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Bad Weather and Natural Disaster Coverage

This is important – While anyone will sell you travel insurance at the last minute, claims under bad weather coverage from known events are not covered. If you’re traveling soon and bad weather is forecast or known, you will not be covered for bad weather if you’re getting your travel insurance today. That’s because the bad weather isn’t an unforeseen event.

If you like our explanations, read this blog post: “Do Callers Think We Were Born Yesterday?”

Snow storms, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, etc – you get the picture. No matter what causes your trip to be delayed, cancelled or interrupted, you want to know how travel insurance can cover you.

Bad Weather or Natural Disaster Coverage in a Travel Insurance policy means that some kind of unexpected inclement weather or unexpected natural disaster causes you to be delayed getting to your destination.

Here are the coverages most likely to be used with respect to Bad Weather: (Note that each policy covers you differently)

  • Missed Connection – provides reimbursement for the additional costs to “catch up” to a cruise or tour if the cause of delay is a carrier-caused delay or documented weather condition;
  • Trip Delay – generally from bad weather or carrier-caused delays. Long delays of more than 50% of the length of your trip can turn onto a trip cancellation;
  • Trip Cancellation – you have to completely cancel your trip. Some plans require a 12 hour while others require a 24 hour shut down of common carrier service. TravelSafe Classic and Plus allow you to cancel your trip within 36 hours of your Scheduled Departure Date and time if your Trip destination is under a Hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of your Trip occurs more than 15 days following the effective date of coverage for your plan. Travel Insured Worldwide Trip Protector and Plus allow you to cancel your trip within 48 hours of your Scheduled Departure Date and time if your Trip destination is under a Hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of your Trip occurs more than 15 days following the effective date of coverage for your plan.
  • Trip Interruption – you unexpectedly return home early from your trip. This reimburses you for your unused prepaid trip costs and one way airfare. This can include being forced to evacuate by the authorities.

Trip Cancellation / Interruption for bad weather is different from going to Cancun and having it rain the whole time. Or going skiing but there’s no snow. You won’t have much fun, but unless the bad weather completely prevents you from getting there, you won’t have a payable claim.

Here’s An Overview of Missed Connection Coverage

“Missed Connection” provides reimbursement for the additional costs to “catch up” to a cruise or tour if the cause of delay is a carrier-caused delay or documented weather condition. “Missed Connection” only pays costs at the final trip destination and not if you miss a connection before you arrive there. Read the policy wording carefully since “Missed Connection” doesn’t mean exactly the same thing from company to company.

I suggest you read the policy wording carefully since the phrase “Missed Connection” doesn’t mean the same from company to company. One company states: “coverage will not be provided to individuals who are able to meet their scheduled departure but cancel their Trip due to Inclement Weather.”

Here’s An Overview of Trip Delay Coverage

Trip Delay is reimbursement for meals and accommodations that you might incur if your trip is delayed for a covered reason. Trip Delay can happen at anytime throughtout the trip.

For example, you’ll be reimbursed up to the daily limit for meals and accommodations (to the policy maximum) if your departure is delayed for more than the number of hours required for a covered reason during your trip.

Here’s An Overview of Trip Cancellation Coverage

Trip Cancellation / Interruption for bad weather is different from going to Cancun and having it rain the whole time. You won’t have much fun, but unless the bad weather prevents you from getting there, you won’t have a payable claim.

Something else that’s important is that if you see a hurricane bearing down on your destination, you can’t cancel your trip. Your airline or supplier has to be the party who cancels. Here’s some more pertinent information.

  • Some time later you go to a destination that was adversely affected by the storm. If the place is inhabitable, but isn’t what you expected or there are damaged facilities, travel insurance won’t cover you. It’s the responsibility of the travel supplier to make any adjustments.
  • Travel Insured Worldwide Trip Protector and Plus plans’ Trip Cancellation Benefit covers: A cancellation of Your Trip within 48 hours of Your Scheduled Departure Date and time if Your Trip destination is under a hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of Your Trip occurs more than 14 days following Your Effective Date of coverage for the Trip Cancellation Benefits;
  • TravelSafe Classic’s Trip Cancellation Benefit covers: A cancellation of the Insured’s Trip within 36 hours of the Insured’s Scheduled Departure Date and time if his or her Trip destination is under a Hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of the Insured’s Trip occurs more than 15 days following the Insured’s effective date of coverage for the Trip Cancellation Benefits.

Here’s An Overview of Trip Interruption Coverage

  • You are forced to evacuate by the authorities.
  • You can’t get out and are forced to ride out the storm.
  • Your cruise line substitutes a destination to avoid a storm: You won’t have a payable claim because you still got to take the cruise.
  • Some time later you go to a destination that was adversely affected by the storm. If the place is inhabitable, but isn’t what you expected or there are damaged facilities, travel insurance won’t cover you. It’s the responsibility of the travel supplier to make any adjustments.

Ready to Purchase? It's easy and safe to purchase online or over the phone - just call Deanna, Kim or Steve at 888-407-3854 or 507-214-3854.

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PPS - Even though TripInsuranceStore.com is the world's most informative travel insurance website, you are still responsible to know the coverage terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of your plan. No comments or explanations confirm or deny coverage. You need to refer to each plan's policy wording.

PPPS - The Trip Cancellation coverage begins at 12:01 a.m. on the day after the date the policy is purchased. All other coverages begin when you leave home for your trip when your departure date is in the future.

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