My Emergency Surgery: Did Trip Cancellation Insurance Work?

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. This mantra guided me through a challenging time recently. In my original post from December 2023, I wrote about visiting the hospital emergency department in Toronto and the potential costs of cancelling my trip. The good news was that I was treated and the trip went ahead without any problem. Who would have guessed that less than 7 months later, I would visit the emergency department again. But this time, I had to cancel my trip to France.

My Trip To France Cancelled?

Less than two weeks before my planned trip to the French Pyrénées, I had emergency eye surgery for a retinal tear, forcing me to cancel my trip to France. Despite the disappointment, I am grateful that the tear was caught and that I can see.

I’m also thankful for the trip cancellation insurance and booking strategies that saved me financially. If you had to postpone or cancel your trip, close to the scheduled date, would you lose a lot of money? Read on for some ideas on how you can decrease your exposure.

(a) Trip To Emergency #1: December Trip Not Cancelled

In November, 10 days before my trip to the Christmas markets in Paris and Strasbourg, severe foot pain made me consider canceling. How would I be able to walk 9-12 hours a day? A visit to the emergency department and a prescription relieved the pain by the next day. At my follow-up, my doctor confirmed it was acute inflammation and cleared me for travel. Check out my December Trip To Paris and Strasbourg here.

(b) Trip To Emergency #2: July Trip Cancelled

Seventeen days before my trip to the French Pyrénées, an eye exam revealed a retinal tear in my left eye. With a history of retinal detachment in the other eye, I knew immediate surgery was crucial to prevent vision loss. I had eye surgery right away and received a medical note preventing travel. Trip cancellation insurance covered the $150 airline cancellation fee on my reward booking, thanks to the doctor’s note for medical cancellation.

Benefits Of Free Cancellation Policies And Travel Insurance

With both trips, the cost to cancel the trips was minimal or zero, thanks to flexible bookings (ie. cancel up to 24 hours before), free cancellation policies, and my coverage with Global Excel travel insurance, which included trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance.

I got all my money back for the rest of my bookings and I was able to simply cancel the bookings without any charge (ie. car rental, Airbnb bookings, hotel bookings). Even if I cancelled too late, I would have submitted those costs as part of my trip cancellation claim.

Claiming Trip Cancellation Insurance

Submitting a claim for a cancelled trip was straight forward but required detailed documentation.  As I shared in another post about claiming for medical expenses when I got sick in Paris during my December trip “Getting sick in Paris”, some insurance companies really make it a pain (difficult) to get reimbursed, so keep all records of your trip bookings and payments….just in case.

The insurer promptly processed my claim and I was reimbursed in one week. My travel companion’s claim was also processed and settle immediately. She had to submit my medical certificate with her documents.

Why Purchasing A Refundable Airfare Is Advantageous

Choosing refundable airfare and flexible accommodations is crucial for unexpected cancellations, especially non-medical ones not covered by trip cancellation insurance. Cheaper airfares are often non-refundable and and can lead to significant losses.

For example, cancellation insurance won’t cover the cost if your pet was sick or if you simply changed your mind. Cancellation insurance will not reimburse you for those reasons. A $150-$300 non-refundable fee to cancel your airfare is reasonable for a non-medical cancellation.

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst—this mindset has proven invaluable. Trip cancellation insurance and flexible bookings have provided peace of mind during this recent medical emergency, and have saved me thousands of dollars, too!

For more posts about how I’ve solved problems before, during, and after my trips to France, check out these posts:

• Navigating Urgent Care In Paris With Travel Insurance Support
• The Toll Lane In France Took A Toll On Me
• How I Suddenly Found Out I Needed A Crit’Air Sticker For My Leased Car
• Encountering Credit and Debit Card Problems In France
• How To Deal With French Speeding Fines And Parking Tickets 
• Renter Beware: Costly Roadside Assistance In France

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