travel insurance and ?'s about planes

[Arkiegirl]

I have heard people who have bought travel insurance--how, why, where do you get it? About how much does it run? We are flying and bought our tickets from the airline, it was not offered. The reason I am thinking we might need it is b/c we are going Oct/Nov and what if there is a hurricane brewing. We are flying with a smaller airline who might be quicker to cancel flights.

Also, can you pack aresol cans (like hairspray, etc) in your checked baggage?

 

[CarolA]

Go to www.insuremytrip.com and do some research. Some insurances have to be bought within a time frame after you buy your ticket and ALL of them have to be bought before the hurricane appears.

Yes, you can pack hairspray, etc. in your checked luggage. Put it in a plastic make up container or bag in case it leaks!

 

[cassie]

I wouldn't worry about your flight in case of a hurricane. Don't waste the money on insurance because of that. Last Sept I was flying out on the day a hurricane was due to hit Orlando. Just before I was leaving for the airport, Delta called to inform me the flight was cancelled, and rebooked me on a flight 2 days later.

That second flight was cancelled also, so I decided to just forget it and go another time, which I did this past May. You will get a voucher to use within a year if your flight is cancelled and you don't rebook at that time.

 

[DebbieB]

Be sure to read the fine print. I bought travel insurance through travelinsured.com because my mom has health problems and they offered a waiver of the pre-existing condition clause if purchased within 5 days of buying the airline tickets. However, I noticed they only cover weather if it disrupts service for over 48 hours.

 

[bicker]

Keep in mind, though, that insurance is often the only renumeration available in case of weather-related problems. While airlines will provide refunds or changes without fees if they don't provide service, sometimes they'll simply rebook you for their next flight, even if that is several days later. And when weather is the cause, they generally will not cover the additional costs you incur, such as if you're delayed from getting home and have to find accommodations.

Having said that, if you rely solely on the math, insurance is never a good investment. If it wasn't insurance companies wouldn't make any profit! Rather, you're always better off "insuring yourself" (i.e., not buying insurance, but covering losses out of your own savings) since, over your lifetime, you'll end up spending less to cover your losses than you would have paying for insurance. I buy travel insurance to cover things that I cannot afford to cover myself, such as $25,000 for medical evacuation from cruise ships -- I don't have that much money laying around!