Trip Cancelled Due To Weather? Here’s How Travel Insurance Can Help

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.

Flights are grounded due to weather: Many plans may 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.

Resort is in the path of severe weather: A few plans may cover when a traveler’s destination is under a NOAA-issued storm warning. But.. and there’s a big BUT here.. In order to receive reimbursement for a weather-related delay or cancellation, a travel insurance policy must have been purchased before a storm was known/named.

Weather damaged my hotel or resort: Many plans may cover a traveler when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm or weather event.

Storms and Airline Cancellation Policies

Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight due to weather, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.

Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred because of a canceled flight due to weather. Travelers concerned about protecting pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses should buy travel insurance. Insurance policies will protect and reimburse travelers for expenses incurred due to a weather delay or cancellation.