Travel Insurance - who buys it?

[laine]

I bought travel insurance for the two times I went on heli trips - both of which were in early January. Given I was skiing Tahoe over Xmas both years prior to the trips, I wanted to be covered in case (god forbid) something happened locally and I injured myself and couldn't go. In my head, the insurance was more for the possibility of cancelation over injury/evacuation on the trip. I have good health insurance through my job, though if I had to get evacuated, I'm sure I would have to cover at least some of that cost.

 

[James]

Squaremouth.com

Is like an exchange for plans. Anyone use it?

 

[Cheizz]

I have travel insurance. It covers every risk that I have in the mountains, including getting hauled off the mountain, search and rescue, gear breakage that isn't my fault, theft, healthcare that I may need. And the usual travel thingies. I am in the EU, that may help as well.

 

[crosscountry]

rather than tossing him over the fence back into Canada

That’s freaking funny!

 

[Jenny]

@Pat AKA mustski - Is your Nationwide annual policy still what you’re purchasing? Has it changed much in the past few years?

 

[Even_Stevens]

Squaremouth.com

Is like an exchange for plans. Anyone use it?

Yes. Bought John Hancock Gold travel insurance for our trip to Niseko earlier this month via Squaremouth. Ended up not having to use it but it was nice to have the peace of mind.

 

[Decreed_It]

I see this bubbled up from 2020 - update on us - fam moved to Australia, we travel extensively, and also have taken up Scuba diving sooo - we now purchase annual comprehensive travel insurance that covers all trips any of us do (together or separately).

https://api.nibtravelinsurance.com/products/v1/nibau/regulatoryWordingDocuments/INT-AMT/HTML?Partnergroupid=1#annual-multi-trip-plan

And I'm glad I saw the thread because ours is up 5th March so I calling to renew rn !

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

@Pat AKA mustski - Is your Nationwide annual policy still what you’re purchasing? Has it changed much in the past few years?

We still buy the Nationwide plan. The caveat is that they only cover “in bounds” ski injuries. It’s a grey area as to whether that includes off piste within ski resort bounds. It’s good for 12 months. I told Bob that I would just drag his body back on piste!
Off piste is not actually defined anywhere so I don’t know if that means unnamed trails or just ungroomed trails.

we get this one: https://travel.nationwide.com/plans/annual

here is a description of the ski exclusions:

 

[Sibhusky]

I used it years ago and it covered lost reservations, new plane tickets, additional lodging and meals, and hospitalization. I've bought it again for a trip in September. Pricey last time at $371, but, I got $15000 out of it.

Ha! That planned September trip got cancelled due to COVID-19, but due to the pandemic I didn't need to use the insurance. Everything was credited at that time back to me. So the insurance company allowed me to credit that policy to a trip taken in March 2022. I'm using them again for a trip in May, but since it's longer and I'm older, it's costing far more than $371 these days. Coming trip is $1388 (now flying Business Class since I'm 72 and feel I've paid my dues in economy over the years, now it's time to treat myself).

 

[ilovepugs]

We still buy the Nationwide plan. The caveat is that they only cover “in bounds” ski injuries. It’s a grey area as to whether that includes off piste within ski resort bounds. It’s good for 12 months. I told Bob that I would just drag his body back on piste!
Off piste is not actually defined anywhere so I don’t know if that means unnamed trails or just ungroomed trails.

we get this one: https://travel.nationwide.com/plans/annual

here is a description of the ski exclusions:
View attachment 227426

Thank you @Pat AKA mustski for posting this and @Jenny for bumping this topic! Pat, have you ever had to file a claim on this insurance? I buy travel insurance for my mom’s international trips (for my own peace of mind - 100% for the medevac coverage). These policies are much more affordable than buying on a per trip basis!

 

[James]

We still buy the Nationwide plan. The caveat is that they only cover “in bounds” ski injuries. It’s a grey area as to whether that includes off piste within ski resort bounds. It’s good for 12 months. I told Bob that I would just drag his body back on piste!
Off piste is not actually defined anywhere so I don’t know if that means unnamed trails or just ungroomed trails.

we get this one: https://travel.nationwide.com/plans/annual

here is a description of the ski exclusions:
View attachment 227426

From that description, it’s on trail. In the US/Canada i would assume even a woods trail is covered, but not the unnamed woods between trails. Same above tree line. Pistes are very specific in Europe so there’s little doubt there. In short, if it’s name is on the map you’re ok.
If you went to Europe I would think you’d want something in addition that covers off piste. Unless you truly never go in between pistes.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

If you went to Europe I would think you’d want something in addition that covers off piste. Unless you truly never go in between pistes.

100%

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

Thank you @Pat AKA mustski for posting this and @Jenny for bumping this topic! Pat, have you ever had to file a claim on this insurance? I buy travel insurance for my mom’s international trips (for my own peace of mind - 100% for the medevac coverage). These policies are much more affordable than buying on a per trip basis!

We have never had to file. (Knocking wood). We buy this because it does cover worst case scenario stuff for MOST of our travel. Last year Bob had a minor surgery for a cyst. He saw a doctor in Hamburg 3x for exams and antibiotics and then had a surgery on the cruise ship. Total cost was $400. We just paid it in cash because it was easier.

 

[Jwrags]

We have used Allianz for trip insurance in the past and actually had to collect from them twice. It was easier than I expected!

 

[Sibhusky]

I've stayed with Travel Insured because I had to file the first time I used it and although it took a while, everything was eventually covered.

 

[James]

I’ve gotten Allianz through squaremouth.com Off piste was covered, no competitions though.
I can’t remember which policy said “no ropes, no crampons”

 

[Jenny]

Thanks @Pat AKA mustski. Not an off-piste skier either, as you know, so no problem there. I'm amused that a trip only has to be greater than 100 miles, because I think of trips as involving flights, hotels, etc., not the day trips I take for a normal ski day.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

Thanks @Pat AKA mustski. Not an off-piste skier either, as you know, so no problem there. I'm amused that a trip only has to be greater than 100 miles, because I think of trips as involving flights, hotels, etc., not the day trips I take for a normal ski day.

It works for non ski travel too. I watched someone get helicopter evacuated from a cruise once and thought …”wow. Bet that’s expensive.” I bought the insurance ever since.

 

[Cheizz]

I have claimed twice from my travel insurance.

The First time: Early season on brand new skis in a resort with not much snow yet (groomers were great, rocks on the sides of them though). A big guy on Stöckli (who was never identified) pushed me off the side and I got myself two brand-new rock skis. Ruined. Because I had the invoice for the brand new ski (bought the week before) and witnesses had seen the incident and had stated that it was not my fault, I got a full refund for the price I originally paid for my skis and I got a full refund for the rentals that I had to take out for the rest of the trip.

The second time was in the summer. We were driving back from our stay in Umbria to Rome airport to fly back. When en route, there was a wildfire and subsequent road closure that took 3 hours and made us miss our flight home. Re-booking new flights the next morning, a hotel room for the night, and a dinner for two were fully refunded within a week.

Both cases were very clearly not my own fault. That really helps in getting refunds (quickly).

 

[ilovepugs]

It works for non ski travel too. I watched someone get helicopter evacuated from a cruise once and thought …”wow. Bet that’s expensive.” I bought the insurance ever since.

The year my mom retired she went on a trip to Malaysia. She called me at 5am and asked me to log into her credit card account to make sure she had enough credit availability to pay a hospital bill…because she was in the hospital getting checked out. She was fine, but what a nightmare. I get trip insurance every time she leaves the country now.