Trip Insurance

[skiingwife]

Not sure where to post this question, but has anyone purchased and then used their trip insurance? What does it cover? Will it reimburse me for airfare? Where do I purchase it? Thanks

 

[llb]

I asked the same question some time ago, ended up going to the web site of insuremytrip They offer side by side comparisons of companies and coverages. I've never purchased or used insurance before but I was thinking about it this time because of the Florida Hurricanes.

 

[CleveRocks]

Do yourself a favor and check out an exact policy you are considering buying. You can't ask general questions about what trip insurance does and doesn't cover because the only thing that matters is the exact wording of the policy you buy. Every policy is different. Thus, there is no general answer that applies to all policies, KWIM?

I had to badger my travel agent for a copy of the policy her agency sells. She kept trying to talk me out of it, not because she had anything to hide but because she thought it didn't matter -- she thought all the policies were the same, also. She even told me, "Just buy it. It covers everything," but when I read the policy it was pretty restrictive. Let me give you an example: I asked the TA if the policy covered us if a family member got ill, and she said yes. When I read that exact policy, it said that you can have the policy cover you if a member of your IMMEDIATE family was very ill. It went on to say, for example, that if my wife's father were ill, she could cancel HER trip and be reimbursed for any loss, but since her father is not my immediate family or our kids' immediate family, my kids and I would be forced with the choice of going on the trip anyway, or staying home and losing the money we spent on the trip.

That was just this exact policy. Like I said, every policy is different. Ask the right questions and get a copy of the full policy, not just a glossy brochure that lists what it covers. I assure you, if you try to make a claim, they will have lawyers pointing out the exact language of the contract and an enlarged photocopy of your signature and they won't hesitate to point out any and every way that your claim is not covered by the contract. You're not buying an IDEA, you're buying EXACT WORDS.

-- Eric