By: Kim Bercaw

Toothbrush? Check. Underwear? Check. Trip insurance? (Confused silence.) If an insurance plan isn’t at the very top of your travel essentials checklist, you’re not alone. According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, a mere 30 percent of us say “yes” to this type of coverage. Shocking, considering how unpredictable life can be. Just last spring my family was headed for a week of bliss in the West Indies when our connecting flight from Atlanta to Provodenciales was unexpectedly cancelled. Had we skipped the travel coverage, we would have found ourselves on a flight home, crying into our complimentary bag of pretzels. Instead, we were able to re-book to a new destination on the spot and received full refunds for our original hotel reservations AND our pre-purchased island excursions. Relief? Let’s just say there was some spontaneous dancing going on that day at the customer service counter.

A typical plan averages five to seven percent of your total trip cost, which is small in comparison to the potential loss of nonrefundable hotel rooms, flights and activities.  I usually choose my plan based on:

• The likelihood that one of my kids will come down with a croupy, vomitous scourge three hours before we depart (58%)
• The chances of my travel dates inadvertently coinciding with an elderly relative’s 100^th birthday celebration (12%)
• The odds of me incurring serious bodily injury halfway through the trip because I can’t resist cliff diving or swimming with killer jellyfish or engaging some other ridiculous activity I would never in my right mind do at home (25%)

You, of course, will have your own unique reasons for choosing a plan. Here are some common types of coverage:

Trip cancellation
Trip interruption
Medical coverage
Evacuation coverage
Baggage coverage
Flight insurance

Interestingly, there’s also:

Golf course closure coverage
Work-related cancellation coverage
Student coverage
Hurricane coverage

You can even purchase insurance that allows you to cancel your trip FOR ANY REASON. It would be really pathetic if you backed out of a vacation because your bunion was acting up or because of a bad hair day, but isn’t it great to know you COULD?

If the above coverage options seem a bit overwhelming, never fear. Your Travel Beyond consultant will be more than happy to help you pick out just the right plan.

By Kim Bercaw

No matter how many times I hand over my trusty Tumi bags at airline check-in, I never seem to get over that slightly uneasy feeling that sits in the pit of my stomach as I watch them disappear down the conveyor. Off they go, to airport Neverland, and into the hands of baggage-handling strangers. It’s similar to the feeling I get when I drop my kids off at summer camp. In both cases, I take a deep breath, say a short prayer and hope they’re at the designated pick-up location when I arrive to claim them.

The whole baggage handling process is pretty miraculous, really. According to Wikipedia, the odds of a bag being lost en route are less than one percent. But when something does go awry, a trip can turn into a tragedy faster than you can say “airline-issue overnight courtesy bag.” Last year, after being separated from my checked bag in Atlanta, I came dangerously close to wearing a complimentary XXL Delta Airlines logo t-shirt to a dinner party.

The best way to minimize the M.I.A. baggage blues is to always pack the essentials in your carry-on. Obvious choices include toiletries, a change of clothing and any medication you might require. If you’re me, you also bring along a 27-year old pillow known affectionately as “James.” (But that’s another post entirely, suitable for a blog about unnatural childhood attachments.) The point is, carry on anything you consider vital to your happiness should you be without your luggage for a few days.

Lost baggage is by no means limited to portable, densely packed containers of clothing and accessories. According to the London Heathrow Lost Property Office, items recently recovered at their airport include a samurai sword, a prosthetic arm, a coffin, a puffer fish and a stuffed fox. One elderly gentleman even came to the office to turn in a pair of false teeth he had found on the baggage claim conveyor and mistook for his own. Interestingly, it had taken him a few hours to figure out the teeth were someone else’s.

Do you have any lost baggage stories? Share them in the comment section below!

For a few more hilarious tales of lost luggage, read this Daily Herald article.

Travelers frequently tell us they look forward to a relaxing vacation where they can turn off their cell phones and enjoy new experiences in a foreign country. However, sometimes it’s necessary to stay connected to check in on the kids, manage a work emergency or navigate foreign streets. If you fall in the second category, knowing your current phone plan is vital. International charges on cell phones are often astronomical, and you may wind up paying hefty fees on even the shortest phone calls or text messages.

A recent USA Today article featured helpful tips on beating wireless roaming charges while traveling abroad.

Here are a few tips from the article:

• Rent a pocket Wi-Fi hot spot to access the internet
• If internet access is available, use a web-based app like Skype to place calls with cheaper rates
• Consider a pay-per-day unlimited data plan
• Get a local SIM card from the airport for cheaper calling rates
• Ask your phone carrier about an international plan
• If all else fails, be sure to turn off roaming function to avoid accidental charges

For more recommendations and specific rates, read the full article.

Do you have any personal tips on cell phone savings? Or do you have a “Good Question” you would like answered? Please share them below.