How to Claim Travel Insurance for Flight Cancellation?

How Does Flight Cancellation Insurance Work?

Flight cancellation insurance is a part of most travel insurance policies which offers financial relief during such situations. It can cover you for missed connections, the extra costs in booking an alternative flight, etc.

A cancelled flight is more than a two way ticket which is no longer usable. It means a complete upheaval of your itinerary, missed opportunities and non-refundable losses. Your flight can be cancelled for many reasons, ranging from airline emergencies to natural disasters. But the consequences are same- abrupt and undesirable change in plans, financial loss and a lot of disappointment.

If your policy also offers trip cancellation coverage, then along with the flight tickets reimbursement you can also get reimbursed for the unused portion of trips, and specific non-refundable costs like hotels and tour packages. The coverage varies from insurer to insurer, so knowing what your policy offers is important.

What Counts as a 'Covered Reason' for Flight Cancellation?

Your flight can be cancelled either because of your flight carrier or because of your reasons. Let's look at some examples to understand the reasons behind a flight's cancellation:

• Bad weather like dense fog, typhoons, etc.
• Default of the airline company
• Any natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, etc.
• Any strikes or other actions by the flight carrier's employees

In such events and other reasons that may be caused by your carrier, your cancellation charges will be covered by the airline. However, the airline usually only covers the flight expenses and not the other expenses you faced.

Can You Claim Reimbursement if Your Flight is Cancelled?

Short answer - yes! You can claim compensation for cancellation, interruption, or rescheduling if it is among the reasons for which you were insured. There can be several reasons that may force your flight to be cancelled- technical glitches, natural disasters, terror attacks, or adverse social or political conditions.

Not only this, but you can also claim compensation for any difference in the amount of your flight ticket cost, along with accommodation changes. Your insurer will provide compensation not only for the unused tickets but also for any unplanned additional expenses, which can include overnight hotel accommodation because of delays or cancellations.

However, this depends a lot on your travel insurance provider and what are conditions you were insured for.

How Does Travel Insurance Work for Trip Cancellation?

If the trip cancellation is initiated by you, then there are many things to consider. In this case, you should be well aware of your policy coverage benefits. The following are some examples to help you understand:

• You or anyone accompanying you gets hospitalised (COVID-19 also included) or gets into an accident
• In the event of the death of an immediate family member
• You or any co-traveller or their immediate family suffers from an injury preventing their journey.

In such a condition, if you don't have a flight cancellation cover, you will not receive any compensation for the flight tickets, booked accommodation, etc. Therefore, it is highly recommended to buy flight ticket cancellation insurance plans as soon as you've purchased your flight tickets so that you don't suffer damages.

Most flight cancellation insurance covers not only reimburses you for such issues but also helps with the refund of other booking amounts that are refundable.

How to Claim Flight Cancellation Insurance?

If you need to cancel your trip because of one of the insured reasons, you can be assured that your travel insurance cover will provide reimbursement for your losses.

Here's a step‑by‑step guide: claiming flight cancellation insurance under your international travel insurance plan:

Step 1: Inform your insurance provider of the reasons for the cancellation

Step 2: Submit all the required documents. Here's a general documentation checklist like a completed claim form, a copy of the correspondence with the airline that verifies the cancellation, original invoices, and other relevant documents.

Step 3: Wait for your insurer to process your claim. Once approved, you will be reimbursed.

Please note that most insurers do not entertain any flight cancellation claims if you don't cancel your flight at least 24 hours before its scheduled departure. Other than this, many other factors could affect your compensation.

When Can You Not Claim Reimbursement for Cancelled Flight?

While flight insurance plans help you with several reimbursements, please remember that each policy has its limitations and you won't be covered for certain things Some conditions where you won't be compensated are given below:

• Cancellations because of depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol abuse, and other nervous disorders
• Strikes and labour disputes that were issued before you purchased the insurance
• Cancellations because of transport provider's or agent's defaults
• Any delays caused by the orders of the port authority and other similar bodies
• Due to any non-urgent surgery or treatment which is not because of an accident
• Cancellations because of pregnancy and related issues
• If you were travelling against your doctor's advice with any pre-existing condition

There can be more reasons, as per your travel insurance plan where you won't be able to claim travel insurance for flight cancellation. Make sure to compare different plans on Policybazaar.com before buying one!

To Conclude,

Any situation can change and cause you to cancel your plans. This is why having a good travel insurance plan is very important. You also need to ensure if your situation is covered under your policy or not. If it isn't, you will not be able to claim compensation under flight cancellation insurance. Thus, you should read all the conditions of your international travel insurance policy. You can carefully compare them online at Policybazaar.com before buying one. It is important to know the eligibility of your travel insurance policy and decide the right for your possible situation.