another trip insurance question.

I have been reviewing some of the posts about trip insurance, but would like to ask anyway.

We are looking at a 8-10 day trip this fall. I have really good insurance at work so I don%26#39;t think we need extra medical coverage. But I am considering buying insurance to cover flights and any deposits I might pay on apartments or hotels.

What do you think the minimum amount of coverage is that I should buy? What I mean is, at some point it may be cheaper to pay the penalty and reschedule a flight if there is no other money on the line such as deposits.

Is that right or should I definetely buy insurance? We have been to England and France three times without insurance, so maybe our luck is getting thin.

Rob

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I %26#39;price%26#39; my trip insurance by including the full cost of my flights and anything I have already paid for, or will penalized for if the trip is cut short.

Don%26#39;t %26quot;think%26quot; your US-based medical insurance is going to cover, ASK them.

I actually buy trip insurance for the %26#39;remains repatriation%26#39; and the medical transfer to %26#39;best%26#39; nearest facility, and all that, because

- I missed being hit by a tram in Amsterdam by about 4 inches (my hair blew in the wind), so accidents can happen anywhere

- a coworker was assaulted in Belize and had an emergency-flight back to the US, a huge expense to her family (no trip insurance).

I%26#39;ve bought the %26#39;cancel for any reason%26#39; insurance twice because we were traveling with other family, and a couple of us have somewhat unpredictable changes in job schedules.

A good place to price-compare is

www.insuremytrip.com

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Agree with the above that you need to check your employer%26#39;s medical insurance policy to determine the coverage when you are out of the USA. And, find out what you need to do if you need care for any reason. This is particularly important if you have %26quot;managed care%26quot; or a plan with %26quot;participating providers%26quot;, etc.

Even if you do purchase travel insurance, your own medical plan will be primary and the travel insurance plan will be secondary, so you need to understand all that.

As for air fares and apartment deposits, you need to carefully read the actual certificate that is issued with your policy.

Typically, the first question asked is the amount of your trip. You should provide the total amount of any prepaid and non-refundable costs. Then, you will be presented with a number of plans with various types and amount of coverage from which to choose.

Keep in mind that, while you can often pay a change fee and reschedule your flights, the fares may be different (higher).

It is essential that you understand all the terms and conditions in the Certificate, your responsibilities, and documentation required should you need to submit a claim. Pay particular attention to all exclusions.

Most insurers give you ten days to review the coverage and Certificate and you can cancel for a full refund of the premium.

It%26#39;s entirely up to you whether to insure your trip or not.

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Thanks for the help. Sounds like I should invest in some insurance this time.

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In general, unless you are going on a package, insuring your flight and hotel and not worth it. Most hotels allow you to cancel up to 24 or 48 hours prior to departure. And, if you fail to show up, they only charge you for one night.

With the airlines, if you have a valid reason (medical, legal, etc.) they will give you a credit or a refund, although they don%26#39;t advertise that type of info readily. Certain types of airline tickets are fully refundable, but they are usually more expensive. And in the event of some type of disaster (war, weather, earthquake, etc.) the airlines are quite flexible.

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This is very tricky. OK you can cancel hotels at one or two days notice and from UK if you loose the cost of a Eurostar ticket it is less than the excess which you would have to bear anyway. The big snag is an accident while you are in Paris or whereever. Sometimes I take out insurance and depending how mean I feel there are times when I don%26#39;t.

The big problem for me now is that next trip I will be over 75 and the hike in premium is exorbitant so I guess I shall go uninsured.

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..not to mention coverage for lost or delayed luggage, passport replacement, and apartment rental contracts...

Like any kind of insurance, the question is %26quot;what is the risk%26quot; and %26quot;can I withstand the expense%26quot;?

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I went with travelex in 2006 and it came in handy. On our return flight home, my purse was stolen with all cash, cards, ID%26#39;s etc. I obviously let my guard down seeing we were on our way back home. My three sons and I were stuck in London (a connecting flight) without money, passports, credit cardsetc.. Travelex reimbursed me for hotels, incidentals, taxi%26#39;s, food, etc. I will always buy this insurance. They were very easy to deal with.

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In Dec 07 I bought travel insurance from AGI. Maxjet went under when we were in Egypt. We called the insurance company when we arrived back in London.

Too bad your airline went bankrupt the agent said. If you%26#39;d gone down in a Maxjet plane you could have collected. $400 bucks down the toilet plus $2200 for economy back to LA. You%26#39;ll never know what they won%26#39;t pay for until it happens.

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