As hurricane season starts, travel insurance agents at InsureMyTrip are reminding travelers about the advantages of buying trip insurance early. Once a storm starts forming, it is considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm.
Last year's destructive 2017 hurricane season wreaked havoc on travel plans - leading to a record number of trip cancellation claims and travel insurance sales. Hurricane Irma, Harvey, Maria and Nate also helped drive online searches for travel insurance to its highest level in five years.
This season, InsureMyTrip predicts three in four travelers will choose a comprehensive travel insurance policy. This type of policy provides a variety of benefits including medical coverage, emergency travel services, baggage protection, trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage.
Hurricane Coverage
Travel insurance is an effective and cost-efficient way to cope with the risk of travel during hurricane season and to guard against potential financial losses.
When it comes to severe weather, here are some examples of how insurance may enable travelers to receive reimbursement of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs if they must cancel a trip due to severe weather-related issues that are covered under the trip cancellation benefit:
TRAVEL CONCERN | HOW COVERAGE MAY APPLY |
My flights are grounded because of a hurricane. | Many plans will cover a traveler when common carriers such as airlines and cruise lines cease service due to weather. The cessation of services must be for a certain number of hours, usually 24-48. |
My resort is in the path of a hurricane. | A few plans will cover a traveler when the traveler's destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning.* |
A hurricane damaged my hotel or resort. | Many plans will cover a traveler when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm. |
A hurricane damaged my home. | Many plans offer coverage when the primary home of a traveler sustains destructive storm damage that renders the home uninhabitable. |
I changed my mind. | For the opportunity to cancel a trip for reasons other than those listed as "covered reasons" on a policy, a traveler may consider Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) protection. CFAR is an optional time-sensitive benefit available on some plans that allow a traveler to cancel a trip for any reason, up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure. Reimbursement is usually 50-75% of the prepaid, non-refundable trip cost. A traveler must meet specific eligibility requirements and purchase CFAR within 14-21 days of making an initial trip payment or deposit. |
Tip: Travelers concerned about severe weather should purchase travel insurance early. Once a storm starts forming, it's considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm. Only a few plans offer coverage for a NOAA-issued hurricane warning for a destination.
Hurricanes and Airline Cancellation Policies
Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight due to bad weather, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.
Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight due to weather. Travelers concerned about protecting pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses should buy travel insurance.
Travelers interested in learning more about insurance plans for travel during hurricane season can visit www.InsureMyTrip.com or call 1-800-551-4635 to speak with a licensed travel insurance agent.
Hurricane Travel Insurance Expert:
Image: Timothy Krause | Flickr
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