Does travel insurance cover volcano incidents?
Getting ready for an exhilarating trip to (or from!) a region known for volcanic activity? Maybe you’re venturing from your home in Hawaii to a snowy destination or stopping in Iceland on your way to Europe? Either way, don’t let the possibility of a volcanic eruption cloud your vacation dreams.
At Travelex, our travel insurance with volcano coverage can help if a volcano threatens to turn your scheduled itinerary into ash.
What is a volcanic eruption and how can it impact my trip?
A volcanic eruption is a type of natural disaster that can come with toxic gases, hazardous volcanic rock, ash, and lava — which could drastically change your trip plans.
So, if you’re wondering, "Why should travel insurance cover volcano incidents?”, here’s how a volcanic eruption can affect your trip.
A volcanic eruption could put your vacation at risk of cancellation or interruption, especially if you’re taking a trip to or from parts of the Americas, Japan, Iceland, the Philippines, and New Zealand — destinations with historical volcanic activity. Because a volcanic eruption is often a safety hazard and destructive to surrounding areas — causing water contamination, wildfires, floods, mudslides, and more — it can mean you’ll need to change your trip.
For more information on volcanoes, check out the U.S. Geological Survey's volcano page and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s volcano facts.
Does Travelex offer volcano insurance coverage?
Yes, whether you opt for our Ultimate, Advantage, or Essential plan, you’ll be eligible for travel insurance with volcano coverage. This means you’ll be more prepared if a volcano interrupts your vacation.
So, how does our volcano insurance coverage help you when it matters most? After an unforeseen volcanic eruption, our coverage can help reimburse the costs of unexpected expenses that come your way because of trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, missed connections, luggage issues, emergency medical costs, and more.
Want to know more about our volcano insurance coverage? Our customer service team is happy to help.
What are the benefit limits for Travelex’s volcano coverage?
While all our comprehensive plans offer travel insurance volcano coverage, the benefit limits vary.
Here are the benefit limits for each plan:
Benefit | Ultimate | Advantage | Essential |
Trip cancellation | 100% of insured trip cost ($50,000 maximum) | 100% of insured trip cost, ($10,000 maximum) | 100% of insured trip cost ($10,000 maximum) |
Trip interruption | 150% of insured trip cost ($75,000 maximum) | 125% of insured trip cost ($12,500 maximum) | 100% of insured trip cost ($10,000 maximum) |
Travel delay | $2,000 ($250 per day maximum) | $1,000 ($250 per day maximum) | $600 ($200 per day maximum) |
Baggage and personal effects | $2,000 ($500 per item limit) | $1,000 ($500 per item limit) | $750 ($500 per item limit) |
Baggage delay | $500 | $200 | $200 |
Emergency medical expense | $250,000 $50,000 for NH residents | $50,000 | $25,000 |
Remember: Our travel protection plans with volcanic eruption insurance can help when an unforeseen eligible event ruins your vacation plans. So, if you need to file a claim, the reason must be because of an unexpected incident — not a known event.
What counts as an unforeseen eligible event when it comes to volcanoes?
With our volcano insurance coverage, if your vacation is unexpectedly affected by a volcano, we can reimburse you for costs from situations like:
- A volcanic eruption destroys your home and you can no longer live there.
- You can’t reach or stay in your vacation destination because of a volcanic eruption.
- You have a travel delay caused by a volcanic eruption.
Still have questions? Reach out to our customer service team at 1-800-228-9792.
Does Travelex’s volcano insurance include flight disruptions?
Yes, if an active volcano affects your flight and you have our Ultimate, Advantage, or Essential plan, our travel insurance for volcanic ash or eruption coverage can help.
Here are the different flight disruption benefits our travel insurance volcano coverage offers:
Trip cancellation coverage
If a volcano melts your vacation plans entirely, our Ultimate, Advantage, and Essential plans can offer financial support if you need to cancel your trip for eligible reasons before you leave home.
Our coverage can also refund you for eligible prepaid and nonrefundable costs that you don’t get to enjoy because of the volcanic eruption, like a geothermal spa visit, snorkeling tour, or Airbnb home with mountain views.
Trip interruption coverage
If a volcano turns your trip itinerary into smoke, our travel insurance for volcano incidents can do more than provide a feeling of relief; it can reimburse the costs of unused prepaid nonrefundable expenses.
Also, if you have to go home sooner than planned, rejoin your trip, or arrive later than expected because of a volcanic eruption, we can help reimburse the extra travel costs.
