In consultation
with GrandTours, the District would like to share the following travel
information:
• What is
the official level of concern for overseas travel? You
may have heard about general, worldwide ''travel
alerts" that have been issued by the State Department; these are very
different from "travel warnings", which have NOT been issued. A
''travel alert" is designed to heighten awareness of the traveling public,
and a "travel warning" is a concrete warning to avoid traveling to
specific destinations. At this point, the State Department has only issued a ''travel
alert", simply communicating a need to "be
aware" or “vigilant” as a traveler. Cancellation of travel plans under a
''travel alert" would not be covered by most travel insurance policies.
If
there were an official U.S. State Department "travel warning"
to Spain, the trip would be cancelled. The company would work to pursue any
possible refunds with all contracted air and land suppliers. In most
cases, the air carriers would not fly to any destination under such a "travel
warning." It is notable that there has not been a single
''travel warning" to Europe within the last 25 years.
• What is the position of our tour company
and other businesses in the travel industry? At this point, GrandTours has initiated
no changes to the tour program and will continue to monitor events in Spain and
Europe on a daily basis. Having operated tours to Europe for twenty-five years,
the company evaluates each situation as it presents itself. As of today, there
are no changes to the tour itinerary. They are “confident the tour program is
completely safe for student travel as structured.”
• What is the role of travel insurance in
this type of situation? GrandTours encourages you to speak directly with a travel
insurance agent to understand what is and is not covered by most common travel
insurance policies. There are individual insurance policies still available for
purchase. They recommend contacting the following reputable insurance provider:
www.travelguard.com
GrandTours also includes the Travel Guard (AIG) Group Protection Plan for all
of its travelers. It does not contain pre-trip cancellation coverage, but is
designed to protect travelers while out of the country and features excellent
coverage for medical incidents, trip delays, trip interruptions, baggage
loss/damage and possible individual evacuation.
If you are
concerned about a pre-trip cancellation, it is not too late to purchase travel
insurance. The only insurance that cannot be purchased is “cancel for any
reason” insurance or coverage for “pre-existing medical conditions.” Those
typically need to be purchased within 14 days of registering for the tour. For
more information, feel free to visit: www.travelguard.com
We fully expect to
have a safe and wonderful trip to Spain. We will continue to keep you informed
of any new or changing information in collaboration with GrandTours as we
approach the departure date.
Sincerely,
Shaker Heights
Administrators & Band Directors
GrandTours Owner
