Travel insurance pros/cons?
Jun 16th, 2007, 11:39 AM
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Travel insurance pros/cons?
We have our flights booked with frequent flyer points, cancellable. We have lodging reservations booked, cancellable. The only things not refundable are domestic flights totalling $1600/AUD for the two of us which I just booked. Is travel insurance advisable for just that? The main concern is my 84 yo mother who might have a problem before we go. We'd hate to lose the $1600 but it looks like insurance is expensive (for the tour/cruise crowd?) I'm asking because you only have a small window to purchase the insurance and we just booked these tickets, so the clock is ticking. Thanks for any opinions/experiences you have had. BTW, some of our trips have cancellation fees, too, which might add to the total, but we have booked them a while ago so they might not qualify.
Sally in Seattle
Sally in Seattle
Jun 16th, 2007, 12:53 PM
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Be very careful with the travel insurance. I have a friend that got insurance -- when her father got ill she needed to cancel. They would not reimburse because they said he had pre-existing conditions and lost several thousand dollars.
Jun 16th, 2007, 01:45 PM
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I share your quandry about whether or not to buy travel insurance. We have never purchased it in the past because it seems to be rather expensive and most of our trips (such as our two trips to Australia) did not involve much in the way of non-refundable costs. However, we bit the bullet recently for our upcoming trip to Africa as most of the costs were non-refundable and we have elderly parents.
Having said that, if you are unable to to make this particular trip, do you plan to go to Australia anyway in the near future? If so, can you re-book those domestic flights? Perhaps the cost of re-booking would be less than the cost of insurance. It might be worth looking into.
Finally, should you purchase travel insurance, I'd advise you to do so within the period of time which covers pre-existing conditions or you might encounter the same problem Pamo's friend did. (This time period differs with each policy, so you'd have to read your policy carefully.)
Having said that, if you are unable to to make this particular trip, do you plan to go to Australia anyway in the near future? If so, can you re-book those domestic flights? Perhaps the cost of re-booking would be less than the cost of insurance. It might be worth looking into.
Finally, should you purchase travel insurance, I'd advise you to do so within the period of time which covers pre-existing conditions or you might encounter the same problem Pamo's friend did. (This time period differs with each policy, so you'd have to read your policy carefully.)
Jun 16th, 2007, 03:29 PM
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Hi Sally,
I'd be more concerned with repatriation/medical/additional accommodation costs etc., if something went wrong during your trip than the $1600 domestic flight costs you mention.
Of course, if your medical fund covers all this offshore, it might not be a consideration for you.
One of my family had an emergency appendectomy & then complications during a 3 day conference in NZ last year. He ended up being in hospital nearly 3 weeks then another 2 or 3 before he could fly. Their travel insurance picked up all the accommodation & (I think) car rental costs for his wife, as well as the medicals which weren't covered by his Australian fund.
Personally, I don't go anywhere much without it because accidents & unexpected illnesses can & do happen and IMHO it's pretty cheap assurance if nothing does go wrong, and a huge benefit if it does. However, you really do need to read the fine print & make sure what you're buying covers everything you need. Don't rely on the word of the person selling it to you unless they're a rep of the T.I. Insurer and you get it confirmed in writing.
Just my 2 cents worth
I'd be more concerned with repatriation/medical/additional accommodation costs etc., if something went wrong during your trip than the $1600 domestic flight costs you mention.
Of course, if your medical fund covers all this offshore, it might not be a consideration for you.
One of my family had an emergency appendectomy & then complications during a 3 day conference in NZ last year. He ended up being in hospital nearly 3 weeks then another 2 or 3 before he could fly. Their travel insurance picked up all the accommodation & (I think) car rental costs for his wife, as well as the medicals which weren't covered by his Australian fund.
Personally, I don't go anywhere much without it because accidents & unexpected illnesses can & do happen and IMHO it's pretty cheap assurance if nothing does go wrong, and a huge benefit if it does. However, you really do need to read the fine print & make sure what you're buying covers everything you need. Don't rely on the word of the person selling it to you unless they're a rep of the T.I. Insurer and you get it confirmed in writing.
Just my 2 cents worth
Jun 16th, 2007, 03:48 PM
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Yes it is not only the airfare component that you are insuring it is the medical, emergency, lost luggage etc. aspect while you are away that makes it worth the cost. We travel from Australia every couple of years and would not think of travelling without insurance. We have heard of too many costly experiences from those who thought insurance was not for them.
