Letters: Readers share success stories about buying travel insurance

Regarding “7 Tips on Trip Insurance,” On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, Nov. 22: My husband and I recently returned from Europe, having spent a week in southern France followed by a 12-night Mediterranean cruise. I debated about purchasing travel insurance but then decided against it because I used the Chase Sapphire credit card as payment. There is extensive coverage for travel mishaps with this card. What I did purchase was medical evacuation insurance with Travel Guard as we are both in our 70s and thought this to be prudent. The medical evacuation insurance cost $175 for the entire trip for both my husband and me.

Mary Devries

Visalia, Calif.

I read with interest Hamm’s article on travel insurance. My family and I were on a cruise to the Baltics when my brother-in-law had a heart attack in St. Petersburg, Russia, and died. I have always bought insurance for these trips for my family and myself. As they say, insurance could be the worst investment until you need it.

In my case, $50,000 later, the insurance company wanted all the receipts for hospital expenses, doctors and emergency personal, new flight arrangements, body being sent back to the States, etc. I was thinking that it was going to do everything it could to get out of paying such an enormous bill. To my surprise it paid everything but our hotel stay in St. Petersburg, which ran $800 for one night, and my telephone calls (minimal). If anyone asks me if travel insurance is worth it, it surely was.

Bob Duggan

San Diego

Excellent column regarding travel insurance, especially the advice to keep a printout of documents. Several years ago I wrecked a rental car in Scotland, which was covered by my credit card company, but I spent considerable time digging up required documentation that the car had in fact been rented on the credit card.

A folder with printouts would have been a real time-saver.

Ron Lesovsky

Huntington Beach

Thank you for the informative articles regarding travel insurance. Last year we booked a trip to Tahiti (Moorea and Bora-Bora) through Costco. Because it was an expensive trip and we had a child and an aging parent at home, travel insurance was a must-do, regardless of additional cost.

I contacted Travel Guard, as that is who I have used for previous trips. Somewhere in Costco’s fine print I noticed that it offered travel insurance. It also was provided by Travel Guard, with better coverage for a fraction of the cost of going directly through Travel Guard.

We saved hundreds! One must book a trip with Costco.

Astrid Soegaard

La Cañada Flintridge