Travel insurance claim denied?

Here’s how to turn a “no” into a “yes”. How travel insurance works – a “named perils” policy covers only what is written in the policy, but even when a peril isn’t named, there’s still some wiggle room. Travel insurance companies usually assign appeals to a senior adjuster. That person will carefully review the claim to ensure the initial adjuster didn’t overlook anything. If your claim is denied review your policy to find out if it made a mistake. Read the policy carefully.

Sometimes, a travel insurance company will list the reason for the denial. “No” doesn’t always mean no. Take your appeal to the next level. Enlist the help of the insurance agent or travel agent who sold the policy. Agents can often act as intermediaries when something goes wrong with a policy.

Insurance commissioner

He or she may be able to help if your insurance company rejected your claim for no good reason.

Small claims court

You don’t need to hire an attorney to go to small claims court, but there’s a limit on the claim amount. This is often your last resort. If your agent or insurance company prevails in small claims court, that’s it.

A consumer advocate

A third party may be able to help you get a claim honored, depending on the type of claim and the advocate.

Here’s when you can get a refund for your nonrefundable ticket:

• If an airline cancels your flight, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation.

• If there’s a significant schedule change by the airline, you may be entitled to a full refund

• The contract of carriage sometimes called the conditions of carriage — is the legal agreement between you and the airline so be sure to read yours carefully. It may contain a clause that gives you a full refund.

• If you feel the airline hasn’t offered you the product it promised, you might be able to dispute the charge on your credit card

• Your rights to dispute a credit card charge are spelled out in the Fair Credit Billing Act.

• In the case of a death, there is a long-standing industry courtesy. There’s no rule or regulation that says an airline must refund a dead passenger’s fare. If, however, the promise is contained in the contract of carriage, then the airline must honor it.

• If your travel companion dies, some airlines will refund tickets as a goodwill gesture when your travel companion dies or if the person you were traveling to visit dies. If you need to request this type of refund, you will also need to provide written evidence of your companion’s death.

• If your military orders change or you have jury duty

• If you have extenuating personal circumstances

• Airlines review these refund requests on a case-by-case basis. Share your dilemma with them succinctly and with a minimum of drama.

Airlines and airports are launching new technology that promises to ease the tension of waiting in snaking lines at the TSA checkpoint. The solution is Reserve by Clear. The program allows travelers to reserve a dedicated time to pass through a fast lane at the security checkpoint. To reserve their free spot, passengers simply go to Reserve by Clear’s site (https://www.clearme.com/reserve) to choose their airport and enter their flight details. Then, they choose a time to go through security that works with their schedule. Users will receive a confirmation email with a QR code. At the airport, travelers use the “Reserve” lane at the appointed time; security staff will scan the QR code and whisk them through the TSA line.

Reservations, based on availability, can be made up to 72 hours before departure. Reservation times will vary, but time slots are always at least 60 minutes before a domestic flight’s departure time and at least 75 minutes before an international flight. (The program is not available to TSA PreCheck or Clear Plus members.)

Reserve lanes are at the following airports:

• John F. Kennedy Intl. Airport, Terminal 4
• Los Angeles Intl. Airport, Terminals 7 and 8 (called LAX Fast Lane)
• Orlando Intl. Airport, East and West Checkpoints
• Newark Liberty Intl. Airport, Terminal A and B (called EWR Virtual Line)
• Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport, Checkpoint 3 and 5 (called SEA Spot Saver)
• Phoenix Sky-Harbor Intl. Airport, Terminal 3 and 4 operates from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Calgary Intl. Airport, Security D and E (called YYC Express)

Industry experts predict that travelers will see similar convenient technologies continue to roll out to more airports worldwide. “Allowing the passenger to be in control of their journey is the future of air transportation.

Tips to help keep an airline from losing your luggage:

• Never check anything that you can’t live without. This includes car keys, glasses or medicine. Also, leave your most precious items at home to avoid possible heartbreak.
• Remove all existing labels and tags from your previous trips. Destination bag tags as well as those little bar code stickers that get put on your suitcase.
• Put your name and contact information pretty much everywhere. Add a baggage tag on the outside with your name and phone number, plus one inside in case that one falls off or gets lost.
• Photograph both the outside of the checked suitcase and the inside with its contents for future identification purposes.
• Get to the airport early to check your bag, but not 4 to 6 hrs. pre-departure, as your luggage may go to a holding area and not get sorted for your flight.
• When it comes time to check your bag, keep an eye on the tags that are printing.
• Does it have the right airport and code? Your correct name and frequent flyer number? Is the barcode clear or smudged? (If it doesn’t look crisp, have them print it again.) If you qualify for elite and priority tags, make sure they’re added to your bags as well.
• Stay and watch to make sure your luggage is put on the conveyor belt or added to the checked bags cart (this is important for curb checking where available, too).
• Add an electronic tag (Apple Air Tags, LugLoc or Trakdot) and follow on the app to keep an eye on the progress of your bags.
• Download your carrier’s app since most of the large airlines now offer digital luggage receipts and bag tracking within their apps.
• Keep those baggage receipts the agent hands you. If something goes awry, you’ll need them as proof.

