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Travel insurance: No vacation without additional insurance

Travel insurance: No vacation without additional insurance

? A journey that is fun, a journey that is beautiful !? This song text is only correct as long as nothing happens on the trip. If you want to protect yourself from high costs, you should definitely think about travel insurance. In view of around 70,000 Swiss people who suffer an accident every year during their vacation, travelers should definitely attach importance to this tip.

Insufficient insurance? This could get expensive!

Many travelers take the insurance business lightly. ? What should happen? And yet it can quickly happen that someone slips by the pool and breaks a leg, suffers a traffic accident in the holiday destination or falls ill with a typical illness in the holiday destination. The figures speak for themselves: the industry assumes at least 70,000 Swiss people per year who fall ill or suffer an accident while on vacation abroad. Even if they have the opportunity to get medical care and treatment there, they are often left at their expense. Your own health insurance may cover some of the costs, but most of the costs must be covered by the insured himself. The financial consequences can be devastating when you consider that, for example, a complicated broken bone costs several thousand Swiss francs.

Travel insurance is compulsory

Most travelers who have an accident abroad end up at a private doctor or in a private hospital on site. Medical care is usually very good there, but the costs are high. In fact, significantly higher than it would have been for comparable treatments in Switzerland! Holiday and travel insurance is therefore highly recommended and is one of the most important supplementary insurances. It covers the treatment costs and protects the accident victim or sick person from financial ruin.

Anyone who claims that he or she is covered by Swiss accident insurance should take into account that this does not apply everywhere or does not bear all costs. Employees who work at least eight hours a week are covered by their employer. He pays into the basic insurance so that non-occupational accidents are also covered. This accident insurance now covers costs that arise due to illness or accident in EU and EFTA countries. The usual costs are borne there. In other foreign countries, the insurance covers the costs that would have been normal for treatment in Switzerland, up to a maximum of twice the amount. If the country of travel is the USA, Japan, the United Arab Emirates or Canada, this amount is usually not enough. The medical costs are very high there and are not covered by the usual Swiss accident insurance through the employer.

In order to save costs, the traveler can try to come to a public hospital or to a doctor who does not practice as a private doctor. But anyone who is in severe pain or is unconscious cannot do this research. In addition, many hotels work together with local private doctors and private hospitals. Hotel guests are automatically brought to these doctors in the event of an accident or illness. The costs that are then incurred can easily scratch the 10,000 franc mark.

Check coverage before departure

It is not only important to compare travel insurance before taking out such an insurance policy. The coverage check should also be carried out. Anyone who thinks they are adequately insured without taking out separate travel insurance should definitely take care of the coverage levels and ensure that they are sufficient.
With travel insurance, the coverage should be high enough to cover all emergency services provided by doctors and hospitals. Rescue operations and return transport to Switzerland must also be included.

Conclusion: not without my travel insurance

If someone goes on a journey, can they tell something? But it will only be a story with a happy ending if you have taken out travel insurance with sufficient coverage. This ensures treatment in the hospital or at the doctor's on-site without anyone having to fear financial ruin.

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Despite Corona, it goes to these travel areas

Despite Corona, it goes to these travel areas

The Easter holidays are approaching and with them the perfect travel time. Is it finally getting warm and the short trip abroad lures you? The Swiss will also travel in Corona times. These travel areas will be particularly popular.

Popular destinations for the (Easter) vacation 2021

The corona numbers are decreasing worldwide and the countries are loosening their lockdown measures again. But air traffic will also be restricted this year and will determine the Easter business above all. Since Switzerland made it mandatory to carry out PCR tests on entry and return journeys, the number of inquiries from travel companies has decreased even further. Now it is possible to go abroad and especially Tanzania, the Maldives and Egypt are heavily booked areas.
The Dominican Republic and Mexico are also at the top of the list of popular holiday destinations for 2021. In addition to the Swiss mountains, which will probably again be the travel destination for many Swiss this year. Individual holidays in a holiday home in Switzerland seem to be the current trend, because here the guests spend their vacation almost without any physical contact with other people. Especially if self-catering is also required.

Would you rather book at short notice?

