What is Trip Delay Travel Insurance? How Does It Protect Me?
Whether a trip is for business or vacation, planning ahead by purchasing the right travel insurance coverage can prevent a miserable travel experience. The right insurance could even provide a pleasant experience, if not quite the experience you originally planned.
Dispelling Confusion: the Differences between Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, and Trip Delay Insurance
These three types of travel insurance cover very different situations.
Trip cancellation insurance covers the time from when the reservations are made up to the date of departure. If, during that period, some event occurs that causes the trip to be cancelled for a covered reason, trip cancellation insurance reimburses some percentage of the prepaid, nonrefundable expenses. The percentage to be reimbursed will be specified in the policy. A variation of trip cancellation insurance, cancellation for any reason (CFAR) insurance covers instances when the trip is cancelled without some related cause.
Trip interruption insurance covers trips that are interrupted after they have begun for covered reasons. It covers some percentage of the prepaid, nonrefundable expenses for portions of the trip that could not be completed as well as a percentage of any air fare needed to resume the trip or to return home. Again, the percentages to be reimbursed will be specified in the policy.
Trip delay insurance covers expenses for food, lodging, and, in some cases, transportation if travel must be delayed.
Why Purchase Trip Delay Insurance?
Because air travel can be disrupted by any number of circumstances beyond the control of the airlines, even airlines flying in the United States have no legal obligation to assist or compensate passengers stranded when flights must be delayed, cancelled, or rerouted. Trip delay insurance coverage begins from the time of departure from home or office. After that, if any event causes the delay of the trip for more than the number of hours specified in the policy, the policy will cover some of the added expenses for food, hotel rooms, and transportation until the trip can be resumed. Trip delay policies do have limits on the amount of expenses covered for each day the trip is delayed as well as an overall limit for the amount of expenses that will be covered for the trip. However, having trip delay travel insurance provides travelers with more pleasant and comfortable options than waiting out the delay at the airport.
As always, read the policy to be certain what is covered.
