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?

but even in the uk.
let's say you are from down south. hiking in the lake district.
brake a leg.
can't drive home.
can't take the train.
can't afford a taxi for the 300 miles home.

Yeah maybe I would then, dunno really. Not a hiker!

Not sure, but I think an Ambulance would be provided?

Personally I wouldn't be going on holiday if things were so tight I couldn't afford to get myself home in an emergency.

I think over a lifetime the cost of insurance for UK holidays and short breaks would exceed any claims I'm likely to make and in any case, that's a risk I'm prepared to take.

I doubt it, they would probably put you in touch with a private ambulance company if for example you couldn’t sit in a car or cab with your broken leg, but normal ambulances are for emergencies, or for transfer between hospitals for ongoing treatment. A stable leg in plaster isn’t an emergency, nor is getting you home their responsibility, which is why they don’t give you a lift home if you are blind drunk. An ambulance crew driving for a 600 mile round trip would take that crew out of service for a whole day, and who would pay, your local south of England NHS trust or the one where you broke your leg.

My brother (about 9 at the time) wasn't hiking when he fell over and broke his arm by falling down a rabbit hole! Obviously my DPs drove him home but no sports involved...

I know with tui it's in your terms and conditions that you will get insurance.

So easy to get cheap travel insurance.

There speaks someone with no serious chronic health conditions!

I don’t take out travel insurance because my husband is virtually uninsurable thanks to his health, and the few specialist policies that would cover him cost as much if not more than the cost of the holiday (we only holiday in the UK these days because of his disabilities).

If I were holidaying alone - pretty unlikely, but let's pretend - and I ended up breaking a leg, then one of my friends, or family members would come and fetch me (and my car).
This did actually happen to FiL, and obviously between us we drove up - to be with him in hospital, and for another person to bring his car home.