My daughter's Latin class is taking a 10-day trip to Italy in June of this year, and I'm going along as a chaperon. The trip is not sponsored by her school, but rather by her Latin teacher. Her teacher does all the work planning and making reservations to reduce our cost. She's been doing this for many years. If, for some reason we have to cancel, she has a stand-by list and the money that person gives her to pay for their trip will be handed on to me. So, technically I will not be out anything if I have to cancel. In what way would travel insurance benefit me? I think it's a good idea but don't want to spend the money if it won't benefit me.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3301 posts
What about the flights? Even if she books a group fare for x people, at some point she has to provide names of the travelers. Generally the name on a ticket cannot be changed after that without extra fees.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Would travel insurance reimburse me all the money lost on my air tickets?
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Here is a site that will help you answer your questions:
www.insuremytrip.com
In the top ribbon of the home page, click on Learn to read about travel insurance basics, what's covered, what isn't.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15799 posts
I always get travel insurance for my trips, not including trip cancellation. It covers medical (illness or accident) including hospitalization and evacuation home, also baggage loss/damage. It costs about $2-3/day plus a $15 policy fee. I buy it through my insurance agent because I have a good relationship with her - if I get stuck and need to extend my stay (happened twice!), I just email her and she extends the policy.
Maybe your health insurance covers you for foreign countries. I would not go anywhere without medical coverage, given the costs of medical care.
Posted by
TN, USA
2177 posts
Lots of 'it depends' answers to your question.
Was the ENTIRE cost of the trip, including airline tickets, paid (reimbursed) to the teacher? If so, you should probably call TravelGuard (a large, well-respected trip insurance company) to see if the teacher would be deemed a 'tour operator' in that case.
Even if the teacher is keeping a 'waitlist' of people ready to take your place, should you have to cancel.........if something came up the morning of the departure date or the night before, would someone else realistically be able to go with that short of notice?
Once the airline tickets are purchased in your name(s), another poster already mentioned it is not possible to simply change names on tickets. New ones would need to be purchased. But, many international tickets allow you to use the value of those tickets within a year by paying a $250-$300 fee to reticket for another time (and it does not have to be to the same destinations...you could use them for US-based travel with the same airline)........but find out how your tickets work.
Another poster has already mentioned the risk of a medical situation developing on the trip or in the (unlikely) event you were to fall down the stairs and break your leg the morning of departure or upon arrival. There are various inclusions or exclusions depending on pre-existing conditions and when you make your first 'deposit' for the trip and what type of travel insurance you might buy as it relates to claims for medical conditions. TravelGuard can advise.
If the trip is not that costly, then you may be fine without trip insurance. But, if the trip is a huge financial stretch for your family, then it would probably be advisable to buy trip insurance.
And, I've been on waitlists for tours where there have been 10-15 people ahead of me on the waitlist, but I still cleared and was able to go (usually with two-weeks' notice) Said another way, just because someone puts himself/herself on the teacher's standby list, it doesn't mean they will actually be able to travel (or decide to travel) when they get the call. And, if you have to cancel, and no one steps up to take your place, would you be totally frustrated to lose the money? If so, get trip insurance.