by admin on Jun 18, 2010, under Travel Insurance
What this guide will do for you…
Buying travel insurance isn’t hard, but finding the right plan to meet your needs can be a challenge
In fact, the actual buying part is so simple you can get a quote, enroll, pay with a credit card, and get an email confirmation of coverage in less than 5 minutes. The challenge is to understand the coverage and find the right plan for your needs.
This section will cover:
Travel insurance is purchased to cover travel-related risks.
Before your trip, these risks might include last-minute cancellations due to sickness, severe weather, or even terrorist attacks.
During your trip, it provides coverage for emergency/accident care, medical evacuations, travel delays and missed connections, lost/stolen baggage, and more.
Travel insurance can be purchased for both domestic and international trips and can cover a variety of stays from the quick two day weekend up to 12 months.
The Package Plan is used by most travelers because it provides a variety of coverages in one simple plan, including: trip cancellation, medical emergencies, medical evacuation, lost baggage, missed connections, and several other coverages. Package policies vary from Basic plans with less coverage and lower coverage levels, to Premium plans with top-of-the-line benefits and high limits.Package Plans, like all travel insurance plans, can be purchased through a travel insurance comparison site. Read more about Package Plans
Package plans are perfect for:
Recommended Package Plans (click link to visit site and get a quote)
Worldwide Trip Protector Gold from Travel Insured International
My Travel Guard from Travel Guard Insurance
Travel Max from Travelex Travel Insurance
Vacation Plan from TravelSafe
Travel Medical Insurance is purchased by travelers leaving their home country for a few days or up to a year, and provides emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation coverage, and emergency assistance. Read more about Travel Medical insurance.
Travel Medical plans are used by:
Recommended Travel Medical Plans
Liaison from Seven Corners
Trip Protector from HTH Worldwide
In general, most travelers insurance needs falls into one of the above types of plan. A third category might include Evacuation Only Plans, Annual Plans, Flight Accident Plans, and Accidental Death Plans. These are specialty plans, and provide very specific coverage.
The reasons for purchasing travel insurance is different for every traveler and every trip.
Some people simply want to know they have medical coverage while traveling abroad (as we’ll discuss, most home-country healthcare does not cover you abroad). Other travelers are concerned about losing their trip investment if they need to cancel. Many travelers have concerns about losing their luggage or travel documents. Some have concerns about the extreme costs of emergency medical evacuations.
Later in this section, use our Traveler Profile list to get an idea of the types of coverage you might want to consider.
There are over 15 companies in the travel insurance business, and each one sells a variety of plans. Some companies specialize in simple, easy-to-use policies for the everyday traveler. Others specialize in niche travel insurance plans, designed for specific groups like golfers, students, or people taking a cruise. Some focus on travel medical plans and evacuation plans, providing insurance plans for travelers around the world.
Each company has pros and cons, but most importantly you need a reputable, experienced company with the right plan for your trip. At the end of this guide, you will also find ratings for each company and links to their websites.
This will depend on the type of plan you have, the coverage, the amount of coverage, and other factors.
In general, a Package Plan will cost between 5-7% of the total trip cost. So, if your total insured trip cost is $5,000, a package plan would be around $250-350 (5-7% of $5,000). This varies based on several factors, so keep in mind the 5-7% figure is only a ballpark estimate.
The 5-7% number also assumes you are purchasing Trip Cancellation coverage. You can purchase a Package Policy for the other coverages it provides, and omit the trip cancellation component. This will reduce the amount of premium significantly.
With Travel Medical plans there is no trip cancellation coverage, but the plan cost depends on trip length, traveler age, and several other factors. These plans can be as low as dollars per day.
Travelers of all types buy insurance for their trip. Wealthy retirees taking a cruise, families going to Disneyland, couples taking a vacation, and college students backpacking around Europe all have a need for travel insurance.
To get an idea of the coverage you might need, take a look at the following Traveler Profiles and find the best match for you. Read the description to get an idea of the different types of coverage you should consider.
General Traveler/Vacationer (Leisure Travel, Family Vacation, etc.)
