InsureMyTrip Blog

This morning, some news from the Weather Channel caught our eye: Although June 1 is marked as the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane season each year, it’s not unheard of for tropical storms to develop earlier than June 1.  In fact, in recent years, early formation of storms has happened several times.

What does that mean for travelers?  Better safe than sorry; better early than late.  In other words, don’t forget the cardinal rule of purchasing travel insurance for hurricane season: Buy it before the storm is named.  Once tropical storms are named, they’re officially considered an active threat, which makes them “known perils” in travel insurance parlance.  And if you’ve ever read a travel insurance policy from cover to cover, you probably figured out somewhere in that reading that “known perils” are not generally covered by even the best of travel insurance plans.

If this information surprises you, picture this: You’ve just purchased a vacation home and are calling to have the house insured.  While you’re on the phone with your insurance company, water from the nearby lake is rising and lapping at the back door.  Would you expect to be able to purchase flood insurance for your house?  That’s the scenario travelers are facing when a major weather event has been identified as a threat.  For this reason, we have always strongly encouraged travelers to make sure that they’re aware of hurricane season as a period of high potential for travel disruptions, and that they purchase their policies well in advance to avoid any issues that might prevent them from being eligible for coverage.

Knowing that June 1 is fast approaching, and that it’s no magic number — realistically, as the Weather Channel reminds us, a storm could strike at any time from here on out — the smartest and safest thing you can do to protect any upcoming trips you’ve planned is to look into purchasing a travel insurance policy as soon as possible.  That way, you’ll be protected fully within the parameters of your plan if a storm does strike, while those who haven’t planned ahead could find themselves out of luck.

For more information about travel insurance during hurricane season, you may be interested in reading these posts from our archives:

How has travel insurance coverage changed since Hurricane Katrina?
What happens if my travel plans are delayed or cancelled due to a hurricane?
What if my accommodations are destroyed by a hurricane?
What if my home or the area I live in is severely damaged by a hurricane, and I can’t travel?
Are there any “little known” scenarios I should learn about before I travel during hurricane season?

Image credit: Wikimedia user Piotrus, licensed under Creative Commons attribution

There’s a lot going on in the world of travel this week — so much, in fact, that it’s almost difficult to decide what to talk about.  Should we discuss the ongoing snowstorms and raging floods happening in various parts of the country, which are having the usual deleterious effects on travel?  What about the sequester-related furloughs that are crippling airports and creating a demand for exemption to the tarmac delay rule?  Or how about some discussion on the subject of the sudden and shocking change fee hikes announced by major airlines?

The truth is, there is almost no event in the travel world that doesn’t tie back to insurance somehow.  Whenever things go wrong and travelers are stressed or inconvenienced, there’s the possibility that some type of travel insurance coverage, somewhere, in some policy offered by some provider, could be of help.  There are no guarantees, and as always, coverage for events like the ones unfolding so rapidly in recent days is entirely dependent upon the individual traveler’s situation and insurance policy.  However, it’s worth running through some of the highlights in case you find that your circumstances resemble any of the following:

1. FAA Dismay.  If you’re waiting at the airport…and waiting…and waiting…to get on a flight that has been delayed by the ongoing FAA furlough drama, check the terms of your insurance policy.  Most of them stipulate that after 5 or more hours of travel delay, you can at least seek reimbursement for incidental expenses related to your comfort and well-being, such as food or lodgings near the airport (in cases of extreme delay).  Make sure that if you’re planning to file a claim for these items, you keep all your receipts to help make your claims process go more smoothly.  Travel insurance coverage may also, in some cases, allow you to cancel your trip altogether after a significant delay (usually 24 hours or more, or a certain percentage of your scheduled trip length), and receive reimbursement of your pre-paid, non-refundable expenses.
   It’s also worth keeping in mind that beyond financial reimbursements, travel insurance providers are able to provide you with tangible assistance to navigate the frustration of a hitch in your plans.  A phone call to your provider’s assistance hotline could get you help in rebooking flights or finding hotel accommodations as needed.
2. Speaking of rebooking… Rebooking your flight could, of course, come with one of those monstrous change fees that’s just been announced by some of the major carriers.  The good news is that since travel insurance tends to operate on a “make-whole” philosophy, chances are good that you’d be able to file a claim that includes your rebooking fee.  The intention of a sound travel insurance policy would be to ensure that you are able to change plans due to unforeseen circumstances without having to absorb significant additional costs.  Your travel insurance company will, of course, only consider reimbursement of expenses that aren’t already refunded to you by the airline, so you’ll need to make sure that you understand and account for any adjustments made to your account by your carrier before you file your claim.  Also, while it’s not a given on all policies, your particular insurance company might have a maximum amount that can be reimbursed for change fees, so make sure you know what the terms of your plan are.
3. Tarmac Torture.  Time for some brutal honesty: There isn’t much that your travel insurance can really do for you if you’re subjected to an unbearably long tarmac delay, beyond the benefits for travel delay that we’ve already discussed.  Complicating matters further, once you’re on that airplane and the push-back is stopped, your options for changing plans are obviously quite limited, since you’re not going to be allowed to leave the aircraft.  However, if you do get to deplane after some length of time, it’s better to be one of the lucky travelers who has an insurance company to assist with rebooking hassles and reimbursements than to be without.

