NEW YORK, July 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With Tropical Storm
Barry expected to become the first named hurricane of 2019, thus
begins the storm season that will likely impact hundreds of
thousands of travelers, according to TravelInsurance.com. The
question many travelers have is "Will my travel plans be affected,
and if so, how can I make sure I don't lose the hard-earned money
I've invested in this vacation?"
In the hopes of demystifying travel insurance as it relates to
tropical storms, TravelInsurance.com answers the most common
questions related to travel during hurricane season:
Do I really need to purchase travel insurance just in case
there is a hurricane?
Hurricanes, along with other types of
storms and unpredictable weather, can and do frequently derail
travel plans. If you are traveling from, or headed to, an area that
is prone to hurricanes, purchasing travel insurance is a wise move
if you want to protect your investment.
Will travel insurance cover me if my flight is delayed or
cancelled in the event of a hurricane?
Yes. Trip
cancellation coverage provides travelers reimbursement for their
insured trip costs if they have to cancel prior to their departure
date due to a covered reason. Most trip cancellation plans include
coverage for unexpected natural disasters such as hurricanes if the
event causes either an extended shutdown in carrier services or
renders the destination uninhabitable. Some travel insurance plans
will even cover official hurricane warnings by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency that tracks and
forecasts tropical storms and hurricanes.
Will travel insurance cover me if my trip is interrupted by a
hurricane?
Yes. Trip interruption coverage will
reimburse the unused, non-refundable portions of a trip if a
traveler has to cancel and abandon a trip after it's already
started. The covered reasons in a travel insurance plan for trip
interruption are usually the same as the covered reasons for trip
cancellation. Some plans will offer a coverage limit for trip
interruption that's more than the amount insured under trip
cancellation in order to account for any extra expenses incurred to
get home early.
What if my destination is damaged during a storm, but it
happens before I leave?
If your destination is made
uninhabitable by a hurricane or other natural disaster, trip
cancellation will provide coverage.
What if I am affected by a storm, but it does not turn into a
named hurricane?
Any severe weather that prevents you from
traveling to your destination or affects your ability to stay at
your destination will likely be covered under the Trip Delay or
Trip Cancellation benefits. This includes severe tropical or winter
storms. But again, if the tropical or winter storm is named, it is
no longer possible to purchase insurance to protect against it.
What if I am concerned about a storm, but the airline or
cruise company has not cancelled service – can I get reimbursed if
I decide to cancel?
This depends on the type of insurance
you purchase and what your plan includes. For example, some plans
offer trip cancellation coverage for hurricane warnings at your
destination issued by NOAA, if the insurance is purchased before
the storm is named. The other option is to purchase a Cancel For
Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade, which allows the insured to cancel their
trip for any reason. CFAR is typically only available as an option
at the time the policy is purchased and requires the traveler to
insure 100% of their pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs. And
importantly, the traveler must purchase the policy within a set
number of days (usually 7-21 days) of their initial trip payment
date. With CFAR, either 50% or 75% of the trip costs will be
reimbursed, depending on the plan selected.
When should I purchase travel insurance and how soon is it
effective?
While a policy can be purchased up until the day
before you depart, it's best to purchase travel insurance soon
after making the first payment towards the trip. And most
importantly the travel insurance should be purchased before a
disruptive event happens. Some benefits and coverages are available
only if you've purchased your policy within a short window,
which typically ranges from 7-21 days from the date you make your
initial payment. Time-sensitive benefits include CFAR and a
Pre-existing Condition Exclusion Waiver. Travel insurance plans
become effective on the day immediately after you purchase it.
How much does travel insurance cost?
There are several
factors that go into the cost of an insurance plan, but typically
travel insurance plans cost between 4% and 10% of the total trip
costs. The biggest factors that affect the policy price are the age
of travelers and the amount of trip costs.
"The most important thing to remember is to buy your travel
insurance early and before a storm is named," said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of
TravelInsurance.com. "Especially during the annual hurricane season
from June to November, we recommend purchasing travel insurance
immediately after making the first purchase toward your trip to
make sure you are covered when that unexpected snafu happens."
For more information and travel tips, visit
www.travelinsurance.com.
About
TravelInsurance.com:
TravelInsurance.com helps simplify
the complicated world of travel insurance by providing consumers
with the easiest way to compare and buy trip insurance coverage
online. A member company of the U.S. Travel Insurance Association,
owned and operated by DigiVentures Holdings, LLC, a licensed agency
that works with some of the largest travel insurers in the
industry. Purchases can be made directly through the website, with
policies sent via email within minutes.
This release was issued through Send2Press®, a unit of
Neotrope®. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at
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SOURCE TravelInsurance.com