AirWaves and GroundRules

Air Ambulance Card Provides Medical Evacuation Membership to Rooms To Go Team

2008-08-13T15:36:00.002-05:00

Points of Interest

Air ambulance program flies select Rooms To Go employees to home hospital when they are admitted to hospital 150 miles or more from home
Rooms To Go enrolling team members who travel frequently
Added layer of health and financial protection is example of innovations in human resources
Air Ambulance Card is leader in the industry, offering corporate, group and individual memberships

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (August 13, 2008) - Birmingham-based air transport membership provider Air Ambulance Card has reached an agreement with U.S.'s number one independent furniture company to provide air transportation memberships to executives and others employees who travel frequently. "The best companies today are looking for ways to protect their employees, and let them know they are valued," said Stan Bradley, executive vice-president of Air Ambulance Card. "We offer companies a way to offer something of great value to their employees for a very low cost."

Founded in 1991, Florida-based Rooms To Go has stores in nine states and is recognized as the top selling furniture retailer in the United States. Rooms To Go also operates Rooms To Go Kids, specializing in children's furniture, www.roomstogo.com.

Air Ambulance Card provides travelers with prepaid hospital-to-hospital air ambulance service, domestically and abroad. The membership program offers services for a period of one year to families or individuals, and corporate accounts. Air Ambulance Card memberships are available to residents of the U.S. and Canada and cost $195 per year for individuals and $295 per year for families. For more information visit www.AirAmbulanceCard.com.

###

Attack on American Olympic Tourists an Unfortunate Reminder of Need for Evacuation Coverage

2008-08-09T10:12:00.005-05:00

Attacks on US tourists in China are rare, but the murder of an Olympic tourist in Beijing on the first day of competition must have tourists questioning what they would do in the event of an emergency. The travelers Air Ambulance Card transports home to US hospitals are overwhelmingly hospitalized as a result common accidents or illness.

Ask yourself, in Beijing or Berlin, would you rather be treated in a hospital overseas, or fly home to the doctors and hospital you know and trust near family and friends who can be at your bedside? Air Ambulance Card will fly you home to the US or Canadian hospital of your choice if you are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, domestically or internationally.

Certainly, we don't anticipate more attacks on tourists in Beijing over the next 15 days, we'll be praying it won't happen. But we do anticipate someone will get sick, or in an accident.

We hope all travelers will take a few minutes before their next event to buy a bit of protection and enroll online, whether they've left the US yet or not. It's a small price to pay for huge peace of mind.

PocketPort: A Passport to fit your Wallet and your Budget

2008-07-23T11:16:00.003-05:00

350-thousand Americans have applied for the new credit card-sized passport, according to a recent USA Today story . Unfortunately, it's only for those who travel by land and sea... think cruisers and daytrippers to Mexico and Canada. Still, the convenience is nice, and so is the cost. $45 compared to $100 for a first-timer... and an extra $20 if you already hold a US Passport.
Downside? Like the newest paper passports, there's a chip that privacy experts say could be skimmed by electronic scanners. Not to worry, the government says all they'd get is a meaningless number customs agents use to access your file.

Economy doesn't keep wealthy travelers home, does make them think twice.

2008-07-09T09:52:00.005-05:00

I've read economists' observations that the soft economy is largely impacting discretionary spending, especially for families. An AP article this week says the wealthy are still traveling this summer, and still willing to pay more for luxury accommodations.
That's certainly been our experience at Air Ambulance Card. Those who need to travel, for business or personal reasons, and those who have the means to travel despite a down market are booking trips... and buying air evacuation memberships. Smart move, those memberships are more valuable than ever. With jet fuel prices up 68% in the past six months, a medical jet ride home from Europe would cost thousands more, and that's money that must be paid before the patient boards the plane. Air Ambulance Card's member prices haven't changed in five years. When the price of a piece of fruit is through the roof, it's nice to know peace of mind is as affordable as ever.

What do 60% of Americans Know About Travel Insurance?

