Does travel insurance cover flight disruptions?

After spending time researching, planning, and booking your trip, you’re likely more than ready to take off on your next adventure. Amidst all the excitement, though, the last thing you want to deal with is an unanticipated flight disruption.

If something unexpected occurs that impacts your flight schedule, flight travel insurance coverage can help ensure that you don’t feel stranded or financially burdened because of unforeseen delays or cancellations.

What's the definition of a flight disruption when it comes to travel insurance?

Flight disruption refers to delays, cancellations, missed connections, or rescheduling of your flight that happens because of a variety of reasons, such as severe weather, technical glitches, or even administrative issues.

Does Travelex travel insurance provide coverage for flight disruptions?

Yes, our Ultimate, Advantage, and Essential plans offer coverage for flight disruptions through several benefit types: trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, and missed connections.

The benefit you can file a claim under in the event of a flight disruption will depend on the scenario, so be sure to check your description of coverage if you need to make a claim.

How much of my insured trip costs can Travelex reimburse if I have flight disruption(s)?

Here are the coverage limits for each benefit relevant to flight disruptions on our comprehensive plans:

It’s important to keep in mind that our travel insurance plans offer coverage for unanticipated incidents — meaning your claim must relate to an event that you didn’t expect to happen or know about beforehand for your claim to be approved.

What counts as an unforeseen eligible event in relation to flight disruptions?

As a Travelex policyholder, you can claim for flight disruption coverage for unforeseen eligible events such as:

• Severe weather or natural disaster
• The plane has mechanical issues.
• Your scheduled airline goes on strike, resulting in complete interruption of travel services at the point of departure or destination.
• You’re a traveler on a hijacked airplane.

Still have questions about what counts as an unforeseen eligible event? You can reach out to our customer service team for support at 1-800-228-9792.

Does travel insurance cover missed flights?

There are several ways in which you could miss a flight while traveling, from the flight being canceled to you missing your connection because of the flight landing later than planned.

Here are the ways you can receive financial reimbursement under our flight travel insurance depending on your type of flight disruption.

Trip cancellation coverage

If you have a Travelex plan with travel insurance for flight cancellation, you can receive reimbursement for extra eligible costs incurred while getting to your destination and the prepaid and insured portion of your trip expenses that you didn’t use — as long as you cancel before your scheduled departure date and the cancellation is due to an eligible reason.

Travel delay coverage

If you’re delayed for at least five hours (six hours with our Essential plan), you can be reimbursed for unexpected situations related to flight disruptions such as:

• Airline delay
• Your passport is lost or stolen.
• Strike
• Other unforeseen eligible events that apply to trip cancellation and trip interruption

Plus, as long as you have receipts, our travel insurance flight delay benefit offers coverage for certain reasonable additional expenses until you’re able to return home or reach the scheduled destination.

Important: We can only provide coverage for one delay per trip. This means if you experience more than one delay on the same trip, we’ll reimburse the delay that cost the most.

Missed connection coverage

If you experience a flight cancellation or delay that lasts for at least three hours and results in you missing a connection, we can reimburse your additional transportation and lodging expenses and nonrefundable, unused trip costs you’ve already paid for.

Our eligible reasons for missed connections include severe weather or a delay caused by your airline. The airline must certify the delay of your regularly scheduled airline flight.

What doesn’t Travelex travel insurance provide coverage for in relation to flight disruptions?

Here are some potential flight disruption reasons that we don’t provide coverage for:

• War and acts of war
• Epidemic or pandemic, unless otherwise covered by the policy
• Pre-existing medical conditions, unless otherwise covered under the policy
• Normal pregnancy or childbirth
• Government regulation
• You decide to change your plans (unless you have the cancel for any reason upgrade included in your policy)
• Financial circumstances

We also won't offer flight disruption coverage when:

• The policy is not in effect.  
• You travel for the purpose of medical treatment.  
• You travel against doctor’s orders.  
• You travel less than 100 miles from your home.  

