Travel Insurance, Travel And Better Living Tips

Happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:27:11 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! Steve, Deanna, Becky, Teresa & Mary at TripInsuranceStore.com wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a joke that Steve thinks is pretty funny! You decide: The Parrot A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s mouth was [...]

Is My Pacemaker Excluded From My Travel Insurance Policy?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:12:17 +0000

Steve, Stan just had a pace maker put in. Will this change their existing trip cancellation policy’s coverage? Val Hi Val, Thanks for writing. Don’t worry - Stan’s still completely covered by his trip cancellation travel insurance policy with no changes because the pace maker was put in after his insurance policy’s effective date. However, along these lines, [...]

How Light Pollution is Ruining Your Health

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:32:57 +0000

Humans are diurnal creatures, with eyes adapted to living in the sun’s light. Because of this, we’ve engineered the night for our own comfort by filling it with light. Light pollution is largely the result of poor lighting design, which allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky. Wherever human light spills into [...]

What Date Is My Trip’s Final Payment Date?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:07:24 +0000

Hi, question: Final trip payment date - we paid our cruise by credit card. It’s on our statement, but have not yet paid it (due date is the 22nd). Is final payment date the date it appears on our statement or the date that we actually pay our credit card? I am concerned about pre-existing [...]

How To Protect Yourself Before A Disaster Strikes

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:27:34 +0000

Have you ever said to yourself (after hearing about a disaster) something like “I’m going to get myself ready so I won’t be caught off guard”? I have, but then my life gets busy and I don’t do anything. Enter Asa Aarons. Thankfully, Asa came to my rescue with his column “Rescue Essentials When Disaster Strikes“. I [...]

How Not To Save Money On Rental Car Insurance

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:09:24 +0000

If I am on your rental car cdw insurance policy but not listed as an additional driver on the rental agreement (I don’t want to pay their additional fee) will I be covered if I’m driving? Rosita Hi Rosita, In order to be covered on our rental car cdw policy, all drivers must be listed on both [...]

Can I Round My Trip Cost Down?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:24:25 +0000

The total cost of our trip (Cruise only, driving to port) is $1,018 per person. I don’t need pre-existing of financial default coverage, if I round it down to $1,000, other than a reduced reimbursement for trip cancellation, is there any other penalty that could occur? It looks like $1,000 is a cutoff for price [...]

How to Clean Clogged Inkjet Printheads

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:05:30 +0000

How to Clean Clogged Inkjet Printheads by Blake W Patterson A clogged print head on your inkjet printer is not a fine thing. Over time (especially when there’s long periods of no printer use) the many tiny holes that make up a modern inkjet printer’s head can become clogged with dried ink. Most printers today have some [...]

Pre-Election 2008 Breaking News: Minnesota Commemorative Quarters Recall

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:43:38 +0000

(Steve’s note: I didn’t write this - I don’t know who wrote it. But, be sure to remember this government waste as you head to the polls on Nov. 4, 2008) Hang on to any of the new Minnesota State Commemorative Quarters you may have or may acquire. They may be worth MUCH MORE than 25 [...]

What Happens When You Mix Mentos and Diet Coke?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:39:39 +0000

What Happens When You Mix Mentos and Diet Coke? Steve, I need your help. I was fascinated by your link “What happens when you mix Mentos & Diet Coke?”, so I went out and started experimenting. I’ve become a Mentos & Diet Coke addict. I used to surf the internet and participate in social networking sites. [...]

US State Department Travel Warnings As Of 10-30-2008

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:46:38 +0000

US State Department Travel Warnings As Of 10-30-2008 Here’s the list of US State Department Travel Warnings (as Of 10-30-2008). Why would you want to know what’s on this list? Other than as a matter of personal safety, some travel insurance policies’ Terrorism coverage depends on whether there’s a US State Department Travel Warning for your destination. Somalia [...]

Freedom From Power Lines In 10 Years?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:56:40 +0000

MIT Energy Storage Discovery Could Lead to ‘Unlimited’ Solar Power Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at MIT, has developed a simple method to split water molecules and produce oxygen gas, a discovery that paves the way for large-scale use of solar power. Watch Daniel Nocera describe this new process for storing solar energy Technorati Tags: [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover Breakdowns Of A Personal Vehicle?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:45:46 +0000

Does Travel Insurance Cover Breakdowns Of A Personal Vehicle? Do any of your policies have coverage for missing the departure because of the mechanical breakdown of a private automobile travelling to the airport? Thanks, Stephen Unfortunately, no. Mechanical breakdown of a private automobile isn’t ever covered by travel insurance. Therefore, if you are driving to your departure [...]

