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Travelling is always a liberating experience – whether you are travelling solo for leisure or for a business meeting. Yet, there are times when external factors can curtail this freedom, for instance– flight cancellation. No matter how timely you plan your journey, flight cancellation can compel you to stay put, sometimes even before taking off.
There can be many reasons for cancellation of the flight such as bad weather, natural disaster or socio-political unrest. Whatever be the reason to cancel your flight, the uncertainty that looms over your head is that you might lose your money. However, there’s no need to worry at all, if you have your ideal travel partner in the form of flight cancellation insurance.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how flight cancellation works in the case of travel insurance and which travel insurer covers the cost of flight cancellation scenarios.
What is Flight Cancellation Insurance?
Flight cancellation insurance is a type of travel insurance plan that provides coverage of the airfare of a missed or a cancelled flight.
Often due to bad weather conditions or unfavourable socio-political scenarios such as a war or pandemic, your booked airline might cancel your air-ticket. Such incidents may land you in a difficult situation, with your money stuck in flight bookings.
Especially during the COVID pandemic, the world struggled with flight cancellations with no relief in sight. More recently, the severe tropical cyclone Gabrielle hitting New Zealand, halted all the flights towards and from New Zealand. Often in such a situation, the airlines do not reimburse the amount of unused air-ticket. That’s where a flight cancellation plan comes to the rescue.
Does Travel Insurance Cover for Cancelled Flights?
Yes, a travel insurance compensates for the cost incurred due to a flight cancellation, disturbance or rescheduling, for a given set of reasons as mentioned in the insurance policy document. Often, some unanticipated circumstances— a technical fault, natural calamity, pandemic, a terror attack, or adverse socio-political situation may result in a cancelled flight. With a flight cancellation benefit, you can get fair compensation in the face of these unprecedented events.
Besides compensating for the cancelled tickets, some travel insurers may also cover any difference in the amount of your airfare along with accommodation (hotel rental) charges that are non-refundable.
When is a Flight Cancellation Insurance Claim Valid?
Under the comprehensive Care International Travel Insurance Plan, your claim for Flight Cancellation Insurance is valid from the Country of Residence to an International Place of Destination under the following criteria:
- Medical Emergency: Death or hospitalisation of the policyholder or his/her immediate family member or a travel companion pertaining to an emergency due to any illness or injury. However, we shall only be liable to pay for such incidents wherein the emergency occurs no earlier than 10 consecutive days from the scheduled flight commencement date.
- Terrorist Attack: If your region or vicinity is under the attack of unlawful, intentional violence and fear.
- Natural Calamity: Earthquake, storm, flood, inundation, cyclone or tempest at or near the Place of Origin of the trip, the Place of Destination or any transitional place involved in, or related to the proposed journey.
- Strikes and Riots: It covers societal violence and unrest, provided that they occur before the commencement of the Policy Term, or near the Place of Origin of the trip, the Place of Destination or any transitional place involved in, or related to the proposed journey.
- Loss of Passport: Given that you lose your passport within 10 consecutive days before the beginning of the policy term.
- Government Advisory: Advisory is issued by the government of any country denying travel.
- Pandemic Situation: Mandatory quarantine or international travel ban posed by the government of any nation.
- Legal Mandate: If a judicial authority or law enforcement agency requires you to appear during the course of its proceedings while the policy term.
Please Note:
- In all the above cases, the insurer will pay a maximum of only one claim per insured in case of a single-trip cover, and maximum of 3 claims in case of the multi-trip cover.
- The coverage of the flight cancellation insurance claim shall be available globally.
Exclusions to Flight Ticket Cancellation Insurance
Under the Care Travel Insurance Plan, flight cancellation insurance claim shall be rejected due to the following reasons:
- A pre-existing disease, childbirth, pregnancy, or a related medical complications to the Insured, his/her immediate family member, or travelling companion,
- Flight Cancellation due to the reasons apart from those listed above, either wholly or partially at the instance of the common carrier or by the travel agent, air-transport authority or any government body
- Flight cancellation due to any natural calamity, which is not declared by appropriate government authority.
How To Claim Coverage for Cancelled Flights under Travel Insurance?
With a trustworthy travel insurer such as Care Health Insurance, you can claim the coverage for your cancelled flights quickly and easily. While your first effort should be to get a complete or partial refund from your booked airline, you can rely on us for optimum financial support against flight cancellation. Here are two scenarios and their underlying steps in which you can claim for flight cancellation insurance:
Scenario 1: Medical Emergency
- Get the discharge summary from the hospital management.
- Get the medical certificate signed by your treating surgeon, stating the reason (disease) due to which you are cancelling your international trip.
- Submit the discharge summary and the medical certificate to our claims team. Your claim will come into processing immediately.
Scenario 2: Natural Calamity/ Pandemic/ Government Advisory
- Get the cancelled trip statement from your booked airline, stating the reason for your flight cancellation, along with the non-refund statement.
- Attach the copy of the government advisory stating the denial to travel to the destination country.
- Furnish the above two documents to the Care Health Insurance claims team. We shall then process your claim request and share updates accordingly.
Our claim settlement team will either arrange for another flight or compensate for the cancelled flight tickets, as per the policy terms and conditions.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Flight Cancellation for "Any Reason"?
No, the travel insurance plan does not cover flight cancellation for any reason other than those specified in the policy brochure and document.
Cancel for “any reason” (CFAR) is a type of coverage that allows the tourists to cancel their travel plans for any reason other than those stated in the policy document.
Protect Your Journey with the Best Travel Insurance for Flight Cancellations
With a flight ticket cancellation insurance plan, you can get compensation for the loss of money in booking expensive flight tickets. To learn more about the claim validity and flight cancellation exclusions, please read the Care travel insurance policy brochure and prospectus carefully.
Disclaimer: The above information is for reference purposes only: Policy Assurance and Claims at the underwriter’s discretion.
