The ins and outs of travel insurance Seattle Times
After the Iceland volcano's ash cloud forced the cancellation of thousands of European flights, more people are considering travel insurance.
Insurance companies reported a spike in inquiries. But do you need travel insurance, which can cost 4 percent to 8 percent of the trip price? That's an extra $100 to $200 on a $2,500 vacation.
"The travel-insurance companies would sure like you to think you need to go on a trip with their product," says Christopher Elliott, reader advocate for National Geographic Traveler (and a columnist at seattletimes.com ). "That's not true at all."
You don't need travel insurance if you're traveling within the United States. You likely won't need it if you're healthy and taking a short trip abroad to a country with good medical care. And you should always review existing insurance and credit-card benefits to make sure you aren't already protected for travel mishaps.
Travel insurance does make sense if you're spending thousands of dollars on a dream vacation and you either can't afford to lose the money or fear you will miss a flight connection.
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