Three Dumb LLC Formation Mistakes

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:14:34 +0000

The Three Dumbest LLC Formation Mistakes by Stephen L. Nelson, CPA Mistake #1: Forgetting about Foreign LLC Registration Rules Read those tempting advertisements for Delaware or Nevada limited liability companies? The advertisements sound pretty good, but most small businesses shouldn’t use out-of-state LLCs or for that matter out-of-state corporations. Mistake #2: Electing to be Treated as a C Corporation An [...]

Can I Insure Any Prepaid Trip Cost?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:44:56 +0000

Do I have to insure the full cost of my trip? Can I just cover $1,000 even if my trip cost is higher? Rich Hi Rich, You can insure any trip cost. However, if you want certain benefits like Cancel For Any Reason or pre-existing conditions coverage, you have to insure your entire prepaid, non-refundable costs. On the [...]

5 Easy Ways To Save (or Earn) Money With Your Camera

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:14:08 +0000

5 Easy Ways To Save (or Earn) Money With Your Camera Many people already carry a digital camera with them at all times (your cell phone). Here are 5 ways to put that camera to good use and save yourself some money. 1) Protect Your Deposit Before you move into a new place, photograph every bit of damage [...]

Can I Claim Without Having a Financial Loss?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:42:20 +0000

I have Blue Cross and I bought a travel insurance plan with Primary medical coverage. I got sick on my cruise and I mistakenly submitted the claim to Blue Cross and they paid it all. Why won’t my Primary coverage travel insurance plan pay me, too? William Well William, it comes down to the fact that [...]

Get a No Strings Attached Free Credit Report

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:17:40 +0000

Get a No Strings Attached Free Credit Report I try to keep up with my own credit history. I know I am entitled to one free credit report a year from each consumer credit reporting agency. Along with everything else I have to do, I can’t remember when I should be getting my annual free credit [...]

Is it Safe to Get AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:52:27 +0000

Hi Steve, My husband and I have ordered our travel insurance from you again, This makes four years in a row. We are insured with AIG Travel Guard. We have seen AIG and its financial difficulties in the news over the past weeks. Is our coverage void? Margaret G. Hi Margaret, Thanks for writing. You are right [...]

20 Drugs the FDA Is Watching

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:30:30 +0000

A 2007 federal law requires the FDA to disclose all its investigations into reports of possibly drug-related adverse events. The first of this series of quarterly reports has been released. It includes adverse events reported between January 1 and March 31, 2008. Here’s the list of drugs and the adverse events that have been reported: [...]

Will Travel Insurance Cover My Pre-existing Condition?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:47:12 +0000

Will travel insurance cover me? I’m going to Ireland in October. I was treated for cancer beginning last October. The treatment ended in July, but see my doctor quite often due to side effects. I paid for my trip in March. It is too late to get travel insurance? Others have told me I can [...]

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:57:33 +0000

I wish I knew who originated it (I cannot take credit). Enjoy: From: Minister of the Treasury Paulson Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP Dear American: I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude. I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country [...]

Will Travel Insurance Cover Us If We are Awaiting a Transplant?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:37:26 +0000

I’m interested in travel insurance coverage with the waiver of pre-existing medical conditions for my husband who is currently awaiting a transplant. Will it be covered? Lori Unfortunately, none of our travel insurance companies will cover you. The reason is because his medical condition does not meet Travel Insurance Medically Stable rules. Medically Stable means that [...]

Cholesterol Pill Taken by Thousands Causes Cancer

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:09:34 +0000

Cholesterol Pill Taken by Thousands Causes Cancer A pill intended to lower cholesterol levels has been linked to an increased risk of cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing data from a trial which found a “larger percentage” of patients treated with the drug Inegy died of cancer. The FDA is expected to issue its [...]

Why Can’t You Use Your Cell Phone on a Plane?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:06:38 +0000

Why Can’t You Use Your Cell Phone on a Plane? Despite what some flight attendants might say, making a call from your cell phone probably won’t send your plane crashing to the ground. So why can’t you use it? Your cell phone can interfere with avionics in theory. But in practice, it’s not very likely. Cockpits and [...]

When Should You Go Out in the Sun?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:36:20 +0000

When Should You Go Out in the Sun? Source: Advanced Experiments in Medical Biology 2008; 624: 86-88 New research shows that to get an optimal vitamin D supplement from the sun at a minimal risk of getting cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), the best time of sun exposure is noon. That means that common health recommendations given by authorities in [...]

