Passenger Trains > Would you protect this trip? It was highly recommended!

Anymore airlines and Amtrak offer the third party trip protection at various pricing. Greyhound it's basically a $ 20 bill to change a ticket, no insurance necessary or available. I actually bought the trip insurance once, then I had to cancel an airline ticket for my dad. I came out nice, for $ 21 in insurance the money that was refunded will likely be used to fix a shower in my house. There are other times when I just don't quite think it would be as good a bargain to buy the insurance. Amtrak asked me for $ 17 to protect a $ 20 trip that I used an e-voucher to pay for, but I declined. What do you think?

Jim

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The sale of cancellation insurance by all common carriers is a separate revenue/profit stream. For every time it's not used, someone gets to keep the money the passenger pays for the service.

I don't use it for travel in the US but I have bought it for international travel.  I have some health issues and wanted to make sure I had medical coverage while out of the country.  I had a trip planned and paid for a few years ago and had to cancel due to medical reasons.  I'm glad I had the insurance.  I was out a few hundred dollars on a $7000 trip.

John

For many years, I sold software to a business category that offered TI to their customers.  BIG, BIG profit center. 7% of sale to insure, usually 60%  to the TI company, 35% to the company providing the travel service and 5% to the software company. LOTS on $s to the bottomline. That said, if you have that medical emergency, someone dies, or a natural distaster occurs, you'll be glad you have it.

All Insuance is about affordability of possible loss. Some is required like automobile liability.  But you don't have to buy the comprehensive/collision if you think you can afford the loss.

BB

I always buy it for expensive trips, not for everyday domestic travel.

We just booked a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer for June 2020, bought the insurance
as 6 months from now, one never knows what one’s situation will be ( especially
with both my Mom and Dad in their 90’s).  It’s expensive, and I hope I don’t use it,
but nice to know if I cancel, I am not out big bucks.

The ability to e reimbursed is extremely narrow.

I purchased this insurance a couple of years ago and had to cancel/reschedule 4 flights for my family members. Since it was not due to a documented medical emergency, the trip insurance was of no use. We were out the cost of the tickets. What a bogus protection. Never again will I purchase this nearly useless protection

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My wife owns a travel company and you would be surprised how many people have to make claims but these are also trips that usually cost over 3000 per person. It all boils down to how much risk your willing to take. She goes over all details of trip insurance before you buy so your well informed. She also helps you file the claim and make sure you get your money back. Full service at its finest

Joe

Some credit cards offer this protection free as one of their perks, but it isn't something that one normally uses, so you might not know it exists on your card. I'd check with your card first before buying it from someone else.

$17 to protect a $20 fare seems a bit excessive, though he did say he used vouchers.  Are those covered as well?

Ding! Ding! Ding! i thought that 85 % of the original ticket cost to add insurance was a bit too steep myself. I can lose a twenty dollar bill if something happens.

I am definitely not saying to never get the trip insurance. I get it when I go to Europe and as stated in the case of my dad it ended up being a good deal but this one didn't seam like such a good deal...

Jim

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I always buy it for expensive trips, not for
> everyday domestic travel.
>
> We just booked a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer for
> June 2020, bought the insurance
> as 6 months from now, one never knows what one’s
> situation will be ( especially
> with both my Mom and Dad in their 90’s).
>  It’s expensive, and I hope I don’t use it,
> but nice to know if I cancel, I am not out big
> bucks.

I worked at one of hotels Rocky Mountaineer uses. I was surprised how many people didn't have travel insurance. Because the city had a full service hospital, people who became ill during the journey sometimes ended up at it.. The walk up rate to the Emergency Ward for non-Canadians was $990 .Ongoing treatment was thousands of dollars.  An ambulance ride for non British Columbians was $325. Guests from countries with social medicine like most of Europe, the UK and Australia have some coverage, but at the rate paid in the home country, and paid later as a reimbursement .

One pitfall to many types of insurance is "pre-existing conditions" As a cancer survivor , I was surprised in the early 2000's at the efforts I had to get a mortgage and certain types of insurance. In Canada, and perhaps other places, the pre-existing condition disqualification has been modified so that if you are well in remission, you will be covered. However, if you become sick or die of the original condition, you are not covered except if you are willing to pay for expensive disease specific coverage. Sadly, a couple of years ago, a guest of the tourist train was caught in this trap, and their home country was being unhelpful. I never heard the final outcome, but at least the hotel was willing to forego payment until they could afford to pay it. So, a word to the wise, take extra precautions if you have a pre-existing condition.  Some RM staff have full First Aid training.

Some insurance plans allow the insurance company to direct pay the emergency services.  

The other fact is that often the guests going to hospital miss the ongoing journey on the Rocky Mountaineer. Trip cancellation insurance is highly recommended. RM has a policy of only refunding part or none of the expense of the trip if guests cancel shortly before the trip, or do not complete the trip.

As a hotel employee, I helped guests left behind by Rocky Mountaineer arrange onward travel which was sometimes quite a task. One surprise was that every season, a few guests hated the train experience so much, they chose to walk away half way through the journey and in one case, rent a limousine to take them onward.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/19 12:27 by eminence_grise.