What happens if you can’t take your trip? Will you get any refund, be charged unforgiving penalties or lose all you’ve paid for your vacation? Travel insurance can help make the traveler whole again with Trip Cancellation coverage. This means you are unable to take the trip due to one of the specified covered reasons. Trip Cancellation applies before the trip begins, and can reimburse 100% of the trip cost you insured that was prepaid and not refunded.
Each plan will contain a list of covered reasons that are unforeseen and out of your control. When comparing travel insurance for Trip Cancellation, consider whether you have any specific concerns about something that may cause a cancellation. Identifying your criteria for what coverage is important will help select the best travel insurance for you. Here are some of the more prominent covered reasons.
Sickness, Injury or Death – Cancelling due to a documented medical need of you, a traveling companion, or family member, including those who aren’t traveling with you. Some plans also extend this to business partners. Please consider whether coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions is needed.
A Pre-Existing Medical Condition – This can include family members who will not be on the trip in addition to the traveling party. Many plans will cover Pre-Existing Condition if the policy is purchased within 14 or 15 days from the first trip deposit date. After that time, you could still purchase one of those plans, but it would not cover Pre-Existing Conditions
Bad Weather – An extended weather delay of your common carrier leads to cancellation. The delay is required to last for a certain number of hours, which can vary between plans.
Mechanical Breakdown – Cancellation due to a mechanical failure of your common carrier. Each plan requires the delay last for a certain number of hours.
Unannounced Strike – A labor strike causes a common carrier delay for a required number of hours, depending on the plan.
Damage to Home, Destination, or Workplace – A fire, flood or natural disaster makes your home, destination, or workplace uninhabitable. Not all plans cover damage to all three locations.
Terrorism – A terrorist attack in a city on your itinerary can be a covered reason to cancel. Most plans require the departure date be soon in order for coverage to apply.
Losing Your Job – Involuntarily termination of employment is a covered reason to cancel in many plans. It is also required you worked there for one or multiple years, depending on the plan.
Required To Work –Previously approved vacation time is revoked and you have to work instead.
Bankruptcy of a Travel Supplier – An airline, cruise company, or other travel supplier goes insolvent, and cancels.
Mandatory Evacuation – A mandatory evacuation issued at the destination because of a natural disaster.
Hurricane Warning – When your trip is a few days away, some travel insurance plans cover Trip Cancellation if NOAA issues a hurricane warning.
Other covered events can include hijack, quarantine, jury duty, theft of passports or visas, and revocation of military leave, among other reasons.
Many plans will contain similar covered reasons, with variations in what will trigger the coverage, such as required number of hours for a flight delay.
If the Trip Cancellation reasons don’t address your concerns, consider a policy with Cancel For Any Reason coverage. Please read Cancel For Any Reason Coverage in Travel Insurance to learn more.
Remember, Trip Cancellation coverage is before the trip departure. Once you are traveling, Trip Cancellation coverage ends and Trip Interruption Coverage in Travel Insurance coverage begins.
Please contact TripInsurance.com with any questions. Agents are happy to help 24/7.
