Frances Gertsch - Trusted Travel Advisor with Stewart Travel Group

02/28/2025

Another in our series of real life travel insurance claims...

These clients were heading to Orlando for a few days as a family during their oldest daughter's reading week. Their flights were delayed and any Leviosa spells 🎩 they tried didn't help them fly.

While they were able to be rebooked by the airline ✈, who also provided hotel rooms 🏨 for them, and had no out of pocket expenses resulting from the cancellation, they still got money back from Manulife by registering their flights with our Flight Assistance Program:

💲140 per person x 4 people = 💲560

Not to shabby! Enough to pay for at least a butter beer 🍺at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

02/26/2025

Another in our series of real life travel insurance claims...

These clients have had a heck of a winter with family medical issues and more. They needed a break and scheduled a respite worker to take care of their autistic son for a week so they could take an all inclusive vacation 🌴.

Their respite worker just cancelled because she was scheduled for spinal surgery 🏥, so they cannot go on the trip. While the trip is partially refundable, they will still be out over $3000. 😲

The tour operator will refund a portion of the trip and their travel insurance claim will cover the loss. 💸

02/25/2025

Some of my thoughts on the current travel ✈️ situation were quoted by Saltwire! We're not seeing cancellations, but - as always - we ARE recommending good travel insurance coverage. 💪

Thanks for reaching out, Desiree!

There are plenty of things to do for a winter staycation in Atlantic Canada as more people opt to cancel U.S. vacations or skip going south

02/24/2025

Another in our series of real life travel insurance claims...

This client had such bad luck, getting stuck in the recent storms ❄ in Toronto. Believe it or not, they made it to Halifax for their own performance after rebooking themselves on another airline! ✈

While they made it, this trip was not without stress and frustration!

With our travel insurance, flight delays of 3 hours or more get an automatic pay out of $40 per person and if the flight is delayed 6 hours or more, you'll get an automatic pay out of another $100. And that's on top of any trip interruption claim amount!

This is available through our Flight Assistance program and is just a little bit of compensation for a meal 🍽 or a glass of wine 🍷 to help soothe the pain of it all!

Insurance is one of those things you hope you never need, but when you need it, it's priceless. 💙

02/22/2025

Another in the series of real life travel insurance claims faced by my clients....

This time it was the recent back-to-back winter storms ❄️ that hit Toronto. Clients were scheduled to fly from Atlantic Canada to Florida to catch their cruise.

There were NO flights ✈ from ANY airport in Atlantic Canada that would get them to the port in time. The cruise line couldn't give them permission to board at another port.

Following the cruise 🛳, they were set to fly to California to visit family.

Their cruise and flight were non-refundable. The original flight was rebooked to take them to California, so not all was lost.

It was still a HUGE disappointment for my client and her mom. And, unfortunately, they didn't have the trip cancellation insurance they thought they did on their credit card.

02/21/2025

Our new online, self-service booking tool for all inclusive vacations is now LIVE! 🎉

We are SO excited about this and we think you will be too! 🥂

Check it out here 👇
https://bit.ly/4bdl0N9

We are THRILLED to announce our brand new online self-service booking engine for all inclusive vacations! 🎉

It's now LIVE on our website: https://bit.ly/4bdl0N9

Check it out, and submit an inquiry or book your sun ☀️ vacation with us today!

02/21/2025

Another "real life travel insurance claim" from my clients...

A few weeks ago, I got a heartbreaking 💔email. My client's cancer 🦠 had returned and she needed to begin treatment. With their much-anticipated river cruise only a few weeks away, they had to cancel in order to proceed with treatment.

Cancellation is never for the reasons you expect and is often a heartbreak 😥 for everyone involved.

02/20/2025

Over the next while, I'll be sharing some Real Life Travel Insurance claims my clients have faced very recently! 😳

None of them are for expected reasons, and in each case, the claim far exceeded the cost of insurance! 💵 Some of them are almost unbelievable!

Here's the first one...meet Chester 🐱 and the case of the broken femur!

02/18/2025

I declare today to be "Hug 🤗 Your Travel Agent Day!"

The last 48 hours have felt a little too much like March 2020! 😷

Your travel agent has probably spent most of the last few days:

💕 Reassuring clients about delays and cancellations
📱 Waiting on hold for hours and hours (and hours)
😭 Breaking bad news about cruises and holidays that won't come to fruition
💻 Undoing and redoing work that was originally done months ago
✈ Watching the news, every flight app, every airline app, and every airport website

And, I can promise you, they probably need a hug!

Here's to all my colleagues in the trenches 🥂 and to our amazing clients who are so very supportive during times like this! We'll hug ya right back!

02/17/2025

Thinking of everyone involved and wishing those who were injured a quick recovery. ❤️‍🩹

NOTE: Pearson airport is on a ground stop and expected to be closed for at least 12 hours.

UPDATE: Now 15 injured being reported. Injured are critical but life does not appear threatened. (CBC News)

UPDATE 18:58 AT / 17 Feb: Departures and arrivals have resumed at Toronto Pearson.

02/17/2025

Happy Islander Day!

02/15/2025

🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Happy 60th to the best flag in the world!
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

It's always fun to spot fellow Canadians around the world because they are sporting a Canadian flag! 🇨🇦

02/14/2025

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day! 💕

02/14/2025

✈️ Where are YOU flying next? ✈️

02/13/2025

❓ Did you get our newsletter this morning?

We send them out about twice a month filled with travel events, tips, upcoming hosted tours and great offers!

In this edition, we told our subscribers about three upcoming travel events. Link to the latest edition in the comments! 🔗

If you missed it, sign up here 👇 to make sure you get the next one! https://www.stewarttravelgroup.ca/signup

You will come for the experience and leave with incredible memories, as well as a whole lot of new friends. We're experts in travel - give us a call!

02/12/2025

This or that?

🌥 THIS
-10C and sunny in Charlottetown

☀️ THAT
+28C and sunny at the Hard Rock Punta Cana

02/11/2025

Today, we had the privilege of taking 100+ members of the National Association of Federal Retirees on an imaginary trip around the world 🌎, inspiring them to travel!

We had so much fun 🎉 and there was lots of fruitful discussion afterwards.

Thank you 🙏 to Derwin and Michelle and their team for organizing this great event!

If you were there, and have questions, please reach out - [email protected]

02/10/2025

Raise your vacation game with Royal Caribbean! 📣

Join us at this virtual event with our friends from Royal Caribbean 🛳 THIS THURSDAY!

🗓 Date: Thursday, February 13
🕰 Two Show Times: 8 pm Atlantic or 10 pm Atlantic

👇 Register to get the link:
https://www.stewarttravelgroup.ca/consumer-evening

Royal Caribbean International