Mara

Kathie - I wonder what happens with a miles ticket if one has to change on an emergency basis - would there be a miles seat available on short notice....I have thought about that as I have traveled and plan again to travel to Japan on miles....oy...

thursdaysd

" We all have to look at our individual circumstances and decide what we might need and what risks we are willing to take."

Exactly. And now I think about it, I'm pretty sure my tickets on the broken wrist trip were non-transferable, non-changeable, non-etc bought through a consolidator, so I couldn't change them. I was eating that cost anyway, without having to buy a new ticket as well.

Iowa_Redhead

<<<Iowa, a basic medical repatriation policy costs much more than this... and rates increase dramatically once one is 60 or 62. >>>

No it doesn't. I just got a quote for a 60 year old for evacuation coverage for $30, $31.50 and $43.00 among others. As always though, be sure that they cover what's wanted.

If all someone needs is evac/repatriation, that's not very expensive.

Kathie

Iowa, is the policy you purchased med evac only or does it cover repatriation? The med evac insurance through DAN is very inexpensive, as I mentioned above, but it does not cover repatriation.

filmwill

Once you start your journey your airline carrier is responsible for getting you from Point A to Point B (or in this hypothetical, Point B back to Point A.)

This statement is true even when on a mileage redemption ticket. Plus I think when you hold higher tier status with a particular airline, they, sad as it may be, usually do more to accommodate those passengers. Point is: I'm not worried about it.

I do think this thread is challenging in that it's trying to cover too many specific cases that, as Kathie says, can only be determined by each individual and their specific needs.

For mine, this thread has help immensely in validating that I'll go with DAN alone for this trip.

Craig

Thanks for starting this thread. It has inspired a thoughtful debate for those of us that need to look at this issue from time to time. I am also leaning toward sticking with DAN, for much of the same reasons as you and others have stated. The "boss" still has to weigh in, of course...

Kathie

Likewise, Cheryl and I are sticking with DAN. There may come a point in the future when we need to reconsider- either because of the logistics of a particular trip or because of some medical issue or both.

thursdaysd

"Once you start your journey your airline carrier is responsible for getting you from Point A to Point B (or in this hypothetical, Point B back to Point A.) "

I don't think the airlines would agree with you. From point A to point B on the way out, yes, but not necessarily back again. Same might be true for FF awards too, at least with AA, now they're issuing two one ways rather than a round trip.

filmwill

Can we agree to disagree?

I've been in that exact situation with United before (coming back from Thailand when I needed to change a date) and they absolutely accommodated me.

Kristina

For what it's worth, I've been buying travel insurance for every international trip for the last couple of years. I use World Nomads and it's $69 for a two week trip. For me, it's worth the piece of mind. I like their coverage and they have a good reputation. Even if my health insurance would cover me, I'm sure getting reimbursement would be a struggle and I don't want to deal with them in a crisis. But basically I want it for catastrophic events, not simple illness.

crosscheck

Mara asked:

< I wonder what happens with a miles ticket if one has to change on an emergency basis - would there be a miles seat available on short notice....I have thought about that as I have traveled and plan again to travel to Japan on miles....oy...>

This happened to me - I had to leave Costa Rica because of a catastrophe at home (not the city I had left from). My award ticket was not transferable to a different city so I had to purchase a new, very expensive ticket, plus travel five hours with a driver from a remote area to the airport. Our travelers insurance covered the airline ticket, the transfer, as well as the charge to reinstate the miles on my unused ticket.

Then recently, less tragic: We had 4 award tickets to Peru on two different airlines (one for each direction). We had to cancel the day of the the trip because our son slammed his finger in a car door and needed several procedures (he's fine now). The insurance paid to reinstate the mileage and also covered other cancellation fees (domestic flights, Machu Picchu train tickets, entrance fees, one hotel that charged for the first night, etc.). In all, we collected about $2700 and I think the insurance was less than $200 for four of us because our airfare costs were so nominal.

I'm with Kristina - worth it for peace of mind.

