You may have seen Trip Interruption coverage listed in your travel insurance benefits, but what does that actually mean? It’s definitely not a coverage you want to skip over reading, since it comes in handy more times than we think when we travel. We’ll go over what you need to know in regards to getting the most out of Trip Interruption insurance.
What is Trip Interruption Insurance?
When looking at the big picture, Trip Interruption coverage comes with most (if not all!) comprehensive travel insurance plans. This specific coverage comes into play when you need to cut your trip short for a covered reason, which we’ll explain next.
What does it cover?
No one ever wants to leave early from vacation, but sometimes, emergencies and more important events come up that force you home before you had planned. When looking at Trip Interruption coverage, you can be reimbursed up to 150% of your non-refundable trip cost, plus transportation to get you home or your originally planned return destination.
Not only will this benefit get your unused deposits or prepayments back, but it will save you the cost of purchasing new flight tickets. It’s amazing how a trip insurance plan can pay for itself when you need to use it!
This isn’t to say you can leave your trip early just because. There are covered reasons for using this benefit such as:
- You need to rejoin your trip after your scheduled departure date due to you missing your initial trip departure
- You need to go home earlier than expected due to an emergency
- Some policies let you claim additional costs if a traveling companion has to remain hospitalized and you need to stay with them
What doesn’t Trip Interruption cover?
With any travel insurance plan, there are some exclusions to keep in mind before purchasing. Some events that usually aren’t covered under Trip Interruption include:
- Civil Unrest
- Normal Pregnancy
- Pre-Existing Conditions (purchase without a waiver)
- Work-Related Reasons
Because most of these reasons are known events at the time your policy is purchased, interruption coverage is excluded. Travel insurance protects your investment from unexpected and unforeseen occurrences that harm your travel plans.
What about Interruption for Any Reason coverage?
If you’re looking for more flexible reasons to interrupt your travel plans, you might want to look at the benefit called Interruption for Any Reason. This coverage works similar to Cancel For Any Reason coverage. This interruption add-on allows you to go home early from your trip for any reason at all and receive up to 75% of your non-refundable expenses back.
Be wary that you must notify your insurance company of your trip interruption within 72 hours of your “actual departure date” as stated by well known travel insurance company, Travel Insured International.
Understanding Trip Interruption insurance can greatly benefit you before leaving for your trip. We hope you never have to use it, but you’ll at least have better peace of mind as you prepare for your travels with travel insurance. Don’t forget to compare policies to get the best priced policy with the most comprehensive coverage. It’s the best tip we can give in regards to travel preparation and purchasing the right policy.