2008-06-20T10:43:00.003-05:00

TripAdvisor.com tells us 60% of Americans have bought travel insurance. In a new survey, they say nearly 20% of their respondents were looking for medical or health coverage. Not surprisingly for us at Air Ambulance Card, two thirds buy when they book their trip.
Here's a little insight from us, though. Most of Air Ambulance Card members buy their annual membership for a specific trip, often international. But guess what? Nearly 50% of our transports have been within the United States. People get sick or injured when they least expect it - on the quick trip to the beach instead of the trip to Asia they were so concerned about.
We encourage our members to see this as a lifetime of protection they take with them where ever they travel. If so, and they need us, we'll bring them home.

Jet Fuel is Up - Air Ambulance Card Prices Stay the Same

2008-05-27T10:58:00.003-05:00

The price of jet fuel has increased 68% in the past 6 months. 68%! An air ambulance flight from Europe that would have cost $70,000 a couple of years ago would cost $90,000 today. A recent transport from Jacksonville to Cincinatti cost about $8000 (The Air Ambulance Card member didn't pay a dime more than his annual membership fee.) That same flight would have cost about $4500 in 2006.

This makes Air Ambulance Card memberships more valuable than ever. Without these memberships, travelers must pay for these costly flights up front, in cash before they board the plane. Who has access to that kind of cash at a moment's notice? Air Ambulance Card not only provides travelers the peace of mind of knowing they have the option of being treated in their home hospital, they have a considerable financial protection... and their prices haven't gone up in 5 years. Now that's a good deal.

More Travel Overseas, More Buy Travel Coverage

2008-05-09T14:51:00.002-05:00

It doesn't seem to make sense, but with fuel prices high, consumer confidence low and groceries and everything else going up, AAA says more Americans will travel abroad this summer than last., a 2.6% increase.

A recent article from the LA Times suggests they may choose a less expensive destination, or spend less once there, but travel abroad they will yet.

They will also be protecting themselves better. A recent article from the Arizona Republic, reprinted in the Detroit Free Press says travel coverage is more in demand as well. This echoes a trend we wrote about last summer. What's interesting is the fastest growing segment of travel insurance is medical evacuation and other medical related coverage.

As baby boomers begin to reap the rewards of their collective lifetime of hard work, it's hardly suprising those traveling are also looking to safeguard their health. It is increasingly important to them that, in an emergency, they can be cared for by the doctors and hospitals they know and trust, and who know their specific medical situations. Medical evacuation membership programs, like Air Ambulance Card give them the peace of mind of knowing they will choose which hospital they will be flown to in an emergency, and the financial protection of knowing they won't pay a dime more than the low yearly membership price.

Frightening Fall in France

2008-05-01T15:18:00.002-05:00

There is a terrifying story out of Nebraska that shows the worst can happen in the most idyllic of spots. A teen on a school trip with his parents was walking on an ancient town wall in the south of France when he fell two stories and broke his back. The Omaha World-Herald tells a terrifying story of how his parents, who didn't speak French, couldn't tell the nurses, who were lifting their son up, that he had broken his back and shouldn't be moved.
Injury in a foreign country is frightening. But imagine if a language barrier made it life-threatening.

Expedia.com: Business Travelers Think Safety

2008-04-07T12:56:00.002-05:00

Expedia Corporate Travel says their new survey finds business travelers are keeping safety at the top of their list of concerns.

No big surprise here. Studies have consistently found that's a top concern of travelers, especially when they are flying internationally.

Hmmm, if only there was a way to allay their fears. Hmmmm, if only there was a way to assure them they could get home to their loved ones and the doctor and hospital OF THEIR CHOICE if they became sick or injured away from home.

WAIT A MINUTE!!! What about Air Ambulance Card?! Prepaid medical evacuation coverage, fly you home to the US or Canadian hospital of your choice aboard a dedicated medical aircraft if they are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, hold your loved ones' hands the whole time you are in the air. Perfect. Now, if only someone could help spread the word. (hint)

First Aid Kit for Travelers

2008-04-03T14:28:00.004-05:00

I thought this was a great list from an article in the LA Times, reprinted by the Chicago Trib. Of course, there's one thing missing from this... your Air Ambulance Card!

