There is a worldwide awareness about the benefits of , thanks to the internet. Also, many countries have made having a travel insurance policy mandatory requirement for obtaining a visa, this is one of the major reasons why people are opting for travel insurance, compared to the past. Though travel insurance is usually availed for covering the cost of healthcare requirements while travelling, reimbursements for flight cancellations has become one of the most important features of travel insurance in the recent years.
Reimbursement for flight cancellations
Looking at the weather, economical and political scenario in the world, you can understand why flight delay and flight cancellations have become a regular occurrence. It has ever happened to you, then you know how uncomfortable and irritating flight delays/ cancellations are. More, if you have paid for the flight tickets in advance, it may take a long time before you get your money refunded from the airlines. Travel insurance plan covers these situations and helps you go through your plan without any financial inconvenience.
Reasons for flight/ cruise cancellations
- Unexpected incidents such as accident/ illness/ death of the traveller(s) which renders other travellers unfit to continue your travel plan.
- Instances of death/ critical illness/ hospitalization of any immediate family member who is not travelling along with you.
- Cancellation of the flight by the carrier due to weather or any other problems, as per the coverage of your travel insurance policy.
- Occurrence of natural disaster at your source country or destination country which makes your travel unsafe.
- If the law intimates you to appear before authorities or other legal obligations that you need to honour.
- Not just cancellation of the trips, the travel insurance policies also cover the interruption in travel plans due to the reasons listed herewith.
Process of making a travel insurance claim
- Inquire with your insurance providers for the list of reasons for trip cancellation, interruption and curtailment that are covered under your present policy. Most of the reputed general insurance providers such as Bharti AXA, respond immediately if you send them an email within 24 hours of the flight cancellation.
- Go through the clauses of the insurance policy and understand the inclusion/exclusion clauses relevant to your situation and the allowed limit for filing claims in terms of money and time duration.
- Make sure you have preserved relevant documents and bills for supporting your insurance claim. Proofs such as accommodation due to flight cancellations, higher price of new flight tickets, etc. are very important because your claim might be rejected for the want of such documentation and proofs.
- The process of making claim for the travel insurance policy varies from company to company. You should be clear about the processes and follow it religiously to get the best benefits and reimbursements. There are mobile apps available today on which you can directly post pictures and relevant proofs for supporting the insurance claims.
So, always be vigilant about the clauses of your travel insurance policy and make sure you follow the right procedure for making a successful claim.
