Travel insurance?
 

I have occasional read advice that states that if one buys travel insurance not to buy it through the airline but rather buy it directly through a travel insurance company. What is the reason for this?

A better price! You can also select the coverage and type of insurance you want or need. You also do not have to purchase it when buying your airline tickets. There are a number of agencies offering travel insurance. Just Google them.

We use CSA (www.csatravelprotection.com) because it's best for us. We were just paid for our delay from the volcano. There are many. Go to www.squaremouth.com www.insuremytrip.com and compare to see what's best for you.

Never buy from the company (if using a tour) or airline you are traveling with as they could go bankrupt and then you would have a problem trying to sort out the insurance.

It is my understanding that the travel insurance sold by the airline is really not as comprehensive as a policy you would purchase through a travel insurance broker.
I always purchase travel insurance now for a couple of reasons.
I like the protection you receive for unexpected things that may happen on a trip. If you become ill or have a mishap like a broken leg there are policies that cover this along with flight delay and lost baggage, etc.

We usually purchase through insure my trip but this time we used square mouth.

If you are looking for insurance that will cover the volcano good luck.None of the insurance companies are willing to insure for that now.

It really depends on the coverage you think you might need.

I once added travel insurance to airline tickets when booking with the airline. Coming home, our flight landed late at night and the connecting flight home (last of the day) had been cancelled. Many flights had been cancelled due to weather, so all the airport hotels were full. We opted to rent a car and drive home (4 hours). On the way home, we learned we were rescheduled on a flight three days later! The insurance cost $40. We were fully reimbursed almost $300 for the car rental.

There's no point in paying extra for additional coverage you may never need.

Thanks for all the info.