Another travel insurance question

[Mchurchill96]

Ok, so I am *THIS* close to finishing our reservation for our trip in August. Do I go with Disney's vacation insurance? Do major insurance carriers (our homeowners', for example) cover travel/trip insurance? Did I read somewhere that I don't have to add the travel insurance immediately--I can add it later? Thanks!

 

[Blackadder337]

If you're talking about travel medical insurance, I've acquired mine as late as 3 days before leaving for vacation. But if you've done your insurance comparison shopping and know who you're going to get it from, I'd check with them first to see how far in advance you need the insurance.

As for trip cancellation insurance, Most insurance companies I've ever dealt with require that you get your insurance within a few days of your initial trip booking. If I understood my credit card company correctly, if you book and pay for you entire vacation balance, some credit cards companies offer trip cancellation insurance. But ONLY if you put the entire vacation balance on you card.

 

[rwdavis2]

We use AIG Travelguard. The one time we had to use the benefits they paid without question.

 

[howaboutme]

If you're talking about travel medical insurance, I've acquired mine as late as 3 days before leaving for vacation. But if you've done your insurance comparison shopping and know who you're going to get it from, I'd check with them first to see how far in advance you need the insurance.

As for trip cancellation insurance, Most insurance companies I've ever dealt with require that you get your insurance within a few days of your initial trip booking. If I understood my credit card company correctly, if you book and pay for you entire vacation balance, some credit cards companies offer trip cancellation insurance. But ONLY if you put the entire vacation balance on you card.

I've been looking into this and just want to clarify. If you are speaking about "Cancel for any reason" then you typically need to buy with 15 days of original deposit (or whatever the # of days is for whichever plan). For cancellations in "unforeseen" circumstances that are covered by the base cost, there is no 15 day stipulation. I am using Travelguard as my example and that's my understanding.

 

[Sue M]

All insurance companies have different rules. In general I've heard you can get better insurance on your own rather than adding the Disney insurance. If I remember correctly there's a comparison web site called Insure My Trip.

Last year I booked my health insurance with BluecCross, but their trip interruption/cancellation was very pricy so I used CAA for that, and was able to purchase it months after I booked my trip. Traveling in August I wanted interruption insurance in case of hurricanes.

 

[bumbershoot]

And Sue inadvertently brings up another difference. Insurance products in other countries are different. From reading here I've learned that Canadians and Europeans have vastly different (and nicer) options for travel insurance than Americans do.

Op, figure out what is on your mind that causes you to want the insurance. Do you have ore existing conditions in the traveling party or those you are leaving behind? If so you're going to have to make sure the insurance you buy will cover cancellation based on that condition flaring up. That will mean buying it sooner rather than later. Every company and insurance product is different. So you have to do your research.