Because of the constantly changing location, travelers now tend to make short-term decisions. This gives them the chance to react to a changing situation at any time and can really start the holiday trip. With a long-term booking, there is a risk that a cancellation will be necessary because the corona situation has suddenly changed. At Easter, the travel companies are therefore mainly counting on short-haul vacation trips that are booked and confirmed shortly before the start. Mallorca, Greece, the Canary Islands and Cyprus will become popular travel destinations. As long-haul destinations, Thailand, Canada and the USA come into question, as has already been the case in recent years. Basically, however, there is a trend towards flights within Europe, the demand for intercontinental flights has so far been rather poor. In summer, the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe in particular could be the most popular travel destinations. In addition, city trips will probably come into question more often, London or Berlin are already the winners in the race for the most popular city as a travel destination.

Difficulties for hotel operations

The hotels as well as the entire gastronomy now lack planning security, because a trip that is booked at short notice can hardly be planned and there is always the risk that the guests will be absent. Tour operators are also skeptical about the future, because they cannot rely on the bookings that will fail if the pandemic flares up again. It is assumed that it will not be Rhodes and Crete that will be booked this year. Perhaps you prefer Paros and Corfu as more individual destinations? Large hotel complexes will also be the losers of the crisis, because in all likelihood vacationers will be more likely to rely on smaller hotels and holiday homes.

Conclusion: the difficult travel year 2021

Things are not looking good for tour operators, hotels and the hospitality industry in general in 2021 either. The reason is still the corona pandemic, which means that vacations are no longer necessary and many people are more likely to stay in Germany than to travel abroad. Long-haul flights are likely to be avoided, people tend to stay within Europe or rely on the Swiss mountains as a proven holiday destination. The uncertain travel situation is still causing reluctance and will above all lead to short-term bookings.

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This is how the Swiss will travel in 2021

This is how the Swiss will travel in 2021

There are currently no top lists with the most beautiful travel destinations. Travel is completely different these days and may never be the same again. The holiday trends, which were mostly communicated in January, did not exist in 2021, so far there are no real prospects for the travel season. Nevertheless, some directions can be seen.

Travel within Switzerland

Most people will stay in their own country this year and explore the regions that are still unknown or less popular. International travel is currently not on the agenda for very few people. It is interesting that in 2020 there were many first-time guests who, for example, took a vacation in the mountains for the first time in their life, after having always flown to the sea or an island.
The Swiss Travel Association, together with Allianz Partners Switzerland, has published a study that shows that around half of the Swiss will decide to take a holiday in their own country this year.

Spend the night in holiday homes

The comfort offered in the hotel is certainly more comfortable, but many Swiss will spend the night in holiday homes and holiday apartments in 2021. These are not only reserved by the Swiss themselves, but also by visitors from other countries who want to spend their holidays in Switzerland. The reason: In holiday homes, physical contacts are reduced to a minimum. There are no shared breakfast rooms, mostly there is even self-catering. However, you do not have to do without traveling, at the same time holiday homes can even be booked in very remote regions. Alpine huts and mountain pastures are also well booked, and holidaymakers also like to opt for holiday homes that are? Somewhere in the middle of nowhere? lie. Holidays in nature are being popular right now!

Remote work on vacation

The number of employees who work in the home office increased significantly in 2020. Now they might want to go on vacation and still be available. Or it is about combining vacation and work and working where you would normally go on vacation. This means that there is an increasing search for rental properties in which the Internet connection is very good. That's all it takes to work in the remote office, which at least brings a change of scenery in the dreary everyday office life at home.
Some hotels are particularly resourceful and offer overnight stays for three days, only two of which have to be paid for. If you have a long weekend, you can still add a day and work in the remote office. The hotel rooms can therefore also be used as a study and are accordingly well equipped.

On the road again

Who needs maximum comfort all the time? Road trips are particularly popular in 2021 and take vacationers to places they have always wanted to visit, with the journey being the goal. The car was already one of the winners in terms of travel in 2020, as it was used more than ever to get from A to B on vacation. Short trips and camping trips are the means of choice for many Swiss people to relax and get away from everyday corona. Here everyone can travel as they please and at the same time you are only traveling with your own household. No physical contact with other people if they are not wanted! Experts assume that the trend that emerged in 2020 will continue in 2021 or could even be more clearly recognized. In any case, the campsites in Switzerland are already well booked and last year more mobile homes were registered than ever before.

 

Conclusion: Travel will change in 2021

The Swiss are currently slowing down a gear and it is no longer a question of visiting as many destinations as possible around the world. You concentrate on vacationing within your own limits and on having as few physical contacts as possible. Vacation homes, hotel rooms for a long weekend and campsites are in greater demand than ever in 2021.

