InsureMyTrip, a NOAA Weather-Ready Nation WRN Ambassador™, launched a new hurricane preparedness campaign this week to help travelers best prepare for the season. As a dedicated NOAA partner, InsureMyTrip is committed to improving travelers' readiness and responsiveness against extreme weather. To help travelers stay informed and be better prepared, this educational campaign includes several initiatives with content delivery across all platforms.

InsureMyTrip has expanded its 2022 Hurricane Educational Center to include more information to better assist travelers with their upcoming trip.  The content hub also offers access to travel data, a free travel guide ebook, videos, and other resources.

Buy Early

InsureMyTrip reminds travelers about the advantages of buying trip insurance early. Once a storm starts forming, it is considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm.

How Hurricane Coverage Works

Travel insurance is an effective and cost-efficient way to cope with the risk of travel during hurricane season and to help guard against potential financial losses.

When it comes to severe weather, here are some examples of how insurance may enable travelers to receive reimbursement of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs if they must cancel a trip due to severe weather-related issues that are covered under the trip cancellation benefit:

Flights are grounded due to a hurricane: Many plans may cover a traveler when common carriers such as airlines and cruise lines cease service due to weather. The cessation of services must be for a certain number of hours, usually 24-48.

Resort is in the path of a hurricane: A few plans may cover when the traveler's destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning.*

A hurricane damaged my hotel or resort: Many plans may cover a traveler when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm.

A hurricane damaged my home: Many plans may offer coverage when the primary home of a traveler sustains destructive storm damage that renders the home uninhabitable.

I changed my mind: For the opportunity to cancel a trip for reasons other than those listed as "covered reasons" on a policy, a traveler may consider Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) protection.

CFAR is an optional time-sensitive benefit available on some plans that allow a traveler to cancel a trip for any reason, up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure. Reimbursement is usually 50-75% of the prepaid, non-refundable trip cost. A traveler must meet specific eligibility requirements and must purchase a policy with CFAR selected within 14-21 days of making an initial trip payment or deposit.

Hurricanes and Airline Cancellation Policies

Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight due to bad weather, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.

Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight due to weather. Travelers concerned about protecting pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses should buy travel insurance.

Travelers interested in learning more about insurance plans for travel during hurricane season can visit InsureMyTrip.com or call 1-800-551-4635 to speak with a licensed travel insurance agent.