I know I should call a couple of trip insurance agencies but I thought I would come here first.

Right now, I have only booked my airfare. I have not gotten my hotel yet. I booked the airfare at the end of May. When I received my June credt card statement, the airfare was not on it so I called to inquire about it. It was not posted to my credit card until the end of June being on this month's July statement.

Now my question is, when is the first date I paid for it? My bill isn't due for another 2 weeks so I haven't paid it yet. All the trip insurance policies say within the first 14 days of trip payment. Does this mean when my credit card paid or when I paid?

I know I should have purchased it right way but I didn't. So that is totally my fault and I understand that but can anyone answer my question?

Why don't you start by calling Access America. I've purchased travel insurance from them in a much shorter window than 14 days.

Hi S,

What is it that you plan to insure?

Do you really need trip insurance?

I'd assume you &quot;paid&quot; for the airfare the day you bought it - or w/i a day or two. It would be the day the airline processed the reservation and it was paid for as far as they are concerned. I wouldn't think that has <i>anything</i> to do w/ when you decide to pay the bill. The airline doesn't care about that.

But do you need to insure the airfare at all? I know each of my credit cards include insurance when I charge air travel.

Hi Ira,

Yes, I think I need the trip insurance for my traveling companion. I plan on going whether she does/doesn't go but she was diagnosed with IBS and is hesitant. I've tried to reassure her that she is jumping the gun with canceling since she has 4 months, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

This happened before with a different travel companion. He had to pay $200 to get another ticket in that person's name in order to get any refund back from the rest of the airfare price. I'm just trying to avoid that this time.

Thanks Janisj. I didn't think to check with my credit card company. I'm only worried about the airfare so if they offer something than I'm ok.

You have to carefully read and understand the pre-existing condition exclusion definition for each policy you consider. They vary, especially with regard to months prior. Could be 90 days, 120 days, etc.

The date of first payment...if you ever need to file a claim, documentation is required. Since you purchased your tickets with a credit card, date of first payment would probably be the date posted to your account.

Also, some policies will refund the air fare, while others pay only the change fee.

You have to carefully read and understand the Certificate that's issued with your policy (or whatever that company calls it). Most give you a period of time to cancel for a full refund if the plan does not meet your needs.

Since your trip is 4 months from now, you may be able to find a plan where the pre-existing condition exclusion applies only to 90 days prior (as in my most recent plan from Travelex).

I believe when you booked your airfare is the date the insurance company considers to be the day you paid (a deposit) for your trip. That pre-existing condition some insurance companies require you to purchase within two weeks or so of paying your trip deposit.

Hi sassy, you might want to go to the website

www.insuremytrip.com

and review the various insurance companies coverages, requirements and conditions etc.

Thanks all. The insurance company said &quot;With a credit card, the first trip payment date is the transaction date. Basically, the date you authorized the credit card to be charged.&quot; Seems we are out luck since they don't count the post date which was a month later.

So why don't you see if Access America will insure you?

As others have inferred, your main concern isn't that you/your friend are buying the insurance after buying the airfare, but that you are considering buying it after your friend has been diagnosed with IBS. Cancellation insurance that covers pre-existing conditions tends to be even more expensive than the regular kind, which already is not a great deal.

First: remember that provided you cancel the air ticket (as opposed to just not show up at the airport) the actual airfare (less change fee) can often be applied as a credit toward a future ticket (generally within a certain time frame - check your ticket's terms and conditions.) So often (again, check TandC) even a cancelled ticket isn't without any value at all.

That said, yes, if you cancel this trip now or at any future point you do stand to lose money. However, you also stand to 'lose' money every time you take out cancellation insurance for a trip and you don't file a claim (or can't because of some loophole in the policy.) Over the course of several trips, those premiums can really add up. In the long run biting the occasional uninsured nonrefundable expense in the event of cancellation can be cheaper than paying premiums. Am I making any sense?

On the other hand, her friend might continue with the planned trip if she knows she is covered by medical insurance.

People seem unaware that travel insurance pays for more than just the ticket or other prepaid expenses. It pays for medical emergencies, including all extra expenses incurred in dealing with the emergency, no matter who is affected in the travelling party, or if immediate members of the traveler's family have emergenices that require the traveller to return home sooner than planned.

The issue of pre-existing diagnoses is one the insurance company can answer specifically.

If I'd just dropped a couple of thousand on air tickets, I'd at least pick up the phone and make one phone call.

I think my friend will go but I am not 100% sure. She was just diagnosed so of course thinks it's the end of the world (She's only 23 years old).

I'm only dealing with the airfare at this point since I haven't made any other reservations/plans.

I was trying to see if maybe I would get the pre-existing/cancel for any reason waived because of when payment was made, but clearly I'm passed the date. Going by their rules &quot;schedule date is the date the airfare was posted to my credit card&quot;. Since she was diagnosed after that, she should be covered. I'm waiting for a reply email from them to confirm.

But you do realize there is more than one company that sells travel insurance, right?

If you get a &quot;no&quot; from the one you've e-mailed, try another.

Also, plenty of people travel with IBS. Suggest to her that she post of a few travel message boards and IBS boards and see what advice she gets.

Thanks Zeppole. If they turn us down, I'll try another company.

I work in the medical profession and understand that her condition shouldn't prohibit her from traveling. I also think she needs to give her medication time to kick in. Now I just need her understand that.

IBS is irritable Bowel Syndrome, right? If it is ,that doesn't stop anyone from travelling. I have IBS for more than 15 years and it never stopped me from travelling, it's not such a terrible condition!! I often even travel alone and never worry about it.

People just have to watch out what they eat and as most of IBS is stress related it's very unusual that it appears while on holidays..-)))