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Cancellation of trips: How accommodating are hotels in the event of booking cancellations?

Cancellation of trips: How accommodating are hotels in the event of booking cancellations?

There have probably never been such discussions about the cancellation options for booked trips and accommodations. What is possible and what is not? Where are the limits? The fact is that a booking is always a risk.

Objective obstacles as a reason for a cancellation

Compared to many other countries, Switzerland is currently doing well. The hotels are open and overnight guests may also be entertained in the restaurants. It is currently difficult for hotel owners: on the one hand, they want to satisfy the guests, on the other hand, planning security is required. What if the number of infections increases and there are changed entry regulations? How can the hotel accommodate the guest and at the same time keep itself afloat?
Cancellation is possible if? Objective obstacles? exist. The question now arises, what exactly? Objective obstacles? should be? The person skilled in the art explains that these are circumstances that are to be seen as an obstacle for a larger group of people. Consequently, it is not an objective obstacle if only one person or family were affected. Examples of such obstacles are quarantines or entry bans as well as the closure of tourist facilities and facilities ordered by the authorities.

So if there is a real obstacle to travel or there are reasons that make the trip impossible or difficult to carry out, cancellation is usually quite problem-free. This is also possible at short notice and is not subject to fees. However, anyone who expects the hotel to cancel a booking free of charge because the guest has a bad feeling after booking and is afraid of a possible infection is wrong. The contractually agreed cancellation conditions apply here, which can usually be staggered over a fixed period of time and, depending on the period, charge part of the booking fees as cancellation fees until the start of the trip. A private travel insurance can cover these things.

Better to book directly in the hotel

In Corona times, travelers should best stay away from booking portals on the Internet. The booking should be made directly at the hotel, as many hoteliers offer significantly more favorable cancellation conditions. You are now much more flexible and have some solutions up your sleeve that could not be used via the booking portal on the Internet. The usual cancellation rules apply, but regular guests or guests who can prove an infection can often assume a fair arrangement. However, hoteliers also warn that the guests have to rethink themselves. Because: Many booking portals advertise with particularly accommodating solutions, but many of them have been secretly reversed since they had to be used so heavily during the first Corona wave. The hotel operators therefore warn customers to make the necessary bookings themselves. This has another advantage for the hotel in question: on the one hand, it can plan better and, on the other hand, it saves the commissions that would normally have to be paid to the booking portals.

Found a good solution with vouchers

If the trip has to be canceled at short notice, there are still solutions that can save everything. These provide for a voucher to be awarded. This means that the guest has to cancel the booked period, but the hotel does not have to reimburse the money that has already been paid. A voucher is issued which the guest can then redeem at a later date. A good solution for both parties if the booking could otherwise no longer be legally canceled!

Conclusion: nice hotels with hospitable cancellation conditions

Thanks to the Corona crisis, the hotels had to come up with something about how to deal with cancellations in the future. What can be done to keep the guest happy? The solution now consisted of, for example, issuing vouchers so that the hotel does not have to reimburse the down payment that has already been made, which in most cases the customer would no longer be entitled to anyway. Another sensible solution is that the guest only books directly with the hotel, then there are more accommodating cancellation options.

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Rising premiums in travel insurance thanks to a pandemic?

Rising premiums in travel insurance thanks to a pandemic?

Many trips were canceled or ended earlier than planned due to the corona pandemic last year. The travel insurances took over a large part of the costs, which now has consequences. The insurers have revised their general insurance conditions.

Eliminate important risks

Travel insurers are working less on increasing premiums than on protecting themselves against certain risks in general. You recently revised the General Insurance Conditions and now exclude pandemics, epidemics and other events that can be linked to Covid-19. We are talking about an? Explicit exclusion? certain events associated with epidemics and pandemics, if these have been declared by the authorities. Similar events and the resulting quarantines are no longer included in most insurers' catalog of benefits. Some of the new regulations only apply to newly concluded contracts; some of the existing insurance conditions are supplemented by the new AVB.

Since the insurers exclude important risks, they are no longer dependent on increasing the premiums, because the additional services that previously had to be provided no longer occur. However, there is still the possibility that the premiums will be adjusted upwards, which depends on the development of the damage situation due to Covid-19.
An example of previous additional costs is the Mobiliar, which had to pay around 40 million Swiss francs for the cancellation of trips in the first half of last year. In the previous year it was around five million francs less.

