Bad Weather and Natural Disaster Coverage
This is important - While you can buy travel insurance from anyone at the last minute, claims under bad weather coverage from known events are not covered |
Bad Weather or Natural Disaster Coverage in a Travel Insurance policy means that some kind of unexpected inclement weather or unexpected natural disaster causes you to either have to completely cancel your trip, causes your trip to be interrupted (cut short) or makes you have a delay along the way (this is a "Travel Delay". Click here to learn about Travel Delay). Trip Cancellation / Interruption covers things like:
- You miss your cruise and fly to get caught up
- You have to cancel your trip completely if you can't get caught up
- You miss a day or a few days and you need reimbursement for those lost days on your tour
- Your home or destination are rendered uninhabitable
- Travel delays, cancellation or interruption cause you to miss at least 50% of the length of your trip
On the other hand, Trip Cancellation / Interruption for bad weather is different from going to Cancun and having it rain the whole time. You won't have much fun, but unless the bad weather prevents you from getting there, you won't have a valid claim.
Something else that's important is that if you see a hurricane bearing down on your destination, you can't cancel your trip. Your airline or supplier has to be who cancels it.
Here's how bad weather / natural disaster coverage works in common situations. Say there's a hurricane:
- If your trip destination is under a Hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, you can cancel your trip within 24 hours of your Scheduled Departure Date with TravelSafe, provided the cancellation of the your trip occurs more than 15 days following the effective date of your coverage
- You are forced to evacuate by the authorities: CSA, HTH, Travel Guard, Travel Insured and TravelSafe consider this a trip interruption. With Travelex you won't have a valid claim because if you can be transported out, then the "complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier" for the required 24 hours didn't occur.
- You can't get out and are forced to ride out the storm: You also won't have a valid claim because if you don't leave then your trip wasn't cut short.
- Your cruise line substitutes a destination to avoid a storm: You won't have a valid claim because you still got to take the cruise.
- The Travel Insured Comprehensive and Gold plans' coverage has this wording: (this isn't just limited to bad weather)
- If Your Travel Supplier cancels Your Trip, You are eligible for benefits equal to the amount protected for Your airline tickets or the value of the reissue fee. You must have protected the entire cost of Your Trip including the airfare. (Does not apply to Post Departure Plan).
- Some time later you go to a destination that was adversely affected by the storm. If the place is inhabitable, but isn't what you expected or there are damaged facilities, travel insurance won't cover you. It's the responsibility of the travel supplier to make any adjustments.
Snow storms, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, the "Storm of the Century" - you get the picture. No matter what causes your trip to be cancelled, delayed or interrupted, you want to know how to not lose your money. Click here for Travel Delay coverage only.
If you're traveling in the near future and you are reasonably certain that a storm's going to affect you, you won't have any coverage for bad weather if you're buying your travel insurance today. That's because the bad weather isn't an unforeseen event.
CSA Freestyle and Freestyle Luxe plans' Certificate says:
"mandatory evacuation or public official evacuation advisements where there is no mandatory evacuation issued by local government authorities at your destination due to adverse weather or natural disaster. In order to cancel or interrupt your Covered Trip, you must have 4 days or 50% of your total Covered Trip length or less remaining on your Covered Trip at the time the mandatory evacuation ends;"
In addition, you are eligible for cancellation benefits if your Destination or Home is made uninhabitable by a hurricane.
Click here for more information on the CSA Freestyle plans.
_____________________
HTH's Certificate says:
"Adverse weather or natural disasters resulting in the complete cessation of travel services".
Click here for more information on the HTH plans.
_____________________
Travelex's Evidence of Coverage says:
"the complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours".
"Residence of You or Your Traveling Companion, including your covered trip destination accommodations, is rendered uninhabitable due to unforseen circumstances."
Click here for more information on the Travelex plans.
_____________________
Travel Guard's Certificate says:
"TRIP CANCELLATION & INTERRUPTION
(d) Inclement Weather causing delay or cancellation of travel;"
Click here for more information on the Travel Guard plans.
_____________________
Travel Insured's Certificate says:
Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption: The Insurer will pay a benefit, up to the maximum shown on the Schedule of Coverage and Services, if You are prevented from taking or continuing Your covered Trip due to the following Unforeseen events:
... k) Natural disaster at the site of Your destination which renders Your destination accommodations uninhabitable
n) Mandatory evacuation ordered by local authorities at Your destination due to hurricane or other Natural Disaster. You must have 50% or less of Your Trip remaining at the time the mandatory evacuation ends, in order for this benefit to be payable.
"Weather which causes complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours"
The Travel Insured Comprehensive and Gold plans' coverage has this wording: (this isn't just limited to bad weather)
If Your Travel Supplier cancels Your Trip, You are eligible for benefits equal to the amount protected for Your airline tickets or the value of the reissue fee. You must have protected the entire cost of Your Trip including the airfare. (Does not apply to Post Departure Plan).
The Travel Insured Comprehensive and Gold plans' cover you without requiring the "complete cessation of services of Your Common Carrier for at least 24 consecutive hours" if you are forced to evacuate by the authorities. That's because your destination accommodations are considered uninhabitable
Click here for more information on the Travel Insured plan.
_____________________
Travel Safe's Certificate says:
"A cancellation of your Trip if your arrival on the Trip is delayed and causes you to lose 50% or more of the scheduled Trip duration"
Travel Safe's Trip Cancellation Benefit covers:
A cancellation of the Insured's Trip within 24 hours of the Insured's Scheduled Departure Date and time if his or her Trip destination is under a Hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of the Insured's Trip occurs more than 15 days following the Insured's effective date of coverage for the Trip Cancellation Benefits.
Click here for more information on the Travel Safe plan.
Want the right travel insurance plan for your trip? Make one easy toll free phone call to Steve, Tara, Deanna, Becky, Teresa or Mary at 1-888-407-3854 (US & Canada) or 507-214-3854. 8 am - 10 pm Eastern time. Fast service.
Ready to Order? It's easy (and safe) to do online or over the telephone - just call Steve, Tara, Deanna, Becky, Teresa or Mary toll free at 1-888-407-3854 (US & Canada) or 507-214-3854.
PS - Steve has some Free Gifts for you just for visiting TripInsuranceStore.com
PPS - Steve also has a blog called "Who Else Wants To Understand Travel Insurance? Read it here. Or, you can 
Subscribe Here
