All of the major travel agencies provide options for protecting your non-refundable ticket. However, that may not be what you need considering the limitations. More comprehensive travel insurance may fit your needs better.

After working hard for your vacation and looking forward to it for so long, what happens when you’ve purchased the least expensive non-refundable tickets and you have an unforeseen emergency that prevents you from making your trip? Unless you have purchased ticket-protector insurance, you’re probably stuck. Continental, Northwest and America West airlines as well as several travel web sites offer such insurance.

Now, you may still be stuck, depending on the particular policy and the situation that prevented you from making your flight. Travel expert and author, Ed Perkins, calls ticket-protector insurance a “lite” version of trip-cancellation and trip-interruption insurance. Perkins says, “Instead of buying insurance that covers all your bases, like your hotel, car rental or most anything else, you are solely protecting your flight.”

For years, several online travel companies have offered ticket-protector insurance. For about 4% of your ticket price you can be covered up to $3,000. However, before you purchase this insurance, you need to know exactly what is covered and what is not.

It is essential to understand exactly what the covered reasons are, as it could mean the difference between receiving a full refund and having to absorb the cost yourself. Covered reasons typically include medical emergencies, car accidents, terrorist attacks, airline delays or cancellations, natural disasters, death of traveler or family member, adverse weather, airline strikes and jury duty. Be careful, though, as those reasons may have narrower definitions than you would expect.

As an example, a sudden heart attack or debilitating injury would be covered. However, an existing condition such as epilepsy would not be covered even if you have a seizure two days before departure which prevents you from traveling. That condition is already being treated and therefore would not be covered under your ticket-protector insurance.

Adverse weather conditions do not include conditions that are “expected”. For example, if you are traveling to a hurricane-prone area and a Category 4 hurricane is predicted to hit your destination days before your arrival, you will not receive a refund unless the airline cancels the flight or the airport is closed.

While labor strikes are covered reasons, you already have some protection on that front. There is a law requiring airlines to honor competitors’ tickets in the event of a strike or shutdown. However, this law only applies in the United States. It does not cover international airports.

Critics of ticket-protector insurance argue that the coverage is too limited because unforeseen situations are very often not covered. If a person truly has a non-refundable, non-reusable ticket, the insurance may come in handy. However, no one knows their circumstances ahead of time and if there is a problem with the coverage, the insurance company usually wins.

Ticket-protector insurance should only be purchased under limited circumstances say consumer advisers. Airlines are sometimes criticized for prohibiting refunds and then selling insurance to provide those refunds. The airlines respond that providing the insurance gives travelers more choice.

So, is a traveler better off with ticket-protector insurance or more comprehensive travel insurance? While ticket-protector insurance covers only the flight, travel insurance generally covers all aspects of your trip. Chances are that whatever causes a person to miss their flight is also going to cause them to miss their whole trip, or at least necessitate changes across the board, i.e. car rental, hotel reservations, entertainment tickets, etc. A consumer must weigh all factors involved in making the decision on which insurance to purchase, if any.

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Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Airline Tickets

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The airline ticket is probably going to be the biggest single expense of your trip in and out of Europe, especially if you are coming from Australia or New Zealand. The worst thing you can do is buy your ticket up at the last minute. Although there are some great deals on short notice, you are more likely to get a cheaper flight if you booked well in advance and you can also choose your seat in the flight. If you were still unsure about leaving, than buying a ticket early is a great boost. Once you have a ticket, it feels like there’s no turning back.

The airline ticket is probably going to be the biggest single expense of your trip in and out of Europe, especially if you are coming from Australia or New Zealand. The worst thing you can do is buy your ticket up at the last minute. Although there are some great deals on short notice, you are more likely to get a cheaper flight if you booked well in advance and you can also choose your seat in the flight. If you were still unsure about leaving, than buying a ticket early is a great boost. Once you have a ticket, it feels like there’s no turning back.

Depending on your standard of comfort and your budget, there is always an airline that can cater to you. Just remember that with airlines, you always get what you pay for. If you opt for cheap airlines, you are more likely to ride on older planes with greater safety risks and likelier delays. However, it’s good to know that there are already a lot of very airlines that cater to the middle market. Before you buy a ticket, it is advisable to do some research first. Ask about several airlines from a travel agency, or talk to people who have recently come from Europe. Check for frequent-flier programs, booking options, discounts for pre-booking and the cancellation policies of each airline. You can check the Web for information, as most major airlines have their schedules, prices and policies on the Internet.