This is what the innovations mean for the insured

In view of the numerous revisions and the large differences between the individual insurances, it is advisable to obtain detailed information before taking out travel insurance at all. Only the general insurance conditions as they existed when the contract was concluded are valid. Customers should therefore get a detailed explanation of which risks are insured and how and which options they have for using the services. Important: A protocol should be drawn up about the consultation!

Another tip: Those who like to travel should definitely book at short notice and then with tour operators who are comparatively generous with the cancellation conditions. A long-term booking is currently not recommended, because the imponderables regarding the holiday are still too great. At the moment it also makes sense to focus more on package tours, because the flexibility is still greater here than with individually planned trips.

Some excluded risks can be insured as additional components, but these are then significantly more expensive than before as long as they were still included in the insurance. Otherwise, it is essential to take a close look before taking out insurance and to know the rights of the insurance. When does it have to pay, when does it have the right to refuse it? The individual insurers are sometimes very different, so it is worth taking a closer look at the details.

Conclusion: travel insurance is still not more expensive

What is not, can still be! The current situation with the discussed premium increase for travel insurance can be described in a similar way. So far, insurance has not become more expensive, but some insurers are not ruling out the possibility that their policies will soon be accompanied by higher premiums. Others are ruling out more and more risks that are currently considered probable and are thus completely evading liability. Still others offer certain partial services as additional components and thus make the premiums even more expensive.

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Whether skiing, snowboarding or sledding? So you will come home safely

Whether skiing, snowboarding or sledding? So you will come home safely

The ski season has started and numerous winter sports fans are drawn to the mountains again. Whether for skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing or sledding? there is something for everyone. So that you get home safely, you shouldn't do without proper preparation! 

Proper preparation for fun in the snow

Maybe it's been a few years since you last stood on the board. This makes physical preparation for the coming season all the more important. Often skiing, snowboarding or sledging is underestimated and thus leads to accidents. Especially during the Corona period, even more people than usual are looking to escape to the mountains. Several thousand visitors quickly come together and the slope is full of beginners to professional skiers. As a result, great attention and consideration should be given.    

In order to arrive safely back in the valley, it is worthwhile to train your endurance, strength and flexibility. Since the muscles also play an important role in snow sports, you should do strength and stretching exercises once or twice a week. Especially now that the possibilities for physical movement have been restricted, it is important to prepare as well as possible for the winter sports days.

The following are suitable for this:

    • to jog
    • A long walk
    • Home workout

In addition to the physical preparation, a quick look at the equipment before departure doesn't hurt. In what condition is your ski or snowboard equipment? It is recommended that you have your equipment checked in a specialist shop for the best driving experience on the slopes. Helmet, ski goggles, back armor and, if necessary, wrist guards are a must on the slopes. It is better to try on the clothing again before use so that you can ensure that the protection of 100% can be guaranteed. A helmet that is too big does not provide protection in the event of a fall.

On the slopes? finished ? Come on!

Before the first ride, it is advisable to warm up to avoid any strains. Adapt your driving speed to the snow and weather conditions so that you are not suddenly surprised by a fork or lose control. If this is your first time on the slopes, it is worth attending a course. Taking a break when you feel weakened will reduce the risk of injury.

Insurance tips:

So that you are well insured not only on the slopes, but also off the slopes, it is worth checking your insurance cover again before leaving.

health insurance

How are you covered in the event of a skiing accident? For people who do not work more than 8 hours a week, it is important that accidents are included in the health insurance, otherwise you will have to pay for all costs yourself. To avoid this, find out about your current insurance coverage in advance.

Would you like to optimize your health insurance? click here and compare all health insurances without obligation and free of charge.

travel insurance

A week's skiing holiday in a hotel in the mountains was planned. Shortly before departure, a family member fell ill and the vacation had to be canceled. In such cases, travel insurance is very helpful.

Don't know if you own one or are interested in travel insurance, then compare here Your travel insurance without obligation and free of charge.

Household insurance

After a few trips, treat yourself to a short lunch break in the restaurant. You leave your skis in the ski depot and when you return from your lunch break, was it gone? the ski was stolen. Now the question arises, are you insured against theft abroad?

If you are unsure whether this is included in your package or if you do not have any household insurance at all, click here and compare all home contents insurances without obligation and free of charge.