I’m traveling with a spouse, friends, or family, and taking a “vacation” trip (abroad or domestically), and want a general travel insurance plan. I want to insure the cost of my trip, so I don’t lose money if I need to cancel. I’m also interested in coverage for medical emergencies and medical evacuations, lost baggage, and even travel delays. I would also be interested in any additional coverages, such as identity theft, or rental car damage. Recommended plan: Package Plan (Basic to Premium, depending on preference)
Cruise Traveler
I’m taking a cruise and need a travel insurance plan for several reasons. Since I’ve pre-paid for an expensive cruise package, I definitely want to insure the cost of the trip, so I don’t lose this considerable investment if I need to cancel. Since I’ll be on a cruise ship far from hospitals, it’s important I have coverage for medical emergencies, and especially emergency evacuation. I also want coverage for lost or damaged baggage, delayed trips, missed connections, and other standard coverages. Recommended plan: Package Plan (Moderate to Premium depending on needs)
Parents traveling with kids
I’m taking a trip with my children, and want a travel insurance plan that takes family needs into account. Since kids can increase the chances of last-minute illnesses, I definitely want to insure the cost of my trip against cancellation, so I don’t lose money if a family member becomes ill and cannot travel. It is also essential to protect my family against medical emergencies, lost or damaged baggage, and delayed trips. I would also be interested in “family specific” coverages, such as “free coverage for kids”, or family-concierge service. Recommended plan: Package Plan with “family specific” benefits
Budget-Minded Traveler
I’m taking a trip and want the basic travel insurance coverage, but I also want to keep my budget in mind. I might want to cover against a canceled trip, but I definitely need some medical coverage, baggage coverage, and 24/7 assistance support. I’m looking for the best value plan that provides basic coverage. Recommended plan: Basic Package Plan
Students
I’m a student traveling overseas; either on a semester abroad or an extended summer break. Since I’ll be traveling in foreign lands, I definitely need coverage for emergency medical treatment and medical evacuation. It is also important to insure my baggage and possessions, and I want to have good 24/7 assistance services as well. I might need a plan for several months of coverage. Recommended plan: Student Plan
Frequent Traveler
I travel several times throughout the year, both overseas and domestically, and want a single plan to provide coverage for medical emergencies, medical evacuations, baggage, and even trip cancellation/interruption. Some of my trips last up to a month, while others are very short, but I might take up to 10 trips a year. Recommended plan: Annual or Multi-Trip Plan
Senior Traveler
I’m a Baby Boomer enjoying my later years traveling and seeing the world. I’m fairly fit, but I have concerns about traveling abroad without medical coverage. I know that Medicare does not cover my overseas, so medical coverage and evacuation is very important to me. I would also like trip cancellation coverage and some of the other basic trip insurance coverages like lost baggage and travel delay. I need a plan that does not restrict my age group. Recommended plan: Premium Package Plan with senior-specific benefits and adequate age accommodations
Extended Trip, Expatriates, or Living Abroad
I’m planning on living abroad for an extended period of time, and I want to have US-style health insurance coverage while I’m overseas. It is important to have comprehensive medical coverage, accident and emergency coverage, and emergency medical evacuation and transportation. I do not need trip cancellation coverage, baggage coverage, or other “package plan” benefits. Recommended plan: Travel Medical Plan
Foreign Citizen Visiting the US
I’m planning on visiting the US for an extended period of time, and I want to have US-style health insurance coverage while I’m there. It is important to have comprehensive medical coverage, accident and emergency coverage, and emergency medical evacuation and transportation. I do not need trip cancellation coverage, baggage coverage, or other “package plan” benefits. Recommended plan: Travel Medical Plan
This only represents an outline of the general traveler types. Every trip and traveler is unique, and therefore has different travel insurance needs. Hopefully this gives you a general idea of the types of coverage you might need, and as you read through this guide you can pinpoint the right plan for your trip.
by admin on Jun 15, 2010, under Travel News
There’s no question: overpacking tops the list of biggest travel mistakes.
Thus this Web site, which offers exhaustive — some might say exhausting! — detail on the art and science of traveling light, going pretty much anywhere, for an indefinite length of time, with no more than a single carry-on-sized bag.
Of all the travel skills you might acquire, travelling light is the one most likely to result in an enjoyable, productive, stress-free travel experience. For two thousand years, seasoned travelers have written of its many benefits, including …
Security: With a greatly reduced need to check baggage (or otherwise entrust it to the care of others), you are much less likely to lose your belongings to theft, damage, or misrouting. Similarly, you foil those who would enlist your unsuspecting aid as a conveyor of contraband goods. Achieving peace of mind is rarely this easy!
Economy: You don’t have to pay porters and others to carry and store stuff for you. You eliminate extra baggage charges (and many airlines now charge for all checked baggage). You are more able to take public transportation (even from airports, just like airport personnel and flight crews), rather than taxis and limos. You can even walk. All of which also bring you into more intimate (hence rewarding) contact with the people and places that you have come to visit.
Flexibility: Less stuff means greater mobility, which gives you more travel options. You needn’t arrive at airports as early. You can board trains, trams, and coaches with alacrity. You can more easily deal with delayed transportation and missed connections (because you can choose alternatives without worrying about what will happen to your belongings); you can also switch to earlier flights when space is available. You can sell your seat (by volunteering to be “bumped”) on full flights. You can travel as an air courier. You will be among the first to leave the airport, while others wait for baggage delivery and long customs inspection queues. And you won’t feel compelled to take the first hotel room offered: you can comfortably walk down the street should the ambience be unsuitable or the price unreasonable.
