Insure the airfare?

[Razor_Poke]

Since a lot of airfare now comes with the benefit of no change fees and because I fly enough that I don’t worry about using the credits later, is there any value in adding the airfare to the insured trip costs?  
 

 

[Babr]

If you are comfortable accepting a voucher for future air travel, it is not necessary to include the cost in the amount insured. The additional expense could increase the cost of the premium, but the insurance company will not reimburse you if you have been compensated by the airline. 
 

The only complication is that some companies require you to insure all nonrefundable expenses to qualify for a pre-existing conditions waiver. If that is a concern for you, check with the entity selling the policy to be sure you understand the terms. Technically, the airfare is nonrefundable, but you will be offered a credit if you cancel.

[iamtrustworthy]

6 hours ago, Razor_Poke said:

Since a lot of airfare now comes with the benefit of no change fees and because I fly enough that I don’t worry about using the credits later, is there any value in adding the airfare to the insured trip costs?  
 

 

Hi Razor_Poke,

 

If you are buying a plan that requires you to insure all your prepaid trip costs, this is how it works:

 

If your airfare is 100% refundable, you don’t have to include its cost. Refundable means if you cancel your ticket you will get 100% of your money back in cash. If you receive an “E-credit” or any other reusable credit, your airfare is not refundable.

 

Steve Dasseos

[klfrodo]

11 hours ago, iamtrustworthy said:

 

 

If your airfare is 100% refundable, you don’t have to include its cost. Refundable means if you cancel your ticket you will get 100% of your money back in cash. If you receive an “E-credit” or any other reusable credit, your airfare is not refundable.

 

 

THAT stipulation is good information to have.

 

Funny to think about. It's not like the insurance company is going to reimburse you that money if the airline is giving an e-credit,,, But, IF they require all non refundable expenses to be covered for CFAR or waiver of pre-existing condition to be included, then we want max amount of payment.

[jclinard]

On 3/5/2022 at 10:28 AM, klfrodo said:

THAT stipulation is good information to have.

 

Funny to think about. It's not like the insurance company is going to reimburse you that money if the airline is giving an e-credit,,, But, IF they require all non refundable expenses to be covered for CFAR or waiver of pre-existing condition to be included, then we want max amount of payment.

Don't book with Expedia.  I bought refundable tickets and they ticketed me with non-refundable tickets to pocket the difference.  It took months and a LOT of effort to get a refund, and only because they lied to the BBB and I had the evidence to catch them in the lie.

[dcl999]

We rely on our credit card coverage. We received vouchers on a recent trip canceled for a medical reason. We will receive our money back for the unused portion of the vouchers when they expire. 

[Iamthesea]

DH and I are still very confused on this airfare and insurance issue .🤨   We have not yet purchased our trip insurance.  We are mainly concerned about medical, quarantine, and possible emergency evacuation issues due to Covid while overseas.   

 

Questions:

 

(1) If we take the "Pre-existing conditions" stipulation out of the equation, do we have to include airfare cost in the non-refundable trip cost in order to be covered should we get ill for reasons that are not pre-existing?  We will receive a flight voucher good until 12/23 should we have to cancel trip and we are fine with that. 

 

(2) Additional, our airfare was purchased over a month ago.  Can it even be included in a policy at this time?

 

(3) If we are able to include the cost of the airfare, if we were to purchase trip insurance today, would we be able to get the Pre-existing waver?

 

The only full payment made for our trip is the airfare and one excursion that is pricey, but refundable.  

 

Thank you for any help those with experience can offer. We are not interested in calling one of the insurance brokers at this time.  We have read multiple threads on CC, and have looked at all the recommended insurance sites.  We have read policy's until our eyes are crossed.  Cannot find anything specific on the airfare issue.

 

 

[Babr]

1. Short answer, no. The requirement to insure all prepaid nonrefundable costs applies to pre-existing conditions. Even so, there are some policies, such as IMG SE, that do not require you to insure all costs in order to qualify for the waiver, but you must buy any of them within the defined time period, usually in relation to initial payment.
 

The key term is “initial payment.” Your situation is complicated because you made initial payment on your trip when you bought air a month ago, which is outside the time window to qualify. The question for a professional is whether that still counts as initial if you are not including it in coverage.

 

Setting that aside, you can buy insurance at any time without including the air, and you are covered for injuries or illness that occur once the policy is in effect, usually the day after the insurance company receives your payment. Just be sure pre-existing does not apply to you.

 

2. If you are not trying to qualify for pre-existing, you can include any costs regardless of when you paid for them prior to buying the policy. 