TRAVEL SHORTS
Items every traveler's first-aid kit should contain
Your all-purpose blister-fighting, sting-cooling, bite-soothing bag

By Vani Rangachar
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

What should every traveler's first-aid kit contain? Here is a list of items recommended by Dr. Brian Terry, a specialist in travel medicine who practices at the Healthy Traveler Clinic in Pasadena, Calif., and Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg, an emergency and wilderness physician and editor of Wilderness Medicine magazine in Salt Lake City:

• Antibiotic: Depending on where you're headed, include a broad- spectrum prescription antibiotic such as Zithromax or Cipro.

• Antibiotic cream to treat cuts.

• Antifungal creams.

• Antihistamine (such as Benadryl) for allergies and bug bites.

• Anti-malarial medication, if you are traveling to a part of the world where the risk is high.

"It's absolutely vital," Terry says.

• Bug spray with DEET.

Terry recommends Ultrathon.

• Condoms, for safe sex/

"People don't talk about these things, but they are very important," Terry says.

• Cotton swabs.

• Dental floss and an emergency dental kit (for example, temporary dental cement)

• Digital fever thermometer in a hard carrying case so it won't break.

• Earplugs.

• Elastic (Ace) bandages, 1 1/2 or 2 inches wide.

These bandages are useful for binding major wounds, says Van Tilburg.

• Electrolyte tablets to combat dehydration.

• Eyeglass repair kit.

• First-aid tape.

"My favorite is Johnson & Johnson waterproof first-aid tape," which sticks well and can be used to treat wounds and blisters, Van Tilburg says.

• Hand sanitizers.

But keep it in your purse or backpack, Terry says.

• Hydrocortisone ointment or cream to get the itch out of bug bites.

• Ibuprofen or other pain reliever.

• Imodium for symptomatic relief of diarrhea.

"But take it with an antibiotic," Terry says.

• Indigestion remedies, such as Gaviscon or Maalox.

• Moleskin or mole foam for blisters.

• Motion sickness medicine (over-the-counter, such as Dramamine, or prescription scopolamine tablets or patches).

• Nasal decongestant spray (such as Afrin).

• Nitrile gloves.

Nitrile is more flexible and less likely to cause allergies than latex, Van Tilburg says.

• Pencil and notebook or Post-it Notes.

"For writing directions if you are looking for a doctor," Terry says.

• Safety pins.

• Scissors that fold.

Terry recommends Slip-N-Snips, about $5 online or at retail establishments.

• Sunscreen, waterproof, with an SPF of 25 or higher and UVB and UVA protection.

The waterproof kind stays on longer when you sweat, Van Tilburg and Terry say.

• Throat lozenges (such as Cepacol).

• Tweezers.

Get "a good pair of metal tweezers that work, with a pointy or flat tip," says Terry (who uses jeweler's forceps).

• Urinary-tract-infection medication.

Carry whatever your doctor recommends, Terry says.

• Wilderness trips: Van Tilburg recommends items for wound care, water purification and CPR.

For wound care, take adhesive bandages, soap and hand sanitizers. "The key to wound care in the wilderness is cleaning it properly," he says. For water purification, he recommends chlorine tablets because they taste better than iodine and work faster. Also: a CPR mask and a pair of vinyl or nitrile gloves. "Some store-bought first-aid kits don' t come with these," Van Tilburg says.

• Yeast infection medication, over-the-counter or whatever your doctor prescribes.

Who says Customer Service is Dead? Long live Air Ambulance Card!

2008-04-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

So we took a call over the weekend from a member who couldn't find her
updated membership cards. She was planning a trip and wanted to make sure
her family could get home in the event of a medical emergency.
Imagine her surprise when she was able to talk to a REAL LIVE PERSON, and
not only that, ONE OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS, on a Sunday night!
The family joined four years ago after a medical mishap in the Bahamas, when her husband, a
cardiologist, was dosed with GHB at a restaurant. After a stint in a
Bahamian hospital, he was flown to Miami (at considerable personal expense,
no doubt) where they performed the blood tests he hadn't been given on the
island.
Luckily... This weekend's emergency was just a case of misplaced mail... But
it's nice to know if our members need our services on a Sunday night in an
overseas hospital... A real live person will be there to take the call.

