AIBU to ask why people don’t take out travel insurance when booking a holiday?

[Frannyhy]

I’m an Airbnb host. Guest due tomorrow has had to cancel. I won’t refund her, and I’ve just heard that Airbnb have agreed with me after she went to them for help.

She’s going to lose around £600. I’ll normally refund if I can rebook, but I won’t this time because the lady rang me and swore at me when I told her to take the matter through Airbnb.

So to those of you who don’t think travel insurance is necessary, why not?

Think I paid about £25 this year for 5 of us and some have pre existing conditions. Rather lose £25 than £2k.

I've always taken out travel insurance but do feel it's a waste of money.

The only time I've had to claim was when I didn't go on holiday as Dad died the week before so I had to register death / organise funeral and the hundred and one other tasks that goes with it. They've declined my claim as I cannot prove that I didn't fly.

Yeah I do, I have annual insurance that covers me for 2 nights pre booked in the UK - it doesnt just cover cancellation, it covers other stuff like getting home in a hurry, break in while away

I have a free policy through my bank and if I travel abroad I pay a small premium for my existing medical conditions. Due to one of my chronic illnesses we had to cancel an entire holiday that involved 4 weeks of touring and staying in various places. My excess insurance payment was around £90 and I claimed back around £4000. Absolutely worth every penny.
A friend of DS had an accident on holiday in Australia and broke his foot. He needed urgent surgery and a business class seat on a new flight home. You never know when something might go wrong.
If you are paying for a holiday it is worth paying a little extra for the insurance.

Our travel insurance is as cheap.as chips through our household insurance policy. It's paid out twice: once when dd smashed her leg 4 days before a family holiday and once when we cancelled a family Christmas break due to Covid. If we hadn't had it, we'd be £5k down.

I only do it because I worked in Travel Insurance when I left college. It wouldn't have occurred to me before that point because I'd never been on holiday. It's always worth it if you're dong more than spending a few quid on a local train ticket.

Tricky one , I would never book a holiday abroad without insurance cover at the time of booking and have drummed the same into my now adult children .Maily due to health, medical cover and the extra cost of getting home if you have an emergency etc. I actually have a annual policy so am covered in theory for U.K. breaks , but the only one we have actually had to cancel wasn’t covered by the insurance anyway . I would be far more likely not to bother with U.K. cover if I didn’t have it automatically.

Yanbu just take out an annual policy people, then every holiday or break is covered

A friend of DS's had a serious accident in South America. Stabilised in Columbia, private air ambulance flight for surgery in Miami, private air ambulance back to the UK. Also paid for a parent to travel to them. Came to over £100k.

One of the party wasn't insured. Thankfully her parents are very wealthy and had £100,000 to get her to first world health care.

Sometimes people lose out because they haven't read the T&C and sometimes they haven't answered the medical questionnaire truthfully. Insurers always check. Even a change of medication or a previous minor op that is no longer relevant to your current health has to be declared because if you don't declare it your whole policy is invalidated. They will always look for reasons not to pay, so don't give them an excuse. For example any claim for medical reason is always followed by a trawl of your GP record before they will consider your claim..

having had to organise & pay for a medevac for a family member I always tell people to buy holiday cover.

especially if going abroad, but also for uk breaks.
can you afford taxi home with a broken leg? days off work because you are stuck far away from home? days off work because a family member is in hospital and can't travel home?

I get family annual multi trip insurance as it's not much more than single trip insurance. If I wasn't going abroad though, I'd probably not bother. I've never had to cancel a trip at short notice anyway so I'd be happy with the risks. Plus, as others have pointed out, with excesses and exclusions it's not always worth claiming anyway.

It depends why it was cancelled. If it's because you cancelled it they are entitled to a full refund anyway if they can cancelled it. They they know they aren't entitled to anything unless you have provided a cancellation refund policy.

I rarely take out insurance. I calculate how much I'm likely to lose over years x claims.

I have never claimed on travel insurance. In 50 yrs of travelling

I never bother for a UK break, its rarely worthwhile.

Why did they have to cancel?

Just check that all pre-existing medical conditions are covered, all additional activities, be certain on the single item/pair/set limits and specific exclusions and if you've opted for the cheaper policy, make sure that it's extended if you're travelling to the US/further afield.

After all, a weekend in Paris is a whole different ballgame in terms of risk to two weeks in the US including white water rafting or skiing.

I don't think many people who only holiday in the UK would think they need travel insurance..

Looking back to before we had foreign holidays, we didn't either. But I'm super cautious about travel insurance now.

To be fair, those UK only times are long in the past for me. Is insurance touted for UK bookings these days?

I have never heard of travel insurance that covers UK breaks. I tend to book hotels on a flexible rate.

Had insurance for a UK break last year - and had to come home early due to a death in the family - insurance wanted me to fill in a 10 page form and submit a letter written by a Doctor and more info from the holiday cottage company - could not be bothered with it all and did not put in a claim.

UK not unless it's a very expensive holiday, there is just no point, by the time you have paid the premium and then the excess, there's probably not much point, if you read the terms and conditions of the policy it's amazing what's NOT included!
Non UK holidays, yes always have holiday insurance.

A lot of people don't realise that it covers you for all sorts of things beyond medical, lost luggage, flight delays etc.
We have an annual package because as well as our long summer holiday to Spain each year (we go to visit family), we also have a caravan so have regular weekends/trips away and are covered for that as well.

We have travel insurance and bloody good job because our car got broken into and they stole over £4k worth of stuff from it. Got it all back through the insurance. So UK or not it's worth having.

For a UK break it’s not worth it. I just suck up the cost.

For anything abroad I always get insurance.

My handbag was nicked on a trip to Bristol - I claimed nearly £500 on travel insurance to replace. (Not an expensive bag btw just iphone, kindle, make up bag, wallet, driving licence and passport added up to £500). That’s just one example of when I’ve used it.

My annual insurance for the year is currently £70 (worldwide exc USA) and I have loads of medical conditions which push the price up. So well worth it.

@Oysterbabe

I’m not going into specifics. All I’ll say is that I believe she would would have a valid insurance claim.

My booking T&Cs include a paragraph strongly recommending insurance as I do not refund unless I can relet. It's also included in the confirmation of booking they get.

I don't know how many bother though.