When you buy a ticket on an airline website, or through an online travel agency site, you’re often offered the opportunity to buy travel insurance through a separate company. The airline earns a commission on the sale. And there can be a hard sell, warning that you’re traveling ‘unprotected’ if you don’t buy it.
Delta Air Lines takes things a step further. They make the misleading claim that the government recommends you make the purchase when that isn’t true at all.
As journalist Tim Lee notes, Delta offers trip cancellation coverage and says that the U.S. state department “highly recommend[s] that you purchase insurance before you travel.” But this recommendation is not about trip cancellation coverage for a domestic flight!
Is there a way for the State Department to get Delta to stop using this misleading endorsement for its "travel insurance" product? The original quote is about buying *medical* insurance for *international* trips. Delta was trying to sell me domestic trip cancellation insurance. pic.twitter.com/gC8bwhuVQT
— Timothy B. Lee (@binarybits) April 7, 2024
The U.S. government website quote is actually about buying medical coverage for international travel. To say Delta is being misleading would be a huge understatement. I consider this to be a lie to induce you into a purchase. Surely this is an ‘unfair and deceptive’ practice, which is precisely what the Department of Transportation is charged with regulating.
Here is what's covered by the trip insurance Delttwa wanted me to buy based on that "endorsement." The plan's medical coverage appears to be limited to "a message sent home or help dealing with a medical emergency." pic.twitter.com/e75ViqibQV
— Timothy B. Lee (@binarybits) April 7, 2024
The health insurance I receive at work includes an international policy, and an international doctor and hospital network (although many providers will be out of network, you’ll receive less coverage and have to submit a reimbursement claim).
You should check with your health insurance provider, or at work, to understand your international coverage. If you work for a small business, either consult the plan summary document or your company can check with their broker. You want to know what your international health coverage looks like. Many government health plans for folks in other countries don’t cover international travel, so they need to buy separate policies too. Depending on the coverage you’re looking for, the policies often aren’t expensive (think $5 – $10 per day).
What I really do like, though, is medical evacuation coverage. I once wrote about a reader’s successful claim through their Amex Platinum card covering a $275,000 private medical flight back from Southeast Asia. He was certainly nervous throughout the process over whether he’d get them to cover an award flight purchased with transferred Membership Rewards points.
For a purchased medical evacuation policy, I consider Medjet reputable.
For traditional ‘travel insurance’ (beyond what’s offered by some premium rewards credit cards) I’m often skeptical unless you’re talking about a once in a lifetime trip. Instead I ‘self insure’ my usual airline ticket purchases. If my credit card isn’t going to cover expenses from a cancellation or delay, I’ll eat it rather than spending more money on a potential small dollar claim where I will likely have to invest significant time fighting the insurer over payment.
I was once approached by a travel insurance provider offering me 50% commissions on travel insurance policies sold through this site. I declined, but the margins really underscored for me that the policies likely weren’t a good buy. And it’s not likely that the third party policies being sold through the airline ticket purchase path, whether on Delta’s website, another airline’s, or Expedia’s, are going to be your best choice in any case.
Gary or anyone:
Would be interested in opinions about how well covered an international traveler is with one of those annual policies from Allianz or a similar insurer.
Thanks
I am for one shocked, that a premium airline, featuring premium products, and strictly catering to a premium clientele, feels the need to sell insurance.
Well said, Gary ! I’m a Capitalist, and generally consider “hard sells” to be stupid but not worthy of government intervention, but fraudulent misrepresentation is another matter entirely. Clearly Delta is guilty of that, and on top of the DOT (and/or FTC) jumping on that, I would not be surprised to see a Class Action Suit for Delta’s conduct up to now. You are also correct that everyone should become clear about their own International Medical coverage: As a relatively recent retiree, I’m aware that traditional Medicare does not cover it. In my case, my Part G Medicare Supplemental Policy does cover it, but clearly everyone needs to confirm their own situation. I’ve still got my old MedJet card (from being with a multinational), it’s just a reminder of a previous time for me, but you are correct that they are highly reputable.
Being offered the insurance is a premium experience.
I wish I could be shocked to find that Delta wants to fleece its customers. But that’s like being shocked that the TSA is one expensive boondoggle. It’s to be expected from them.
Yep. Checked on my upcoming domestic flights yesterday and this popped up. GMAFB.
Got burned on an international trip I had scheduled when covid restrictions hit but don’t take it out anymore. .
Had a few instances where ended up in foreign emergency room. Just paid the bill and submitted it to my insurance when I got back. Always been reimbursed.
My standard statement on anything happening overseas…leave the body, get the electronics home.
They must be going after first time flyers who don’t know any better. Nobody with any experience would fall for this. I keep an annual Medjet policy on my wife and I for frequent trips to Japan. Then I purchase a Geoblue policy that usually less than $150 for two weeks. The problem is trying to get a policy for someone visiting the United States. Few companies want to underwrite it because of our ridiculous healthcare cost
Does that qualify for MQD?
Where is @Tim Dunn defending this? He’s been in the comments on this site since I posted it…
Medjet is a solid recommend from me.
Buy it, never used it but it is worth the peace of mind.
@ Gary — Delta Airlines Decption would be an excellent new name for SkyMiles
Why would anyone NOT pay this when flying Delta? If anything, it should be insurance against flying any airline except the universe’s #1 PREMIUM airline!
You’re just jealous, Gary, that your miniscule travel blog not making $$ hand over fist like Delta is, so you go post hit pieces like this. Just wait til my daddy shows up…then you’ll be sorry.
I also buy all of the rent-a-car insurance , just to be sure it’s all covered .
“False advertising” is providing untrue or misleading information that is used in an attempt to deceive, or actually deceives someone into making a purchase. If so, it can be raised to the FTC. There may also be local regs regarding false advertising
We (2) do an annual trip to Europe for 2 weeks. Once you hit your 75+ the prices really start to climb. Just paid $2K each for full coverage policy – more than our lodging for the trip.. But cancellation and medical/death evac are bigger risks when you get older. The “Golden Years” are not exactly “Golden” when it comes to all things “economic” – as many a retiree is finding out.
You should be proud that Delta is doing the Premium style Big Con. Those other airlines pulling scams like this aren’t doing it nearly as well. In fact, theirs could almost not be considered a con at all.
Bite me Gary. Delta offers discerning travelers a premium experience. Why would you need travel insurance when you fly on the world’s premier airline?
Gary
you just proved what we all knew – you write for clicks and to evoke a response.
I refuse to pander to your stupidity.
I also will not hesitate to call you out when you post stupid stuff as you did regarding your conclusions about NK.
LMFAO – So Gary is stupid but Tim Dunn/DCS is smart? Stick with that and let reality know how that works out when you return to reality.
Tim,
With all due respect –
Where are your ubiquitous comparisons to airlines not named “Delta”? Why are you not reasserting, through your tortuous comparisons, that you believe your beloved Delta is the world’s only PERFECT airline?
As W.C. Fields observed, “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.”
Why the ad hominem straw man attacks? Ad hominem because you insulted and attacked Gary personally. And you used a classic straw man argument – avoiding the issue by raising an unrelated but seemingly parallel argument – which, admittedly, I also have done at times. Those points are addressed below.
To the topic at hand: Airlines and other businesses (including travel blogs) are run by human beings. Human beings don’t always make the wisest decisions.
Oh my @Tim Dunn can’t even admit Delta is in the wrong here.
See Gary? I warned you…my daddy was going to show up and strike you down with his perfect argument. You lost, pure and simple!