Travelers affected by Winter Storm Juno should expect it to take several days to clear the backlog of delayed and stranded passengers. With widespread disruptions, many travelers are understandably asking whether their travel insurance will cover delays, cancellations and extra expenses.
Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, maintains an online resource with real-time updates such as official provider statements, travel advisories and frequently asked questions. Squaremouth also contacted several travel insurance providers for general guidance about coverage related to Winter Storm Juno. Summaries from those providers follow:
- Allianz Global Assistance: Travelers who purchased policies before Jan. 26 may qualify for coverage if their confirmation letter lists “travel delay” as a benefit. Eligible customers could be reimbursed for out-of-pocket transportation, lodging or meal expenses incurred because of a delay by a common carrier of six or more consecutive hours. Some policies also cover prepaid, non-refundable trip costs lost to the delay and may permit cancellation or trip interruption if the delay causes the insured to miss more than 50 percent of the planned trip.
- APRIL Travel Protection: If the blizzard causes flight delays or cancellations, APRIL’s Stress-Less Benefits may be triggered for policyholders. In such cases APRIL may provide expedited services, including instant adjudication in the policyholder’s favor, assistance with rebooking, and potentially covering the cost of new flights when APRIL arranges the bookings.
- Global Alert: Generally, when a flight is delayed or canceled due to inclement weather and services are fully suspended for the number of hours specified in a plan (commonly 12 or 24 hours), policyholders can take an alternate flight when travel resumes and be reimbursed for unused land or water arrangements and specified additional transportation costs up to the plan limits. If rescheduling is infeasible, cancellation coverage may apply. Coverage does not apply if you cancel solely because of the possibility a storm will affect your home or destination, though it may apply if your home becomes uninhabitable because of the storm. If a plan includes travel delay benefits, additional meal and accommodation expenses may be reimbursed up to the plan’s limits when you have already left home and are delayed for the specified number of hours due to flight delays or cancellations.
Coverage details vary by policy and provider. Travelers should review their individual policy documents, check the insurer’s official guidance, and contact their provider or travel agent directly for confirmation of coverage, claim procedures and required documentation. Keeping receipts for any unexpected expenses and records of airline communications will help support reimbursement claims.
For the latest provider statements and situation updates, consult the insurer resources listed in your policy confirmation or the real-time information offered by comparison services like Squaremouth.