By As police continue their investigation into the deadly terror attack in Manchester, England, travelers may be concerned about upcoming trips to the region. InsureMyTrip pulled together a list of common and answers to common questions on how coverage may apply:
QUESTION: You purchased a comprehensive travel insurance policy back in January for a June trip to Manchester, England. Can you use terrorism as a reason to cancel your trip and get your money back?
ANSWER: Most likely, yes. Because the plan was purchased back in January when terrorism in the city was not considered a foreseen event.
Most travel insurance policies will enable travelers to cancel a trip due to a terrorism act — but there are specific requirements. For example, the attack must happen in the city you plan on visiting within 30 days of a scheduled departure date AND an attack must not have occurred within the 30 days prior to when you purchased the coverage.
Note: not all policies cover terrorism and not all policies have the same requirements.
QUESTION: I want to buy travel insurance for an upcoming trip to Europe with a possible stop in Manchester, England. But I may want to back out of the trip, depending on security concerns. What coverage should I get?
ANSWER: Request Cancel For Any Reason coverage. For travelers who want the flexibility to cancel a trip out of fear of safety should look for a comprehensive travel insurance policy with a Cancel For Any Reason upgrade.
Note: Cancel For Any Reason is a time sensitive benefit that allows you to cancel your trip up to 2-3 days (depending on the plan) prior to departure, and typically reimburses up to 75% of the insured trip cost if all eligibility requirements are met.
QUESTION: The US State Department issued a travel alert for Europe on May 1st. Does that mean I can cancel an upcoming trip to a European country and it will be covered by the travel insurance policy?
ANSWER: No. Comprehensive travel insurance typically does not enable travelers to cancel a trip due to a travel alert.
Note: Cancel For Any Reason coverage would be the only option if it had been purchased.
QUESTION: What other terrorism-related travel insurance coverages may be available?
Terrorism-related travel delay: if a terrorism-related situation causes a significant airport slowdown or flight delay. Note: the delay must be for a certain number of hours, depending on the plan.
Terrorism-related trip interruption: if a terrorism event happens at the destination after the traveler has arrived and the traveler must cut their trip short. Usually, has the same requirements as trip cancellation.
Emergency assistance: most InsureMyTrip travel insurance providers offer 24/7 assistance services for travelers needing help while traveling or faced with an emergency situation during their trip.
Interruption for any reason: enables travelers to return home during a trip for any reason after being on a trip for a specified number of hours, usually 48 or 72 and reimburses a percentage of the prepaid non-refundable trip cost. This coverage is available on a limited number of plans.
For more, contact a licensed travel insurance agent at InsureMyTrip for help.
