Travel After the Istanbul Bombing: Squaremouth Answers Travel Insurance Questions

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Jan 12, 2016, 07:12 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The terrorist bombing of a tourist area in Istanbul may cause concerns among travelers with upcoming trips to the destination. Squaremouth, a leading travel insurance website, answers the top three questions about travel insurance coverage related to the Istanbul bombing.

Am I covered to cancel my upcoming trip to Istanbul?
On Tuesday, January 12, the U.S. Department of State officially declared the Istanbul bombing an act of terrorism. This means travelers who purchased a travel insurance policy prior to January 12 may be able to cancel an upcoming trip to Istanbul, depending on their policy's coverage.

In order for a travelers to be covered to cancel their trip and receive a refund, travel insurance policies typically require that the terrorist attack occur in or near a city on their itinerary, and occur within 7-30 days of the their departure date.

Can I still buy travel insurance for a future trip to Istanbul?
It is too late to purchase travel insurance with coverage for the recent bombing in Istanbul. However, travelers can still purchase policies for cancellation coverage in the event there is a future attack.

"Some policies may exclude coverage for another terrorist attack in the same city within a certain period of time, typically 30-90 days," said Squaremouth CEO Chris Harvey. "This means there may be some policies that will not provide coverage if another attack occurs in Istanbul soon after the bombing."

What if I'm afraid to travel?
While most Trip Cancellation policies include Terrorism coverage, an event must meet the policy's definition of terrorism in order for it to be covered. Canceling out of fear never meets this definition.

The only option for travelers who want the option to cancel out of fear, is to purchase a policy with the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade. Policies with this benefit allow travelers to cancel their trips for an otherwise uncovered reason, including fear. However, with this increased coverage comes an increased price tag and requirements.

The Cancel For Any Reason upgrade requires travelers insure their entire trip cost, and is only available if purchased within 14-30 days of a traveler's initial trip deposit. Cancel For Any Reason will only reimburse up to 75% of trip costs, and travelers must cancel within at least 2-3 days of their departure date.

Squaremouth has launched the Istanbul Bombing and Travel Insurance Information Center to keep travelers up-to-date with travel insurance coverage related to the Istanbul bombing. 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 bombing in Istanbul.

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.

AVAILABLE TOPIC EXPERT
Megan Singh
[email protected]
(727) 378-0983

SOURCE Squaremouth