This is, without a doubt, an interesting time to be traveling.  With greater potential for inconveniences than we can recall in recent memory, something as relatively simple as boarding an airplane is suddenly an action that’s not for the faint of heart.  If you’re traveling in the near future and would like to discuss the terms of your travel insurance policy with an expert prior to your departure, so that you can be fully prepared for any eventuality, please feel free to call our licensed Customer Care representatives at 800-590-2650.

Image credit: Patriotmissile at the English Language Wikipedia, used under Creative Commons Attribution

As tensions escalate between North Korea and the rest of the world — most notably, its neighbor, peaceable South Korea — many travelers and American citizens abroad are beginning to wonder whether or not they’re really safe from the potential threat posed by Pyongyang.  As of today, the US State Department issued a statement which assures Americans that they are in no immediate danger, and that despite North Korea’s threats of “thermonuclear war” to be visited upon the South, no one needs to leave South Korea for safety reasons at this time.  Of course, that doesn’t fully allay the concerns of those who are already in South Korea, or who may be scheduled to travel there within the near future.

We’ve received many phone calls and inquiries about the position travel insurance holds on situations of delicate global security such as this one.  In short, the current situation can be broken down into two component parts: What’s happening today, and what may happen in the near future, if North Korea is to be believed.

As of today:
While the prospect of being an American in South Korea may be an uneasy one, according to the opinion of the State Department, there is no real imminent concern.  At this writing, the State Department has not issued either a travel alert or a travel warning regarding South Korea.  It’s worth pointing out, in any case, that the coverage offered by travel insurance policies even if there had been an alert or warning from the government would be somewhat limited and specific.

If you’re already there, while you should certainly exercise due caution, making the decision to curtail your trip and come home would be entirely up to you — and entirely on your dime.  If you’re planning to go there in the near future, your best bet is a travel insurance policy that offers Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage; with CFAR, you can make whatever decision is most comfortable for you regarding whether or not to fulfill your travel plans, as long as you meet the criteria for purchase eligibility as well as stay within the required window of time for cancelling your trip.

In the future:

Certainly, we wouldn’t want to speculate on what may happen, but many cautious travelers are already wondering how the situation might continue to unfold.  In the event that the State Department does, in fact, issue a travel warning, only a thorough reading of the terms of your specific travel insurance policy can answer any question about whether or not you’d be covered for cancelling your planned trip.  In most cases, travel insurance specifies that the warning would have to have been issued as the direct result of a terrorist attack on an itinerary city — a stipulation under which a threat by North Korea towards South Korea would not apply.

It’s also important to make note of the fact that if North Korean aggression escalates, and the worst — an outbreak of war between the neighboring countries — were to happen, war is typically a fully excluded reason for cancellation under the terms of most travel insurance policies.  While that’s bad luck for the traveler, again, CFAR coverage could possibly offer you the opportunity to cancel your trip regardless.

We should also note that there is some coverage available that may help if you’re already in South Korea at a time when war or particularly worrisome political violence has broken out.  Some travel insurance providers offer Non-Medical Evacuation coverage.  In plain terms, this type of coverage offers emergency evacuation to travelers who are facing immediate risk of harm due to circumstances such as civil, military or political unrest; natural disaster; or your declaration as a Persona non Grata by local authorities.  The coverage and stipulations vary by policy and provider, but in general, if the risk becomes great enough that either the host country itself or the U.S. State Department declares that American citizens ought to cease traveling in that region, the Non-Medical Evacuation Rider can be employed to assist you in getting to a safer location.

At this point in time, there is no reason to believe that any of the scenarios we’ve speculated upon are going to happen; we certainly hope fervently that all tensions subside quickly, and that South Korea remains a hospitable place for all travelers.  However, it’s important to be prepared for all eventualities. We offer everyone our best wishes for continued safety and security, and urge you to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have about the impact of this developing political situation on your travel plans.