 

3. There are policies that allow the pre-existing waiver at final payment. You could include any prepaid nonrefundable cost you want to cover at that time and be completely covered. IMG LX comes to mind. CSA offers one. There are others.

 

Insuring air fare is tricky because it can be difficult to get reimbursed since the air line offers a voucher. Including it can increase your premium significantly. It depends on whether you want to insure air, you want to insure pre-existing, or you want to insure both.
 

 

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

DH and I are still very confused on this airfare and insurance issue .🤨   We have not yet purchased our trip insurance.  We are mainly concerned about medical, quarantine, and possible emergency evacuation issues due to Covid while overseas.   

 

Questions:

 

(1) If we take the "Pre-existing conditions" stipulation out of the equation, do we have to include airfare cost in the non-refundable trip cost in order to be covered should we get ill for reasons that are not pre-existing?  We will receive a flight voucher good until 12/23 should we have to cancel trip and we are fine with that. 

 

(2) Additional, our airfare was purchased over a month ago.  Can it even be included in a policy at this time?

 

(3) If we are able to include the cost of the airfare, if we were to purchase trip insurance today, would we be able to get the Pre-existing waver?

 

The only full payment made for our trip is the airfare and one excursion that is pricey, but refundable.  

 

Thank you for any help those with experience can offer. We are not interested in calling one of the insurance brokers at this time.  We have read multiple threads on CC, and have looked at all the recommended insurance sites.  We have read policy's until our eyes are crossed.  Cannot find anything specific on the airfare issue.

 

 

[emphasis added]

 

I understand that you prefer not to call an insurance broker "at this time", and that is, of course, totally up to you.

 

However, your situation is a bit complicated and also depends upon precisely what type of coverage you want, as Babr has already mentioned.

 

Our only experience with a travel insurance broker is with www.TripInsuranceStore.com - but there is no cost to discuss all of your questions and specific concerns, and no obligation to purchase from them.  (If you do, there is no extra charge to a policy, just so you know.)

I'd be a bit embarrassed to try to remember and list here all of the time I spent on the phone with them way back in 2013, when we learned about them here on CruiseCritic!  "But what about if *this* happens?"  "Well, what if *that* happens??"  And they also asked me some key questions so they could do the best job of finding the right fit for us.  And they did.  For our first trip with travel insurance, DH had a medical emergency less than 2 weeks before our planned departure date.  The only traveling we did for several weeks was to and from almost uncountable medical appointments.  (And we were *very* happy that we "didn't have to pay AGAIN to take that trip later!")

 

The only way to get the information you actually need, including types of coverage and costs for different choices, to be able to make an informed decision is to get all of the real information that is specific for your particular situation.

I gain nothing from encouraging you here, other than "paying it back" from when others did the same for us before that first insured trip.

 

Good luck, and no matter what, I hope you have a fun trip without any emergencies!

 

GC

[Iamthesea]

Thank you, both!

 

Babr - We used Squaremouth to find a policy and came up with IMG SE as the best for medical coverage.  But to get that Pre-existing Condition waver, it is too late.  We did not see IMG LX listed when searching.  We will look again, and also check CSA (CSA Luxe used to be our travel insurance of choice when cruising.)  Again, we are not worried about the airfare being covered.  We just want to make sure that our insurance will be good without including it.  A Pre-existing Condition waver would be icing on the cake.  We all have Pre-existing health conditions!  

 

GeezerCouple - DH and I like to gather and read up on all information to better understand what we are looking for, and possibly need,  before calling about a policy.  As I have mentioned before, when we talked to Steve about an annual policy, we were just as confused as ever about the policy that we purchased from him.  Since that time, after renewing for yet another year, we learned that the policy was not in our best interest.  Luckily, we had no claims for those two years.

 

[Babr]

8 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

Thank you, both!

 

Babr - We used Squaremouth to find a policy and came up with IMG SE as the best for medical coverage.  But to get that Pre-existing Condition waver, it is too late.  We did not see IMG LX listed when searching.  We will look again, and also check CSA (CSA Luxe used to be our travel insurance of choice when cruising.)  Again, we are not worried about the airfare being covered.  We just want to make sure that our insurance will be good without including it.  A Pre-existing Condition waver would be icing on the cake.  We all have Pre-existing health conditions!  

 

GeezerCouple - DH and I like to gather and read up on all information to better understand what we are looking for, and possibly need,  before calling about a policy.  As I have mentioned before, when we talked to Steve about an annual policy, we were just as confused as ever about the policy that we purchased from him.  Since that time, after renewing for yet another year, we learned that the policy was not in our best interest.  Luckily, we had no claims for those two years.