Iowa_Redhead

<<<...does it cover repatriation...>>>

Yes, they did.

This one is $28 for a 60 year old and has unlimited evacuation coverage. I have NOT read all of the fine print so there very well might be a catch somewhere but it looks fine at first glance.
http://www.insuremytrip.com/certific...ppaUCMU&rev=44

<i>Transportation After Stabilization: Following emergency medical evacuation and stabilization, We will coordinate and pay for one-way economy airfare to Your point of origin.

Alternatively, We will coordinate and pay for transportation to Your Home Country if We determine that You should return for continuing medical care. <u>We will also arrange and pay for a change to Your existing return travel arrangements if the change is required as a direct result of Your medical condition or treatment.</u> All travel arrangements will be as necessitated by Your medical condition as determined by Your treating physician and FrontierMEDEX. All such arrangements must be coordinated and approved in advance by FrontierMEDEX.

<u>Repatriation of Mortal Remains</u>: If You sustain an Injury or suffer a sudden and unexpected Illness that results in Your death, We will assist in obtaining the necessary clearances for Your cremation or the return of Your mortal remains. We will coordinate and pay for the expenses of the preparation and transportation of Your mortal remains to Your Home Country.</i>

Many of the other plans also had medical coverage and were still under $30. For $30 or less, heck yes I'll buy insurance.

DonTopaz

It was inevitable that this conversation would turn into a chorus of "boy, am I glad I had insurance, I collected $xxx a couple of years ago."

The facts and the math remain: travel insurance typically pays less than $0.45 in claims for every $1.00 it charges in premiums. This ratio (called a <i>loss ratio</i> in insurance-speak) is one of the worst for the consumer among all insurance plans. Your travel agent loves to sell insurance because it's one of the very most lucrative things to sell. S/he gets around 10-12% for tours or cruises or hotel rooms, but up to 40% for insurance.

Let's assume crosscheck's example is true: "we collected $2700 in claims after paying $200 in premiums." That would necessarily mean that 30 other people paid around $6000 in premiums and collected nothing.

You might not believe the math, but it is true: if you buy travel insurance for 10 trips, then it is almost certain that you will pay out more than you get back. You would be better off -- far, FAR better off-- going to a casino and gambling the same amount of money in a slot machine.

Marija

IR--paying for changes to existing reservation is not the same as saying we will get you home using whatever it takes, including a specially equipped and staffed plane. That's where the big $ comes in, not the change fees or new tickets.

thursdaysd

IR - too much talk in that policy about "assisting" and not enough about "doing". And only economy tickets, as Marija points out. It's cheap because it's not worth much.

DT - if we were talking cancelation/ interruption insurance I would agree with you, but we're talking evacuation/repatriation, very different.

Iowa_Redhead

<<<And only economy tickets>>>

No, it says that it will either be economy airfare OR as needed according to the doc and the company. There aren't dollar amounts in that blurb because it's an unlimited evac policy.

<<<too much talk in that policy about "assisting" and not enough about "doing">>>

"We will coordinate and pay for..." is the doing part. They will pay for an economy ticket if that's all you need, otherwise they pay for what changes you need according to the treating doc or they pay for returning your dead butt home.


<<<Your travel agent loves to sell insurance because it's one of the very most lucrative things to sell.>>>

People still use travel agents for that???


<<<The facts and the math remain: travel insurance typically pays less than $0.45 in claims for every $1.00 it charges in premiums. >>>

But it's worth it for many of us anyway. I look at it as a cost of travel, just like lodging or food. I don't think my insurance covers me out of the country and I know they don't cover any kind of medical evac. What are my chances of falling and busting something? A lot higher when I'm walking all day in unfamiliar places, probably looking up/around rather than at my feet. As risk increases, I want my protections to increase as well.

Kathie

Iowa, that policy covers less than the DAN policy that was not acceptable to thursdays. Thursdays is talking about a policy that repatriates at the insured's option.

Kathie

I do agree with you, Iowa, that it is important to have some kind of med evac insurance. What is acceptable to one person, isn't to another.