Flight insurance and per-trip add-ons: mostly theatre
Standalone flight/accident insurance is a classic low-value, high-emotion product. Trip cancellation can be worth it — check what you already have.
The verdict: standalone flight/accident insurance is a classic low-value, high-emotion product; trip cancellation can be worth it, but check what you already have.
Why
The odds it insures (a fatal flight accident) are astronomically low, so the expected value is tiny — you're buying peace of mind at a steep markup. Meanwhile the coverage you might actually use — trip cancellation/interruption and travel medical — is often already provided by a decent travel credit card or a standalone travel policy.
Do this instead
Skip the airport-kiosk flight insurance; check your credit card's travel coverage; buy proper travel medical (the real financial risk abroad) and trip cancellation only for expensive non-refundable trips.
Run the expected-value math
Defaults are educational assumptions (or sourced industry framing) — change every field. EV = P(claim) × E[payout] − annual premium.
-$35
Negative = you pay more than you get back in expectation
12.5%
E[payout] $5 / premium
Illustrative industry loss-ratio framing: 15.0% (content constant — not your personal odds).
Robert noticed…
- Every parameter is editable. Defaults on teardown pages are sourced or marked ASSUMPTION in content — never treat them as personal odds.
- Implied expected recovery is under 40% of premium — common for add-on products with low claim rates and high loading.
Educational only — not insurance advice, and no products are sold here. Robert is a mascot, not a licensed advisor. See our disclaimer.