Jun 16th, 2007, 04:01 PM
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Sally,
I completely second Bokara's thinking. My friend was moving her mother to Denver from Phila. last year and b/c the mother couldn't fly they were on a train. Somewhere in Iowa the woman had a heart attack on the train. It cost $8000 for the medical airlift the rest of the way. Obviously, I begin the sentence with "well, as I get older...", but it's true. If my husband or I were hospitalized in another country, if one of us died overseas, or had to be medically airlifted, I want that insurance coverage. I,too have used Travel Guard.
I completely second Bokara's thinking. My friend was moving her mother to Denver from Phila. last year and b/c the mother couldn't fly they were on a train. Somewhere in Iowa the woman had a heart attack on the train. It cost $8000 for the medical airlift the rest of the way. Obviously, I begin the sentence with "well, as I get older...", but it's true. If my husband or I were hospitalized in another country, if one of us died overseas, or had to be medically airlifted, I want that insurance coverage. I,too have used Travel Guard.
Jun 16th, 2007, 05:09 PM
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Sally - if you want to read some good discussions on travel insurance, go to the Africa posts. Like you, I have an elderly mother. If it weren't for my concern about losing a lot of money if I had to cancel, I might not take out insurance as my health insurance is covered. Because some policies, if you are seriously injured or sick, only take you to the "nearest suitable facility" I do carry Medjet Assist which is quite reasonable yearly and will bring you home no matter where you are. I have heard horror stories of transportation home costing $100,000. It comes down to how much can you afford to lose for your trip.
Jun 16th, 2007, 10:45 PM
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If you can afford to travel, you can afford travel insurance. The mind boggles at the cost of being flown home with medical assistance if (heaven forbid) you have an accident.
Incidentally, I would check that your travel insurance would cover cancellation if your mother becomes ill/dies. We discovered that some travel insurance policies would not cover cancellation if my mother (over 80) was taken ill - it would only cover this circumstance if she was under 80. We had to hunt around to find insurance that would cover over-80s parents.
Incidentally, I would check that your travel insurance would cover cancellation if your mother becomes ill/dies. We discovered that some travel insurance policies would not cover cancellation if my mother (over 80) was taken ill - it would only cover this circumstance if she was under 80. We had to hunt around to find insurance that would cover over-80s parents.
Jun 17th, 2007, 05:58 AM
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$1600AUD is about US$1350. About how much is the insurance you are considering, and what does it cover?
If you would 'hate' to lose the money, then insurance is worth it. We get insurance through Travel Guard (Essential Basic), costing about $5.50/100. We think it is worth it.
FYI - This topic would be best on the 'Fodorite lounge' forum. Also, a search would bring up a multitude of threads.
If you would 'hate' to lose the money, then insurance is worth it. We get insurance through Travel Guard (Essential Basic), costing about $5.50/100. We think it is worth it.
FYI - This topic would be best on the 'Fodorite lounge' forum. Also, a search would bring up a multitude of threads.
Jun 17th, 2007, 10:38 AM
#12
Hi Sally - I went through this last year with two aged parents and concluded that the insurance wouldn't cover our cancelling due to their "pre existing conditions" as someone else mentioned.
But on another subject - have you purchased evacuation insurance for the SOF?
Liz
But on another subject - have you purchased evacuation insurance for the SOF?
Liz
Jun 18th, 2007, 03:16 AM
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Hi Sally,
I guess you have insurance already to cover medical expenses, repatriation etc. Yes, of course you do.
No sane person would travel without it. So are you are after just cancellation insurance?
I guess you have insurance already to cover medical expenses, repatriation etc. Yes, of course you do.
No sane person would travel without it. So are you are after just cancellation insurance?
Jun 18th, 2007, 09:16 AM
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Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread. We had a great conversation with a helpful agent of Travel Guard and have guidelines for determining how much insurance to cover (it was hard with most of our things cancellable.) The medical is covered by our regular insurance, but I don't think it covers enough on the evacuation, so thank you all for emphasizing that issue. Unfortunately we are too late for the exemption on the preexisting conditions, but I know now what to do in the future (i.e., buy the insurance as soon as we put down a deposit on anything for the trip. With Travel Guard, that exempts any pre-existing condition clause.) Thanks again!
Sally in Seattle, so cold and gray yesterday that I made soup!!!
Sally in Seattle, so cold and gray yesterday that I made soup!!!
Jun 19th, 2007, 07:19 AM
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Hey Sally - it's cold and grey in Sydney too. I'm going to make a big batch of minestrone tomorrow.
