Trip interruption coverage is included in travel insurance comprehensive plans. It’s a benefit that offers travelers reimbursement of their pre-paid, non-refundable expenses should they unexpectedly need to cut their travels short.
Exclusions
Travel insurance plans often list exclusions that you’ll need to be aware of before you purchase a policy. Exclusions are situations in which you might decide to interrupt your trip, but which absolutely won’t be covered by your insurance company. Examples may include:
- cutting your trip short because of an illness or injury related to a pre-existing medical condition
- interrupting your trip due to the illness or injury of a friend or distant relative, rather than an immediate family member
- interrupting your trip for work-related reasons such as an unexpected meeting or job interview
There are waivers available for some exclusions, such as the pre-existing conditions waiver, so knowing what’s excluded in your travel insurance policy – and what your individual needs and concerns are – can help you ask the right questions to get valuable additional coverage.
Special Coverage Options
Just as important as understanding what may or may not be a covered reason for interrupting your trip is knowing whether there are benefits available to you that may help you avoid trip interruption under certain circumstances. A good example of a useful coverage option is missed connection coverage, which can help you make arrangements to continue your travel plans even if you miss an important connecting flight or miss getting on your cruise ship at the designated port of call. Read travel insurance documents carefully to see if any such benefit may be available as you’re making determinations about your trip interruption coverage needs.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
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Question
I booked a non refundable trip including hotel & plane tickets for a family of four to an island in Asia. if the government shuts down the island will I get covered by my insurance?
By mabeth - March 21, 2018
Answer
Unfortunately, this is not a covered reason with Trip Cancellation. You will need a policy that has "cancel for any reason" for this concern. There are typically 3 conditions that must be met to purchase a Cancel For Any Reason Rider: Purchase the policy within 10 - 21 days of First Trip Payment; Insure ALL prepaid and non-refundable travel expenses prior to departure; Trip arrangements must be canceled more than 48 -72 hours prior to the departure date. If you meet all 3 of these conditions, this benefit will typically reimburse you 75% of your trip cost, unless otherwise noted. To view policies that offer this benefit, please select the "Cancel for Any Reason" filter once you arrive on the quote results page.
By MattG - March 22, 2018
Question
Planning to travel to Mexico in 2020 for a friends destination wedding. Full cost of trip must be paid 4 months in advance. I am only able to request vacation from work AFTER the trip will have been paid, and there is no guarantee I will be granted the time off. If I am not able to get the time off work and need to cancel my trip, is this something that will be covered by the insurance?
By Heather K - May 20, 2019
Answer
For this concern you will need a policy that includes "Cancel for Any Reason". There are typically 3 conditions that must be met to purchase a Cancel For Any Reason Rider: Purchase the policy within 10 - 21 days of First Trip Payment; Insure ALL prepaid and non-refundable travel expenses prior to departure; Trip arrangements must be canceled more than 48 -72 hours prior to the departure date. If you meet all 3 of these conditions, this benefit will typically reimburse you 75% of your trip cost, unless otherwise noted. To view plans that offer this benefit select the filter labeled "cancel for any reason" on the quote results page.
By MattG - May 20, 2019
Question
The tour director just cancelled our trip to Tuscany. How do I get reimbursed for hotel reservations in Florence Italy?
By MaryB - March 11, 2020
Answer
You would first want to check with your travel suppliers/hotels to see if they are offering refunds. If you are looking to submit a claim, you would want to contact the claims department of the insurance company that is providing your coverage. You can find the claims contact information on the email conformation that you received when you purchased your plan or in the policy documentation.
By Meghan - March 12, 2020
Question
Is CFAR insurance available in Utah?
By Garry - April 17, 2020
Answer
Cancel For Any Reason is typically available for residents of Utah and is usually an optional coverage available on some comprehensive plans. There are some eligibility requirements for this coverage, such as insuring 100% of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs, purchasing your coverage within 10-21 days of your initial trip payment, and you must cancel your trip no less than 2 days prior to departure. Cancel For Any Reason can reimburse a portion, typically up to 50%-75%, of your trip cost depending on the plan purchased. A policy with Cancel For Any Reason can cost an additional 40%-60% more than a standard policy, is not available in all states, and eligibility requirements may differ by company.
By Meghan - April 22, 2020
Question
For trip interruption or cancellation. How would you insure for airfare if you haven’t yet bought the tickets because u are still shopping? I notice policies want u to purchase within a week or two of purchasing trip and sometimes it’s hard to book transport that quickly
By Frances - June 9, 2021
Answer
You can purchase most policies up until the day before departure, however; you may not be eligible for some time sensitive benefits if you do not purchase within 10-21 days of the initial trip deposit/payment. Some time sensitive benefits are, but not limited to: Pre-Existing Condition Waiver, Financial Default, Terrorism, Cancel For Any Reason and Cancel For Work Reasons. You can insure what you have paid for to date and any known costs, and once you make subsequent payments towards the trip prior to departure, you can contact us and update your existing policy accordingly.
By MattG - June 10, 2021
Question
I would like to know if the insurance covers the interruption of a trip and pays all spent and unused costs? Example Ski holiday trip where I got injured on the first day and was unable to ski. I had paid for hotel, ski classes and ski passes for a whole week and I lost all of them. Would this insurance cover these expenses?
By joaquimD - January 4, 2024
Answer
Trip Interruption reimburses the unused portion of the total trip cost that you missed out on, depending on when the trip is interrupted. In addition, most comprehensive policies will cover up to a specified amount listed on the quote for additional expenses incurred when returning home early for a covered reason. To see all of the covered reasons to cancel or interrupt your trip, please click on the dollar amount that appears under the words "Trip Cancellation" when viewing a quote.
By MattG - January 4, 2024