How to get your money back when an airline won’t refund.
Getting money back from an airline when it’s unwilling is difficult. But you have a few options:

Contact the airline and make a polite but firm request
Many refund requests happen either by phone or on the airline website. You have to take it up a notch if you want to move to the top of the stack A polite but firm request sent to a manager in writing may be enough to fast-track your refund request. If you booked through a large online agency, try contacting it. Contact information can be found here (https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/)

Ask regulators to help you with your refund
The Department of Transportation can assist with tickets purchased in the United States. If you’re owed a refund but haven’t received it yet, a complaint sent to the DOT (https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-
consumer-complaint) may motivate your airline to move faster. If you’re in Europe, you’ll need to find the country’s
regulatory agency (https://www.easa.europa.eu/domains/international-cooperation/easa-by-country) and file a
complaint. It may feel like you’re sending your information into a black hole, but complaints often get results.

File a credit card dispute
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you can file a chargeback for goods or services purchased but not received. Some banks will tell you that you have 60 days to file a chargeback from the time you receive your credit card bill. But both Visa and MasterCard allow chargebacks up to 120 days from the transaction date. They extend it by another 120 days when there’s a bankruptcy. Remember, a credit card dispute should be your last resort when you need a refund. Give the airline a chance to do the right thing.

Returning to the US with a Covid negative test
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded the testing program for international travel to the United States, allowing airlines to accept at-home instant tests that include remote supervision.

One company gained instant popularity for travelers looking for a more straightforward to get COVID-19 tests to fly back to the United States. Abbott’s BinaxNow COVID-19 Home Test is supervised and administered remotely online, and is approved for travel to the U.S. Results are available within 15 minutes. https://www.abbott.com/BinaxNOW-Tests-NAVICA-App.html

I recently used this test while in Belize and it was easy to administer, took only 15 minutes and was accepted by the airlines, no questions asked.

5 Common Mistakes Travelers Make Returning to the U.S.
1. Not Having the Right Type of COVID-19 Test
The only negative tests acceptable are either an antigen test or a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).

If you are packing a self-test to take while traveling, the test must be a SARS-CoV-2 viral test (nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] or antigen test) with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The testing procedure must include real-time supervision remotely through an audio and video connection and must confirm your identity, observe the sample collection and testing. Results can be shown either on paper or electronically.

2. Forgetting to Declare Food.

Packaged cookies or candy is ok but food such as an apple served on the plane needs to be declared.

3. Not Having Proof of Vaccination

Acceptable proof of vaccination at the U.S. border includes: Vaccination certificates or digital passes with QR codes. A printed vaccination record or CDC vaccination card or a digital photo or electronic copy of your vaccination record/COVID card

4. Not Having Global Entry Membership

Now that international travelers are finally allowed back into the U.S., the country is experiencing a surge of visitors, causing longer entry lines at land borders and international airports. Spend the $100 fee for a five-year Global Entry membership, which will allow you to speed through reentry to the U.S. Use it once and you’ll agree that it’s completely worth the cost.

5. Arriving to the Airport Too Late

Arrive at the airport three or more hours before your flight home because airlines now have a number of things to check before they let travelers board a flight to the U.S., including vaccine cards and COVID tests, which can add hours to check-in lines. Be sure to leave extra time in case of long lines.

When sending in your old passport for renewal the Dept. of State recommends that applicants use a trackable shipping method, such as Priority Mail Express. It is recommended that applicants mail their documents in a sturdy envelope such as a Tyvek envelope, which will protect damage in transit.

You May Need to Renew Sooner Than You Think
Don’t take your passport’s expiration date at face value. Some countries have a six-month or three-month passport validity rule that requires your passport to be valid for a certain amount of time after your date of entry.

Your Passport Has Identity Theft Deterrents
If your passport was issued after August 2007, you’ve got an e-passport with a small integrated chip in the back cover that stores your passport information and a biometric identifier based on your photograph. There are metallic
elements in the cover of the passport, making it impossible for the passport to be digitally “read” until it’s physically open.

Weight Change? You May Need a New Passport
If you’ve lost (or gained) a lot of weight, so much so that you look different than you do in your passport photo, you’ll need a new passport. The same is true or if you’ve added or removed large facial tattoos or piercings.

Photo Restrictions
The photo must have been taken within six months of your application date, and must reflect your current appearance. You must directly face the camera and your expression should be neutral. According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, “Photos with exaggerated expressions and squinting will not be accepted.” And uniforms and “clothing that looks like a uniform” are forbidden as well.

Damage Can Render Your Passport Invalid
If your passport has been significantly damaged, it’s time for a new one. Water damage, significant tearing (especially on the book cover or the page with your personal data and photo), unofficial marking on the data page, and torn out visa pages are among the types of damage that will likely mean you’ll need to apply for a replacement.

