This is why Travel Insurance is important.
 

The next time a major storm is forecast and you choose to fly during the holidays (or really anytime), get travel insurance. It will help smooth over your delays and cancellations.

Maybe

Do not be fooled.

If you flight is cancelled and there are no flights for days, insurance will not fix your problems.

Fly all the time - never ever ever bought travel insurance/. Please share your experience.

No, travel insurance available for sale in the US is a loosing proposition. Insurance makes sense whent there is a possibility of a catastrophic financial burden (health insurance, home owners insurance etc.) but for minor expenses, like airline tickets and hotels it doesn't. Unless you are gaming the system you will give the insurance company more than they will pay you.

Of course if you get insurance for free with a credit card you have anyway, or something like that, it can be nice.

Disagree. Generally not worth it in most cases.

Have never bought travel insurance and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Also best to review if your credit cards have any type of trip cancellation, etc. protection. That will basically do the same thing, if not more, than any travel insurance would.

Travel insurance won't do a thing to smooth over delays and cancellations.

I have always self-insured and have always gotten my money's worth.

I used to not buy insurance, but do it for international flights now. Made a big time profit when my bags were delayed 13 hours in London. Insurance gave us each $500 to spend on clothing.

Had United cancel my flight on another international trip and my insurance got me a nicer hotel than United’s and paid for my very nice dinner.

I agree it is not worth it in all circumstances, but also the medical for international is piece of mind for me.

Medical for international is a different topic entirely.

This poster was encouraging people to buy travel insurance to smooth over delays and cancelations (from the current weather/Arctic Freeze thing in the center of the US).

I do think a number of credit cards (ones with annual fees) would provide the benefits you are describing above, also are there any consumer protection laws there in London that would have brought you compensation directly from the airline?

I always travel with insurance - I am from the UK and would never be able to afford medical bills, nor would i want to burden my family, if something happened.

We are also seeing more airlines trying to push claims straight onto insurance instead of coughing up for delays which incur extra costs like hotels

Not sure how the situation is in the US, but as a UK based member, I would never set a foot on US soil without a good trip insurance given your medical costs/ no duty of care by airlines when weather related issues come up.

The AMEX Platinum insurance is excellent for this.

I utilize the trip insurance coverage that is associated with my credit card with no additional fees, have emergency and urgent care coverage worldwide with my present health insurance, and buy a Medjet policy. I sincerely hope that the Medjet policy is a complete waste of money and I never need to make a claim. Not willing to risk a $60,000 medical evacuation from overseas. It is all about your personal level of risk.

Typical American ignorance regarding travel insurance.

It's very cheap, and even a simple baggage delay will result in more of a payout than its cost.

Get sick the day before you're flying with $8000 in non refundable business class tickets and tell me how "worthless" insurance is.

Bought insurance for the first time earlier this year. Bought an Allianz year long policy for both wife and I for $485. As a percentage of total spend for travel in the year it was pretty low, so I was good with it. Turned out I got Covid in Europe so it paid off. That said, agree that most US based travelers could be tempted not to bother, while anyone coming to the US better have some kind of insurance to cover a medical issue.

Baggage delay has never been an issue.

Non-refundable $8000 tickets... okay, that might be a good gamble to buy insurance.

P.S. And not to start an argument, but I personally think typical America ignorance is the term I would use for people that buy travel insurance - in most cases.