With airline accidents regularly making news broadcasts, many airline travelers are thinking, "Do I need flight insurance?" The answer is: It depends. If you look into the insurance you already have, you might learn you are already covered.

Before purchasing flight insurance, it is a wise idea to fully review your life insurance policy. If you have life insurance, there is a good chance it will cover death from an airplane accident. Look over the policy and give your agent a call to double check.

If your life insurance policy does not cover flights, you may still be insured. If you are flying for business purposes, you may be covered under your company's insurance; check with your company’s human resources department. If you used a credit card to purchase the plane tickets, you also may already be covered. Major credit card companies often provide complimentary insurance to their cardholders. Before purchasing flight insurance, call your credit card company and discuss whether or not insurance is provided when the card is used to purchase flight tickets and what that insurance covers.

Even if you are not covered under another policy, the fact is that, statistically, the chances of perishing in an airplane crash are extremely slim. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov, there has been an average of 33,000 occupant fatalities in motor vehicle accidents in the United States per year since the year 2000, while the National Transportation Safety Board Web site, www.ntsb.gov, shows airline accidents resulting in an average of 73 deaths per year. If it would give you peace of mind, consider a travel insurance policy that covers flight insurance, along with other possible vacation mishaps, like stolen luggage, trip cancellation due to illness, and medical emergencies.