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Checklist For Traveling Abroad During COVID-19

How To Properly Prepare To Travel Abroad During COVID-19

Before you take a trip abroad, you should put together a plan to travel safely.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends potential travelers take these important necessary steps.  In addition to the CDC’s recommendations, we wanted to provide potential travelers an additional resource to help them travel safely.

As a leading international travel insurance provider, we have a successful track record of working with some of the best firms in the business who handle all aspects of travel-related emergencies.  Our partner On Call International is a leading firm that provides fully-customizable travel risk management and assistance services, protecting millions of travelers, their families, and their organizations anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

On Call International created a Travel Emergency Checklist to help travelers plan for the uncertainty of traveling.  Here are the key takeaways:

1. VERIFY DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES: These individuals are the point of contact for anyone going abroad and should be formally introduced to your travelers through education and orientation initiatives.  These individuals will be the point of contact in case of an emergency abroad. 

2. PROVIDE AUTHORIZATION: It’s essential to give your designated representatives the ability to authorize expenses. Why? Costs may occur that fall outside of an insurance/assistance coverage the traveler may hold.  If you’re prepared for this possibility, a designated representative or your travel risk management (TRM) firm can reach out directly for authorization and ensure that expenses are handled so as not to delay medical care.

3. PROVIDE HEALTH & SAFETY INFORMATION: One of the best ways to protect your travelers’ health and safety is to provide them with information about their destinations before they leave.

4. EDUCATE ON AVAILABLE RESOURCES: Confirm your travelers are aware of the nearest local hospital or emergency facility. If they are traveling internationally, do they have access to the destination’s local emergency numbers?

5. CHECK ITINERARIES: Once a trip has been booked, make sure you have your travelers’ itineraries, including any layovers and lodging details. Request to be kept in the loop should there be any cancellations, delays, or problems.

6. COMMONLY FORGOTTEN ITEMS: There are several things travelers may not think to provide to their organizations in advance, but in the event of an evacuation, having a copy of vital documents is crucial.  Such as passport or photo identification.

Now that you understand the benefits of using a Travel Emergency Checklist, please go ahead and create your very own checklist before traveling abroad.  By taking these small actions, it can make a tremendous difference for you or your loved one who is traveling abroad and caught in an emergency.

If you are traveling and need travel insurance, Trawick International has policies to cover trip cancellation, interruption, travel medical, medical evacuation, repatriation, travel baggage, and more. Get a travel insurance quote today.

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Founded in 1998, Trawick International is a full-service travel insurance provider specializing in protecting travelers of all types worldwide. We offer various travel insurance plans designed specifically by types of coverage, including comprehensive travel protection insurance, international travel medical insurance, visitor’s insurance, and international student insurance. Our company's mission is to deliver superior travel and medical insurance products that offer the best 24/7 emergency assistance services available. To become a Trawick International partner, call 888-301-9289 or email info@trawickinternational.com.

By Administrator at 9 Nov 2020

Essential Travel Documents: A Quick List for Every Traveler

Essential Travel Documents: A Quick List for Every Traveler

Traveling to a new country for the first time is always a thrill. Most tourists plan for months in advance. They work out their itinerary from departure to return making sure they have all the tourist hotspots mapped out and scheduled. Hotel bookings are another priority and travelers browse online forums and review sites to find the right location for their stay. However, many people don’t pay attention to their travel documents. In many instances, it is the last thing on their mind hastily grabbed on the way out the door. We suggest that a little more importance is given to these documents. They could end up saving you a lot of headaches when you travel abroad or domestically. Here is our list of the must-have documents for your next trip. 

Government Issued Identification

The most important document that you should have with you is an official Identification. In most cases, this will be your driver’s license or Passport for international travel. Some experts advise travelers to carry their birth certificate also in case they lose IDs and need to prove their citizenship. If you have served in the armed forces then having your U.S. Military ID is also a good idea.

Visa and Green Card

When going to a new country it is always important to have the correct visas in place. This makes entering and leaving foreign countries smooth and easy. When coming back to the United States, permanent residents should have their Green Card ready or other visa documents on their person to present to immigration officials.

Credit Card and Copies of Credit Card

With credit card scams becoming a global issue, some airlines in certain countries will request that passengers show the credit card or proof that the ticket was purchased properly. Carrying a copy of the credit card or the actual card itself can be very helpful in these situations.

Travel Itinerary

Remembering the details for even a single flight can be troublesome. Imagine having to keep details of multiple international flights with connecting flights in your memory. The best approach to avoid forgetting any detail is to keep a photocopy of your itinerary with you along with a digital copy on your mobile device.

Travel Insurance

Many travel insurance documents are quite long and lugging around the pages may be a hassle. However, having this information on hand can be very useful when in a tough spot. Insurance providers may also have digital versions of the document for you to keep in your email or phone. This way you don’t have to keep bulky documents in your luggage but have the details you need anywhere you travel.  Also, make sure to have the contact information of your travel insurance provider on hand so that you can call them in a pinch.

Copies of All Documents

One final tip is to make sure you have photocopies of all your travel documents. Keep these separate from your original documents so that if one set gets lost, you have a backup in place. Another recommendation is to keep a digital copy of these documents on your phone. To be even safer, save the documents to your email or a digital dropbox so that you can access it from anywhere, even if you don’t have your phone.

By Administrator at 18 Mar 2020