 

When you are screening policies, pay particular attention to the language that specifies the requirements to qualify for the pre-existing conditions waiver. Usually you can click on pre-existing, and it will take you to a screen with more details. It will say something like must purchase within X number of days from initial payment ( or by final), must be able to travel at the time of purchase, and must insure all prepaid nonrefundable costs.

 

If it does not include that third stipulation, you should be OK to leave out air and still be covered.

[Iamthesea]

I found the IMG LX (CSA Luxe changed it's name, but was a couple of hundred more than IMG LX.)

 

The only wording that I found under IMG LX for the Pre-existing Conditions Waver is "If insurance purchased at or before the Final Trip Payment and certain conditions are met".   Clicking on that only mentions what the waiver includes.   No mention of "prepaid nonrefundable costs".   

 

Although we have already purchased our air, train tickets (more than 14 days ago), and one or two excursions that are considered non-refundable, we have not made ALL of our travel plans.  We have a few more excursions (many that are refundable) and more train tickets to book.   

 

So could a "final trip payment" be as little as a Seine River dinner cruise?  It's non-refundable.

 

Also, while our hotels are booked, both are refundable until the day before check-in.

[Babr]

The only condition I saw for the LX plan was that the premium be received in the time-sensitive period. I don’t want to give you the wrong information so confirm with a professional; but If you are not talking about going on a cruise with a clearly defined final payment date, rather a trip you are putting together yourself, then the final payment would be the day you pay for the last element of nonrefundable expense because you are not insuring the refundable amounts. Ask if that is right before you buy.

 

In case you had not noticed, another benefit of the LX plan is that it has very generous benefits for travel delay. That is important if you should test positive somewhere along the way. It will pay for hotel, meals, and miscellaneous travel expenses while you wait to be cleared for onward travel.

[Babr]

On the other hand, final payment could be determined by the day you pay for the largest element (most expensive). It keeps going back to the air fare which is outside the window for any kind of waiver. You can still insure - just perhaps not pre-existing.

 

Time to call in the pros.

[Iamthesea]

"In case you had not noticed, another benefit of the LX plan is that it has very generous benefits for travel delay. That is important if you should test positive somewhere along the way. It will pay for hotel, meals, and miscellaneous travel expenses while you wait to be cleared for onward travel."

 

Perhaps it is because I got a quote through Insuremytrip.com, but I cannot find anything on the trip delay amounts.  

[Babr]

I don’t know what you are looking at, but I see it on the insuremytrip website under Trip Protection when I select the LX policy.  It is listed in the summary of benefits.
 

After 6 hours, you get $250 per person per day up to $2,500 each. As a couple you’d qualify for $500 a day capped at $5,000. The language of the policy lists quarantine as a covered reason. A catch might be that some countries no longer mandate quarantine but recommend isolation for a period of days, like the UK. Ask if you’d still be covered if a positive test prevents you from flying home.

[Iamthesea]

Thank you...I found it!  I was looking directly at the IMG website through the Insuremytrip website instead of looking at individual (other) plan options offered through Insuremytrip.  The trip delay did not show under summary of benefits.  I had to look at a column on the side and click on Trip Protection.  The amounts are generous enough, but as I mentioned before, not so much to cover the expense of hotel cost these days.   Better than nothing!

 

Would you recommend us insuring the trip past the days that we would actually plan to travel?  The reason being is that I read where another couple tested positive (first the wife, and then the husband) and had to stay in Europe for an additional 15 nights before being allowed to fly home.  It was not considered quarantine, but the USA requires either a negative test, or  a 5 to 10 day isolation before heading home.  Not to mention the recovery letter.  The couples Trawick policy ended on the day they were to fly home.  So Trawick only paid for 1 day of Trip Delay.  And it was only $100 at that!

 

[Babr]

The LX policy automatically extends for ten days if you are delayed for a covered reason. That does not mean it will pay more than the scheduled amount, but all coverage will remain in effect. So if you found yourself delayed on the day your policy was scheduled to end, it would extend to a maximum of ten days.

 

I don’t know that you can arbitrarily cover days beyond a scheduled return flight just in case. That is why it is important to get a policy that provides for an extension in its terms if that possibility is a concern.

 

 

[Iamthesea]

We are taking the plunge and purchasing the IMG LX insurance today.  Will probably book directly with the company.  We will not include the air as it is too late for that.  We will add one extra day to the travel dates.  That's what our TA used to do.  She would purchase the insurance for one day prior and one day past our travel dates.

Thank you so much!

