Travel Insurance Claims for Delays Are Surging: 4 Things Travelers Need to Know

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Jun 13, 2019, 13:58 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel insurance claims for travel delays are at an all-time high, increasing by 92% over last year, according to Squaremouth data. This summer, if you find yourself stuck at the airport for hours, or even overnight, travel insurance may reimburse your expenses.

Most travel insurance policies include Travel Delay coverage as a built-in benefit for travelers, and will typically reimburse between $250-$1,500 per traveler depending on the policy. As the busy summer travel season begins, Squaremouth shares its expert tips on getting Travel Delay claims approved.

Contact Emergency Assistance

All travel insurance providers have a 24-Hour Emergency Assistance department, which can offer immediate help and advice if you experience an emergency or delay while traveling.

Before making any changes to your itinerary or spending money on a hotel room, travelers experiencing a flight delay or flight cancellation should first call their provider's Emergency Assistance to confirm their coverage details and options.

Get a Statement From Your Airline

Travel insurance providers typically require a statement confirming you were actually delayed and why. Most policies require a traveler to be delayed for a minimum of 3 hours in order to be reimbursed, however some policies don't provide coverage until a delay exceeds 12 hours.

Most paid Travel Delay claims are for severe weather or a mechanical breakdown that impacts a flight. However, missing your flight because you got caught up at a security checkpoint, especially as airports increase security measures, is not covered.

Keep Your Receipts

The Travel Delay benefit can reimburse you for meals, hotels and transportation while your trip is delayed, but you must remember to keep your receipts from purchases made during the delay. If you forget, or if receipts are not available, your bank or credit card statement will usually be enough.

Gather Your Trip Documentation

Providers may ask travelers to send in documents confirming the impact of an airline delay on their travel plans, such as an original and updated trip itinerary. For example, if your airline carrier delay causes you to miss a cruise ship departure, you may also be covered by the Travel Delay benefit to catch up to your cruise.

ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH

Squaremouth compares travel insurance policies from 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:
Jenna Hummer
[email protected]
(727) 260-5012

SOURCE Squaremouth