In another sign of the shakeouts and consolidation in the luxury vacation ownership club market, Ultimate Resort (www.ultimateresort.com) and Private Escapes (www.privateescapes.com) are set to become one company. This is a merger of the second-largest and third-largest operators, so this development will lead to a Pepsi and Coke duopoly at the top of the scale in this industry.

According to the company press release, “The new combined club…will account for more than 25 percent of the total market share and boast a global resort real estate portfolio with a fair market value of $200 million.”

There’s a high amount of geographic overlap in these clubs, so in some ways this is bulking up more that providing more breadth. Even after the merger, there are only “nearly 50 destinations,” with the Latin America choices limited to a few spots in Mexico and Costa Rica. (Hint,–these clubs love Los Cabos.)

Depending on how much of a payment you can swing, you’re routed into one of three pecking orders. “The combined company will operate three distinct destination clubs targeting the $1 million, $2 million and $3 million average home value club categories.” There are now 1,200 combined club members, but no word on how many are in that highest category.

Expect a bit of membership campaigning and due diligence before the planned closing in mid-November. The final named of the merged destination club is to be determined.

I tend to be skeptical about travel insurance in general. Like the extended warranties the electronics store clerks try to foist upon you, in the long run it’s a losing proposition. Medical costs encountered while traveling are rarely even close to what you would pay in the U.S. (I’ve had house calls from doctors abroad that cost less than my average co-pay at home.) If you are in a major city, you can pay a relative pittance out of pocket and be set, even for a hospital stay. That’s partly why you read so much about “medical tourism” in Latin America. The economics are compelling if you’re having elective surgery or dentistry work, never mind the drug cost differences.

The key phrase above, however, is “major city.” If you’re hiking in the Andes or floating down the Amazon, you may be days from a good medical facility. In those cases, if something major comes up, you need to get airlifted out of there. That’s where medical evacuation insurance comes in. If you have paid for a membership, you simply make a call to the company and they dispatch a plane or helicopter to pick you up. You arrive at a first-rate hospital there or back home without paying the $50,000 or so this would cost normally. Think of it as buying peace of mind.

I am out of the country a lot, so I have insurance from MedJet Assist, based in the U.S. They have plans for individuals and families, with the latter being $350 for the entire year, no matter how often you travel. As a member, if you are ever hospitalized more than 150 miles away from home, MedjetAssist will send a medically equipped and staffed aircraft to pick you up.

Thankfully I haven’t had to use it, but I like knowing that if I tumble down the side of a mountain in Peru or my wife gets Dengue fever in the jungle, we’ve got backup. Without your health, all the other travel luxuries aren’t so meaningful.

We just posted a new feature story in our Luxury Tours section: Luxury Yacht Cruises on the Sea of Cortes.

This is a story on the yacht rentals that operate out of the Marina CostaBaja in La Paz, Mexico. Our writer, Diana Rowe, details her trip around the Sea of Cortes in a 62–foot motor yacht complete with captain, mate, and chef. Quarters are not all large, but they come with a flat screen television, wireless Internet access and a private bathroom with hot shower. Read the yacht cruise story for more on La Paz, snorkeling/diving expeditions along the Baja Peninsula, and fresh fish tacos.