Travel Insurance - Love, Hate or Otherwise?

[ready123go]

Anyone use travel insurance that they had a great experience with? Alternatively, a bad experience? Other?

I've purchased insurance on and off over the years, but have never had to make a claim. I notice a huge spread in the pricing.

FWIW - I am looking at flights in/out MCO during winter, possible conflicting jury duty, prepaid timeshare rental (one procured from a regular, others from anonymous individuals) and a few prepaid activities/tix. Think that covers my concerns.

Any input would be appreciated.

TIA,
ready

 

[tvguy]

My Travel Agent doesn't even sell it anymore, too many problems with all the companies. They even make clients sign a notice acknowledging that the TA makes no recommendations on whether your should get insurance on your own.
They got caught in a legal mess. Client had an employer cancel a vacation at the last minute. Insurance paid up immediately, then sued the employer to recover the claim they had to pay. Policy stated the insurance company reserved the right to seek reimbursement from anyone that created a claim to be paid. I believe the term is "subjugate". They did. They won. I can only imagine what kind of employer cancels a vacation at the last minute, and what situation the poor employee ended up in after the employers got sued and had to reimburse the cost of the cruise to the insurance company, but legal costs.

 

[njpyro]

I love having it. I always go through Travel Guard. One time we had to cancel a Disney trip due to my grandma needing emergency surgery. We just needed a note from her doctor that my dad was responsible for her. The entire cost, including airfare, was reimbursed. Leading up to my honeymoon, i was having some medical problems do to a blood disease that only occasionally causes me problems, so we decided to get the insurance again just in case. Luckily I was fine for the wedding and the trip, but while in Hawaii, our car was broken into and a few things were stolen, including a phone, kindle and a wallet with both of our ids. After talking to our travel agent, she told us the travel insurance covered our losses! We just had to submit a police report and our receipts. Now I would never go without it.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

We get it when we cruise and have used it once when my dad was hospitalized a couple days before we left. We use Travel Guard. It covers cruises missed from airfare problems, lost luggage, health issues, cancellation if someone is sick, etc.
We do not get when we vacation on land in the US.

 

[Bancroft]

I think it is a good trip for me.

 

[GoinPlaces63]

We were to cruise with my elderly parents. Mom insisted we get insurance. We weren't thrilled, but did it.

My husband, the apparent healthiest of the 4 of us, had a stroke. It he insurance was fantastic! I called once things settled down, as much as they can in such a situation. They paid out as did Disney right away. Knowing my situation they helped me file the claim and did it in record time.

Now that we know this type of stroke will not reoccur, we have booked again and purchased the insurance. Won't travel without it anymore.

 

[ready123go]

We were to cruise with my elderly parents. Mom insisted we get insurance. We weren't thrilled, but did it.

My husband, the apparent healthiest of the 4 of us, had a stroke. It he insurance was fantastic! I called once things settled down, as much as they can in such a situation. They paid out as did Disney right away. Knowing my situation they helped me file the claim and did it in record time.

Now that we know this type of stroke will not reoccur, we have booked again and purchased the insurance. Won't travel without it anymore.

Do you remember the insurance company (brand)- Travel Guard, CSA, etc.?

 

[tvguy]

Numerous cruises here, and I did buy travel insurance for one. But it was a NYE cruise, and I was concerned about both weather and airport delays.

Ironically, the only time I might have ever needed travel insurance was last year. My mom had a stroke 45 days before a cruise. But HAL and Alaska Airlines refunded her money without hesitation, so it wouldn't have been needed after all.

 

[eliza61]

Won't go overseas with out it.
Had to make 2 claims and it was wonderful.

The first time was for a trip to Paris. Of course that stupid volcanoe in Iceland erupted and I could not get out of the US. entire price was refunded except for the 150 bucks it cost for the insurance.

The second time was for a trip to Portugal. My dad died, 3 days before. Once again my entire trip was refunded except for the cost of the insurance.

 

[Canooknic]

I worked for a travel insurance company before I had my boys and I will cnever travel without it.
I know it is an added expense but anything could happen and the last thing you want to be worrying about is where to find the money to pay for medical emergencies etc.

 

[ready123go]

Won't go overseas with out it.
Had to make 2 claims and it was wonderful.

The first time was for a trip to Paris. Of course that stupid volcanoe in Iceland erupted and I could not get out of the US. entire price was refunded except for the 150 bucks it cost for the insurance.

The second time was for a trip to Portugal. My dad died, 3 days before. Once again my entire trip was refunded except for the cost of the insurance.

Do you remember which carrier?