7 Online Blunders That Threaten Your Identity

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:11:21 +0000

7 Online Blunders That Threaten Your Identity Source: ConsumerReports.org These 7 mistakes can ruin your computer or invite identity theft: 1. Assuming Your Security Software Is Protecting You Security software is fully effective only when activated and frequently updated. (Most products can update automatically.) To update most commercial software products, you must pay an annual fee. What you can do: [...]

Frequent fliers: No more free ride

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:47:12 +0000

Frequent fliers: No more free ride As I’ve written in previous posts (Happy Valentine’s Day From Your Frequent Flier Accounts and Airlines Have New Frequent Flier Fees) the airline are making it more expensive to redeem your Frequent Flier miles. Now, today 9/8/08, Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer wrote a good article on what effect the higher [...]

Volunteer with the Italian Olive and Grape Harvests

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:57:38 +0000

Volunteer with the Italian Olive and Grape Harvestsby Kathy McCabe Pretty soon, Italy’s olive and grape harvests wil be in full swing. Travelers looking for a hands-on experience often wonder how they can take part in the harvest. Finding a farm where one can volunteer can be daunting because there are strict laws in Italy preventing [...]

Help - My Travel Insurance Claim Was Denied!

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:06:33 +0000

I didn’t buy travel insurance from you. The company is ______. I need your help: I needed medical treatment on my cruise, but now the insurer is telling me it wasn’t medically necessary and is denying the claim. Can you help me? The company who sold it to us says we have to deal with [...]

How To Make A Collect Phone Call

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:39:01 +0000

How To Make A Collect Phone Call Why do you need to know how to make a collect phone call? Other than it’s a good idea to know how to do things, knowing how to collect phone call can save you a lot of grief and frustration when you are in a foreign country. Especially if [...]

America’s 6 Least Visited National Parks

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:54:51 +0000

America’s 6 Least Visited National Parks by Everett Potter If you’re put off by the idea of visiting a national park because you’ve heard they’re crowded, think again. Admittedly, the Great Smoky Mountains received 9.3 million visitors in 2007, while the Grand Canyon welcomed 4.4 million people and Yellowstone had 3.1 million vacationers. But there are overlooked national [...]

12 Foods You Don’t Have to Buy Organic

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:57:21 +0000

12 Foods You Don’t Have to Buy Organic The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests. Organic fruits and vegetables are by definition grown without the use of pesticides. [...]

Will Travel Insurance Cover My Scheduled Surgery?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:37:22 +0000

I need major surgery, so I booked a trip yesterday to help me handle the stress. I haven’t bought travel insurance, so if I get it and have to cancel will I get a refund on my trip’s cost? Sonya Well Sonya, the short answer is no. The reason is because the condition you have isn’t [...]

The Little-Known Dangers of Ibuprofen

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:58:09 +0000

The Little-Known Dangers of Ibuprofen The parents of a girl who went blind after taking Children’s Motrin have sued Johnson & Johnson, saying the packaging didn’t adequately explain the possible risks. The court case has drawn attention to the possible side effects of a drug most parents view as benign. Stevens-Johnson syndrome isn’t something that most parents [...]

Debit Card Purchases Trigger Overdraft Fees Before They Clear

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:46:44 +0000

Debit Card Purchases Trigger Overdraft Fees Before They Clear By Kathy Chu, USA TODAY For years, banks have charged customers hefty fees for overdrawing their checking accounts. Now a growing number of institutions are charging customers such fees even before the transaction overdraws their account. Bank of America and TD Banknorth started doing it earlier this year. SunTrust, [...]

What Does Being Medically Able To Travel Mean?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:29:05 +0000

HELP PLEASE - final payment for our South Pacific cruise is next week. My DH (darling husband) had a chainsaw accident last month from which he developed a life threatening infection requiring multiple surgeries/skin grafts. His doctor says he’s “medically stable” and should be able to travel for our cruise (though it might be uncomfortable); [...]

13 Things Your Waiter Won’t Tell You

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:57:52 +0000

13 Things Your Waiter Won’t Tell You 1. Avoid eating out on holidays and Saturday nights. The volume of customers guarantees that most kitchens will be pushed beyond their ability to produce a high-quality meal. 2. There are almost never any sick days in the restaurant business. A busboy with a child to support isn’t going to [...]

2 Health Bombs to Avoid

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:40:26 +0000

2 Health Bombs to Avoid By Dr. Joseph Mercola HEALTH BOMB #1: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has become a modern-day plague. Not only does it contribute to our obesity epidemic, but it has also been linked to: Pancreas dysfunction, diabetes and insulin resistance High cholesterol and heart disease Cancer High blood pressure Anemia Liver damage Infertility And more Sadly, the average consumption of fructose has [...]

