Flight and travel insurance question from newbie
 

hi all

Just a quick question. Im going to be flying to spain end of august. Based on flight times and prices im going to be flying out there with jet2 and returning with ryan air.

both offer travel insurance as an extra. Assuming i want insurance, will i need to pay the insurance option with both carriers as it will be two separate flights?

Normally i use the same carrier and just pay the insurance option and know i am covered for delayed flight etc. I assume flight insurance with jet2 isnt going to cover me if i have any problems with the return flight with ryan air.

I know this is a very stupid question but i don't fly very often.

I don't think it's a stupid question at all. Unfortunately I can't help you with an answer because I never get the coverage through the airline. I always use a separate insurance carrier. I know that most of the airline coverage has a preexisting medical condition exemption so if you have any health issues/conditions, they won't pay if you do have to cancel.

You might simply consider getting separate insurance that covers you trip. Take a look at www.insuremytrip.com for some comparison policies.

thanks for the reply. I think separate insurance may be the answer just to be safe. I need to book the flights tonight. Thanks for the link, ill check it out.

You don't need separate insurance, you just need to buy the insurance from one of the airline websites and make sure you get coverage for the entire duration of the trip.

If you want coverage for pre-existing conditions, read the fine print on a policy: usually you need to purchase within 10 to 15 days of making the final payment for your trip.

Do a fine print double check. I think you need to purchase trip insurance within 15 days of your initial deposit, not final payment, to cover per existing conditions.

Before buying insurance, consider the cost of your plane tickets and what the cost to you would be if you had to cancel. Then compare those costs with the insurance cost to determine if insuring your trip is appropriate or not.

I have never flown these particular airlines, so I don't know what their cancellation/flight change/rebooking policies are, but for many airlines, if you need to cancel or rebook, there is a fee and you have so many months to use the value of the ticket on another flight.

What exactly does a "Basic travel Insurance" consist of? I'm traveling to Israel this May 2014 and am appalled at the high prices for the 80s age!!! I have no pre-existing conditions and am very health; however I do understand accidents and incidents may happen... any ideas please? Thanks so much!

My wife is on Medicare, and it does not pay outside of the U.S.--including Canada.
Retirees should contact their Medicare supplement insurance companies to see if they have out of country medical coverage.
I have been looking for travel insurance primarily for the medical coverage, and all companies are not created equal.
See InsureMyTrip.com for a bunch of insurance companies competing for your business.
It would be safe to say that you will get better quality insurance for a more favorable rate if you buy it directly from the company--not from an airline or cruise ship operation.

The last step is where to buy insurance. The first step is why you want insurance and for what. The OP wrote about trip delays - but that for many is the least important.
Medical - US govt insurance (Medicaid, Medicare) generally does not cover outside US
Evacuation - if you become seriously ill and want to be treated at home - but read the fine print, because sometimes the insurer gets to decide if you need to fly home on an air ambulance, not you.
Lost/stolen stuff - many credit cards cover this - check
Cancelled trip - read fine print. "for any reason", medical only, medical of family members, job loss or demands - all options.
Hotels, flights - delays, etc. If your flight is delayed overnight somewhere, in many cases you
are responsible for hotel, food - not the airline. Can you afford this?

Insuremytrip website is also the one I use. You can shop for insurance for just medical and evacuation - but often once you want other things like cancellation, you end up buying a package that contains several other categories, many of which you might not need.

And decide if you even need insurance or wish to self-insure. An expensive international trip where much is prepaid and not refundable - likely. A simple flight and cancellable hotel, not usually.