What is travel cancellation and interruption insurance and why would I need it?

Zinnia: What is travel cancellation and interruption insurance and why would I need it?
My family is planning a vacation for next summer and our travel agent suggested we get travel cancellation and interruption insurance- is it really necessary?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Tarasview
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance provides coverage if your trip is canceled, interrupted or delayed for a specific reason listed in the policy, such as an unexpected event or an injury to you, a family member, or traveling companion.

As for if it is necessary- yes. It is. I have a friend who spent months planning a trip to Disney with her family and the week before they were to leave her father passed away. They were able to postpone their trip because of the cancellation insurance they had. You never know when a crisis is going to hit.

Answer by Jebbie
My decision on getting travel insurance is always predicated on how much I’ve spent for the trip and how much I’d be willing to lose. Travel insurance is generally not expensive compared to the cost of any given trip, but some people just don’t want to pay for it.

However, imagine your vacation being interrupted due to a cancelled flight… or maybe you lose your luggage and have to buy some things until they locate it, etc… Travel insurance can reimburse you.

Always check to see what’s included in the plans as they are all different. Mom and I had planned a trip to Thailand and then the airport was closed due to a demonstration. The insurance would have covered that because it was the airport’s decision to close… contrast with travel to Tibet being closed off by the Chinese government due to civil unrest… for some reason that wouldn’t have been covered by the same policy.

Answer by Kelly Monaghan
If it’s a FAMILY vacation and you don’t travel frequently then. yes, it’s probably a good idea, just for the peace of mind.

Personally, I “self-insure” on trips. That is, I don’t get insurance figuring that I travel a lot and my trips get canceled very infrequently and the money I save by not buying insurance on EVERY trip covers the occasional trip I have to cancel. Remember, too, that airline tickets CAN be changed (with big fees, of course) and you don’t pay for hotels until you get there.

One type of travel insurance I always recommend to my clients is medical evacuation insurance. One client was very glad he had it when he suffered a mild heart attack in Europe. It’s very inexpensive and, when it pays off, it pays off BIG.