Personal Liability Insurance

It is slowly getting dark and you are on your final journey. The fog covers the slope more and more and makes visibility worse. Further down you overlook a fork and the snowboarder coming from the right. They lose control in shock and collide. At the same moment the snowboard breaks. The snowboarder insists that you pay for the damage incurred. This is where your personal liability insurance comes into play.

If you do not yet have personal liability insurance or would like to compare your current insurance with other insurances, then click here.

Conclusion: Safe driving is twice as much fun

Numerous ski areas have reopened their slopes and attract several thousand visitors. The whole thing is to be enjoyed with caution. With good preparation, nothing stands in the way of you. On the slopes? finished ? Come on!    

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Travel environmentally friendly: Switzerland has an e-bike tour operator

Travel environmentally friendly: Switzerland has an e-bike tour operator

E-bikes have increased more and more in recent years. Wherever you look you will find these bicycles with electrical assistance, which allow old and young to be more mobile. Is there a tour operator in Switzerland that specializes in the most beautiful bike tours in Europe? with the e-bike!

Increased sales figures for e-bikes

Like the normal bicycle in the past, the e-bike has now also conquered the streets. This can be seen not only by looking at them, but also by examining the sales figures: In 2019, 133,000 e-bikes were sold in Switzerland and thus accounted for around a third of all bicycle sales. No concrete figures are yet available for 2020, but it seems that sales will have increased by around 25 percent compared to 2019. The current Corona year may also have had its share in this, in which the fitness studios were closed and people were increasingly looking for opportunities for physical exercise in the great outdoors.

The advantages of e-bikes are obvious: They can be used to travel half the world, because if muscle power alone is no longer sufficient, why not rely on the support of the integrated electric motor? This supports pedaling at least up to a speed of 25 km / h, which allows travelers to cover a considerable distance during the day. This means that entire groups with different levels of ability can be on the road, and even weaker cyclists can easily keep up with the others. Cycling becomes more relaxed and is particularly relaxing in the hilly to mountainous landscapes of Switzerland.

New tour operator offers pure e-bike tours

Why not use the advantages of e-bikes for a commercial offer? This is probably what the founders of e-Biketours.ch thought, the first tour operator in Switzerland to only offer e-bike tours. Initial tests have already predicted the possible success of the offer and 47 different trips can now be booked. They lead through the most beautiful landscapes in Europe: The tours offered by the tour operator go past rivers, along the coasts and through the Alps.

Bike travel professionals carefully prepare the tours, find the most beautiful rest stops and sights of a cultural and scenic nature that can be approached on the way. The well-known classics such as the Alps-Adriatic Cycle Route, on which the participants ride the Julian Alps to the Mediterranean. Of course, the Danube cycle path is also part of it and leads cyclists from the Wachau to Vienna. Or how about the Swiss Heart Route that goes from Lausanne to Lucerne?

Numerous trips can be booked with the above-mentioned tour operator and it is to be expected that new travel routes will constantly be added should the previous success of the offers continue. All trips start at a central entry point, with three of these locations currently being offered:

    • Horw
    • Bern
    • Spreitenbach

The tour group gathered at one of these locations is brought to the respective destination by coach, the e-bikes are transported in the bicycle trailer. By the way, everyone can also use their own e-bike if they don't want to rent one! In addition to the chauffeur, two bike tour guides will lead the tour, the group size is limited to a maximum of 15 participants. The daily stages are easy to manage, nobody has to start fitness training before a cycling holiday in order to get the necessary endurance! In addition, culture and gastronomy should not be neglected on the way, so enough breaks are planned so that even untrained participants can sufficiently recover.

The total package, which can be booked by the holidaymaker, includes the pick-up and drive to the destination, accompaniment on the tour as well as food and admission to events or cultural highlights with an expert guide.
The trips can be booked directly online and have a twelve percent discount if they are picked by travel agencies. There is currently no travel catalog, but this is already in progress.

Conclusion: Europe can be experienced with the e-bike

Anyone who wants to experience Europe in the truest sense of the word now has the best chance: In Switzerland there is the first tour operator who specializes solely in tours with the e-bike. Have fun cycling!

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Ski vacation in Corona times: travelers need to know that

Ski vacation in Corona times: travelers need to know that

An end to the corona pandemic is not in sight in winter, on the contrary. In general, people are advised to avoid contact and ideally to stay at home. And who still wants to go on a skiing holiday? It is important to note these things.

