Travel Insurance – The best way to handle H1N1 related trip cancellations

The Public Health Agency of Canada has provided an important guidance on how to reduce the spread of the H1N1 flu virus on planes, trains, ferries and inter-city buses.

“Everyone has a role to play in reducing the spread of the H1N1 flu virus,” said Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones. “If you are sick you should postpone your travel plans until you feel well enough to participate fully in all regular activities.”

Guideline recommendations include:

• passengers and crew members should stay home if they are sick;/li>
• travel companies, airlines, bus lines and others who operate public conveyances may wish to develop policies that facilitate the easy re-booking of travel due to illness, if such policies do not already exist;
• operators should consider posting preventive measure signs advising travellers to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer, and to cough and sneeze into arms, and not their hands;
• travel companies should ensure that facilities for hand washing are readily available for passengers;
• regular cleaning of common surfaces in transportation vehicles according to cleaning and disinfection procedures developed by Health Canada;
• crew members should avoid using gloves, masks, facemasks, and eye protection in most situations.;

“You should always have travel insurance — and H1N1 is no different than anything else,” Andrew Hopkyns, director of business development at AMA Travel, said to Reuters, published on canada.com. “Travel insurance remains the best way for consumers to protect their financial and health interests,” said FlightNetwork.com president and CEO Naman Budhdeo. “Considering that travel insurance covers injury, cancellation due to illness or any travel advisories against a destination and is available at a fraction of the cost of your trip, it’s the best way to protect you and your family.” Many insurance plans provide cancellation options as well as medical coverage in the event a client falls ill while away from home.

Public Health Agency Press Release: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/media/nr-rp/2009/2009_1028-eng.php
Public Health Agency Guidance Document: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/conveyances-transport-eng.php
Travel Insurance Centre: http://travel.insurancebroker.ca/