Travel Services

American Alpine Institute Travel Services

Our Travel Coordinator can research many travel options to ensure that you reach your destination efficiently and that you get the best value for your travel dollar. Whether you need flights, hotel reservations, a car rental, or special bookings before or after your AAI program, we will be happy to help you navigate the multitude of travel options you have in this rapidly changing industry. Especially for travel to our international destinations, our travel coordinator will ensure that your routing and schedule are the most dependable and efficient.

The travel counsel and booking fee for trips within North America is $35, and for trips outside North America it is $50. As you would expect, there is no fee for simply booking early arrival, standard stay, or after-program hotel nights at the properties that we use for our programs.

Lisa Greif, Travel Counselor

Phone and Fax: (509) 972-4028
E-mail: lisa@alpineinstitute.com

AAI’s Travel Coordinator, Lisa Greif, arranges travel itineraries for AAI clients and staff members’ domestic and international programs. She also works with the hotels and transportation providers in the foreign countries where we operate and plays an important role in making trip logistics run smoothly.

Lisa is adept at arranging special excursions and tours before and after AAI programs. From independent travel to the Galapagos and the beaches of Thailand, to private treks to Machu Picchu and through the Swiss Alps, Lisa can make great things happen for you.

Lisa has many years of experience and is an expert in the North American, South American, European, and Asian travel markets. She has extensive experience in the airline industry and worked for another international tour operator before joining the Institute staff in 2001. Her university studies were in tourism and travel administration. Besides being extremely knowledgeable, Lisa is a lot of fun to work with!

Travel Insurance Recommendations

We strongly recommend that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation coverage. Unlike many vacations that are less physically demanding, an adventure travel vacation can be ruined by an illness or relatively minor injury that occurs before departure. While you can still tour a city or head to the beach with a sprained ankle or a very bad cold (albeit less conveniently), such an injury or common illness can stop you in your tracks short of your adventure travel destination.

Please note that the following is only a general summary of possible coverage and is intended as a basic introduction to travel insurance. Please do not rely on this brief summary as a description of coverage and exclusions. For complete policy details, please see the RedPoint Travel Insurance website.

Trip Cancellation

Trip cancellation insurance provides reimbursement of non-refundable program expenses in the event that an illness or injury prevents you or your traveling companion from going on your journey. It also protects you if a family member or business partner of you or your traveling companion has an illness or injury that prevents you from going on the trip. Coverage is also effective for many other listed causes.

Trip Interruption

You will also be covered for trip interruption (the value of the unused portion of your trip), if you or your traveling companion has to cut it short because of illness or injury.

RedPoint Rescue Travel Insurance

RedPoint Ripcord is our primary travel insurance provider, offering coverage for trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage, medical evacuation and other eventualities.

        Click here to purchase Ripcord.

Why does AAI recommend travel insurance?

Over the years, we have seen a number of program participants choose not to buy travel insurance and then need to cancel their trip at the last minute due to illness, minor injury, a family emergency, death, or other unforeseen circumstances. We were unable to issue a refund because of the last-minute cancellation, and as a result, the participant was out not only the cost of the plane ticket, but the cost of the program.

We urge you to view the program that you have booked with us as an investment, and we urge you to protect this investment. The cost of the insurance is minimal, especially when compared with the magnitude of financial loss in the event that you need to cancel your trip.

Why does AAI recommend the comprehensive plan?

We recommend the Comprehensive Plan (rather than the Trip Interruption Post Departure Return Air only up to $1000 Plan) because pre-trip illnesses and injuries are the most common cause of losses on these programs. Additionally, most if not all of the many parts of the Comprehensive Plan are likely to be useful, including:

Travel Baggage Coverage:

There are some things to consider in relation to Travel Baggage that are not found in your application leaflet: Travel Baggage will insure your luggage and belongings during your entire trip, whereas coverage you get from an airline will only ensure compensation for baggage lost during your air travel. It’s a good idea to check with your airline ahead of time to see whether their policy of compensation suits you (some airlines will give cash for a loss while others will only give you an air ticket for the amount of loss).

Is it important to save documentation for potential claims?

Keep in mind before, during, and after your travels that insurance companies need documentation for any claim you make. If you get sick during your travels, see a doctor within 12 hours of the onset of your illness (or as soon as is possible) and get a letter from him or her; if you can’t get to the airport due to adverse weather conditions, cut out an article on the weather from the local paper; hang onto receipts.

Get a quote here.

Other Important Notes

1. Please read your policy carefully before you leave on your trip. The comments here are intended as helpful notes and they do not purport to represent all the coverages or limitations of the insurance policy. It is imperative to read the fine print both before and after purchase to ensure that all that you would like covered is covered.
2. Filling out the application form may look straightforward but there are two mistakes people frequently make. To help avoid minor hassles and possible delay in processing your application, be sure that you’ve counted the number of days correctly – if you plan to leave on the 15th and get back on the 30th, don’t subtract 15 from 30 and conclude you have a 15 day trip. It’s a 16-day trip because you need to count the first day – the 15th – as well.
3. Ideally, complete your application with plenty of time to spare in order to receive your policy prior to departure. Keep in mind that an insurer will waive the Pre-existing exclusion in their policy if you cover your entire non-refundable portion within 14 days of making your initial deposit. See their website for details. Please be sure to fill the application fully and carefully as any areas that are incorrect may cause delay or a refusal to process the application.
4. If you prefer to use a printed application rather than applying on-line, just let us know and we will send you one.

We hope this information is of assistance to you in making your decisions about travel insurance. If you have any questions, please email or call AAI Travel Coordinator Lisa Greif at lisa@alpineinstitute.com or (509) 972-4028 9am to 2pm pacific time, Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday.

Medical Considerations for Travelers and Climbers

Climbers who are preparing for expeditions to foreign countries or to high altitudes have special medical considerations. AAI recommends that you consult with a specialist in travel medicine as well as with your personal physician if you are unfamiliar with the medical issues raised by your travel plans.

AAI does have a medical director that you may consult with if you have concerns. However, he is not your doctor with a deep knowledge of your medical history.