Winter holidays are not possible everywhere

The smaller ski areas in particular are still lagging behind and have not yet started operations. Some of them will probably remain closed for the whole winter as the costs for opening and maintaining them are too high given the expected low income. The Fideriser Heuberge and other ski areas will remain completely closed.

However, some of the larger ones have already started operations, and there are currently no operational restrictions. The Swiss Cable Car Association is also not aware that such restrictions will have to be implemented anytime soon. Before arriving, however, travelers should find out which conditions are currently applicable in the respective ski area.

Low infection rates through masks

The winter sports areas want to ensure that as few people as possible get infected. This should be achieved by consistently wearing masks. The obligation to wear the masks applies in all closed rooms such as gondolas or restaurants.

The masks must also be worn on the lifts and in the waiting area in front of the lifts. The Swiss Cable Car Association has developed a protection concept for queuing at the lifts, which, among other things, provides for markings so that those waiting can orientate themselves about the correct distance. In addition, staff should ensure that there are no large crowds of people and that the waiting time is? is spent.

Important: No masks other than those industrially manufactured and commercially available as? Hygiene masks? available coverings. Some manufacturers are currently working on neck tubes, which also have to be certified and which are still in development. This would reduce the constant putting on and taking off the mask, which ultimately benefits hygiene and a lower risk of infection.

But the neck tubes must also comply with the recommendations that were sent to the Federal Office of Public Health by the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force. This is not yet the case. Conventional neck tubes are not certified and therefore not approved. They are not an alternative to the hygiene masks.

Further regulations for ski vacationers in Switzerland

The Swiss Cable Car Association currently does not impose any restrictions on passengers in mountain railways in terms of transport capacity. However, some ski areas regulate this independently, so that there may be deviations and tightening of the specifications. Andermatt-Sedrun limits the number of people who can be transported in the Gemsstock ski area. If you want to use the gondola, you have to make a reservation here.

Furthermore, ski schools are encouraged to prevent crowds. Schoolchildren in the ski schools must be taught at different times. If ski races are held, there must be longer breaks between the individual categories, otherwise there is a risk that the spectators will mix too much. For the ski schools, the national rough concept applies, which they can use as a basis. On this basis, the regulations are individually adjusted.

Help, I can't go on the ski vacation!

If you cannot go on a ski holiday because there is a positive test for the corona virus, you have several options. On the one hand, travel insurance can help to reimburse the costs of unused skiing holidays. On the other hand, some ski resorts have shortened the cancellation period, it is now only valid 48 hours before the start of the trip.

It is also important what to do if a Corona case occurs in the holiday destination: A private initiative (? Switzerland goes skiing !?) has promised that individual regulations will be found for unused services in individual cases. What this means in detail is still unclear.

Conclusion: the ski vacation can come

Switzerland has taken some essential precautions in order to be able to open the ski resorts this Corona winter. However, many small ski areas will not start operating. For others, the strict mask requirement applies, whereby only certified hygiene masks may be used.

It is also important to ensure that there is sufficient space. If you cannot start your trip, you will hopefully have travel insurance or you will have to hope for goodwill from the hotel.

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Edelweiss is again offering flights to South Africa

Edelweiss is again offering flights to South Africa

South Africa has no longer classified Switzerland as a high-risk area and now tourism can finally start again, albeit in compliance with the established hygiene measures. Edelweiss is now offering flights to Cape Town again.

Switzerland no? High Risk? Land more

It is a constant ups and downs, the regulations for entry into South Africa are constantly changing. First the borders were supposed to remain closed until the end of 2020, but then they were reopened in October. But Switzerland was quickly declared a risk area and the Swiss could only enter under difficult conditions. 

Now everything looks different again and Switzerland is no longer considered a particularly endangered country with regard to Corona. If the current regulations are observed, trips to South Africa are now possible again for Swiss citizens. This was recently stated by the South African embassy on their website. Edelweiss would like to reconnect the two countries and will be offering flights to Cape Town from November 25th, whereby these are initially designed on a weekly basis.

This must be taken into account when entering Switzerland for Swiss citizens

Anyone who wants to travel to South Africa as a Swiss citizen must observe the following points:

    • Entry only possible via certain airports (Cape Town International, Durban King Shaka, OR Tambo)
    • Entry by land must take place at one of the 18 border crossings
    • Proof of a negative corona test that is no more than 72 hours old
    • Proof of travel insurance, which at best covers the costs of the quarantine
    • Still for discussion: Download the South African Corona app

Anyone who wants to travel to South Africa should, however, observe the applicable regulations until shortly before the start of the trip, as changes can occur here constantly. And don't forget: Masking is mandatory in public, and a curfew has been imposed between midnight and four in the morning.

