On many days, hundreds of flights are cancelled due to airline personnel shortages and a rush of holidaymakers.
According to the US Department of Transportation, the rate of flight cancellations this year (3.9%) is more than twice that of last year (1.8%). (DOT).
“When things start to go wrong on vacation, a flight delay or cancellation may be the first domino to fall,” explains Daniel Durazo, a representative for Allianz Global Assistance. “Raise your game and be prepared for the unexpected with a travel insurance coverage that includes rewards for trip delay, interruption, or cancellation, among other things.”
Because airline cancellations and travel delays are so prevalent, we’ve detailed how the advantages of a travel insurance coverage may provide you with a financial safety net.
Does Travel Insurance Help if the Airline Cancels Your Flight?
Scenario: Your flight is canceled before you depart and you choose not to go on your trip.
If you decide not to travel on your vacation after your flight is canceled, the airline will handle the ticket refund, according to Durazo. “However, for non-flight travel expenses such as excursions and accommodations, a travel insurance policy protects your total trip investment by providing refunds for pre-paid, non-refundable expenses such as excursions and accommodations when the trip is canceled for a reason covered by the policy.”
What the airline covers?
If your flight is canceled or there is a “substantial delay” and you opt not to go, federal law requires the airline to reimburse your ticket cost.
“Regardless of why the airline cancels or delays the flight, this is the policy.” “However, what’significant delay’ [means] is up for interpretation,” Durazo argues.
The DOT hasn’t specified what constitutes a “significant delay.” According to the DOT website, “Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on numerous factors—including the duration of the delay, the length of the trip, and your unique circumstances.” On a case-by-case basis, the DOT evaluates whether delays need a reimbursement.
What travel insurance covers?
If your flight was canceled due to one of the circumstances stated in your travel insurance policy, such as mechanical failure, airline insolvency, or a shutdown of the air traffic control system, your trip cancellation insurance may be able to pay you for your non-refundable trip expenses. A insurance will typically cover expenses up to the time and date of departure.
Beckah Morris of Yonder Travel Insurance, on the other hand, advises that most other causes may be rejected. That implies that if your flight is canceled due to personnel shortages and you opt not to fly, your travel insurance policy may not cover you.
Even “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage may not help you recover your money in this situation. When you cancel a trip for reasons other than those stated in your insurance, you may purchase CFAR to get partial compensation. However, CFAR advantages are only available if you cancel at least 48 hours before your flight. As a result, if you decide to cancel a few hours before your planned departure time, you will most likely be unable to make a CFAR claim.
Does Travel Delay Insurance Cover Canceled Flights?
Scenario: Your flight is canceled before departure but you still want to go on your trip, even though it will mean a delay.
What the airline covers?
Typically, your airline will place you on the next available aircraft with available seats. However, you may be stuck at the airport for hours.
What travel insurance covers?
In this instance, travel delay insurance might be beneficial. “If your flight is canceled or considerably delayed due to a cause mentioned in your policy, your trip delay benefits may repay qualifying expenditures incurred—including hotel, food, and transportation—while waiting for the next available departure,” Allianz’s Durazo adds.
Trip delay benefits will be available after the time period indicated in your insurance. For example, after a five-hour delay, your travel insurance policy may give delay compensation.
There will be a per day and a total maximum benefit limit per person for trip delay compensation. After a five-hour wait, your insurance company may pay you up to $200 every day, up to a total of $1,000.
Some travel insurance policies may automatically pay you for delay-related charges, eliminating the need for you to make a claim. For example, Allianz Travel’s OneTrip Premier plan’s SmartBenefits feature gives $100 per insured person, per day for a delay covered by the insurance.
“Rapid digital payments make it easier to get a snack when stranded at the airport without draining your wallet,” Durazo explains.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Switching Airlines?
Scenario: Your flight is canceled before your departure. The next flight on your original airline isn’t for several days, so you decide to travel on another airline with flights leaving sooner.
What the airline covers?
