5 Tips to Prepare For Interrupted Travel Plans
Have you ever had a tripped planned, you were excited about it, you were in the midst of packing, and then something happened to ruin it? Maybe it was illness, loss of a job, a family emergency, or a natural disaster? Maybe you are already in destination and a weather event pops us? Now, not only are you unable to enjoy your planned activities and excursions, but now it is a potentially unsafe situation for you and your family.
Weather events are often to blame but so many other things can happen. As a travel advisor, I am on pins and needles when I see a tropical storm pop up in the Caribbean and I know I have a client that is supposed to be travelling. So what should you do if your travel plans are threatened by bad weather? What about terrorism or even just threats of terrorism?
Below you will find 5 tips so that you can do to minimize your loss and damages due to plan interruption.
Photo acquired from Pixabay
Avoid booking during hurricane or monsoon seasons.
I urge you to resist the temptation to book super cheap rates during hurricane or monsoon seasons. I know you can save a lot of money but the hassle, inconvenience, and potential loss will far exceed the cost savings you hope to enjoy. How much is your peace of mind worth to you?
Purchase travel insurance.
If you are doing more than a weekend road trip, it is in your best interest to look into travel insurance. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg for coverage but you definitely want to think about the coverage that is important to you (i.e. bag loss or delay, flight cancellations or delays, medical, etc) before you start to shop around. If you are travelling internationally, I strongly urge you to include medical coverage. Whatever health insurance you have at home will likely not be helpful to you overseas.
Photo by Adam Gonzales on Unsplash
Book refundable rates.
Yes, you will pay more for refundable rates BUT they typically offer the most flexibility for cancelling and changing your booking. Be sure to read the fine print and don’t hesitate to call and ask customer service about specific situations if you need to.
Understand the terms and conditions of your bookings.
This is THE MOST IMPORTANT tip for anything you do. You need to understand the terms and conditions, as well as your rights should you need to cancel. You may have a specific deadline in which you can cancel with a full refund. You may have a schedule that explains how much of a refund you will receive if you cancel 14-, 30-, 60-, etc days out. You need to know these things in order to protect yourself and your pocketbook from unplanned cancellation or change fees.
Book accommodations with chain hotels and resorts.
Booking with chain hotels and resorts is a good idea because they can move you to another property if your booking terms and conditions allow. We have been moved before when we found bed bugs at one property, and again when the amenities we paid for were not available (accessibility issues for our special needs family). Again, make sure you understand what your booking terms allow.
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Travelling is such a joyful experience but so many things can happen to rob you of that joy. While you won’t be able to prevent everything, you can make a few small changes to how you plan your travel so that you have the best opportunity for fun. I hope this list of tips helps you make the most of your travel dollars and a worry free vacation!
Make this beautiful day count!