I plan on doing a lot more traveling out of country and have been thinking travel insurance might be a good idea. I am looking for recommendations as well as pros and cons. Thanks

I bought an expensive nonrefundable airline ticket to Cali in late July for the trip I am currently on. Initially I didn't buy the trip insurance. But as people around me started to pick up the Covid and the fact I couldnt count on Cali to stay open I picked up the insurance in case I needed to cancel. I generally I don't buy it. I would consider buying it if I was flying or traveling somewhere where I couldn't get a refund if I had to cancel or if there was a chance of a weather event like a hurricane that might screw me up. Case by case basis for me.

I’ve traveled extensively and never spent a dime on insurance.
With covid, I might consider it, but would the insurance apply in a covid situation?

Insurance companies aren't stupid. There'll be riders attached. They'll cover themselves.

I did on my first international trip due to complete and utter ignorance of what I was facing.

depends on the price point and my personal risk

bought a cheap cruise for the kids, probably moderate risk they end up missing out, but it was so cheap I wasn't going to spend 1/5 of the cost on insurance.

bought a fairly expensive cruise to Alaska by my standards and bought the 75% insurance at about 1/10 the cost.

Cruises run on a tight schedule so I think there is added risk versus flying in and going to a hotel room.

I made sure to read the fine print to address what I thought was reasonable exceptions.

Saved us money when I broke my ankle right before we went on vacation to Cozumel

Good luck if you end up injured by a “terrorist” or whatever “act
of war”or anyone doing something illegally. Probably listed as an exception.

I plan on more fishing trips to Panama and maybea few other south Americancountries, I have no desire to go overseas so hopefully I don't have to worry about to much of the [bleep] that's going on over there. I am more concerned with covering cancelations of the trips and recouping some of the deposits

I always buy it when traveling abroad, primarily for health/hospitalization. Medicare and most private insurance does not cover issues abroad.

Trying to get cancellation refunds through separate travel insurance policies is not easy; they will fight you tooth and nail. I typically choose a cancellation benefit for about $40 when booking through an online ticket broker. Note: this is only if the airline cancels your flight; if one cancels for reasons of their own it's tough luck.

My wife and I used to spend 3 mos each year in Guatemala and our health insurance would not cover anything there.

So yes we bought insurance to cover us in case something happened. Never had to use it and were thankful for that.

Are you talking about trip cancellation insurance or medical insurance outside the US?

Trip cancellation insurance could be worthwhile for a very costly trip that is at risk due to your personal circumstances. I looked into it for one trip that was going to cost me 5-figures. It turned out to be difficult because of the complexity of my itinerary, and the covered reasons were not inclusive enough. Since it was a domestic trip, I did not regard the medical coverage.

For international travel, you might compare policies that are medical insurance that don't include trip cancelation -- something like what Ex Pats and long-term travelers use.

I always buy it when I go out of the country for any length of time. Especially when the health insurance won't cover you overseas. Plus you get your flight back guaranteed, if necessary.

Thanks for the input, I was looking for trip cancelation insurance it sounds like my trip isn't expensive enough to make it worthwhile. I haven't thought to see what my health insurance coverage is out of country. That's something I will definitely check out

Lots of loop holes, stipulations in place in the policies that only you can scrutinize & decide on.

Friends flying to Ca. to board a cruise sip to Alaska, touring there, flying home. First leg of the trip, TSA found a prohibited item in their carry on & detained them. That caused them to miss the flight & every following connection. Ins. wouldn't cough up a dime for any of it.

An extreme circumstance maybe, but just a loop hole IMO.

My first Amperlamps ride and visit to an ER was during an Alaskan Cruise..............

Travel Insurance covered EVERY out of pocket Dime and reimbursed/prorated fare for BOTH the wife and I(3 days each) while I was quarantined............

I'll never travel without it....

It all depends on what type of trip and how much it costs. I've purchased travel insurance many times and only once had to use it. In that case I had a problem with my retina at the last minute, and had to cancel a dive trip, and the insurance covered all the travel costs. If you're going somewhere really remote then you want evacuation coverage like Ripcord.

I have used trip cancellation insurance and an evac policy a few times. I don't recall the trip but my bank covered the cost of the flight, no questions.

I never bought it until last year. We were going to Cody, Wyoming. I’m glad I did. I got an email stating my connecting flight from Denver to Cody had been cancelled. Nobody at Travelocity saw a problem with me flying to Denver and having a room and car rented in Cody. It was a headache, but I got nearly all my money back. I doubt I would have without the insurance.

In this day and age I’d always buy travel insurance for big trips or expensive vacations. If traveling out of country I’d also buy travelers health insurance. Having to be lifeflighted from the Congo to Germany can get spendy. 😉. I have never needed it but it’s damn cheap compared to the alternative and it’s great peace of mind.

Never Travel Without It.

It’s too cheap and if you use a reputable company, it’s not worth not having it.

I took a helluva lot of trips without it, but with the strange behavior of airlines now (unexpected flight cancellations, excessive delays, etc.) we always have it. If you are a member of AAA, they provide good travel insurance and aren't hard to deal with.
RB

Medical Evacuation Policies are cheap. I worked for an Air Medical Transport Co for years. We did a pile of flights for Med Jet Assist. Wouldn't want to have even minor surgery in some places.

Buddy took a steer horn in the mouth and out the side of his face popping his jaw in St. Time Quebec Steer Wrestling at the big rodeo. I was the Medic on the jet that flew him back to Pittsburgh.

A lot of good info here I am glad I asked. Thanks

One more comment: For ANY complex and/or expensive trip, always use a good travel agency. There's no cost to you at all, and they know all the ins and outs, the good and bad insurance policies, and are up to speed on these ever-changing travel circumstances.

When our whole family cruise to Alaska got cancelled in 2020, our agent not only got us full refunds of every dime from the cruise line, but also got us refunds on the travel insurance premiums. All with no effort on our part. Golden.