Airlines Have New Frequent Flier Fees

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:46:34 +0000

Just when consumers started to think they could get something for nothing comes this blast of reality from several major airlines…There are new fees to fly free. “If you’re using frequent flier miles for a summer vacation, celebrate your good timing,” said Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “Soon, most major airlines will charge a fee [...]

Are Non-Refundable Airline Tickets Refundable?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:22:09 +0000

We are planning to purchase non-refundable airline tickets. Expedia told us the tickets are refundable - we would lose only the handling fee (around $200) but keep the face value and we must use it in next year. Does that mean if we cancel our trip for a covered reason, we might not get full [...]

Can I Split Up Our Trip Costs to Get a Lower Price?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:54:05 +0000

Can I insure my wife at $900 and myself at $1500 to get a lower price on the trip cancellation travel insurance? No, you can’t do this. Here’s why not: The only way you can split up your trip costs is if you have invoices showing the costs specifically attributed to your wife is $900 and the [...]

12,000 Laptops Lost Weekly At U.S. Airports

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:07:01 +0000

12,000 Laptops Lost Weekly At U.S. Airports Jul 3, 2008 By David Hughes (Aviation Week) A new study sponsored by the Dell computer company estimates that more than 12,000 laptop computers are lost or stolen each week at U.S. airports, and only 33% of those that turn up in “lost and found” are reclaimed. The other 67% remain [...]

No Shoes, No Lawn Mower

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:44:02 +0000

I don’t have a large yard, but I still don’t like mowing the grass. So, I got the great idea to have my 10-year-old son mow the lawn. It’s been a few weeks since he’s done the lawn, and I was thinking about having him do it today. Until, that is, I read Asa Aaron’s [...]

Guard Your Laptop While Traveling

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:27:57 +0000

Guard Your Laptop While Traveling by Paul Davis While traveling by train from Philadelphia to Atlantic City I sat nearby a man who spent a portion of the time working on his laptop, but then fell asleep with his laptop on the seat besides him. As my Dell Notebook is my most essential work tool as a writer, [...]

IRS Increases Mileage Rates through Dec. 31, 2008

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:08:34 +0000

IRS Increases Mileage Rates through Dec. 31, 2008 On June 23, 2008 the Internal Revenue Service announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for the final six months of 2008. Taxpayers may use the optional standard rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. The rate [...]

How To Learn Spanish Easily and Cheaply in Guatemala

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:15:19 +0000

I lived in Mexico & Guatemala from July 1985 to July 1986. I learned Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala at Centro Linguistico Internacional. I had classes six hours a day one-on-one with my teacher plus I lived with a local family. I learned it so well, I haven’t forgotten it! I do use Spanish regularly, too. Coincidentally, [...]

The Real (and Original) Steve’s Place

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:55:40 +0000

I was named after my Grandpa: Steve Dasseos. My Grandpa was a Greek immigrant who came to the US when he was 14 years old. He built railroads and like many Greeks ended up in the restaurant business. I was blessed to have my Grandpa until I was 22 years old and my Grandma until [...]

Can a Canadian and US Resident Be On The Same Travel Insurance Policy?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:02:49 +0000

My mother and I are traveling together. My main point of confusion is how to set up the insurance since my mother is a Canadian resident and I am a US resident. Do we need to purchase separate policies? Shannon Thanks Shannon for the good question. You’ll need to get separate policies. That’s because each Travel [...]

When Is The Travel Insurance Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Lookback Period?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:06:31 +0000

Lookback Period question: If my companion or I are stable and can travel when I buy the insurance more than 181 days before the trip will I have coverage for pre-existing conditions? If I have a condition that requires a doctor visit today and I buy the insurance the next day but more than 181 [...]

Does Medical Evacuation Cover All Members In My Party?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:25:00 +0000

I understand that emergency evacuation covers the person who is sick. But, what about the other people that are traveling with them? Can we cut our trip short and is this a covered expense with travel insurance? Marianne Hi Marianne, Here’s how travel insurance covers you for the situation you describe: one person is evacuated via their [...]

Enjoy The Internet Again: Get The Firefox Browser

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:41:48 +0000

Do you use Microsoft Internet Explorer? I do and I’ve used it for years mainly because it came with my Microsoft Windows. But, a few years ago, my friend Amrit suggested I start using Firefox. I was lazy to switch to it, but that was a mistake! Now Firefox is my main browser. Why do I [...]

