Travel insurance?

[katieb4tom]

I have never purchased this before, but knowing that a family member is having health problems and may pass away around the time of our trip is making me reconsider. Does anyone have any recommendations for a reputable company to use for this? I know to look specifically for a policy that covers death or illness of a family member, not just a traveler. Through Vayama, they are offering Travel Guard Chartis. Any experience?

[patches31709]

We buy travel insurance from Allianz. We had to use it once during Hurricane Sandy, when our flight home got cancelled and we were stuck on vacation for 3 extra nights. We were completely reimbursed for our hotel for those 3 nights, our extra car rental, and all the food we ate those days. I highly recommend them.

[jenmjm]

Thankfully, I have never been in a situation where I've had to use my purchased insurance, but I always buy it for our long cruises (not the short ones booked last minute). I also purchased it for our trip to Italy next year. I'm not loyal to one particular company, although the two listed already are very well known. I go through www.insuremytrip.com and compare plans so I can get the coverage that is best for our needs for that particular trip. You can buy both Allianz and Travel Guard plans through this website.

[GilliC]

We have AIG/Chartis travel insurance through work, so it's the business travel version of Travel Guard. I've submitted about half a dozen claims over the years and never had an issue. I've never done a full cancellation claim, but I've had a few hefty medical claims, delayed luggage compensation, and they even covered the extra above what the airline gave me to replace a damaged bag.

[marytini]

I'm not sure, but I think some policies have pre existing condition clauses on their policies, that extend to family members. So if granny has high blood pressure then has a stroke and you cancel, it isn't covered. But if granny falls and breaks her hip and you cancel, it is. Just read the fine print.

[sunshinedaydreams]

Another vote for Travel Guard. My FIL passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. We got the call as we were boarding our flight at LAX. Travel Guard was amazing. They reimbursed us with no questions or hassles at all. I didn't have to provide an obituary or any proof; just called and told them what happened and it was all taken care of. It was so nice to not have the stress of trip reimbursement on top of everything else.

[HamishHealys]

There was never any occasion for me to make claims, but Travel Guard is what I’ve used and from what I hear from friend-travelers…. they’re ok. They’re pros. You might also want to check out vacationsecure.com.