I always buy trip insurance. Helps you get your money back just in case you have to cancel, your airline goes on strike, you have a medical problem and need to be evacuated, your luggage gets seriously lost, and many other things. Check out this site, you can do a side by side comparison of the major trip insurance companies and what they offer for what price. Make sure to read the fine print before you buy to make sure the coverage is what you need. There are some exclusions.

www.insuremytrip.com

I just purchased travel insurance for my trip next year. I was referred to Travelex by my travel agent and after comparing what they offer with a couple of other companies I went with them. For $236 both my husband and I (age 57) are insured for anything and everything from not being able to go at the last minute, to having the airline go on strike, to having an accident while were in the USVI or lost luggage. The insurance is very comprehensive. If you buy your travel insurance within 21 days of making your first reservation (whether it's your villa, airline tickets, or whatever) you will be covered for pre-existing conditions. https://www.travelex-insurance.com/Consumer/Welcome.htmx

Hope this helps 🙂

I would strongly recommend anyone traveling a flight away from home - stateside, to the VI, or elsewhere - to buy trip insurance, or at the least purchase a yearly air ambulance insurance (you can Google MASA or SKymed - low yearly rates, good for travel anwhere, at least with MASA as long as you alert when you're traveling outside the US).

As a physical therapist who used to work in the hospital on STT, I worked with many people to get them back home - air ambulance from here costs around $25,000 if you can't tolerate sitting up for 4 hours and getting from chair to chair with minimal assistance - sounds easy now, but a simple broken bone can set you back some if you get an infection or lose blood. You can receive good medical care here, but you are a flight away from home.

Things to ask about:
- What conditions will allow for an airambulance vs commercial flight?
- Do they cover an escort if you are taking a commerical flight back?
- Do they cover upgrades to first class? (STRONGLY recommended since you can elevate legs; makes sitting easier, not to mention more room to move around in)

The comforting thing about the hospital here is that the staff is very used to dealing with visitors from out of town - the discharge planners and rehab staff are great in coordinating travel plans back home!

We bought trip insurance with Travelguard International for peace of mind. We had the grandparents babysitting and were worried that the trip may have to get canceled if something happen to one of them. It covered everything including if we changed our mind, missed a flight etc. Here is a link to their web site.

http://www.travelguard.com/travelinsurance/singletrip.asp

Giving this a nudge back to the top to add info to the most recent post.