Trip Insurance

[Redbeanz]

We would appreciate learning about either good or bad experiences with specific companies selling trip insurance. We travel a lot, and have never felt we needed it. But with increased cancellation/rebooking fees, nonrefundable housing prepayments, etc., we are wondering if it would be a good idea to reconsider.

Thanks!

 

[nkotb]

Read the small print. There usually are more exclusions than inclusions. I've never found it useful.

 

[Ceviche]

i have trip insurance but its more for psycholigical assurance than any real advantage. They always find a way not to pay!

Considering one buys them online, who knows what one should do, if they don't pay up.

 

[thorsten]

Do the math, most travel insurances are way to expensive for the average traveller, as you need to miss flights/cancel hotel rooms in a pretty high frequency compared to just paying another room/flight on your own and instead saving the insurance fee on every trip.

 

[Ceviche]

Irrelevant to this topic.

I had bought a software 2 years ago and recently the software company updated its software and who knows what they did, my present version stopped working properly. After exchanging 100's of mails with their customer care, they are telling me the only way to fix it is to **buy** the new version.

Who knows what to do and how to take them to task?

Perils of buying virtual things online.

 

[Redbeanz]

Completely agree with these warnings, and this has been our thinking for years: spending probably 6 months each year on planes and in rental condos or hotels, we have felt that for the rare cancellation, it is better to just lose the money. But because of the changed travel industry fees, aging relatives, and upcoming long-duration trips to other continents, the equation may be changing for us.

Has anyone had any positive or negative experiences that could lead you to recommend using or avoiding specific companies?

 

[Ceviche]

Presently I am using :-

[font=Trebuchet MS']Expatriate Healthcare[/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS']36-38 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DE, United Kingdom[/font]
[font=Trebuchet MS']Tel: +44 (0)20 3195 7481 Fax: +44 (0)870 428 5141 Email: [/font][email protected]

285 usd a year.for multiple trips with no trip longer than 45 days from my base (Argentina)

==

Over and above this, I also use "Globalrescue.com" for my repatriation back to my home base (Argentina) in case of medical emergency. Thats another 325 usd a year for any trip 45 days or less.

Its very highly rated by people.

==

I hope I dont have to use either of them.

 

[Redbeanz]

Thanks, Ceviche - I hope you never need to use them either! At least two of our trips each year are longer than 45 days, so I will check to see if they have different kinds of policies.

 

[TomAtAlki]

Are you asking about trip insurance or travel health insurance.

Re travel health insurance: I have used American Express for years. Luckily never need it but it includes repatriation for you and companion, good for 90 days after you leave home base and covers you for health while you travel. I think we pay around $250 a year for the 2 of us.

As far as trip insurance, I think you buy that on a trip by trip basis.

T/

 

[Redbeanz]

Thanks, Tom. You and Nancy are always so good with practical info. I was asking about companies that have trip cancellation insurance, but travel health insurance might also be something that wanderers like us should consider.