ST. LOUIS — If you’re dreaming of fun in the sun during St. Louis’ rainy weather, even your best laid plans may have to be put on hold during hurricane season.
“Cancelling a vacation is an incredibly stressful decision for customers – one that may have been planned a year or two in advance. Having the help of a travel advisor really makes that decision a little easier,” said Abby Meyer, co-founder and CEO of Sky High Travel.
She says the first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has caused conflict among some customers and brought home the importance of insurance.
“We have canceled several trips that were scheduled to land on days when impacts were predicted. The good news is that many of the cancellation policies and insurance companies we work with allow cancellations up to two hours before departure. In cases where trips had to be postponed or canceled due to Hurricane Beryl, we had travel credits, so we simply rescheduled and the money was transferred to a next trip at a lower cost. It’s all about providing options and letting people choose what best suits their situation,” Meyer said.
In addition to insurance, booking through a trusted travel advisor is the best way to ensure your travel plans go smoothly, she says.
“We’re working together. We get emails and calls from people, not just the resorts, but locals, our colleagues who are in these destinations, our clients who are in these destinations, and we get first-hand information on what’s really going on and what it’s like on the ground,” she said. “These islands rely on tourism so they may be a little conflicted about whether to go or not, but typically these islands want tourism to continue and this is a given for them.”
This hurricane season is expected to be the worst on record, so preparation is key when planning your vacation.
“Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 – six months. Don’t waste half the year taking time off in case that happens. We urge everyone to make a plan, hope for the best and book with trusted advisors so that when something like Hurricane Beryl happens, we’ll guide you,” Meyer said.
