Everyone is looking for a short getaway trip after the weary winter of serial snowstorms, according to Travel Insured. Yet the risk of weather and airline-related trip delays never disappears even when brief journeys are booked with shorter planning and lead time than a longer vacation. The dilemma is compounded by President's Day, Spring break and the Passover and Easter holidays that offer opportunities to put winter behind us with three- or four-day travel escapes.
Travel Insured International said many travelers overlook insurance for a short trip, but still face big disappointment when a brief weekend or holiday getaway is disrupted: "In many cases the delayed or cancelled getaway trip was booked as a travel sale package not easily replaced. However, disappointment is easier when prepaid getaway travel costs and unplanned added expenses are reimbursed by travel insurance instead of being lost in a storm, an auto accident delay or with travel documents gone missing," according to the company.
The solution is trip insurance for short getaways. Travel Insured reports it offers comprehensive plans that allow iinsured travelers to be reimbursed for up to the full, prepaid and non-refundable cost of their trips. Included in plans are arrival delays on the covered trip if it causes them to lose 50 percent or more of the scheduled trip duration due to one of the "hazards" covered under Travel Insured's Trip Delay benefit.
Potential hazards include:
The hazards covered by Trip Delay include:
• Any delay of a common carrier, including for inclement weather.
• Any documented delay caused by a traffic accident en route to a departure in which the insured or his or her travel companion is either directly or not directly involved.
• Any delay due to lost or stolen passports, travel documents or money, or a quarantine, hijacking, unannounced strike, or a natural disaster.
This coverage is in addition to an existing coverage that may reimburse travelers up to the full cost of the trip if weather causes complete cessation of the insured's common carrier service for at least 24 consecutive hours. Travel Insured notes that its Worldwide Trip Protector and Worldwide Trip Protector Gold plans also include Trip Delay reimbursement of up to $200 per day, to the limit specified on each plan. It can apply to coverage for unforeseen meal and lodging expenses.
The impact of the Travel Insured International coverage is that a long-delayed arrival on a trip due to one of the hazards could trigger coverage for Trip Cancellation when the result is half or more of the trip duration being missed, Travel Insured says.
A covered airline delay, for example, preventing possible arrival at the destination until the afternoon of the second day of two-night getaway would potentially qualify for full Trip Cancelation. The same coverage could apply if the first two nights of a three-night trip would be missed due to the covered delay.
"Considering that 2011 winter storms have shut down several U.S. airports for two days or more, and the 2010 Iceland volcano eruption prevented arrivals in northern European cities for a week or more, unforeseen risks must be considered when making any travel booking," Travel Insured said. "Nothing in life is quite as pleasurable as a smooth travel getaway after a winter of cabin fever. Yet nothing is as disappointing as a well-planned getaway foiled by unforeseen trip delays. Travel Insured International provides the reimbursable coverage to help you get out of town when travel conditions are favorable."
Visit www.travelinsured.com.