Flight Cancelation Insurance: Which One and Why?

[212cruiser]

I will probably be purchasing our airline tickets to Europe next summer independent of the cruise line (and our cruise insurance). As such, I would like some method of canceling the tickets and receiving a full refund in the event I need to cancel the trip. I have looked into trip insurance but it is a bit confusing. I have also considered buying "open" tickets, but they cost about 60% more, yet allow you to cancel.

I'm hoping to learn from fellow board members what you have done in this situation. What type of tickets do you buy? What type of trip insurance do you buy? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Globaliser]

Much depends on why you might need to cancel the trip.

 

I almost always buy wholly non-refundable tickets. Sometimes, they're date-changeable for a fee, although often the first sector is completely non-changeable. The travel insurance that I have covers cancellation for most unforeseeable reasons, like death, illness, burglary, witness/jury duty etc.

 

But cancellation insurance that reimburses you for the cost of a non-refundable ticket when you cancel simply because you no longer want to travel is likely to be extremely expensive.

[greatam]

UNLESS you have pre existing conditions which necessitates cruiseline insurance, FORGET buying the cruiseline insurance. Buy a comprehensive travel insurance policy from on the the online agencies. Insuremytrip.com is the one I frequently use. There are others.

 

Cruise insurance will ONLY cover items you purchase through the cruise line, NOTHING else. If you get a prepaid hotel on your own, arrange a pre or post car service that requires a deposit, book a prepaid independent shore excursion, etc., etc. etc.,-NONE of those are covered by cruise insurance, as well as your airline tickets.

 

I personally like Travelex Lite. PRIMARY medical coverage, as morbid as it is-a small death benefit, which would help in repatriation of remains, and extra evacuation/medical insurance can be purchased (I always buy it, as I travel frequently to third world countries).

 

Figure the cost of the cruise, your airline tickets, and any non-refundable items you have paid for. Don't forget deposits for pet sitters, house sitters, etc. Add them all together and use that as the cost basis for your insurance quote.

 

As Globaliser posted, most policies will reimburse for illness (doctor's certificate required), death, auto accidents on the way to your cruise, jury duty, etc. There are also "Cancel for any reason" policies, but they are pretty pricey AND often do not reimburse IN CASH. More like the cruiseline insurance where you get a future credit on a cruise.

 

READ the pre existing conditions clause carefully, if they apply to you. They are all different, so read the fine print.

 

It will take some homework, but it truly is your money.

[212cruiser]

I appreciate the replies--very helpful information. Fortunately, there are no pre-existing conditions; and, I only wanted the insurance to cover unforseen circumstances (and not to cancel at-will). I will look into the companies and policies mentioned.

Thanks again.

[iamtrustworthy]

I will probably be purchasing our airline tickets to Europe next summer independent of the cruise line (and our cruise insurance). As such, I would like some method of canceling the tickets and receiving a full refund in the event I need to cancel the trip. I have looked into trip insurance but it is a bit confusing. I have also considered buying "open" tickets, but they cost about 60% more, yet allow you to cancel.

I'm hoping to learn from fellow board members what you have done in this situation. What type of tickets do you buy? What type of trip insurance do you buy? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

If you get "open" tickets you probably won't be able to use a travel insurance policy to cover your trip. I don't know of any policies that will cover you (including Travelex) because they all require you to have fixed travel dates when you order your insurance.

[Globaliser]

If you get "open" tickets you probably won't be able to use a travel insurance policy to cover your trip. I don't know of any policies that will cover you (including Travelex) because they all require you to have fixed travel dates when you order your insurance.

In the UK, annual policies are widely available. These will usually cover you for any number of trips in a year. Sometimes there are limits on how long each trip can be, and sometimes there's an overall limit as to how many days you can be travelling each year. But these would be one way around the problem of buying a fixed date policy.