Travel Insurance for DVCers

[The VWL Five]

Happy New Year to All,

Anyone purchase the travel insurance through the company we receive the brouchure from when we get our vacation confirmations?

What does it actually get you? Money back for unused plane tickets? What about vacation points?

Kids are sick and we didn't get the insurance. Might have to look harder at it next time..... in case.................

....... still gonna try to go next weekend.

 

[DebbieB]

There is a flyer they send with DVC reservations:

Plan 1

Trip Cancellation & Interruption: $5 per point. Take the number of points x $5 and then x 5% to figure the premium.

Example:

150 points x 5 = $750 reimbursement
$750 x 5% = $37.50 premium (minimum is $29)

Travel Delay ($100 max per day), limit $300
Baggage & Travel Docs, limit $500
Baggage Delay, limit $100

*I don't think this is worth it. For example, my BWV trip earlier this month was 121 points for 6 nights (1 bedroom standard). All I would get back is $605 or ~$100 per night! Even less when you subtract the $30.25 premium. You could probably rent them even as holding account points for more.

Plan 2

Airline Ticket Coverages
Premium: $29 per person

Plan 4 (no plan 3 listed)

Medical Coverages

$3.55 per day per person

 

[caverill]

Here is our experience with the travel insurance...

For our trip in Feb 00, I purchased the insurance since we live in MN and stand a good chance of missing flights.

We ended up being delayed out of Duluth, which in turn caused us to miss our connecting flight in Chicago (which was the last one of the day).

We were able to get on the first flight out the next morning.

The travel insurance paid us for our meal and our hotel room in Chicago. They wouldn't reimburse us for our points.

However, we almost got nothing. Our delay was 12 hours and 5 minutes. Anything less then 12 hours and you don't get reimbursed.

We also had to have the airline send us proof of the delay, which was an "air traffic controller" delay. I am not sure if we would have gotten anything back if it had been something else.

I have decided that travel insurance isn't worth the cost or hassle, but that is just my opinion.

 

[Melrosgirl]

If you decide to purchase it, be POSITIVE that you are traveling to the resort and on the dates that you are booked for now. If you make a change as to what resort you are staying at, for instance, you will lose your travel insurance. This just happened to me. It's only $70 total for me to lose, but $70 is $70, lol. (I was staying at the Polynesian and now I'm staying at BCV since I just purchased DVC...my travel insurance is essentially gone now because of that change.) Same travel dates, but because it was originally for one hotel and now it's at a different hotel on points, I lose it. (Had I been paying cash for both resorts, I would still have lost the travel insurance, so I'm told.) No big deal, but something to think of.

 

[DebbieB]

Another thing to check into is pre-existing conditions. I don't know how the DVC insurance works, but many travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions. So if you buy the insurance because you are worrying about an existing health problem, ask this question first.

 

[LisaR]

QUOTE:Had I been paying cash for both resorts, I would still have lost the travel insurance, so I'm told.) QUOTE

This isn't true of all insurance policies. We ALWAYS purchased trip insurance until we joined DVC (I don't think it is worth the cost now that we have points). I changed hotels and even dates one time and the insurance company did not have any problem with that.


Quote: Another thing to check into is pre-existing conditions. I don't know how the DVC insurance works, but many travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions. So if you buy the insurance because you are worrying about an existing health problem, ask this question first. QUOTE

The insurance we used to purchase covered pre-existing conditions as long as you purchased the trip insurance within 48 hours of making your reservations. I know this for a fact because we had to cancel two different trips because of the same medical problem with my daughter and it was covered both times.

We would have lost a ton of money had we not purchased trip insurance in the past. There are the two trips I mentioned above that we had to cancel. Plus, there was the trip we had to cancel because my FIL fell off the roof 18 hours before our plane left. We started to feel like we were jinxed!! lol Again, I don't feel it is worth it now that we have points. With the deadlines DVC allows, I don't anticipate any problems..........knock on wood! As for airfare, we are willing to take the chance. The airlines we use have a $75 fee to reuse the ticket. HTH

Lisa

 

[DebbieB]

Different policies have different rules, that's why you need to ask questions. I remember making a reservation at AAA for a trip to Las Vegas and asked about travel insurance. The travel insurance that came with the package did not include pre-existing conditions but the agent was able to sell me a policy from another company that allowed pre-existing conditions if bought within 7 days of reservation.

Regarding airfare, some airlines recently changed their rules for changes. The change fee is $100 and you must make the change before the flight departs. It used to be you could hold the ticket for a year until you decided what to do with it. If you don't change it before the flight departs, it's worthless. Again, airline rules vary, check with your particular airline.

 

[crisi]

I think it also depends on when you are traveling. It is probably a good investment if you are traveling late in your use year - late enough that you won't have much of a chance to reschedule your vacation.

Look at it as coverage so you don't "waste" your dues for the year, and not necessarily enough money that will allow you to reschedule your vacation intact.

 

[EROS]

We never have taken out insurance on our DVC stays. Not worth it. JMHO.... .....