Do you or don't you buy Travel Insurance for Holidays?

Question

I was wondering how many of you out there have purchased insurance in there travel? I would say especially for International travel where many aren't covered medically.

What were your reasons for purchasing insurance? What reasons did you choose not to purchase insurance? Have you ever known someone where insurance helped them or where insurance could have helped them had they purchased it?

This question is sparked because today here at work I get TWO calls (ok that is VERY unusual) of ones that had a tragic event happen in there life. One his mother had a stroke and the other I’m unsure of the details all I gathered was it was her Brother in Law. Neither purchased Insurance. One will be out $2,200 dollars. The other 800 dollars.

Vendors penalties are extremely strict, especially now a days. Typically and yes we will try for you, they don't waive penalties due to it's unfairness to those who did purchase insurance.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

I'm referring to insurance that includes:

Trip Cancellation
Trip Interuption
Medical Insurance
Emergency Evac. (Helicopter)
Baggage Loss
Baggage Delay
Missed Connection
Etc.

Answer 1

I do purchase travel insurance and have been unfortunate enough to have to collect on it twice. It was a pretty easy process and I was grateful not to lose my money! One never knows when something will happen and I recommend all travelers buy it - especially elders - unless one is overly rich and losing a few thousand doesn't bother them. It bothers me.

Answer 2

I have actually purchased trip cancellation insurance for our cruise and had to use it. I found that it was inexpensive and are very glad that i did. I would have been out of about $2,000. My brother-in-law died 3x and was in ICU for a month (he's OK now) and they covered that. We only had to fill out a simple form and get some docutmentation from his doctor. It was a very simple process. I've never traveled out of the country but I would definately buy health insurance. As far as the lost/stolen baggage, normally your deductible on your homeowners insurance policy is more than or close to what you have lost. Why put it a claim on your homeowners' insurance if they are only going to pay $500-$1,000 and raise your premiums for the remaining time you have a policy with them?

Answer 3

commute insurance can the two be offered at any time from reserving your trip up till the day in the previous you ddepart i could rrecommendtaking out the insurance on the day of reserving or not too long after. as quickly as you have taken the insurance it quite is going to % paying up front, no remember if it is finished by using your commute agent or in case you dd it your self eg Tesco. yet you are able to conceal purely the dates which you would be away. EG 5th Sept - twelfth Sept - 7 night trip could % the 8 day conceal. the clarification in the back of taking it out quicker particularly than later is so which you're coated in case you won't be able to commute by using a NON pre present scientific circumstance. EG you brake your leg a week in the previous you leave and can't commute, you would be coated for cancellation.

Answer 4

I have purchased traveller's insurance and found it to be useless. I specifically bought travel health insurance when travelling to Australia. I don't generally buy the other kinds of coverage that are offered to travellers.

Unfortunately, the time that I bought travellers health insurance, I actually got sick in Australia and paid for both prescription drugs and a doctor's visit. When I got home, I put in a claim on the insurance. They actually returned it to me and said that I had to claim on my basic health insurance first! Once I was paid about 80% of the claim through my already existing insurance, the remainder was less than the deductible on the travel policy!

It was a complete waste of money. When I actually needed it, it didn't pay.

Now, I was lucky and it was a minor illness. If I was going to be out of country for a long period, and I was going to be a long distance away (overseas for instance), I might buy it -- but I would check any policy VERY carefully this time.

Answer 5

I don't. Some things, like stolen baggage, are covered under my homeowners policy. Travel in the US, health issues are covered under my health insurance, subject to out of network issues.

In general, travel insurance is VERY restrictive in nature, for what you can claim, and EXTREMELY expensive - if you take the days of travel, figure out the rate per day, and multiply that by 30 - and compare with a regular health insurance policy.

Answer 6

yes, because it's cheap