Travel Insurance Question

[ekatiel]

We booked a trip to the World for December. I'm trying to figure out if I need travel insurance. Our airline tickets are through Southwest, so I'm pretty sure that if we needed to postpone the trip for any reason, we can just get a Southwest credit, right? And if we need to change our dates with Disney, then it's just a $50 charge after our final payment date. SO-- do we really need travel insurance? What am I not thinking of? TIA for any input! --Katie

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Rarely, if ever, is travel insurance for Domestic travel ever worth it. If you have medical insurance your covered for that, change fees for airlines are not that much in the grand scheme of things, etc. Buying a fee trips worth of travel insurance will easily be more then the cost of the one event that requires a significant change.

Insurance should be used to protect yourself from catostrophic events that would have a severe financial impact. It is highly doubtful that a leisure domestic trip with minimal "out of pocket" costs for changes/cancellations would fit this qualification.

 

[NancyIL]

Insurance covers prepaid, non-refundable trip costs. If everything is refundable or you would be credited for the cost if you cancelled - there would be nothing for which you would be reimbursed. Trip insurance covers other things like lost/delayed baggage, trip interruption, and medical coverage/evacuation. But for a trip in the US - I am willing to absorb the financial risks of a cancelled trip.

I do buy trip insurance for cruises or international trips. I had to make a claim once when my sister (who was my cruise roommate) cancelled last minute, and I had to pay an additional $740 for the single supplement.