Flight Travel Insurance 

There can be a lot of stress that comes with traveling, especially when it involves booking flights and other vacation reservations. Flight insurance (also known as or travel insurance) can help relieve the stresses of traveling.

Unforeseen situations like a medical emergency or extreme weather can often lead to changes and cancellations of flights and other prepaid trip expenses. Before your next trip, you may want to consider purchasing a flight travel insurance plan that covers both delayed and canceled flights and other prepaid travel expenses in the event you must cancel a trip or end it early for a covered reason.

Think about spending time arranging a perfect schedule for your trip and then having your flight suddenly canceled. Many times, work vacations and other scheduled vacations cannot be altered, and a canceled or significantly delayed flight can cause an entire trip to be postponed or canceled.

Now, think about the money you could lose as a result. Not fun, right? With a flight insurance plan like Atlas Journey, you could be covered for those prepaid deposits. 

This is all especially relevant when flying overseas. International flight travel insurance could cover the cost of canceling an international trip, which often has a much higher price tag, because of an unforeseen emergency.

No matter what your travel plans are, it makes sense to consider your options when it comes to international travel insurance. Keep in mind, some U.S. medical insurance plans don’t provide coverage or have limited coverage for policyholders who require treatment outside of their home country. Some flight travel insurance plans offer coverage for emergency medical expenses which could be helpful to those traveling to destinations where their primary healthcare doesn’t cover them.

Is Flight Insurance Worth It?

So, what exactly is flight insurance, and is it worth it? And what is the best travel insurance for international travel? Flight travel insurance features coverage for delayed or canceled flights and may provide additional coverage for other travel-related expenses.

When you’re googling search terms like “best travel insurance international” and combing through the results, look for benefits like Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption. These benefits could reimburse you for nonrefundable trip costs if you must cancel a flight or end a trip early due to a covered reason. Some common covered reasons include a medical emergency that renders you unable to fly, a death in your immediate family, and extreme weather that causes your flight to be canceled, among others.

Trip Cancellation vs Trip Interruption

Let's quickly review the differences between a Trip Cancellation benefit and a Trip Interruption benefit. The easiest way to differentiate the two is to think about when the disruption to your travel occurs.

With a Trip Cancellation benefit, the coverage kicks in as soon as you purchase your flight insurance plan. It will provide coverage for your travel plans before the trip begins.

With a Trip Interruption benefit, the coverage begins after your scheduled trip departure.

For instance, flight insurance with a Trip Cancellation benefit would be useful if your flight is canceled or a covered emergency at home causes you to cancel before the trip begins.  A Trip Interruption benefit could cover you if something cuts your travel plans short, such as a medical emergency or the death of a close family member that requires you to return home early.

Additional Flight Travel Insurance Benefits to Consider

Some flight travel insurance plans also include other travel-related benefits. You may want to look for a travel insurance plan that offers benefits that cover the following:

• Travel Delay – covers costs incurred due to unforeseen travel delays (often more than five hours long)
  
  
• Missed Connection – get reimbursed for change fees, etc. should a missed connection derail your plans
  
  
• Airline Reissue or Cancellation Fees – reimbursement for airline reissue fees or cancelation fees to change or cancel your ticket
  
  
• Reinstate Frequent Traveler Awards – reimburses you for fees to re-deposit miles or rewards in your account after cancelation due to a covered reason
  
  
• Baggage Damage or Loss – covers necessary expenses due to replacing lost or damaged luggage
  
  
• Baggage Delay – covers necessary expenses resulting from delayed luggage (often more than 12 hours)
  
  
• Travel Inconvenience – provides compensation for travel inconveniences such as a delay causing you to miss work, your flight landing at an alternative destination, etc.
  
  
• Emergency Accident & Sickness Medical Expenses – this could be especially helpful if you are traveling abroad where your home health insurance may not cover you.

Flight travel insurance is there to help recoup losses that come with change fees, lost luggage, third-party bookings, and all the other ways that changes out of your control can cost you money.