 

[Belle & Ariel]

Travel Guard has a few policies at different price points with varying degrees of coverage.
The Gold plan offers one child free for every adult on the policy. It offers more than the silver but can cost less if you have 2 kids because you would pay for kids' coverage on the silver.
Our kids are over 18 so not free but we still buy the gold because it has such better coverage and higher amounts for not a lot more money (maybe $15 on a $2500 cruise).

 

[kaytieeldr]

First, Consumer Reports continually recommends against travel insurance.

Anyone looking for travel insurance should start with insuremytrip.com. It's like a store of travel insurance companies and plans. Pick the plan that's right for you.

 

[DVC-Don]

I only purchase it for cruises or travel out of the US for the medical evacuation coverage.

 

[wiigirl]

I worked for a travel insurance company before I had my boys and I will cnever travel without it.
I know it is an added expense but anything could happen and the last thing you want to be worrying about is where to find the money to pay for medical emergencies etc.

x2....saved us big time once and it is a bit of a stress releiver for me.

 

[lurkernj]

I only purchase it for cruises and trips out of the country.

I've not had to use it but came really close once when my DH also had a stroke a month before a cruise (also the healthiest among us!). We were traveling with his family to celebrate his parents 50th anniversary(and oddly we were the only ones with insurance so no one else could cancel). He wanted to go in the wheelchair and give it a try(hindsite, should have cancelled...he was miserable and therefore so were we).

It did give me peace of mind all during that month of hospitalization that if he wasn't able to make it I could cancel and not lose $4500.

 

[NorCalGal]

I'm happy to hear that some have had a positive experience using travel insurance (not happy that you had the make a claim, though.)
I have considered travel insurance often, and if I could find a reputable company that would do as promised I would be glad to pay the additional amount. Unfortunately, the only person I know that had to use travel insurance had a terrible time.
I don't know the name of the company, but it was purchased through Grand Circle Travel for one of their trips. It was a friend and her husband, for a fairly expensive trip to Africa. A week before the trip, her husband had a massive heart attack and was in the hospital for a couple weeks. My friend notified the insurance company within a couple days (so still 4 or 5 days before they were supposed to leave), and was told by the insurance company that (1) her husband's trip was refundable, but since SHE was not hospitalized and could still go if she chose, hers was not; and (2) since she would now be travelling alone, she owed the single supplement on her trip. After her husband was home, she spent days fighting with the insurance, and ended up having to threaten to sue both them and Grand Circle to get the refund on her trip.
To be fair, I don't know if Grand Circle works with the same travel insurance still (this was over 10 years ago), and they do state that it is a separate company and Grand Circle is not responsible for their policies, so I'm not particularly faulting them.
However, as that is the only experience someone I know has had with it, I have a huge reluctance to trust travel insurance in general.

 

[budbeerlady]

We have bought it in the past and finally used it this past trip. It was a travel mess!!!! I went on insuremytrip and I dont remember who I used, it was $68 for the 3 of us. (Kids might have been free, dont remember since it was April when I bought it.)

Insurance was great and paid for everything. Keep all of your paperwork, I think I faxed over 19 pages for proof of the mess we had. We were delayed from Dallas to Brownsville and then again from Brownsville to Dallas. They covered the hotel, food and extra rental car costs. I thought I would have to fight but no issue and we got a check in the mail covering everything I had submitted.

I always purchase if we are going on a cruise, out of the US or for trips that do not have 100s of flights a day. Going to Florida with so many flight options I am less likely to purchase if we are going for a longer trip.

 

[CherylA]

First, Consumer Reports continually recommends against travel insurance.

Anyone looking for travel insurance should start with insuremytrip.com. It's like a store of travel insurance companies and plans. Pick the plan that's right for you.

I agree. I always use insuremytrip dot com I ALWAYS CALL THEM! I call with my list of things I want to make sure are covered on my trip like weather or a sick Grandama and insuremytrip tells me which insurance makes the most sense for me. This last time I wanted to make sure whatever coverage I got would cover me if I missed my February Disney cruise due to weather dealys/cancellations with the airline. Turns out for any travel insurance my flight would have to be delayed at least 24 hours for me to be covered. Since we are flying in 18 hours before the last sail time that left a window of 6 hours in which we wouldn't be covered. They explained all that to me and I ended up adding insurance for the cruise through Disney which would at least allow me to rebook my cruise with Disney if I miss it for any reason. If I didn't call but just tried figuring out the insurance myself I never would have known that and would have purchased inappropriate insurance.

 

[ready123go]

I haven't looked at insuremytrip for a number of years. I'll have to check them out again, since so many are recommending them. I've been using tripinsurancestore and took a second look at squaremouth today. Mostly concerned this year about weather, so just some basic insurance will be fine.

I'm more concerned about the carriers and their reputation for settling claims in timely and satisfactory manners.