My neighbor Deb in seat 4B made me rethink buying travel insurance

I was on a flight to Chicago last month and sat next to this older woman named Deb who's been to 30 countries. She told me she never buys travel insurance because she figures if something goes wrong, she can usually fix it cheaper on her own. At first I thought she was crazy since I always pay $50 to $80 per trip for coverage. But then she pulled out her phone and showed me a spreadsheet of her last 8 trips where she saved over $400 by just booking refundable rooms and using credit card trip protection. She said most of those insurance policies don't cover the things that actually happen, like a delayed train or a minor sickness. It hit me that I've been throwing money at a promise that rarely pays out. Has anyone else stopped buying travel insurance and found better luck with a credit card?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea70411d ago

My sister had the same thing happen when she flew to Denver last year. She missed a connection due to weather and her credit card's trip delay protection covered her hotel and meals, no questions asked. Meanwhile I had paid $60 for a policy that had a $200 deductible and wouldn't cover anything under a 12 hour delay. I switched to just using my Chase card for flights now and honestly feel less stressed about it. The refundable room trick is smart too, I did that for a trip to New Orleans and ended up canceling with zero hassle.

leep8911d ago

Totally changed my mind on this, @thea704. I used to think travel insurance was always the safer bet, but hearing how your Chase card covered everything with zero hassle makes me want to switch too. The refundable room trick sounds like a lifesaver for peace of mind.