travel insurance - get it? don't?

[Anonymous]

Our family of 5 is headed to France in a few weeks. We've paid for the trip with cash (about half) and then about half with credit card points. All reservations are refundable, although we'd lose small things like Louvre tickets if we had to cancel.

Do we get the insurance? It's not really expensive - about 250.00 - but I'm just usually not in the habit of purchasing trip insurance and don't know if it's needed?

I'm most nervous about someone getting sick/hurt rather than cancelations/delays.

[Anonymous]

250 total or per person?

[Anonymous]

What is it covering if everything is refundable? Louvre tickets?

[Anonymous]

If we're going somewhere that is difficult to return from in an emergency, then I will get it for our family. This has been my approach for about 10-12 years.

My dad (aged 85) got it a couple years ago simply for his flight (to come see us for DC's HS graduation) and needed to use it for his own health situation and was "grounded" from traveling. He only needed 1 form from his doctor signed and the insurance paid out very quickly. We were shocked at how easy & fast everything was.

[Anonymous]

You can get foreign medical/trip evac insurance without paying for the trip delay/cancelation portion. That is what I do. I'm not worry about the flights/hotel. I'm worried about accident or illness on the trip.

[Anonymous]

If your flights and hotels are refundable, why would you need this? The whole point if for things that are NOT refundable.

[Anonymous]

I've never bothered to get it. And then I got HAPE (a really bad form of altitude sickness) in Africa on safari and was recovered within a day or so but actually could have been very, very sick or even died. The fact that I could potentially have needed to be evacuated for medical care changed my whole attitude with this. I'll never travel without it again.

[Anonymous]

pass. Big scam.

[Anonymous]

I got it when the Alaska door blew off the plane and my flight was cancelled. I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria for two nights until I could get the night flight out. Allianz paid for the hotel food and extra day of rental car. so I bought an annual plan after that. it wasn't too much, around $450 for family of four. Just went on another trip and lost the rental car key, but didn't cover that.

[Anonymous]

Never. Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card covers trip cancellations, delays and repatriation. And my federal BCBS plan reimburses overseas medical expenses. Seems good enough. I have the funds if I need to purchase an emergency flight back home.

[Anonymous]

We usually get a plan that covers medical emergencies/evacuation. If you don't care about cancellation reimbursement, just put $0 or $1000 in the cost of trip.

[Anonymous]

Yes. For medical emergencies.

[Anonymous]

Any of the ~$500/year travel-focused credit cards like CSR should provide some form of coverage. I don’t really see the point of buying separate coverage unless you have a massive non-refundable expense such as a cruise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any of the ~$500/year travel-focused credit cards like CSR should provide some form of coverage. I don’t really see the point of buying separate coverage unless you have a massive non-refundable expense such as a cruise.

Those don't include medical expenses or evacuation. That's the real concern. Not the $5K cruise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any of the ~$500/year travel-focused credit cards like CSR should provide some form of coverage. I don’t really see the point of buying separate coverage unless you have a massive non-refundable expense such as a cruise.

Those don't include medical expenses or evacuation. That's the real concern. Not the $5K cruise.

Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum have medical expenses and evacuation coverage.

https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/whats-covered-by-credit-card-travel-accident-and-emergency-evacuation-insurance/