Serenity: If there is a bottom line, it’s that travelling light is simply a better, more hassle-free way to go. You have more time, because packing takes little. You waste less energy hauling stuff. You know what you have, and where everything is (as you pack your bag the same way every time). We’ve all seen those hapless folks at the airport, with too much baggage and panicked expressions, worried that they have lost track of something, or left something behind. Foreign travel in particular can be challenging because it is unfamiliar and unpredictable, but the one-bag traveller copes by operating from a solid, familiar foundation, with fewer unnecessary things to worry about.
by admin on Jun 11, 2010, under Leading Edge Aviation News
Summer. For most Americans, it’s a time to relax with family, head to the beach, and grill up our favorite treats on the barbeque. But for our country’s passenger airlines, it’s a time when business, like the weather, really starts to heat up.
“Our hangars are pretty full most of the year, but we tend to have greater flexibility in the summer, since that’s when airlines are the busiest,” said Dave Patterson, Executive Vice President, Leading Edge Aviation Services. “That means three things for customers. Faster turnaround. More flexible scheduling. And quite frankly, better pricing.
Summer is really the only time of year when customers can get their aircraft painted on extremely short notice, with lightning-fast turnaround, and at an unbeatable price.
“From a customer service perspective, there’s no better time to get an aircraft painted than in the summer,” adds Patterson. “Whether you’re an MRO that wants a mobile team to come to you, or an airline that needs a 747 repainted and out the door in a week, this is the time of year when just about anything is possible.”
Patterson adds that this increased flexibility has lead to creation of the company’s “Summer Advantage Program” that features seasonal price reductions for a wide range of fleet painting services.
“The whole thing is really our way of saying thanks for squeezing us into these busy months with preferential pricing and scheduling,” says Patterson.
If you’d like to hear more about the program and how we can help you make the most of your maintenance needs this summer, please contact Leading Edge at any time. We’re here to help.
Regards,
Dave Patterson
Executive Vice President
by admin on Jun 10, 2010, under Leading Edge Aviation Press Release
Santa Ana, CA – Mike Manclark knew he had it in him. While he fueled and moved airplanes at Orange County’s airport to earn a living, he watched as various companies serviced airplanes, providing painting and internal reconfigurations, maintenance, and fuel cell repair. Manclark realized he could provide these services, only better. Manclark then 19, borrowed $3,000 from his Dad and launched Leading Edge Aviation Services (LEAS). Says Manclark, “Everyone, and I mean everyone, thought I was crazy.”
Manclark started by detailing jets, including those of Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope. The company quickly grew as he applied three personal mandates: 1) never say no; 2) perform above expectations; and 3) hire the best employees you can. He quickly built a stellar reputation in the industry based on quality and dependable services. This past year, LEAS reported $42 million in sales, and it is now the world’s largest aircraft painting company in the world.
Manclark admits, however, that the profitability of projects is often difficult to judge. He applies several capital budgeting procedures to assess the attractiveness of projects. Some projects, but not all, yield sufficient payback and adequate returns. The key is being able to distinguish the profitable projects from those that are not. Manclark also makes managerial decisions that require difficult calls on what to scrap or not, what to buy, and what to pass on or process. In spite of these tough capital budgeting and managerial decisions, Manclark loves where he is. “I don’t do this for the money,” he says. “I do it for the love of airplane.” The money is not bad either; Manclark projects a record revenue growth of 25% through 2012. For that amount, many people would love airplanes.
by admin on Jun 4, 2010, under Miramar Air Show, leading edge aviation services
Leading Edge Aviation Services (LEAS) reported a record turnout for its weekend event at the 2009 Miramar Air Show this year, selling out an entire floor of the Empress Hotel and jampacking its flight-line corporate VIP chalet with friends and guests from across the country.
“We work hard all year long to keep our skies busy, so it was nice to come together just to have some fun, network, and take in the breath-taking action of the world’s best air show,” said Mike Manclark, CEO, LEAS. “In all, we had more than 120 guests from virtually every airline in the industry, and as in previous years, there was never a dull moment.”
Over the three-day event, the company organized family trips to SeaWorld, a tiki-torch BBQ on the beach, a fullfledged golf tournament, catered receptions, and much, much more. But the true highlight of the event was the beautiful corporate VIP chalet sponsored by Leading Edge.
“The views are just unbelievable from the chalet,” added Manclark. “You couldn’t be closer to the action unless you were in it. You could almost touch the aerial displays, and nobody felt the burn of the ‘Great Wall of Fire’ like we did! Bursting 2,500 feet into the air, it’s an explosive inferno that you just have to see to believe!”
To see more pictures from the 2009 Miramar Air Show, or to add your own, please visit www.miramar2009.com.