Travel delay coverage
Worried a smoke cloud and lack of visibility from a volcanic eruption might affect your flight’s departure time? If you still haven’t taken off five hours (six hours with our Essential plan) past your scheduled flight time, our travel insurance for volcanic ash and other eruption hazards can reimburse you for necessary expenses during your delay, like meals, local transportation, and hotel stays.
Tip: Don’t forget to keep all your receipts when you’re buying anything during your delay, though — you’ll need to submit them as part of your claim.
Important: We can only help you get costs back for one delay per vacation. So, if you have more than one delay during the same trip, we can provide coverage for the most expensive delay.
What are some other ways volcanic eruption insurance can help me during my trip?
Apart from flight scheduling mishaps, volcano insurance can help with other unexpected incidents that happen during your trip — or before it even begins — because of volcanic activity.
After a volcanic eruption at your destination, you could be faced with any of these situations:
- A volcano destroys your hotel and you can no longer stay there.
- You need emergency medical care after tripping over volcanic rock.
- Your baggage is destroyed by volcanic eruption debris.
Travel insurance with volcano coverage is worth investing in because it can help with much more than flight issues. You can get the support you need with urgent medical expenses, problems with luggage, changes of plans, and more.
How can I reach Travelex's 24/7 assistance provider if my trip is impacted by a volcano?
If you’re traveling with a Travelex plan and your trip is affected by a volcano, you can contact our assistance provider for help in a couple of ways:
- Use the tap-to-call feature in our Travelex Travel On app to reach assistance services right away. It’s important to download and log into the app before leaving on your trip so it’s easy to access when time is of the essence.
- Call our emergency assistance provider directly. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, it's free to call them at 1-800-555-0870. From all other locations, you can call us collect at 1-416-977-1803.
How can I get volcano travel alerts during my trip?
We may post volcanic activity that could impact your policy coverage on our volcano travel alerts page, so be sure to check it before and during your vacation.
As a Travelex policyholder, the best way to stay updated on volcano concerns is through our Travel On app. Our app can send you immediate safety notifications, show you location information, and more, so it’s essential to set it up before your vacation begins.
Will Travelex let me cancel my trip for any reason?
Our Ultimate, Advantage, and Essential plans — which include volcanic eruption insurance — can help reimburse you for costs tied to a canceled trip for certain eligible reasons only. You can find these reasons in the description of coverage or call our customer service team for more information.
Want to breathe a sigh of relief knowing you can cancel no matter what happens? Consider adding our cancel for any reason upgrade (cancel for any fortuitous reason in NY) to our Ultimate plan. With this upgrade, you can cancel your trip up to two days before departing and get refunded up to 75% of your insured trip costs (up to $7,500).
To include the cancel for any reason upgrade in your policy, you’ll need to:
- Insure all nonrefundable trip costs (with a maximum trip cost of $10,000) in your policy.
- Insure additional travel arrangements within 14 days of booking them.
- Purchase the Ultimate plan and cancel for any reason upgrade 31 days or more before your departure date and within 21 days of your first vacation payment.
Why do I need volcano insurance if my scheduled airline might give me a refund?
Airline rules can make it tricky to get your money back when flights are canceled, especially if you bought a non-refundable ticket.
Even if you do manage to get a refund from the airline for a canceled flight, what about your non-refundable tours, hotels, and other parts of the trip that you paid for? An airline won’t necessarily cover those additional costs.
Travel insurance for volcano incidents can give you the right coverage for your entire trip—not just your flight.
Is travel insurance with volcano coverage worth it?
Volcanoes can sometimes erupt without warning, which means there is always a chance your trip could be affected — especially if you plan to do some volcano sightseeing during your vacation.
If a volcano does erupt near your home or at your destination, travel insurance volcano coverage has the benefits you might need to get back on your feet. This includes coverage for unexpected challenges during your vacation, such as canceled, missed, or delayed flights.
How do I file a claim for a volcanic eruption?
Like the ease of filing a claim online without having to call? Visit our online claims portal to complete the process.
If you prefer to speak to our claims administrator or have questions, you can call or email:
Zurich Travel Claims Administration
- Phone: 1-800-501-4781
- Email: [email protected]
Don’t erupt over ruined trip plans: Consider volcano insurance
Having travel insurance with volcano coverage can feel like you were rescued from approaching molten lava. When unexpected chaos heats up during your trip, volcanic insurance can help cool you down with much needed assistance.
Don’t forget to become familiar with all your travel insurance volcano coverage benefits and exclusions before you head off on your travels, so you're more prepared if anything goes wrong.
Have more questions about our volcano coverage with travel insurance? Feel free to give our customer service team a call at 1-800-228-9792 from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST.
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