Brussels Terrorist Attacks: Travel Insurance Fact Sheet

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Mar 22, 2016, 04:01 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A series of terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium has shut down transportation and led to a wave of questions and concerns from travelers with plans to visit Europe. Travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth explains what travelers need to know now about coverage related to these terrorist attacks.

Key Facts About Travel Insurance Coverage Following the Brussels Terrorist Attacks

If You Have an Upcoming Trip to Brussels

On March 22, the U.S. Department of State officially declared the Brussels attacks as an act of terrorism, meaning travelers may have cancellation coverage depending on their policy.
Travelers who purchased a travel insurance policy before March 22 may be eligible to cancel their trip if their policy includes Terrorism coverage. In order to trigger this benefit, policies must meet some or all of the following requirements:
- Traveler's departure date must be within 7-30 days of the date of the Brussels attacks
- Traveler's itinerary must include Brussels or an area within 50-100 miles of Brussels
If the Brussels attacks do not meet a traveler's policy requirements for Terrorism coverage, they may still be covered to cancel if their policy includes the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade.

If You Do Not Currently Have Travel Insurance

As of March 22nd, it is too late to purchase a policy to include any coverage related to the recent Brussels terrorist attacks.
Travelers who are concerned about future attacks in Brussels or other destinations can still buy a policy with Terrorism coverage.
- Some policies do not cover terrorist attacks if a previous terrorist attack has occurred in the same city within the past 90 days

If Your Current Travel is Affected

Travelers who were delayed by the attacks and subsequent transportation shutdown may have coverage under the Travel Delay benefit.
- Most policies provide Travel Delay coverage for "any delay of a common carrier" - meaning travelers may be eligible for this benefit regardless of whether their policy includes Terrorism coverage
- Travel Delay reimburses additional expenses during an unexpected delay, including meals and accommodations
- In order for the benefit to be triggered, the traveler must be delayed for their policy's specified time limit, which typically ranges between 3-12 hours
If your flight has been canceled because of the attacks, you may be covered to cancel your trip if the attack meets your policy's Terrorism requirements.
Travelers currently in Brussels may be covered to return home early if their travel insurance policy includes Terrorism coverage.

If You Want to Cancel Future Travel Out of Fear of Terrorism

Fear of traveling is not a covered reason to cancel a trip on standard travel insurance policies.
The Cancel For Any Reason upgrade can provide coverage for travelers who are canceling for reasons otherwise denied, including fear of traveling.
This upgrade will significantly increase the cost of a travel insurance policy and will only reimburse up to 75% of your trip cost. Other requirements apply.

Squaremouth launched the Brussels Terrorist Attacks and Travel Insurance Information Center to keep travelers up-to-date with travel insurance coverage related to the series of terrorist attacks in Brussels on March 22. This online resource is updated with official provider position statements, answers to frequently asked questions, and current government travel alerts and notices related to the terrorist attacks in Belgium.

AVAILABLE TOPIC EXPERT
Rachael Taft
[email protected]
(727) 264-5174

ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH
Squaremouth is an online company that compares travel insurance products from virtually every major travel insurance provider in the United States. Using Squaremouth's comparison engine and third party customer reviews, travelers can research and compare insurance products side-by-side. More information can be found at www.squaremouth.com.

SOURCE Squaremouth