keepmovingon

any input on trip cancellation insurance.I usually purchase it for all my trips as I book tickets for my family of 4 way ahead of travel, but I think I may have to cancel a trip in August = this is the first time I may have to cancel , my question is how difficult and how long it takes I insured my trip with AIG and i don't think i have the 'cancel for any reason' option.
I purchased the tickets on Spiritair.com .
Thank you
anyone comments on this

matnikstym

If you don't have the cancel for any reason clause, then you have to have one of the reasons for cancelling that is in your policy, usually medical, death etc. If you do qualify, it doesn't take long to get your refund. Though it's not cancellation, I did file a claim when I was ripped off on a trip to Africa. Once I sent in the police report I got my money within a week.

janisj

Is your reason for canceling covered??

djkbooks

First, you have to read the Certificate that was sent with your policy to determine whether the reason you need to cancel is covered and that there are no circumstances which would cause your particular circumstances from being Excluded from coverage.

Then, you have to ascertain what/when you are required to do when you cancel, such as notify all providers/suppliers, including AIG.

Then, you have to assemble all supporting documentation for your claims.

I recently received a check from Access America within one week of submitting the claim.

But, again, the first step is to ensure that your reason is covered in your Certificate.

gail

First, what have you booked that needs to be cancelled? You mention air on Spirit Air. According to their website, if you cancel now you get credit for ticket amount - must be booked and travelled within 1 year. You will have a $60 per person rebooking fee - so if you are planning to travel on this airline within a year, you will only lose $240.

Second - hotels. Most hotels, even if prepaid, will give you all your money back this far in advance. So it is unlikely you will be out any money there.

Activities - you will have to check these individually.

I have no idea how much your trip cancellation insurance cost, but you say you purchase it for every trip. That is certainly your own choice, but next time before you do, I suggest you check refund/cancellation policies of specific things you purchase and see if it is really worth it. We rarely purchase cancellation insurance - the only exception being for very expensive things which carry heavy cancellation fees - our cruise to Alaska next month is one; also a tour to Egypt. I never purchase it for just air or just hotel - but there have been many discussions here about the pros and cons of insurance.

NeoPatrick

I've said it before. If I had purchased trip insurance for the approximately 52 weeks of travel I've done in the past 13 years, I couldn't have afforded to take a lot of those trips. If I had been putting the money saved on each trip by NOT buying insurance into a special account, I could easily do a round the world trip with that money by now. And if I now had to cancel a major trip and had to pay for all of it myself because I don't have travel insurance -- I'd still be thousands of dollars ahead. Let's face it, unless you have major reasons to think that you might have to cancel for any of the approved reasons, the odds are in their favor of making money -- not you getting your money's worth in the long run.

keepmovingmom, you mention you usually purchase the insurance. Any idea how much you've spent on the insurance total for those trips added together? Any idea how much of this trip you couldn't get back through regular cancellation means? Which is higher?

NeoPatrick

Note to self: never do math before having coffee. I was figuring an average of 4 MONTHS per year for 13 years, not 4 WEEKS. So strike that 52 weeks above and make it approximately 52 months of travel in the past 13 years.

ronkala

We, two healthy seniors, spent $6300.00 for airfare to Amsterdam and an apartment for two weeks.

The day before we were to leave, DW was in her doctors office and the following day she was having a catscan. The trip was cancelled and we got a small partial refund for the apartment and vouchers for the airfare.

However, since we have insurance ($349.00) we will get the balance of the apartment rental and the cost of the airfare from the insurance company. The insurance cost was a small investment to make, and I'm glad we had it.

She had surgery Monday, came home yesterday, and is doing fine.

NeoPatrick

ronkala, that's terrible that you had to cancel and I hope your wife is continuing to improve.

But I'm curious. If you already got vouchers from the airline, do you have to return those when you get reimbursed by the insurance? Or is the amount you get from the insurance the full value of the air tickets regardless?

I'm glad that it paid off for you this time to have the insurance, but I'm still a little curious how many other times you've paid out insurance and not collected. Does what you get from this one equal all the other insurance payments? I see you've paid roughly $175 for each week's worth of travel for insurance. If I had done that for my 200 weeks worth of travel, I'd have now have spent some $35,000 on insurance. I could really afford to lose a few airline tickets or apartment rentals and still come out way ahead.

djkbooks

I always purchase travel insurance. Type and amount of coverage depends on destination, how much is prepaid and non-refundable, time of year, etc.

For example, I would not think of renting an apartment, where the balance is paid in full prior to departure and is not refundable unless you cancel beyond a certain number of days.

