Opinions on Travel Insurance

[+ Lucky]

Has travel insurance proved useful to you at any time? I have an expensive trip planned, but the quote for insurance is rather high, or so I think.

I just wonder who has found it to be valuable. I know, it depends...

[+ FrankR]

10 minutes ago, Lucky said:

Has travel insurance proved useful to you at any time? I have an expensive trip planned, but the quote for insurance is rather high, or so I think.

I just wonder who has found it to be valuable. I know, it depends...

I never travel without it beyond North America. As an example of something to be cautious of: my credit card insurance plan does not cover foreign rentals, so if a rental car gets stolen or wrecked I am on the hook.  Unless I opt for the expensive insurance at the rental agency in which case I am better off paying for a comprehensive plan anyway.  Any medical issue I have may also be a problem and I am no longer a young man.  If I recall correctly, the insurance usually comes out at 10% to 15% of the trip cost.

[Guest]

I once suffered a serious injury shortly before a cruise, and had to be hospitalized there in Singapore. They refunded the cruise and paid to have me flown home in business class after my hospitlisation. 

[+ Lucky]

I bought the insurance, including a cancel for any reason policy. Now I can be sure that nothing will go wrong!

[SouthOfTheBorder]

there’s another service which is very useful for frequent travelers - MedJet.  

It’s not travel insurance but rather a medical evacuation if you end up in a hospital for something major and you want to return to US for treatment, surgery, etc  The decision to medically evacuate is not up to an insurance company- it’s the decision among patient and the doctors: doctor where the incident occurs and the your doctor at receiving hospital.  Can be both international or domestic 

Very inexpensive and another layer of protection.  They have an add-on for security services should something go south when you’re traveling, like robbery, assault, etc 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Lucky said:

I bought the insurance, including a cancel for any reason policy. Now I can be sure that nothing will go wrong!

I don't know how anyone can buy those. In order to purchase this, one must purchase the policy within usually a week or so of the first initial deposit. I most commonly purchase these travel insurances for cruises. My next cruise will go around Japan in October. It's been about a year since I put in the $200 deposit for this trip (the ship was already 90% sold out at that time). I couldn't even know what the total trip cost would be, because there would be no way to know the airfare, for example (I just got our plane tickets 2 weeks ago). The balance (lion's share) of the cruise fare will be due in August, 60 days before the cruise. It's after I pay that amount that I usually get the insurance (to cover the big $$). 

[+ Charlie]

I have had an annual travel insurance plan with American Express for many years, but I have never had any reason to use it. (Now that I have said that, something is bound to go wrong the next time I go anywhere.)

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Or, have book the trip on the right credit card, which provides the insurance as part of the service.

[MikeThomas]

I bought travel insurance last year to cover a 12-day Caribbean cruise.  The day I was leaving for New York, I tested positive for COVID.  Three weeks later I had a check for ~$7,000.  Phew.  It only covered non-refundable expenses.  It did not cover AA travel credits.

Do your homework on credit card insurance.  It seems to be less and less a credit card benefit.