Travel insurance Advice Needed

[loosefeet]

I am planning a trip to China with friends--a cruise and land trip. I can buy insurance from the booking company--and if I cancel for any reason, they will give me credit for a future trip w/ them ($349) and if it's for a covered reason, I will get the money back. If I go with another company, then I can find a policy that will give me 75% of cost back (in money) if I cancel for any reason.
I am planning on getting insurance b/c I have 3 kids, and you just never know what will happen. We travel in March--but need to make final payment to get the great airfare deal by the end of September.
Any advice on how to proceed?

 

[andrea t]

check outwww.insuremytrip.com

 

[DeniseM]

See the info. posted at the top of this board.

 

[dougp26364]

Most policy's have a 10 day free look. Use that time to read your policy CAREFULLY. Most travel policy's are named peril. What that means is, if it's not named as covered, it isn't covered.

We learned this the hard way when our ship was denied access to our debarkation port due to a fisherman's strike in Spain. While strikes were covered, only strikes that affected public transportation were named as being covered. In the end our claim was denied and we were out the additional $1,400 it cost us to fly home.

While our policy did not pay, others who had more liberal terms under the wording of "strike" did have their claims paid. It was an expensive lesson but now I read through the policy during that 10 day free look period. There is not a policy I've found that will cover every instance of loss but some do a better job than others. You just have to look and find the policy that offers coverage that you can live with.

Watch those flight delay times. I've read some policy's that are as short as 6 hours and others that are as long as 24 hours before they'll pay a claim. I don't believe I've ever had a flight delay of greater than 24 hours so a policy with that sort of restriction would be worthless to me.

 

[loosefeet]

Thank-you. I have been reading policies for some time--and will certainly look even closer. I guess one of my main questions is: what is better if you are refunded, 75% of your money, or a fully paid future trip? I'm grappling with this question. And then find a policy that is no fault. Do these no fault policies REALLY pay (this is an extra cost to the policy, one can cancel for "any" reason w/in 48-72 hours of the trip and get refunded).

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Thank-you. I have been reading policies for some time--and will certainly look even closer. I guess one of my main questions is: what is better if you are refunded, 75% of your money, or a fully paid future trip? I'm grappling with this question.

The biggest difference depends on your level of concern about default of the booking company. A fully paid future trip won't help if they are no longer in business. Best of luck in your decision. -- Suzanne