Craig Clark
If you’re flying and concerned about COVID and germs, here are 8 ways to avoid them.
1. Wear a mask
2. Research airline policies around social distancing
before booking
3. Wash your hands
4. Pack an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
5. Wipe down your area
6. Consider going snack-free on short flights
7. Get the flu shot
More airline news, according to Elliott Advocacy: last year the airlines deliberately slowed down the pace of refunds of over 9 million air travelers— for obvious reasons. Keeping your money meant it had enough cash to continue operating.
By the time the federal government caught on to this trick, the industry had already weathered the worst of the storm, thanks to these interest-free microloans from millions
of customers.
You don’t have to become one of 9 million aggrieved air travelers this year. The trick? Know your rights to a refund — and don’t be afraid to let your airline know.
You have the right to a refund if your flight is canceled.
According to DOT (Dept. of Transportation) regulations, your airline must refund your money within 7 business days if it
cancels your flight. It may offer you a replacement flight, but you are under no obligation to accept it.
You have the right to a refund if your flight is rescheduled. If your airline makes a “significant” change to your flight and you decide not to fly, you get a refund. The DOT — not your airline — gets to define “significant.”
If you get downgraded. If you have a confirmed seat in
business class and the airline tries to send you to the bleacher seats, guess what? You get a refund if you decide to cancel
your trip. But what if you decided to cancel your flight
because it isn’t safe to travel? If you initiate the cancellation, you have to accept a nontransferable, expiring ticket credit, and you may have to pay a ticket change fee.

In 1976, my dad announced to us kids that he had purchased some property in Cloverdale. It was to be the family’s weekend get-a-way/summer retreat. Born and bred in San Francisco, my three brothers and I were very curious about this northern part of the state that we naturally pictured as rolling hills covered in masses of green clover!

My dad and mom were thrilled to retreat to the ramshackle ranch house where my father happily enrolled in viniculture classes and dabbled in wine making. The dazzling fall colors were a delight to my mother who was an amateur painter. She looked like a little Monet sitting in her chair in the middle of the vineyard.

We quickly felt the pure exhilaration of being able to run free in the meadows, chase jack rabbits, cruise down the Russian River in old, beat up tires and explore the perimeters of the town in our old jeep. We picked persimmons off the fruit trees and created freshly baked delights! Our somewhat raucous family dinners at Mamma Nina’s and lunches at the Owl Cafe were special bonding times amidst everyone’s busy lives. The winter in Cloverdale could have seemed gloomy and dreary, but to us, it was quiet, calm and welcoming. We looked forward to the traditional Citrus Fair and especially the 4-H Club. We City kids had never experienced the responsibility of caring for barnyard animals!

After rearing my five children in San Francisco, I found myself once again thinking about the little town of my youth. A few years ago, we announced to our children that we had purchased a summer retreat in Cloverdale – a weekend get-a-way. Now, our extensive brood eagerly escapes the crowded, noisy San Francisco city life for a quiet respite with their own families. Still, there are the hot summer nights and lazy floats down the Russian River in old, beat up tires. Still, there is the wise Owl who nods to the past from the roof of the old Owl Cafe. It’s the same old Cloverdale in many ways, but I came back, back to experience the best yet.

Mexico is open for tourist business and Puerto Vallarta is only a 3 hrs. 45 min. non-stop flight from SFO:

Walk the Malecon

Pedestrian friendly oceanside walkway with sculptures, restaurants, sand art, and the Dance of the Flyers. Five performers atop a 98 ft. pole where 4 will tie ropes to their ankles and slowly drop to the ground while spinning around the pole.
Explore the Romantic Zone Start at the cathedral and main plaza and walk across the street to the public stage and arena area where you may see a magic show or some other street performance. Take a Taco Tour With Vallarta Food Tours, https://vallartafoodtours.com/ follow your guide through the streets of the city center and catch the bus across town (an adventure in itself), not only will you taste the city’s best tacos, you’ll also experience a range of Mexican flavors that are sure to inspire your taste buds from the classic al pastor tacos to the smoked marlin.

Take a Cooking Class

Miriam’s Mexican Kitchen http://www.miriamsmexicankitchen.com/ will show you how to bring those flavors home with you. There are many different cooking classes to whet your curiosity, for every skill level to the more experimental menus available.

Whale Watching

Puerto Vallarta Bay is a very popular vacation spot for humpback whales. During the winter, humpback whales migrate south to the warm waters off the coast to raise their young. This means visitors have plenty of opportunities to spot them flipping and splashing around, particularly between February and April.

Take a Day Trip

Visit San Sebastian del Oeste, the Marietas Islands, Playa Escondida (Hidden Beach), or a local bus to Sayulita 20 miles north. Vallarta Adventures is one of the tour companies offering tours. https://www.vallarta-adventures.com/en/