Want more information? It’s a good idea to read your travel insurance description of coverage and reach out to our customer service team at 1-800-228-9792 if you have any questions about flight disruption coverage.

How can I reach the Travelex 24/7 assistance provider if I’m traveling and have a flight disruption?

As a Travelex policyholder, you can reach our assistance provider in two ways:

1. Via our Travel On app, which has a tap-to-call travel assistance feature. You can download the app before your trip so you can access its features and your policy details easily in the palm of your hand.

2. Via the travel assistance services at 1-800-555-0870 (toll-free) if you're in the U.S. or Canada or 1-416-977-1803 (collect) if you're outside of the U.S. or Canada

How can I receive travel alerts during my trip for events that might cause a flight disruption?

It’s a good idea to stay updated on the travel advisories posted by the U.S. Department of State, as well as the travel alerts on our website that may affect your policy coverage.

Travelex policyholders also have exclusive access to our Travel On app, which offers real-time security alerts, location information, tap-to-call travel assistance, and more. Downloading our app as soon as you’ve purchased your policy can help you stay informed if there's a scenario that may cause flight disruptions on your trip or at your chosen destination(s).

Are there certain countries that Travelex doesn't provide coverage for?

Our travel insurance doesn't offer coverage for a destination that has been sanctioned by the U.S. government. To understand which destinations have active sanctions, visit the Office of Foreign Assets Control website. Additionally, we don’t provide coverage for any of the blocked destinations listed on our travel alerts page.

Does Travelex offer travel insurance for trip cancellation for any reason?

Our Ultimate, Advantage, and Essential plans offer trip cancellation coverage for several scenarios. However, if you want the flexibility to be able to cancel your trip for any reason — including flight disruptions — you may want to consider purchasing our Ultimate plan and adding the cancel for any reason upgrade* to your policy. With this upgrade, you can call off your trip for any reason up to two days before it starts and receive reimbursement of up to 75% of your insured trip expenses (up to $7,500).

To be eligible to include the cancel for any reason upgrade in your policy and make a claim under this benefit, the following must apply:

• Your policy coverage includes all nonrefundable trip costs (up to $10,000) when first purchased, and you add any additional arrangements within 14 days of scheduling them.
• You added the upgrade to your Ultimate plan 31 days or more before your departure date and within 21 days of your first vacation expense.

_{*Cancel for any fortuitous reason in NY.}

Why do I need travel insurance for flight disruptions if my scheduled airline may refund me?

Airlines have terms and conditions involved with flight cancellations that may make it difficult for you to receive a refund, especially if you purchased a nonrefundable ticket.

Even if an airline refunds you for a canceled flight, having flight travel insurance can still provide value. For example, the airline refund might cover the plane ticket cost, but what about your nonrefundable hotel booking or the prepaid tour in your destination that you missed as a result of the flight disruption? Travel insurance isn't just about providing coverage for the flight; it's about providing protection for the whole journey.

Is travel insurance worth it for domestic flights?

Even when traveling domestically, flight travel insurance can provide essential protection against unforeseen circumstances. It can help you financially if things go wrong, like flight cancellations, delays, and missed connections — so you aren't left out of pocket.

How do I file a claim for a flight disruption?

If you’re a Travelex customer, you can file a claim for a flight disruption via our online claims portal.

If you want help filing a claim or have questions about submitting your flight disruption claim, please contact our claims administrator:

Zurich Travel Claims Administration

• Phone: 1-800-501-4781
• Email: [email protected]

Enjoy a smoother trip with travel insurance for flight disruptions

If a flight disruption affects your vacation, having travel insurance may provide you with a feeling of relief knowing financial support and assistance are available.

Remember: It’s important to understand your policy’s benefits and limitations before setting off on your trip so you’re more prepared if something unexpected comes up.

If you still have questions about travel insurance for flight disruptions, you can reach out to our customer service team at 1-800-228-9792 from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.

Want to help protect your trip from flight disruptions?

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