The Unexpected

Dear reader

Before I tell you my story, I would like to give you a little background history. In my 20+ years of being a travel coordinator, I have always offered my clients travel insurance. Although I always offered it to my clients, I have rarely purchased it for myself. As I have gotten older, I have started to respect the “unexpected” and purchased insurance.

Now back to my story-

Our 6am flight to our long anticipated Alaska cruise was delayed due to an airline IT issue. The new departure time was 10:30am. The flight was repeatedly delayed and took off 7 ½ hours later than scheduled. This flight delay caused us to miss our cruise ship (it started sailing away just as we reached the pier). A call to the cruise line informed us we wouldn't be able to board the ship until it arrived in Juneau, AK on Friday, it was currently Monday. We stayed 2 nights in Seattle, flew to Juneau, stayed 2 nights there and enjoyed exploring both cities. We saved every receipt along the way and tried to be frugal knowing there was a maximum spending limit to our insurance policy. Friday came and we boarded the ship without incident. Whew! So glad that we could finally relax and enjoy our vacation!

At the end of our cruise we returned to the airport. Our flight was delayed followed by an equipment changed due to a mechanical issue. Our replacement plane was a few hours out so the airline bought us all lunch. As the afternoon went on we waited patiently only to have our flight canceled. The airline wouldn't be able to get us home for another day or two and the extended time in Seattle was at our own expense. We opted to refund our tickets and purchase tickets with another carrier to fly home the next day.

All told, the final total for this “unexpected” adventure cost us $2900 above our original vacation price. Our insurance claim has been filed and we are awaiting repayment.

If we hadn't purchase the insurance policy, we would be responsible for all of these expenses (or lose all the money we paid for the vacation minus the airline tickets). With the insurance policy, we will only have to pay for some of them.

The next time you book a vacation give some careful consideration to the insurance offering. Read the policy and make sure you understand what the coverage is. Ask you travel agent if you have questions.. You never know when you or a loved one will end up in the hospital, a flight will be delayed or some other unexpected event will throw a wrench in YOUR travel plans.