visa. Call 877-233-4591 for more information.
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Administrator at 31 Aug 2016
Travelers seeking an experience that emulates the feel of being a local are increasingly forgoing hotels in favor of renting another person’s home. While this can make for a unique experience, there are personal safety issues to keep in mind in such a scenario.
For starters, make sure you thoroughly read the contract so that you know exactly what is included. For example, the contract may stipulate that you will lose any deposit you’ve put down if you don’t clean up after yourself. Before signing anything, make sure that the host is legally able to rent out the home. In today’s age where websites like Airbnb attract thousands of users, there have been many legal situations involving property owners and travelers. Ask for documentation; if the person is reputable they have nothing to hide and will be forthcoming with proof.
Any payments and communications should be done via the rental company website instead of directly with the property owner. This will add another level of security and significantly reduce the odds of fraud or your identity and credit card information being stolen.
The home you’ll be renting will likely have security measures in place like an alarm and the standard door locks. As you would when visiting any foreign place, use common sense and proper judgement. Keep your valuables at home, thoroughly inspect the references and be aware of your surroundings. If it feels sketchy or unsafe, have a backup plan. This is also a helpful step should the host be a no-show.
This update is provided by travel insurance provider Trawick International. Some of our travel insurance plans include international and domestic inbound and outbound travel insurance, missionary travel insurance, trip protection and cancellation, visitor insurance, and Schengen Visa. Call 877-233-4591 for more information.
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Administrator at 19 Aug 2016
Cybercrime, hacking, your mobile device is always susceptible to threats. For many travelers—especially business travelers—your smartphone is arguably the most essential item when traveling as it allows us to stay connected when overseas. Since most people own either an Android device or an iPhone, these platforms are often targeted by criminals, but you can breathe a little easier by simply taking a couple of precautions when you’re traveling.
It may be slightly inconvenient, but one of the easiest things you can do is to password protect your phone, preferably something that’s harder to guess than simply using “password”. Better yet, use your phone’s fingerprint scanner if it has one as this will provide an additional layer of security.
Before you leave for your trip, make sure your phone is running up to date software. Manufacturers typically release software updates when vulnerabilities are discovered that could allow third party intrusion and you’ll have more peace of mind knowing that you’ve “sealed the cracks”.
As time goes by, you’ll probably start to accumulate a large number of apps or leisure games that will go unused. It’s a good idea to delete these old apps as they often store information about you and will track your location, in some cases even when you aren’t using them. On that note, make sure to thoroughly review apps prior to downloading them by checking the comments and reviews. Malicious apps often look legitimate to try and fool users.
This update is provided by travel insurance provider Trawick International. Some of our travel insurance plans include international and domestic inbound and outbound travel insurance, missionary travel insurance, trip protection and cancellation, visitor insurance, and Schengen Visa. Call 877-233-4591 for more information.
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Administrator at 11 Aug 2016
Luxury travelers are playing major roles in the travel industry as demand for unique and meaningful travel experiences grows. In fact, personalized experiences are among the hottest trends happening in travel right right now as tourists seek experiences that are out of the ordinary and defy convention, such as celebrating birthdays while watching elephants. Let’s take a look at a few other trends that are quickly emerging.
Perhaps the most obvious is the rise in technology as travelers—luxury or otherwise—have come to depend heavily on mobile devices to book and manage all of their travel plans, making changes as necessary while on the go and staying consistently updated.
Affluent millennials are increasingly looking to travel in groups with their friends and family, preferring spaces that can accordingly accommodate. Spacious living and dining areas, outdoor spaces, multiple bathrooms, itineraries that can be heavily customized to individual preferences are another trend.
Business and leisure should not be mutually exclusive, and the rise in working vacations among travelers reinforces this. Dubbed “bleisure”, luxury travelers are taking the time to explore the local area and bring other people along on the trip, adding vacation days so that their trip lasts beyond the duration of their work responsibilities.
This update is provided by travel insurance provider Trawick International. Some of our travel insurance plans include international and domestic inbound and outbound travel insurance, missionary travel insurance, trip protection and cancellation, visitor insurance, and Schengen Visa. Call 877-233-4591 for more information.
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Administrator at 10 Aug 2016
