Travel Delays and Insurance Coverage for Memorial Day Weekend
With Memorial Day weekend approaching, many Americans are planning to travel. However, it’s important to be aware that travel delays are common, with about 20% of travelers experiencing them each year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Having travel insurance can help cover financial losses due to delays or cancellations, but it’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered.
Most travel insurance plans include Travel Delay coverage, which can reimburse travelers for meals and hotel stays if their trip is delayed for a certain amount of time, typically between 3 and 12 hours. This coverage usually applies when the delay is caused by the travel supplier, such as bad weather or mechanical issues, or due to incidents like needing to deplane a disruptive passenger or issues with overbooking.
However, it’s important to note that not all delays are insurable. For example, travel insurance generally does not cover missed flights due to traffic or airport security delays. As such, Squaremouth advises travelers to consider possible delays and leave for the airport early. They also recommend choosing a travel insurance policy with the most lenient delay coverage, ideally one that activates after only a three-hour delay and covers any common carrier delay.