Travel finally possible again

Edelweiss was delighted that traveling to South Africa was finally possible again. The eleven-hour flight will now take you to Cape Town once a week and will bring all sports fans and nature enthusiasts to the African country.

Wine connoisseurs and gourmets are also happy to be guests there and can finally go on vacation again.
Edelweiss also offers other long-haul flights that just don't go to Cape Town. Also on the list of possible destinations are Malé, Punta Cana and Cancun, to name just three examples.

Flights to the Maldives can be canceled unexpectedly, so it is advisable to keep an eye on the information on flights and entry requirements in individual countries. Edelweiss does, however, offer travelers support and offer free and flexible accommodation options should a flight be canceled.

Conclusion on the flights to South Africa

Tourism can finally start up again, at least in parts, because the Swiss can travel to South Africa. After there was a constant back and forth regarding the current entry regulations, these have now been reduced to a minimum for Switzerland and allow flying to South Africa.

However, travelers should always keep an eye on the applicable regulations so that they can react quickly to them. Switzerland can quickly be put back on the risk list of South Africa and entry is no longer possible.

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Swiss: New services in travel insurance

Swiss: New services in travel insurance

In view of the ongoing Corona situation, the airline Swiss has something new in store: It has added additional services to its travel insurance. These relate to Covid-19.

New offers from Swiss

As before, the travel insurance packages issued by the insurer AIG apply to the Swiss airline. They include travel cancellation and interruption insurance. Now additional services have been added that can be booked by the insured. The insurer's offers apply to all passengers who fly with Swiss or who travel with Australian Airlines or with Lufthansa as the parent company. 

The option for travel insurance is called? Travel Care? and is aimed at passengers who can fly but then have to be in quarantine because they have been found to be infected with the corona virus. The insurance then not only covers the medical costs for the treatment of the disease, but also bears the costs for any return transport of the passenger to Switzerland.

The travel insurance option can be booked by all passengers who are resident in Switzerland, Austria or Germany. The advantage for Swiss customers is that the insurance gives them greater planning security. Together with Lufthansa, Swiss tries to take away the guests' fear of traveling.

Travel flexibly without additional costs

The airline is offering passengers more flexibility with the new travel insurance policy, especially as there are no rebooking fees. To this end, all tariffs and the entire tariff structure will be converted by the end of 2020. Since the end of August, all tariffs with Swiss can be rebooked without additional fees, although this is also possible several times. A one-time rebooking was even possible in spring directly after the outbreak of the corona pandemic, but this could not be done multiple times.

Swiss in crisis

The background to the frequent considerations about how passengers can be accommodated is that Swiss has plunged into a serious crisis. Only a few customers have booked trips in 2020, after all, travel to almost all parts of the world had to be stopped or was and is associated with great difficulties. Sometimes only five percent of all aircraft were still on the move, the rest of the fleet had to stay on the ground.

The costs for the aircraft continued, however, the airline's operating loss is now around CHF 414.7 million. Only within the first nine months of the year! Since another quarter will follow, significantly higher losses must be expected, because an end to the current situation is currently not in sight.

In the summer months, Swiss tried to rebuild some of its offerings, and in some cases it succeeded better than expected. But since the middle of August, the travel restrictions have increased again and made any progress made by the airline and all other companies and tourism companies disappear again. In the meantime, Swiss has announced that there will be an austerity program. Among other things, the following measures are planned:

    • early retirement of employees
    • Hiring freeze
    • Part-time models
    • partial wage waiver by employees

In the next two years, Swiss would like to cut up to 1,000 jobs, although no layoffs have been discussed so far. However, the above-mentioned measures should nevertheless allow a gradual reduction in staff.

The airline's success will depend on how the health situation in Switzerland and around the world develops and how politicians react to this and what measures are taken to restrict corporate activities.

Conclusion: Swiss offers a new component in travel insurance

The airline Swiss offers an additional Covid service through its in-house insurer AIG. This involves financial support for passengers who have to be quarantined at their destination due to an infection with the virus. In addition, the return trip of the person concerned is financially secured through the insurance. Furthermore, multiple rebookings are currently possible, so that travelers do not have to accept any financial losses if they cannot fly.

 

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