Stranded in Dubai

2008-02-29T15:31:00.002-06:00

We're at the New York Times Travel Show, and just talked to a woman who perfectly illustrates why travelers need Air Ambulance Card.

Sabrina Oslinker of Pennsylvania traveled to India for her brother's wedding. She'd just had open heart surgery the year before. Thanks to India's noted pollution, Oslinker wound up in a hospital in Bangalore with an acute respiratory infection. The hospital promptly snatched up her passport and credit card... and admitted her.

You can imagine Oslinker wanted to go home. "I love my doctors here. There is nothing like the U.S." Her husband, a travel agent, purchased travel insurnce for her before she left. It did its job, it covered her medical bills in India, but it would not bring her home.

After seven days in an Indian hospital, Oslinker was released and headed for the airport, but the airline wouldn't let her board. She insisted, and got as far as Dubai where the airport doctor informed her she could not board the 16 hour flight home.

Now, imagine if she had had an Air Ambulance Card membership. We would have flown a dedicatd medical jet to pick her up, and fly her home. No hassles, no arguments.

Next time Oslinker travels... "I probaly will buy one of these things! I probably will buy this, so I can come home."

Air Ambulance Card Bring More than Patients Home

2008-02-19T10:03:00.002-06:00

How is this for Value Added? On a recent trip to Germany, an Air Ambulance Card member left his camera on a train. This was not a "point and shoot," not an aged 35mm. This was a $1500 Nikon. Needless to say, hopes for the camera's safe return were dim.
However, this loyal Air Ambulance Card member has been dutifully placing personalized luggage tags, which he receives with his new AAC membership cards each year, on all of his travel gear.
This luggage tag was the only identifying marker on his camera bag.
Well, what do y0u know? The German railroad operators found the bag, called the number, and is returning the camera to our member.
I know you are all rushing off to your filing cabinets to find those tags you stashed away. Lost them? We'll send new ones when you renew.
And for those of you who want to know how to get the tags... they're free... when you buy one of our pre-paid air medical transports memberships!

United's baggage fees just the beginning?

2008-02-08T10:26:00.000-06:00

Few complain when airlines announce they're suspending dreadful in-flight meal service... but there are plenty of people grousing now that United is charging extra for your cosmetics case and golf clubs.

This week, the airline announced those flying coach on non-refundable tickets will be limited to one checked bag... they'll be charged for every checked item after that.

Travel blogger Joe Broncatelli wrote a great post on United's fees, and the likelihood that at least some of the other big airlines will follow suit.

United may still have the lowest fare to the destination you're traveling, just don't forget to factor in your luggage from now on.

Good thing your Air Ambulance Card fits in your wallet, huh?

Travel Alert: Kenya

2008-02-04T13:48:00.000-06:00

Ethnic and political unrest in Kenya earns only b-level headlines here, but several Kenyan friends, are constantly monitoring the welfare of loved ones in Nairobi through text messages and emails. Travelers with plans to visit the east African nation are no doubt aware of the mounting danger, but here's a resource for the latest information. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. State Department has issued a Travel Alert for Kenya, warning U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Kisumu, Naivasha and Nakuru and to defer travel to other parts of the country.

Of course, Kenya is not alone in its potential for unrest. Travelers who know the risks can help mitigate them through protections like Air Ambulance Card, providing medical evacuation to the US or Canadian hospital of a member's choice, when they are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home.

Travelers to England Should Protect Against Norovirus

2008-01-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

They call it the Winter Vomiting Disease in England, but even when you call it by its more common name here, Norovirus, it's gross, and there's an outbreak overseas. According to the BBC , so far this season, more than 2.8 million have been affected in the UK, twice as many as last year. It's not typically dangerous, unless you consider a few days of vomiting and other stuff treachery, but it can lead to dangerous dehydration if you don't push liquids (especially in the very young and very old).
So if you are headed to Merry Ol' England this winter, you may want to invest in some Merry Ol' hand sanitizer and a few bottles of water.
Oh yeah, and check to make sure your Air Ambulance Card membership is activated.