Is it just that we forget, and every year it's a shock to find that it gets cold? I don't think so. It's been cold for days and it's only June. Not normal at all.
Happy travels.
Is it just that we forget, and every year it's a shock to find that it gets cold? I don't think so. It's been cold for days and it's only June. Not normal at all.
Happy travels.
Jun 19th, 2007, 12:00 PM
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In my opinion, if you cannot afford to lose the cost of the trip, I would buy insurance. You can research many companies on Insuremytrip.com. If you buy from a reputable company, it should be fine. My parents have had to cancel 3 trips (cruises and airfare)due to illness. For peace of mind, I would rather spend a couple hundred more for peace of mind.
Jun 19th, 2007, 05:40 PM
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Hi Sally,
ah yes, a topic near and dear to my heart! Wow...I get asked this alot as a travel agent, and I try to give clients the "worse case scenario", because that's what it often turns out to be.
After having to deal with tearful/ hysterical clients on the phone, I adapted 2 methods:
1. if it's an inexpensive trip, I put the insurance in and quote the client as such: yes, your trip is $1200 and includes your airfare, hotel and cancellation insurance. They never even question it. And over the years, I've had to cancel several trips and they're always shocked and amazed to get money back because they didn't really understand that I'd included it in the first place. So, I'm a hero!
2. Can't do that when the trips get more expensive, although I do ask them to "sign off" on declining it. I will have clients tell me that they are going "NO MATTER WHAT". And so I have to be blunt and say "so, if your mother dies while you're in Australia, you're still going?" And leave it up to them.
3. Some clients "hedge their bet" and cover a PORTION of the trip cost, figuring, like you did, some portions of it will be covered.
Whipping out the cheat sheet on one supplier, it shouldn't cost you anymore than $65 per person to cover $1600. Yeah, I'd say that was worth it.
As an aside...I will say that this has happened to clients without insurance and both Qantas and Air NZ have been absolutely wonderful. Yes, I do have some "clout" with them, but I can tell you from working with other US based airlines that they could care less. They will charge you the differnce in the fare from when you booked it, plus the new fare, plus cancellation/rebooking charges, so bear that in mind if you're on say...United.
Hope this is helpful Sally!
Regards,
Melodie
Certified Aussie & Kiwi Specialist
ah yes, a topic near and dear to my heart! Wow...I get asked this alot as a travel agent, and I try to give clients the "worse case scenario", because that's what it often turns out to be.
After having to deal with tearful/ hysterical clients on the phone, I adapted 2 methods:
1. if it's an inexpensive trip, I put the insurance in and quote the client as such: yes, your trip is $1200 and includes your airfare, hotel and cancellation insurance. They never even question it. And over the years, I've had to cancel several trips and they're always shocked and amazed to get money back because they didn't really understand that I'd included it in the first place. So, I'm a hero!
2. Can't do that when the trips get more expensive, although I do ask them to "sign off" on declining it. I will have clients tell me that they are going "NO MATTER WHAT". And so I have to be blunt and say "so, if your mother dies while you're in Australia, you're still going?" And leave it up to them.
3. Some clients "hedge their bet" and cover a PORTION of the trip cost, figuring, like you did, some portions of it will be covered.
Whipping out the cheat sheet on one supplier, it shouldn't cost you anymore than $65 per person to cover $1600. Yeah, I'd say that was worth it.
As an aside...I will say that this has happened to clients without insurance and both Qantas and Air NZ have been absolutely wonderful. Yes, I do have some "clout" with them, but I can tell you from working with other US based airlines that they could care less. They will charge you the differnce in the fare from when you booked it, plus the new fare, plus cancellation/rebooking charges, so bear that in mind if you're on say...United.
Hope this is helpful Sally!
Regards,
Melodie
Certified Aussie & Kiwi Specialist
Jun 20th, 2007, 02:27 PM
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Melodie, thank you so much for your helpful information. I can't believe that I have been so remiss in getting this and thinking only of cancellation and not of the other things that could happen. We got insurance the last time, I guess my brain just cramped this time. Oh, well, we are on the road to getting it booked thanks to the recs from this thread. And we are on Qantas for all flights (well, Jet Star for two of them booked through Qantas) so it is nice to know that they are helpful. I hope and pray that we won't need the insurance, but it is nice to have it. We don't go one minute without insurance here medically, auto, life, house, etc. I don't know why we didn't think of it for the trip.
Sally
Sally
