Heading to London for the Olympic Games? Don't Forget to Pack Travel Insurance, Says Travel Guard

STEVENS POINT, Wis., April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than 500,000 visitors expected to descend upon the U.K. this summer for the London 2012 Olympic Games, some of Britain's largest airlines have mentioned that overcrowded air spaces could potentially cause major flight delays and travel disruptions.*** Travel Guard North America, a leading travel insurance plan provider (www.TravelGuard.com), wants to be sure U.S. travelers making the investment to attend the London Olympic Games are prepared for the trip with valuable travel insurance and travel assistance services.

The opportunity to experience the pageantry of the Games and witness sports history in the making is worth the investment for many. However, Travel Guard warns, travelers need to cover that investment with travel insurance. 

"Between higher than average hotel rates and increasing airfares, for many the investment to attend the Olympic Games this summer is a major one," said Carol Mueller, vice president of Travel Guard North America. "Throw in the price of tickets to lock in attendance to your favorite events, and it's easy to see the cost of your trip add up. We want to make sure travelers with plans to attend the Olympic Games this summer know it's important to cover their travel investment, including those nonrefundable event tickets, with travel insurance."

For typically five to seven percent of your total trip cost, Travel Guard's core retail plans include coverage for trip cancellation, interruption and delay; medical emergencies; damaged or lost luggage, travel documents and more. For those travelers seeking maximum flexibility in their travel plans, some plans offer a Cancel for Any Reason option which can reimburse prepaid nonrefundable expenses for trip cancellation due to reasons not otherwise covered under the plan. It is important travelers know when purchasing a travel insurance plan, to include the cost of all prepaid, nonrefundable expenses in their trip cost, including prepaid Olympic Games tickets, to be fully covered in case they need to cancel due to a covered reason.

To complement the insurance benefits in the travel insurance plan, Travel Guard also provides a wide range of general travel and emergency travel assistance services in all of its core retail plans. These can be an invaluable resource when traveling abroad, from assistance with more commonly-known requests like rebooking cancelled flights and tracking lost baggage, or helping replace stolen travel documents, to assisting with a medical emergency, arranging cash transfer and relaying messages to family and friends back home.  And to further aid travelers to the Olympics this summer, concierge services included in Travel Guard's core retail plans can even help source additional tickets to events.

For more information about Travel Guard's selection of travel insurance and assistance service plans, travelers can talk to their travel agent, visit www.travelguard.com or call Travel Guard's World Service Center at 1.800.826.1300. Travelers can also "Like" Travel Guard at www.Facebook.com/TravelGuard or follow the company on Twitter @TravelGuard to stay abreast of travel trends, news and views.

***Associated Press, March 17, 2012: British Airlines Warn of Olympic Chaos http://usat.ly/FQX9xv

The terms Olympics, Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics are registered trademarks of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The limited use of the terms Olympics, Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics herein, if any, is for factual description purposes only. Travel Guard is in no way associated with and is in no way authorized by the United States Olympic Committee. The United States Olympic Committee has not licensed or endorsed Travel Guard to sell goods and/or services in conjunction with Olympic events such as the 2012 London Olympics.

About Travel Guard

Travel Guard, a Chartis company and worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance, provides products and services to millions of travelers around the globe, including a wide range of emergency services through its wholly-owned assistance centers located in Asia, Europe and the Americas.  Travel Guard helps leisure and business travelers alike solve problems and manage risks.  Travel Guard's global reach, unparalleled service quality and proven operational capabilities allows clients to receive best-in-class care.  Travel Guard's suite of technology platforms enables seamless integration with all major travel distribution systems and supplier channels.  The travel insurance products marketed by Travel Guard are underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries and affiliates of Chartis Inc.  For additional information, please visit our websites at www.travelguard.com and www.travelguardworldwide.com.

The coverage listed here is for U.S. residents only. To learn more about coverage in Canada, please call 1-866-648-8422.

The travel insurance products marketed by Travel Guard in the United States are underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., a Pennsylvania insurance company, with its principal place of business at 175 Water Street, New York, NY 10038. It is currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. NAIC No. 19445.

This is only a brief description of the coverages available.  The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions.  Coverage may not be available in all states.

SOURCE Travel Guard North America