Here we go again: TSA's New Rules on Batteries

2008-01-03T09:45:00.000-06:00

Ok, as if the new rules for flying weren't complicated enough, the TSA has gone and done it again. Just in time to catch holiday travelers returning home with a sack full of new electronics, the Trasportation Security Administration announced new restrictions on loose lithium batteries in checked luggage.

This time around, the TSA says it's a question of fire safety. Here's their rationale:

Lithium-ion batteries, often found in laptop computers, differ from primary lithium batteries, which are often used in cameras. Some newer AA-size batteries are also primary lithium.

While there is no explosion hazard associated with either kind of battery, the Federal Aviation Administration has studied fire hazards associated with both primary and lithium-ion cells, and their extensive research is publicly available. As a result of this research, the FAA no longer allows large, palletized shipments of these batteries to be transported as cargo on passenger aircraft.

The research also shows that an explosion will not result from shorting or damaging either lithium-ion or primary lithium batteries. Both are, however, extremely flammable. Primary lithium batteries cannot be extinguished with firefighting agents normally carried on aircraft, whereas lithium-ion batteries are easily extinguished by most common extinguishing agents, including those carried on board commercial aircraft.

It seems we're going to have to check in with feds every time we check in at the gate. The traveler concierge at www.airambulancecard.com has links to the TSA's latest releases and other great travel resources.

Sick at Sea - Medical Evacuation from a Cruise Ship

2007-12-19T13:41:00.000-06:00

Did you see this story about the girl was airlifted from a cruise ship for an emergency appendectomy aboard a US Navy Carrier?

These stories are more common than you think. The CDC says cruisers may be subject to "exacerbation of existing chronic health conditions" as a result of changes in climate, diet, exercise, exposure to pollutants and increased stress from an unfamiliar environment. They say injuries are one of the most common reasons for passengers to seek medical care on a cruise.

In 2004, Air Ambulance Card member John Slanina came down with pneumonia while on a cruise in the Mediterranean. After spending three days in the ship's infirmary, Slanina was admitted to a hospital in Rome. He wanted to be treated by doctors at home, so Air Ambulance Card flew him home Rapid City South Dakota. The flight would have cost him $67,000, he didn't pay a dime more than his $295 yearly membership.

And you can expect cases like this to increase as cruise travel increases. In 2004, 10.8 million people took North American cruise vacations, and cruising is expected to continue to gain popularity, with an estimated 20.7 million cruise travelers in 2010, according to the CDC.

Air Ambulance Card is not a first responder in these cases. The company transports members from hospital to hospital (and no, US Navy Air Craft Carriers don't count, no matter how sophisticated the medical care!). Still, if you wind up in a port city hospital somewhere around the world... wouldn't it be nice to jet home to your own doctor.

Last Minute Travel Gift

2007-12-17T09:55:00.000-06:00

Looking for the perfect last minute gift for a traveler you care about? Or are you a last-minute traveler, looking for some health and financial protection? Consider the Air Ambulance Card.
Air Ambulance Card members are flown home to the US or Canadian hospital of their choice when they are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, domestically or internationally. The member, not a doctor or insurance exec, decides if and where to go. Imagine the peace of mind of knowing you will be cared for by doctors you know, in a setting close to family and friends. With Air Ambulance Card in your wallet, your support system goes with you, no matter where in the world you are.
Air Ambulance Card family memberships are also a must-have for the family ski-trip.
The low cost yearly memberships are also available for extended stay trips, like study abroad programs or missionary work. Give the adventurer in your life the gift of knowing you will be there when they need you.

Air Ambulance Card on Facebook

2007-11-12T14:34:00.000-06:00

Air Ambulance Card is now on Facebook. Check us out there, become a fan, post on our wall, tell us your best and worst travel stories and share the information with your friends who travel, for business or pleasure. And remember, anytime a member refers someone, we'll send the member and the new member each a check for $30!