If you think you will be flying in connected flights, make sure that the airlines that you are riding have certain partnership agreements that make it easier for you to travel between borders. Most airlines offer frequent-flier programs that can give you free flights or other benefits like seat upgrades. Your rewards are based on the number of kilometers that you flew with that airline or with its partners, or you can gather points by using affiliated travel services like hotels or car rentals. It would make sense for you to choose your home country’s carrier plane so you can use the free miles for future domestic flights. Just remember that frequent-flier flights have limited seats and are not available during peak seasons like Christmas.

Check your ticket restrictions. You may be subject to cancellation penalties, unexpected refunds policies, seasonal limits and stopover limits. If you have a discounted ticket, the conditions attached can even become more restrictive.

You can also get a discount return ticket if Europe is the only continent you plan to visit. If you fly to one destination, but have to return home from another, an open-jaw taken is your best option to save backtracking time. Open-jaw tickets are more expensive than regular return tickets if they can let you see more of a region especially when the distance between your starting and endpoints is great. If you’re not sure about your return date, you can purchase a one-way ticket. It can cost more than half of a return ticket, but can be a very liberating option. However, many countries will not give you a visa unless they see that you are flying with a return ticket. You will have to show your travel route as well as proof that you have enough cash to keep you afloat the entire time. If you have a two-year Commonwealth working visa, a one-way ticket can be of great help to you.

If you plan to travel to more than one continent, your best option is to get an RTW ticket. This is a ticket that gives you unlimited time, usually a year, to go around the globe in one direction with a predetermined number of stopovers. There are a lot of RTW combinations, so if you want to visit more places in less travel time, this kind of ticket is usually much cheaper than trying to buy individual tickets as you go.

You can get ticket discounts if you travel with a group. Other airlines offer discounts for teachers, students and holders of youth cards.

Avoid buying secondhand tickets that are usually worthless and do not match your identification. Immigration officials will most likely stop you from getting on that flight anyway. Once you have a clear idea of your travel plans and the amount of time can afford to be away, purchase your airline ticket directly from an airline company, from selected travel agents, or through reputable travel magazines.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Europe Vacation

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If you are planning a vacation abroad, there is at least one thing that you have in common with almost every single world traveler this year. You will have to get on a plane at some point in your vacation. With the cost of gasoline on the rise, you may think it near impossible, but finding inexpensive airline tickets for world travel is possible with a little effort on your part. Who is not willing to put forth a little effort to save a little money? I know I am. I have put together a few tips at finding inexpensive airline tickets for world travel that you may find invaluable.

First of all, shop online. If at all possible, start looking well in advance. As a general rule, the further in advance that the flight is booked, the better price you will get on the ticket. If you can book at least six weeks ahead of time, you will save a substantial amount over the 24-48 hour period just before a flight. Even booking 2 weeks in advance will save you a considerable amount, but the savings will not be as great as if the tickets were purchased earlier.

Shop multiple places before actually purchasing the ticket. Some sites will offer better prices than others, as will some airlines. Keep in mind that there are at least three places you can go to get airline tickets Ð online, travel agents, and directly to the airline themselves. We as Americans tend to think that going directly to the source saves us money. That is not always the case, especially when it comes to airline tickets.

Don’t be picky. Fly with the small name carriers that can save you a little more money than flying with the big dogs. I am not asking you to fly on “Crash Brothers Airlines” just take a flight with a lesser known carrier. The savings could be anywhere from small to half or more.

Just like booked a hotel in the “off” season, you can take a flight at an “off” time. If you can be flexible on your take off and arrival times, or if you can make your visit somewhat extended, you could save considerable amounts on your airline tickets. For some night owls, this would be no stretch at all, but for some, taking the “Red Eye” to Shanghai is not on their list of top ten things to do in life.

If you are willing to be flexible with your flight times, then allowing the website to choose your flight time for you. A less popular time of the day could get you a great deal on a flight. The cheaper flights may not be as bad as you think. Instead of leaving at 8:30 am, you may leave at 7:00 am, which is not that bad of a change for saving a few dollars.

Be willing to go on Standby. This is more difficult if you are trying to plan a trip with a group of people, or if your first day of your trip entails a schedule of any kind, but if you are very flexible with your flight times, flying standby could save you more money than you may think. You may or may not get on the flight that you were wanting, but the savings are definitely there for those willing to wait on a flight with room for them.

As you can see, finding inexpensive airline tickets for world travel is not as difficult as you may have thought. With a little effort, you too can save money on your world travels.

http://www.MyWorldTravelSite.com provides free information on world travel.

You can pick up tricks and tips for traveling the world no matter your budget!

Check out our latest page on disney travel packages.

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