 

P.S. - I am SO glad that we are not including a cruise in this trip!  I have been reading all the post of being ill, quarantines, isolation, lack of food, fresh air, etc.  Horrible!  Being quarantines on land would be bad, as well, but at least we will have more control should that happen.

 

We will see how things go with Covid this summer and fall, and hope to book another cruise for next year.

Edited May 12, 2022 by Iamthesea

[Babr]

Best wishes for a good trip!

[Iamthesea]

😃 While filling out the insurance questions, I realize that we (4 of us, then another joining) should all have separate policies.  Well, DH and I can be on the same policy, but the others need to be separate.  We have an unusual situation.  Our oldest DD and her DH currently live in SC.  They will be moving to Georgia at the end of the month.  They do own a home in Georgia. Travel is in July.   If purchasing their travel insurance today, is is OK to input that they live in the state of Georgia?

[Babr]

Again, I don’t know if I have the right answer for you. I do know that each state regulates insurance so that could have an impact on the type of coverage available and the cost even with the same company/policy.

 

If they already have a home there and will be permanent residents at the end of this month, it may be OK to list Georgia as the state of residence to cover travel in July when they will be living there permanently.

 

If you have any second thoughts, call the company to be sure. They may just amend the policy once the move is accomplished.

[GeezerCouple]

4 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

😃 While filling out the insurance questions, I realize that we (4 of us, then another joining) should all have separate policies.  Well, DH and I can be on the same policy, but the others need to be separate.  We have an unusual situation.  Our oldest DD and her DH currently live in SC.  They will be moving to Georgia at the end of the month.  They do own a home in Georgia. Travel is in July.   If purchasing their travel insurance today, is is OK to input that they live in the state of Georgia?

 

This is one reason to work with either a travel insurance agent or broker.  Ask *them* these questions, and let them guide you.

 

Most of the complaints we read about here on CC about claim denials were because the policy wasn't right:  it never included the event(s) that happened.  And in most cases, this was *not* because some really rare "thing" happened.  The other complaint we tend to see is when a claim is filed for a medical reason (vs. a flight cancellation, or such), and the insured objects to the "privacy intrusion" of submitting the relevant medical records.  The insurer has the right to determine it's not fraud, or that the medical event is covered, etc. (such as not a pre-existing condition if that would have been excluded).  Finally, and this is *important*:  Some people with a medical problem don't promptly contact a physician so they can get timely medical documentation that a physician made the determination that travel should not happen, etc.  One can't just "declare one's self sick" and then get the money back, etc.

 

The time to find out about whether the coverage fits your needs and is correct (one policy for all, separate?  etc.) is BEFORE getting the policy.

 

And I very seriously doubt that it is okay to put an incorrect address in for an insured person.

Aside from the fact that I think one signs that it is all accurate/etc. (not sure about that, but it is required for any claim), the insurers are regulated at a state level.  The coverage one purchases for a resident of State X may not be legal for residents of State Y.

 

Don't guess, and thus risk having a claim denied.  (In that case, why bother to get the policy?)

 

GC

[Willwils]

For a 1/22/24 15 night Panama canal cruise we purchased the IMG SE policy from InsureMyTrip on 6/10/23 where the original deposit was made on 6/1/23. Therefore, we should be within the window to get the preexisting waiver. But, as others have written, we have not yet booked our air. Unless I use Princess EZ-Air(no $$ due until  final cruise payment), it seems too early to book the air. But then, there's that issue of jeopardizing the preexisting and/or whether I need air coverage at all. The post cruise air is from LAX to PHL. I'm still confused after reading other posts and also speaking to InsureMyTrip. ANY THOUGHTS OUT THERE? 

[Babr]

2 hours ago, Willwils said:

For a 1/22/24 15 night Panama canal cruise we purchased the IMG SE policy from InsureMyTrip on 6/10/23 where the original deposit was made on 6/1/23. Therefore, we should be within the window to get the preexisting waiver. But, as others have written, we have not yet booked our air. Unless I use Princess EZ-Air(no $$ due until  final cruise payment), it seems too early to book the air. But then, there's that issue of jeopardizing the preexisting and/or whether I need air coverage at all. The post cruise air is from LAX to PHL. I'm still confused after reading other posts and also speaking to InsureMyTrip. ANY THOUGHTS OUT THERE? 

The IMG SE plan does not require that you include all non refundable costs in order to qualify for the pre-existing conditions waiver - only that they receive the premium in the time sensitive period. Apparently you have done that, so you are covered.

In deciding to insure air fare, remember that you will likely receive a voucher if you cancel unless you book a fully refundable fare. Insurance will not reimburse in either case because you did not suffer a loss. 

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by Babr