So many things have come to mind since the catastrophic Lahaina Maui fire on August 8. This is yet another one. For many of you who feel marooned because you have to cancel your trip, read on.
Leave a Comment
32 thoughts on “Protecting Trapped Hawaii Visitors Going Forward: Is There A Way?”
I’m praying for the people of Hawaii because this is truly a set back. I have a trip to maui next year in June. The way these travel insurance companies operate I might just cancel. But because Maui needs the support I will travel there. May God be with you all🙏🏾🙏🏾
If you’re shelling out a lot of money, it’s good to pick up some travel insurance, even if it feels unnecessary at the time.
Hopefully Maui fire victims can hold on through FEMA and insurance and Maui Strong payments as a Master Plan to rebuild the economic engine in Lahaina is developed and approved in order that the majority
of Ohana in the islands agree moving forward.
If Waikiki had burned from the beach to the Aliwai Canal, major players would come forward.
Don Ho long ago was my neighbor in Kaneohe. This takes someone who has designed beautiful landscaping throughout Asia for half a century, Steven Mechler to give Maui his legacy of a lifetime.
Other islanders can rebuild, but Mechler can breathe Hawaiian spirit into creating a renewed Maui mecca.
West Coast tourism has revived but the Japanese have not returned. Maybe Biden’s team on Monday can discuss can restarting that.
We can’t solve every issue but perhaps we can figure out ways to keep the old vistas as we renew pledges to be faithful to what brought tourists by the millions to Maui. I once traveled there to look at the stars.
And perhaps airlines can be mindful that for a while tourists should be diverted to other islands. And perhaps for 2 years marketing needs to focus people on visiting elsewhere.
The Aloha spirit on Maui needs time, 2 years, to come back smiling through the pain.
Open too early and you lose that lifetime of promoting joy. Don Ho knew that Hawai’i was the pearly shell and its people are the pearls whose aloha spirit is priceless.
All airlines offer you the option to buy insurance when you book a flight, which covers the travel part of your trip. Airbnb also offers insurance for the accommodation part of your trip. For both of those options, you have to make the purchase upfront when you book.
I use all-in-one comprehensive travel insurance for a Big Trip. The company I have found to have the best policy – not necessarily the least expensive – is Seven Corners. If you are looking for the least costly insurance, there are consolidation websites where you can compare prices and features of different travel insurance and then buy the one you decide on. (I can’t give the URL, but perhaps Rob or Jeff could do so?)
Hi Margaret.
We’d suggest people research both insurance carriers and those companies who sell Trip insurance who are agents and not the actual insurance provider. Here’s an article we wrote previously about that. https://beatofhawaii.com/travel-insurance/. We highly suggest independently research and buying trip insurance. Those are value added products for airlines and vacation rental companies. That means there is another hand the pie so to speak.
Aloha.
Aloha.
I’ve bought travel guard umpteen years and collected twice without problems. However, many of their agents don’t know what they’re doing and I’ve had to talk to a supervisor to get problems solved. I’ve tried other companies but travel guard has better prices and packages. I make a point of documenting the exact time i’ve talked to an agent and the agents name and then tg can pull up a recording of my conversation with an agent. Before I started doing that I couldn’t prove what I had been told so couldn’t collect.
Aloha! Thanks for all the great posts on the devastating fires in Maui. My heart breaks for all affected, and I know this is just the beginning of a very long road.
Aside from the obvious relief effort websites, which are appreciated, I’d love to see a list of local Maui businesses that I could support in the coming months with online purchases. The holiday season will be here soon (hard to believe in 100+ degree temps in Texas), and a post such as this might help other users who would like to support Maui from afar.
Mahalo!
From another Texan who just got back from Ka’anapali yesterday, that is a great idea. We were going to buy ornaments from CocoNene on Front street, but didn’t go before the fire☹️. They sell online. I’m sure there are many others.
Thanks for that idea, Kathy. I’ll check out their website. I’m glad you made it home safely.
Great idea Britney,
I suggested that after the Gatlinburg Tenn fire a few years ago. Shortly after that severaI businesses beefed up theiir online websites and it made a real difference. I really believe that is an excellent idea.
You might even start by ordering things for birthday presents for friends.
Maybe even write the airlines suggesting they reduce their freight outbound costs for a month or two to get the ball rolling.
I usually buy travel insurance, but it’s tricky when the situation is that you CAN go on your trip, but it’s suddenly a really bad idea. We had plane tickets to go to Maui in July 2020, and due to COVID we decided not to go. The flight wasn’t cancelled though, so we couldn’t invoke the travel insurance and just had to deal with Hawaiian airlines’ rescheduling policy. Luckily we were able to cancel our lodging within the 100% refund window. Ultimately, someone has to pay for a canceled trip, whether it be the insurance company, the traveler, or the vendor who sells transportation or lodging. Remember that your AirBnB fees are paying someone’s mortgage on that property, and those costs just don’t evaporate. Hotels need to rent rooms to pay for the hotel staff, or else everyone is out of a job.
I think as long as they restore electrify your trip should be fine.
What company is the best for trip insurance?
I got ripped off by one because of Covid, the event I was to attend was canceled and on top of that my wife was just released from a hospital the week before. No Refund!
Hi John.
Good question. We’re trying to figure that out ourselves. We had a trip that got interrupted recently which was insured by our old standy-by, Travel Insured. It was the biggest claim we’ve ever had. Nearly two months have passed since we filed the claim and we still haven’t gotten paid. So on the next trip we’re going to try another company. Sounds like the subject for an article…
Aloha.
Aloha.