Susan and Jim Ferguson had never bought travel insurance. “I always figured it was a waste of money," Susan says. So when the Lakewood, California, couple booked a trip to Switzerland last year to visit relatives, their AAA travel advisor, Pam Hardin, suggested they buy a travel insurance policy. They initially declined. Ultimately, however, because the cost was not that great, they decided to take Hardin’s advice and pay the additional $59 each for their $620 flights.
It turned out to be a wise move. The day before their trip, Jim, a lighting company sales manager, got sick. “He had a fever, and his doctor told him not to fly,” says Susan, who continued on the trip with her parents. Jim filed a claim with Allianz Travel Insurance, one of many companies selling these products and which partners with AAA to offer travel insurance plans to members. “Within two weeks, we had a check for $620,” Susan says. “I will never fly again without insurance.”