Anything could happen between the time you book, and the time you depart that could prevent you from going.

Usually, travel insurance is only a small percentage of your total investment.

In March, flying home from Las Vegas, our connecting flight home from Newark, the last of the day, was cancelled and we could not be rebooked until Tuesday (from Saturday). And, due to the many weather related cancellations, all hotels in the area were fully booked. We rented a car and drove home. Total expenses were $290 versus premium of $37.50.

Bobmrg

W had to cancel an insured trip to Europe for medical reasons. No problem whatsover with getting a full refund.

wildblueyonder

Four years ago, 2 months before our planned trip to the USA, I became unwell and, because of having to have loads of tests, we had to cancel our holiday. Because we were insured, we got everything we'd paid out, including our airfares, back. We booked again for 4 months later and had a wonderful time. I had no problems getting re-insured, although I had to pay a higher premium because of an existing condition.

The only place we've been unable to get our money back from, when our plans have changed, has been a Holiday Inn Express where I accidentally booked a pre-paid rate. I am VERY careful now!

sandi

Trip insurance is good if you've prepaid your vacation costs. If only airline tickets, these can be rebooked for a fee and usually good for 1/year from the original purchase date. If the premium for airline ticket insurance was less than the rebooking fee, then the insurance makes sense. If not, why bother.

If the insurance covers prepaid air, hotels, tours, cars, etc. than this far in advance and if your need to cancel is for a qualified reason, you shouldn't have a problem filing a claim.

NeoPatrick

At the risk of overly repeating myself, let me say djbooks, if I once did buy trip insurance to cover -- let's say -- a $2000 apartment rental and I had to cancel would I be thrilled I always bought insurance? Probably not -- because the other 30 or more times I also rented an apartment and didn't buy the insurance -- let's say at $125 a crack -- and didn't need it, I'd still be money ahead. By NOT buying insurance at a total of $3750, I really wouldn't get upset that I was finally going to lose a full $2000 on one apartment. I'd still have $1750 more in my pocket than if I had bought the insurance! I guess if you only travel one or two weeks every year or two and cover everything with insurance, it isn't so bad, but if you travel alot and are not in the habit of having to cancel frequently, I prefer being money ahead my way.

keepmovingon

Well, I am not a seasoned traveler, I have been spending most of my time working and bringing up my two daughters but suddenly my life has taken a new path in that my daughters are now 19 and 14 i got a little more of my independence back, we always go on vacations but it would be Canada, or between us states but now I plan trips to Spain, London etc. but in order to get great airfare I book way ahead but my parents are in Trinidad and one is 86 and one is 76 - you never know when you may get a call that something is wrong, besides with two teenage daughters life can throw a lot of unexpected situations so that is why I take the insurances -I think i pay around $48.00 extra for four tickets

ronkala

Patrick,

The vouchers get sent to the insurance company to confirm the cost of the fare.

Last year, our fourth trip to Europe, was the first time we took out insurance. We didn't need it but I did not regret spending the money for it. This year I am thankful that I had it. Once I reached the mid seventies, I figured it was a good thing to have.

keepmovingon

oh my, Ronkala - the main thing is I am so happy that your wife is doing fine, because in the end that is all that matters....I take insurance for that same reason because life is so unpredictable and you never know I bet you felt happy to get back that refund.
Neopatrick hope your coffee was good I guess it depends on your individual situation because if you have children, or elderly parents it is more likely something out of the ordinary may happy as djkbrooks mentioned anything can happen between time of booking and time of departure....and seeing that I always have to purchase 4 tickets I look for those tickets way ahead..
Though my 19 year old is hinting just now she won't be travelling with us so it may be 3 tickets soon my how time flies......

keepmovingon

Thanks for the info Gail, I didn.t call Spirit Air or checked their web
thank u

keepmovingon

But Neopatrick that $2000 will hurt me regardless of how many times I didnt pay before. I would just be telling myself over and over if only i had insurance

lcuy

My husband always says any insurance- homeowners, auto, travel,long term care, cancer, etc- is a total rip off, until you make a claim!

Luckily, Patrick, you've never had to cancel a big pre-paid trip or needed emergency medical evacuation. In addition, you travel so frequently that self insuring does make financial sense.

But for others, insurance costs a relatively small amount- I think this current trip I'm on. I had about $9,000 in prepaid hotels and airfare. If I was too sick to go, needed evacuation to good medical care, and couldn't reuse the air tix within a year, the $400 or so I paid for insurance (for two of us) would be a teriffic deal! In addition, if I missed a connection somewhere here in India, they would reimburse for the room I missed out on. At $400 a night, that alone would pay for the insurance.