What you need to know about winter storms and travel insurance coverage

Everyone loves a good getaway over the winter months. But navigating winter storms and severe weather can sometimes put a damper on your travels. We’ve got answers to some of the most common questions for travelling during winter storms and how your Travel Guard® travel insurance may help.

As always, be sure to read the policy of insurance for your specific plan to understand how you are covered.

Most Travel Guard travel insurance plans that include trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits provide coverage for inclement weather, which means weather conditions, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions that delay your scheduled carrier’s departure by at least 30% of your scheduled trip duration may be covered by your plan, subject to the terms and conditions of the specific plan.

No. Most Travel Guard travel insurance plans that include trip cancellation and trip interruption include the delay of your scheduled carrier due to weather conditions as a covered risk. The delay must be for at least 30% of your scheduled trip duration. Check the policy of insurance for the coverage you are considering to ensure this covered risk is included in the plan.

Yes, if the policy you purchased includes trip interruption or trip delay benefits. Your policy may be extended past your originally scheduled return date if you are delayed due to a covered unforeseen event, as listed in your policy of insurance. Please review your policy for more details.

If you are currently travelling and inclement weather is impacting your trip, either preventing you from returning home or causing you to leave early, you can call us any time and our specially trained representatives can help you find a way home.

Our representatives can help with rebooking flights or hotels and help to get you safely home. 

Typically travel insurance doesn’t cover bad weather if it’s simply putting a damper on your plans. 

Travel Guard’s travel insurance plans come with 24/7 emergency assistance services. That’s access to specially trained representatives who can help you anytime day or night. Our representatives can help you rebook flights or reroute your itinerary to help you get where you need to be!

Insurance must be purchased prior to when a severe winter storm warning or watch is issued. If you purchase your insurance after a severe winter weather warning or watch has been issued, you will not have coverage for trip cancellation and interruption losses resulting from the winter storm. Travel insurance is designed to cover losses arising from sudden and unforeseeable circumstances. There is no coverage if you have knowledge at the time you book your trip or purchase your policy of any reason why your trip might be cancelled, interrupted or delayed.

No. For a travel insurance plan that you purchased ahead of inclement weather, a winter storm warning/watch does not need to be issued for coverage to apply, but other terms and conditions of the policy may apply. Be sure to review your policy.