10 reasons to use your credit card – Part 10: travel accident insurance

Posted on by Richard the MBA

Travel accident insurance is yet another travel protection benefit that many credit cards provide for free. I honestly have never paid attention to this benefit, because deep down, I really hope that nobody ever has to use it. It is what it sounds like: insurance against travel accidents. Most, if not all, travel rewards credit cards cover this, and the coverage limit is typically very high, up to $1,000,000 (1 million dollars!). Restrictions apply.

Even terrorist attacks are covered by some credit cards.
Even terrorist attacks are covered by some credit cards.

Continue reading 10 reasons to use your credit card – Part 10: travel accident insurance

10 reasons to use your credit card – Part 9: trip interruption/cancellation insurance

Posted on by Richard the MBA

I’ve talked about risks associated with traveling in earlier posts in this series. Credit cards are amazing for protection against unfortunate events along your travels, and apparently they are helpful even if you cannot make your trip or cannot complete your trip for unforeseen reasons.

Continue reading 10 reasons to use your credit card – Part 9: trip interruption/cancellation insurance

10 reasons to use a credit card- Part 8: Baggage delay reimbursement and baggage damage/loss insurance

Posted on by Richard the MBA

I don’t seem to have good luck with checked in baggage. For the approximately 20 one-way trips I have made with checked in bags, I have had baggage delay 3 times, all within the past 2 years. One of these times, on my flight from Seattle to Boston in December 2013, I had an opportunity to test out the baggage delay reimbursement feature of my credit card, the Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard (later name changed to the Arrival +).

luggagecarousel3
I got my bag delayed somehow.

Continue reading 10 reasons to use a credit card- Part 8: Baggage delay reimbursement and baggage damage/loss insurance

10 reasons to use a credit card – Part 7: Rental car insurance

Posted on by Richard the MBA

For those of us that travel and drive often, rental car insurance is a pretty big concern. You hit the road with a car that you have never driven before, and drive hundreds of miles a day to see the Grand Canyon, the Yosemite, the Hoover Dam,….

The Grand Canyon, courtesy of Papillon.

Accidents are a real risk, and can ruin your trip, especially when you are thousands of miles away from home in unfamiliar territory. Rental car agencies understand the fear, and sell product that insures you against rental car accidents. Added together, these insurance products can be more costly than the cost of renting the car itself.

car accident

One of the most popular insurance products for rental cars is collision damage waiver, a policy that releases you from the liability for any damage taken on the car during the rental period. This service usually costs around $15 plus tax a day. It’s really not a bad idea to pay $15 a day for the peace of mind. But if you travel a lot, it adds up quickly.

Continue reading 10 reasons to use a credit card – Part 7: Rental car insurance

Flight booking: Rule of 21 and Rule of 34

Posted on by Richard the MBA

Traveling is one of my great hobbies. Each time I go somewhere far away from home, I get new inspirations and ideas, such as opening my first credit card and starting this blog. And I love air travels; the Wright brothers are among my favorite heroes, and it so happens that Seattle is the host of the famed Museum of Flight. It also helps that I have friends on the other side of the continent, and also on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. I don’t need excuses to travel, really. And I hope that you share with me my passion for flying.

Because if you do, you will find the information I present in this post very helpful. I am making this post the shortest I’ve ever written since I want to focus your attention on the 2 simple rules of flight booking: the Rule of 21, and the Rule of 34.  Continue reading Flight booking: Rule of 21 and Rule of 34