In many circumstances, the airline will still provide a refund. However, you may discover that the cost of a last-minute replacement ticket is more than the cost of your original flight. The airline will not assist you in making up the difference.
What travel insurance covers?
Can you utilize your trip cancellation or interruption insurance benefits to make up the cost difference?
According to Durazo, a trip cancellation claim may assist pay to transport you to your original location through another carrier if your travel carrier is unable to get you there for at least 24 continuous hours from the time you were due to arrive.
“You may be repaid for the reasonable cost of substitute transportation, plus the cost of any missed pre-paid lodgings caused by your covered delayed arrival, up to your policy’s maximum trip cancellation coverage benefit (minus possible refunds,” he explains.
Additionally, if you miss at least 50% of the duration of your trip due to a cause covered in your policy, you may be entitled to make a trip interruption travel insurance claim, according to Durazo. If your vacation is cut short due to unexpected circumstances, trip interruption benefits will pay you for unused, non-refundable travel charges.
To maximize the advantages, he recommends notifying all of your travel suppliers—hotels, tour operators, and guides—within 72 hours of learning that your trip may be canceled or disrupted.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Canceled Connecting Flights?
Scenario: Your connecting flight is canceled. What are your options?
What the airline covers?
Your airline would most certainly attempt to rebook you on another flight, which might entail a lengthy wait. You may be able to obtain a refund for your canceled flight if you want to purchase a new ticket with another airline.
What travel insurance covers?
Trip cancellation insurance will compensate you for up to 150% of your non-refundable trip expenditures. Durazo states you may make a claim for extra expenditures incurred to continue your journey or return to your home residence if your trip is interrupted for a reason covered in your policy. These causes often include a plane’s mechanical breakdown or equipment failure, a storm near your destination, and the closure of air traffic control systems.
If you stay with the same airline, travel insurance delay benefits may cover additional expenditures (such as meals or a hotel) while you wait for the next available aircraft, subject to the limitations of your travel insurance plan, according to Durazo.
What if I Miss My Connecting Flight?
Scenario: Your connecting flight is not canceled, but you miss it due to the delay of your first flight.
What the airline covers?
In this instance, the airline would most likely book you on the next available flight. If you miss a connection scheduled on a different airline, the airline may either book you on a new flight at no cost or charge you for a new ticket.
What travel insurance covers?
You may be paid for the expense of catching up to your schedule if you missed your connecting flight due to a cause specified in your insurance under trip interruption coverage. For example, if you missed a connection because your first aircraft came late due to a mechanical fault that needed to be repaired, you may make an interruption claim.
You may also rely on your policy’s coverage for missed connections. Missed connection coverage reimburses you for money spent when you adjust your travel arrangements due to an unanticipated occurrence that causes you to miss a connecting flight. For example, if a storm forces you to miss your connection, you may reclaim rescheduling costs or money spent on a replacement ticket.
Missed connection coverage is often included in comprehensive travel insurance plans and is not necessarily included in basic travel insurance policies. If you want missed connection coverage, you may need to upgrade your travel insurance plan or purchase it as an add-on.
For example, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s ExactCare Value plan does not include missed connection coverage, but you may upgrade to the ExactCare or LuxuryCare plans, which do.
Can I Extend My Travel Insurance Coverage?
If you have travel delays due to a canceled flight, it may take you longer to get home than intended. Most travel insurance policies provide coverage until you return home or for seven days beyond your trip’s intended end date, whichever comes first. That means you may utilize everything coverage except trip cancellation, so you can use interruption benefits to assist pay for extra expenses to return home and travel delay benefits to compensate for acceptable extra costs for needs.
To qualify for extended coverage, your delayed return must be due to an unanticipated occurrence covered by your policy’s trip cancellation, trip delay, or trip interruption coverage.
According to a Forbes Advisor review of travel insurance premiums, the average cost of travel insurance is 5% to 6% of your trip spending. The average travel insurance cost for a $5,000 trip is $228, so it may be a fair investment.