Travel Insurance Plans' Travel Delay, Missed Connection, Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Coverages
Prior to the April 14, 2010 Iceland Volcano Eyjafjallajokull eruption, Travel Delay, Missed Connection, Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption coverages were straight-forward. Its periodic eruptions and resulting ash clouds that lead to airport closures & flight delays can be a learning experience for you. Hopefully, this page will help you before you need to use your trip insurance. |
Travel Delay, Missed Connection, Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption incidents can come from many events, not just due to a volcano. You can have any number of Bad Weather events as well as unexpected illnesses or injuries.
Q. How does Trip Cancellation work?
A. Trip Cancellation coverage provides reimbursement for prepaid nonrefundable trip costs if you must cancel your trip due to a covered reason.
For example, you get hit by a cement truck going out to get the mail. Thankfully it doesn't have to be this bad! If you get unexpectedly hurt or sick before you leave (and your doctor advises you against traveling), you can be covered. If you follow the purchase requirements, you can also have coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions.
Q. How does Trip Interruption work?
A. Trip Interruption is similar to Trip Cancellation, but it provides coverage for incidents that occur on your trip. Technically, Trip Cancellation is a pre-departure benefit of your trip while Trip Interruption is a post-departure benefit.
Trip Interruption coverage reimburses you the unused prepaid non-refundable value of your trip plus can cover the cost of one-way airfare home if you are forced to return home due to a covered reason.
For example, you get hit by a cement truck while you're walking across the street in London - did you remember that they said "Look to the right first" ? Or, your brother-in-law gets hit by a cement truck while going out to get the mail. You feel bad for him and you want to get home to visit him in the hospital (yeah, right). You can be covered if the injury results in medically imposed restrictions preventing your continued participation in the trip or your bother-in-law's condition is life threatening or he requires your care.
Important: In the case of Inclement Weather & other Natural Disasters, there usually has to be at least a 12 - 24 hour shutdown (depending on the plan) of Common Carrier services (ie - the airport has to be shut down for at least 12 - 24 consecutive hours) to have a covered Trip Interruption.
Q. How does Travel Delay work?
A. Travel Delay provides reimbursement for additional travel expenses, such as, meals and accommodations that you incur if your trip's departure or your return home is delayed due to a covered reason or an unexpected ash cloud from Eyjafjallajokull cancels your flight and you have to suffer through another night in Venice.
You'll be reimbursed up to the daily limit (this will vary by plan) for meals and accommodations (to the coverage maximum) if your departure is delayed for more than the number of hours required due to a covered reason during your trip.
Travel Delays can turn into a trip cancellation if you are delayed at least 50% of the length of your trip's duration.
Extra Travel Delay Causing Trip Cancellation Benefit: The "Cancel For Any Reason" upgrade on the Travelex Max plan shortens the necessary trip cancellation from a travel delay to 30% (from 50%) or more of the scheduled Covered Trip duration due to a defined Hazard.
Q. How does Missed Connection work?
A. Some plans cover the additional traveling expenses due to certain reasons under a separate benefit called "Missed Connection". "Missed Connection" provides reimbursement in the event of a missed flight connection to reimburse the airline's ticket change fee costs or for the additional costs to "catch up" to a cruise or tour if the cause of delay is due to a covered reason. I suggest you read the plan wording carefully since the phrase "Missed Connection" doesn't mean the same from company to company.
Important: "Missed Connection" doesn't mean the insurance will cover you in all situations. If you are going on a cruise or tour (depending on the plan) and miss its departure because you were up late partying, you will not be reimbursed.
You will find a brief summary of the Missed Connection benefits below. Please refer to the applicable plan's Certificate, or Evidence of Benefits for the complete policy wording. Here are the links to the plan's detailed description pages where you can find the complete plan wording, too: CSA Freestyle, Global Alert, Travelex Select or Travelex Max, Travel Guard, Travel Insured and TravelSafe
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