Religious Travel - Special Group Rates for Mission Trips

2007-11-07T16:42:00.000-06:00

Our friends at the World Religious Travel Association were nice enough to mention Air Ambulance Card in a post about travel safety.
As religious and philanthropy travel takes off, Air Ambulance Card has responded with special rates for groups of ten or more. Air Ambulance Card flies sick or injured members home to the US or Canadian hospital of their choice if they are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, domestically or internationally. These flights can cost tens, sometimes more than 100-thousand dollars out of pocket, our members pay nothing more than a yearly membership fee.
We hope this makes it easier to travel the globe making a difference, knowing you can get back home for medical care if you are sick or injured.

Sam's Travel Tips II

2007-11-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

Last week, we shared travel tips from Sam Jackson, Air Ambulance Card's president. He's a world traveler... and always on the hunt for convenience. Here are a few more:

4. Put everything liquid in a zip lock bag and pack a few extra empty bags. They don't take up any room at all and the last thing you want is to find that the cap came off your shampoo and leaked all over your clothes.

5. Get over jet lag. Don't eat on those long overseas trips. Drink a lot of water in-flight to keep from becoming dehydrated. The air in the aircraft will really dry you out. When you get to your destination, put on your walking shoes and take a long brisk walk. The fresh air, exercise and sunlight will help you readjust your internal clock. Eat a meal at the normal meal time for that locale and then go to bed. You will feel like a local the next day.

6. Let people know where you will be. Leave a copy of your itinerary with a friend or family member. Also, register with the US State Department on their website.

7. ID that Laptop. Tape your business card to the bottom of your laptop so you can identify it after it goes through the x-ray machine. It is really easy to pick up someone else's computer.

Have some great ideas Sam hasn't run across yet? Share them with us here.

Sam's Travel Tips

2007-10-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

Here are some tips for international travel from globetrotter and Air Ambulance Card president Sam Jackson. Have some great tips of your own? Share them here.

1. Make a copy of your passport and driver's license. Use a copy machine to reduce the size down to the point that you can fold it and put it in your wallet. Leave a copy of the passport and driver's license with someone at home who could fax it to you in an emergency. If you have access to a scanner, make a PDF file of both and leave with someone who could email it to you. With these copies, an embassy office can quickly issue you a temporary passport; they have all the information they need.

2. Put copies of your itinerary in a zip lock bag and put it in an outer pocket of your bag. If your luggage gets lost, the airline can locate your and send it to meet you.

3. Use bright luggage tags that are hard to rip off. Also consider using luggage straps. These can help prevent a disaster if the zipper on your overstuffed luggage decides to separate! Here is a great luggage tag that I use. They have a place for your itinerary inside the tag. I also use their TSA-Proof MyStrap. These are heavy duty items sure to last.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more soon.

On a Mission from God, protected by Air Ambulance Card

2007-10-10T16:05:00.000-05:00

Air Ambulance Card is a proud new member of the World Religious Travel Association. Here's what they say about themselves:

The World Religious Travel Association (WRTA) is the leading global network for the $18 billion faith tourism industry. WRTA's primary purpose is to guide, enrich, and expand religious travel and hospitality around the globe via the trade, consumer, and media. WRTA also exists to provide networking, educational, job market, and vacation opportunities for the travel trade and consumers.

We want their members (and you) to know we offer special rates for groups of ten or more who are travelling together, for mission work or other large group trips. Mission work takes people to far-flung and often dangerous locations. If they fall ill or are injured, we will bring them home.

Coed Calamities

2007-10-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

This week, financial writer Christine Larson wrote about the monetary risk families take when they send their kids off to college. I'm not talking about skyrocketing tuition, in an article in US News and World Report she explained the costs to a family to transport a sick or injured child to your hometown hospital for treatment. Without a membership plan like Air Ambulance Card, air ambulance transports can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and that's money that must be paid BEFORE the patient boards the plane!
The article looks at three services, one that is more expensive than Air Ambulance Card, and one that allows the company, not the parents, to choose whether the student will be flown home.
Parents don't have a lot of say about what a kid does once he or she goes off to school... this is one choice you probably don't want to leave up to someone else.