For travelers looking for a comprehensive flight travel insurance plan, Atlas Journey could be that option. It features a range of flight-related benefits and other travel-related benefits that could help during emergency situations. Atlas Journey also features an Emergency Accident and Sickness Medical Expense benefit of up to $150,000 that could cover you for an unexpected injury or illness while traveling.

Flight Insurance in the Era of COVID

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many travelers have had to change their vacation plans due to illness that renders them unable to travel or the death of a close family member. If your doctor advises you not to travel because of an illness, or you need to stay home to make arrangements, you may worry about the cost of such a decision.

In recent months, we have seen a lot of disruption related to COVID-19, from supply chain problems to staffing issues. This reality makes the case for flight travel insurance even stronger. You may try searching “travel insurance COVID protection” or “flight insurance COVID protection” to find a plan that fits your needs. A plan like WorldTrips’ Atlas Journey provides coverage for cancelations by your airline due to strike and mechanical breakdown, among other reasons.

So, is travel insurance worth it during COVID? Besides the Trip Cancellation coverage that may benefit you prior to your trip, some plans also offer coverage for eligible medical expenses related to COVID-19. The best travel insurance or travel medical insurance plan during COVID-19 is the one that you feel has the sufficient trip protection coverage and COVID coverage for your needs.

(You might also search for a policy like Atlas Journey that offers an optional Trip Cancellation for Any Reason benefit upgrade so you can cancel your trip if you have concerns about COVID in your destination—read more in the section below.)

It’s important to confirm that the policy you select has the exact coverage and protection that you want and need. No one wants to get sick while traveling overseas. However, having the right insurance policy in place could help cover necessary costs for your treatment and recovery.

Flight Insurance Cancel for Any Reason Policy Add-Ons

Those looking for the broadest trip cancellation coverage can look at policy upgrades such as a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) benefit.

Some plans offer a CFAR upgrade for those who want the assurance of partial reimbursement of their total trip cost—often 50% or 75%—if they decide to cancel their trip for a reason not already covered by their Trip Cancellation benefit. Not a standalone policy, CFAR is an upgrade available with the purchase of many flight insurance policies, including Atlas Journey.

As the upgrade name implies, CFAR provides protection if your trip is canceled for any reason. If you have an erratic schedule, many work and family obligations, or are concerned about COVID conditions in your destination, it may be a good option for you to get canceled for any reason travel insurance. CFAR coverage can allow you more freedom in canceling a trip.

Take a look at the covered reasons for cancellation in flight travel insurance plans and decide whether an upgrade like CFAR is important for you and your travel needs.

Emergency Accident and Sickness Coverage

An accident or sickness that occurs during a trip is no fun, but your flight travel insurance could provide some coverage for your emergency medical expenses. For example, you could be covered for up to $150,000 in emergency medical expenses with an Atlas Journey plan. However, if you would prefer a plan with more coverage for unexpected medical expenses, a travel medical insurance plan could be a good fit for you.

Like flight travel insurance, international travel health insurance (often referred to as travel health insurance or travel medical insurance) can provide coverage for emergency medical services, necessary hospital transport, and medical care for unexpected injury or illness, depending on the policy that you choose.

Unlike flight travel insurance, travel health insurance is primarily focused on providing coverage for medical expenses, with travel-related benefits as well, like Trip Interruption, Travel Delay, and Lost Checked Luggage. Travel health insurance does not provide a Trip Cancellation benefit, so there is no coverage for a canceled trip. It may be a good option for you if you are seeking a budget-friendly policy and your top concern is having medical coverage and emergency travel benefits for the unexpected as you travel outside of your home country, rather than cancelation coverage.

Travel health insurance is also available to citizens and residents of most countries who are traveling abroad, while a U.S.-based travel insurance plan is typically only available to U.S. citizens and residents traveling domestically and/or abroad.

Traveling may not be as comfortable and reliable as you hope, but the right flight travel insurance or travel health insurance can provide financial compensation, access to quality healthcare, and travel assistance to guide you through the unexpected and help ease your stress.