Policies will commonly have either "natural disaster" or
"bad weather" or both as covered reasons for their trip
cancellation/interruption coverages. Most policies will state that the
"common carrier" must cease operations for 24 to 48 consecutive hours (depends
on plan) in order for coverage to apply. There are a couple of policies
that don't have a time limit but they do require that it directly affect the
common carrier and some require that you comply with airline standards for
arriving at the airport and for connecting times.
"Natural disaster" is considered to be more restrictive because
of its degree of severity since it requires an emergency situation that
significantly threatens or results in loss of life and/or property.
"Bad weather" on the other hand can be any weather event that
directly causes the common carrier to be delayed or cancelled for the required
time. Most policies will apply this reason to trip cancellation and
interruption coverages however there are a couple of plans that only apply it
to the post-departure trip interruption coverage.
As with all covered reasons the event causing cancellation/interruption must
not be reasonably foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy so if the
storm hasn't been forecast when you buy the insurance than you should be OK.
This is a common covered reason found in most trip cancellation/interruption
coverages. It usually requires that your home (principal place of residence) be
made uninhabitable by:
fire,
flood, or
similar natural disaster(such as a hurricane).
Not all policies include natural disaster as a reason and some policies add that
the event causing your home to be uninhabitable must occur within 10 days of
your scheduled departure date.
As with all covered reasons the event causing cancellation/interruption must not
be reasonably foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy so if the fire
hasn't started or the natural disaster hasn't been forecast when you buy the
insurance than you should be OK.
Go (back) to weather comparison matrix
This is a common covered reason found in most trip cancellation/interruption
coverages. It usually requires that your destination be made uninhabitable by:
fire,
flood, or
similar natural disaster(such as a hurricane).
Not all policies include natural disaster as a reason. Also many companies
consider that your destination has been made uninhabitable when its under a
mandatory evacuation.
As with all covered reasons the event causing cancellation/interruption must
not be reasonably foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy so if the fire
hasn't started or the natural disaster hasn't been forecast when you buy the
insurance than you should be OK.
Go (back) to weather comparison matrix
This is only found in a couple of policies.
It requires that your workplace be made uninhabitable by:
vandalism,
burglary,
fire,
flood,
volcano,
earthquake,
hurricane, or
other natural disaster.
As with all covered reasons the event causing cancellation/interruption must not
be reasonably foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy so if the fire
hasn't started or the natural disaster hasn't been forecast when you buy the
insurance than you should be OK.
Go (back) to weather comparison matrix
Currently this is only found in a couple of policies. It requires a cancellation
of your Trip within 24 hours of your Scheduled Departure Date and time if your
Trip destination is under a hurricane warning issued by the NOAA National
Hurricane Center, provided the cancellation of your Trip occurs more than 15
days following your effective date of coverage for the Trip Cancellation
Benefits.
As with all covered reasons the event causing cancellation/interruption must not
be reasonably foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy so if the
hurricane hasn't formed or hasn't been named when you buy the insurance than you
should be OK.
Six plans currently include this coverage. It generally refers to the Trip Delay
benefit (additional living expenses) and provides for cancellation/interruption
benefits if:
you first have a valid claim under the Trip Delay benefit and
it has resulted in the loss of 50% or more of your trip due to the covered
delay.
Trip Delay is found in all package policies and provides for additional living
expenses based on a per day maximum rate if your trip is delayed due to a
specific covered reason. Most policies include delays caused by "natural
disasters". Some include "bad weather" causing your
common carrier to be delay. All of the plans require that you be delayed
for 6 to 12 consecutive hours before the benefit applies. As with all
covered reasons the event causing your travel delay must not be reasonably
foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy.
Go (back) to weather comparison matrix
A couple of plans include specific coverage for Mandatory evacuations or for
official public advisements for evacuation that are due to adverse weather or
natural disaster.
In order to cancel or interrupt your Covered Trip,
you must have 4 days or 50% of your total Covered Trip length, or
less remaining on your Covered Trip at the time the mandatory evacuation
ends.
As with all covered reasons the event causing cancellation/interruption must not
be reasonably foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy so if the
hurricane hasn't formed or hasn't been named when you buy the insurance than
you should be OK.
Go (back) to weather comparison matrix
This is the Trip Delay benefit that is found in all "package" policies. It
provides for additional living expenses that are actually incurred up to a daily
maximum person. In addition to the daily maximum they also have a policy
maximum. The Trip Delay must be caused by a specific covered reason. Usually
this will include "natural disasters" and/or
"bad weather" affecting your common carrier. All of the plans
require that you be delayed for more than a specific number of hours
(the actual number of hours depends on the plan) in order to be eligible for
coverage.
As with all covered reasons the event causing cancellation/interruption must not
be reasonably foreseeable at the time you purchase the policy so if the
hurricane hasn't formed or hasn't been named when you buy the insurance than
you should be OK.
