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Assistance Services: The Perfect Winter Travel Companion

Traveler calling Assistance services
Allianz - Traveler calling Assistance services

Blizzards. Sleet. Ice storms. Freezing rain. Nor’easters.

When the weather outside is frightful, having 24/7 access to Assistance is delightful! Every Allianz Travel Insurance plan includes Assistance services to help you deal with all kinds of travel emergencies, whether they’re related to the weather or something else.

You can access Assistance two ways: with a quick tap on the free TravelSmartTM app, or by calling the hotline. Right away, you’ll reach one of our expert Assistance coordinators, who will help figure out a solution to your travel challenge. With Assistance services, you never travel alone. Here’s a look at just a few of the ways we help travelers.

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Assistance can help find solutions to common winter travel disruptions.

You’re about to fly from New York to Tampa to celebrate your sister’s birthday when a snowstorm grounds all flights. “Sorry,” the airline tells you, as they bump you to a flight leaving at 8 p.m. the next day. “That’s the best we can do.” But that means you won’t get there in time for her dinner! You call Assistance and explain the situation. Your Assistance expert does some quick research and finds a flight leaving in 3 hours from the Newark airport. Not only that, but he identifies the fastest shuttle service from JFK to Newark and reserves you a seat. You arrive in Florida with plenty of time to spare.

When winter weather plays havoc with your travel plans, Assistance can help. Our expert trip wranglers can help you rapidly find alternative transportation if your flight is delayed or canceled. They can help change your hotel reservations, too. They understand that sometimes it’s essential to make it to your destination on time, and they’ll do everything in their power to get you there.

Read more: How Does Travel Insurance Cover Winter Storms?

Assistance can ensure you get high-quality medical assistance and support in an emergency.

You take your 15-year-old twins to Breckenridge for a fun winter getaway. On day 3, you’re all a little tired (and sore) from skiing, so you decide to take a snowmobile tour instead. It’s great fun — until you hit a fallen tree concealed by snow. Next thing you know, you’re in the local medical center with a head injury and two broken ribs.

That’s when the Assistance team leaps into action. Your Assistance coordinator monitors your care, tells designated family members how you’re doing, and arranges payment for medical care, (if you have emergency medical benefits). Not only that, but she arranges for the twins to fly to stay with your mom while you recover. Once your condition is stable, she books your medical repatriation flight to get you safely home.

No one plans to get hurt or fall ill on their winter vacation. But it happens! And when you’re in the middle of a medical emergency, you need help, pronto. Contact Assistance as soon as possible to let them know what’s going on. Our experts are trained to know just what to do. They’ll make sure you get appropriate care, even if that means transporting you to another hospital (and your emergency transportation benefits can pay for that service). Your emergency transportation benefits can also cover the cost to transport your dependents to a family member’s home and/or fly a friend or relative to your bedside, if you’ll be hospitalized for more than 48 hours. When you’re not able to take care of yourself, you know that Assistance is looking out for your wellbeing.

Read more: Why Buy Emergency Medical Travel Insurance?

Assistance can help retrieve your lost items.

You have a great idea for a winter vacation: You rent an RV and take the family to Big Bend National Park in Texas. The mountain scenery is stunning, the weather is mild, and your kids adore the hot springs. On the road home, your daughter pipes up: “Where’s Purple Bunny?” She dropped her treasured stuffed animal somewhere in the park’s 800,000 acres.

You think it’s gone forever, but you contact Assistance anyway. Your coordinator calls the park office and asks them to check the lost and found. Nothing. But he keeps calling for the next few days, until he learns that a visitor brought in the bunny. Your Assistance coordinator arranges to have it shipped to your home. Your daughter is overjoyed.

The Assistance team members are experts at tracking down lost items: misplaced suitcases, mishandled baggage, and even dropped wallets. And when an important document — such as a passport or prescription — goes missing and can’t be found, Assistance can help expedite replacing it. If crucial childcare gear, such as a stroller or car seat, gets lost by an airline or other carrier, your Assistance coordinator can arrange to have a replacement or rental delivered to you. Your baggage loss/baggage delay benefits can reimburse eligible costs.

Read more: Baggage Loss/Damage Benefits

Assistance can help with totally unexpected crises.

You and your girlfriend love snowboarding, so you plan a romantic weekend at Mammoth Mountain, CA. Little does she know you plan to propose on the chairlift… But when you pull the ring from your pocket, it slips from your fingers and vanishes in the snow below.

Disaster! You call Assistance and explain the situation, even though you doubt there’s anything you can do. Your Assistance coordinator contacts resort management and learns that one staff member has a metal detector for occasions like this. After identifying the general area where the ring fell, the staffer heads out with the detector — and after 30 minutes of searching, finds your ring.  You give them your thanks (and a hefty tip). And your girlfriend says yes.

Our Assistance experts can’t fix everything that goes wrong. But when you encounter an obstacle while traveling, you should contact them and ask if they can help. They’re super-smart, extremely experienced problem solvers who know who to call to get the job done.

Read more: Secret Superpowers of the Allianz Global Assistance Team

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