Does Trip Cancellation Travel Insurance Require Hospitalization For Trip Cancellation?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:05:11 +0000

As to trip cancellation coverage - if one breaks a leg or arm or has some other unforseen medical condition occur before leaving on their trip, even a bad virus, they probably would not need to be hospitalized but at same time would not feel up to their trip. Will your trip cancellation travel insurance [...]

Can I Just Insure The Airline Ticket Change Fees?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:05:10 +0000

My air tickets are “nonrefundable” but can be reissued or changed for a “change fee.” I know that all trip insurance policies will only refund the “change fee” and not the cost of the tickets. Why then do I have to insure the “full cost” of the trip? Dion Hi Dion, Unfortunately, you’ve been given the wrong [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover Bankrupt Airlines?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:13:31 +0000

I am considering a trip to Cancun in the fall and traveling on Frontier airlines. I guess they filed for bankruptcy protection, does this mean I can’t get trip insurance if I use Frontier? Rod Rod, Here’s how the Travel Insurance works: You can still get travel insurance to cover you for everything except cancellations, travel delays, [...]

7 Helpful Travel Tips

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:56:09 +0000

I found these 7 Helpful Travel Tips on Lifehack.org. Since air travel can be frustrating, I hope you find the following travel tips from helpful: 1. Don’t travel with gel pens. You could wake up in a pool of ink, as the air pressure changes can cause the ink to burst out. I learned this lesson [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover Pre-Existing Conditions for Scheduled Surgery?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:44:26 +0000

My sister is having hip replacement surgery which the doctor scheduled so she should be recovered way in advance. If there are complications from the surgery would she be covered? Should she get the insurance before she has the surgery? I know there are only a few policies that waive pre-existing so that’s what we [...]

Does Trip Cancellation Travel Insurance Cover Unlimited Trips?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 23 May 2008 05:08:26 +0000

We presently have a plan for unlimited 35 day long trips and can buy extra days in 15 day increments. Are your plans along the same idea or do you have to buy everytime you go on a trip? Thanks, June Hi June, Our Travel Insurance plans only work if you cover the full travel dates. Therefore, [...]

How Far in Advance Should You Buy Travel, Trip or Cruise Insurance?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:40:28 +0000

My first question is, how far in advance do we need to purchase our trip insurance? We have plane tickets for 2 for August 6, 2008 from LAX. I will have more questions later but first just need to know how far in advance we must purchase trip insurance. Thanks, Madelyn Hi Madelyn, You can get [...]

Is Rental Car Insurance Priced Per Driver?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:38:08 +0000

We might be having 3 drivers, but we don’t want to pay extra. Is Rental Car Insurance priced per driver? Howard I have some good new for you Howard: The Rental Car Insurance / Collision Damage Waiver’s price is based on the one car per calendar day. Not on the number of drivers since only one person [...]

How Do I Insure Business Class Airline Tickets?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:29:08 +0000

Steve, Regarding the price quote, we re-figured some prices and are actually paying $7,000/person (which includes airfare). We are flying Business Class - should we or should we not include the cost of our flight in the insurance estimate? If we eliminate the cost of the Business Class Tickets then the trip is $3500/person. Linda Thanks [...]

Doesn’t Fedex Want To Know Who’s Impersonating Them and Ruining Their Name?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:26:35 +0000

On April 8, 2008 I wrote a post called “Does Somebody Want to Transfer Millions of Dollars Into Your Account?“. Since I hate phishing scams and all other fraudulent uses of the Internet I always forward a copy of the suspicious e-mail to the companies that are being defrauded. For example, at PayPal the e-mail address [...]

US State Department Travel Warnings

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:47:10 +0000

US State Department travel warnings do not mean that it’s a place where the government may not be favorably disposed to the United States. Instead, the United States’ State Department issues these warnings because for a variety of reasons it may not be safe to travel in those areas. These reasons include, but are not [...]

How You Can Help The Burma / Myanmar Cyclone Victims

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:31:43 +0000

As you know, there’s unimaginable human suffering in Burma after the devastating cyclone. And on top of that the evil military junta that rules Burma is preventing most aid from entering the country. In fact, the UN had two shipments seized by the government at the airport. I personally have never lived in a disaster zone. [...]

Must Everyone on a Travel Insurance Policy Cancel Their Trip?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:39:23 +0000

There will be two adults on this trip…what if one of them cancels but the other one goes…how is that handled? Don Don, that’s a great question. And it’s a simple answer, too: As long as the one who cancels can prove they had a non-refundable financial loss on their share of the trip costs, that person [...]