Flights delayed or cancelled: Know how travel insurance can help (2024)

FAQs

Flights delayed or cancelled: Know how travel insurance can help? ›

What does trip delay insurance cover? The travel delay benefit helps you get through short(ish), unexpected pauses in your travel plans. It can reimburse you for lost pre-paid expenses as well as eligible costs you incur because of the delay, including meals, accommodations, communication and transportation.

Comprehensive travel insurance typically covers canceled flights that delay your trip for at least 3–12 hours. If your flight is delayed more than 12 hours, you may even qualify for trip cancellation coverage, depending on your plan.

Travel insurance features trip cancellation and trip delay benefits to reimburse you for applicable expenses incurred. Costs might include transportation, food and accommodations while you wait for a rescheduled flight if the airline doesn't come through with hotel and food vouchers.

Travel insurance can help you make up for financial losses stemming from a flight delay or interruption, but not all claims may be honoured. Here's what you need to know to increase your chances of a successful claim.

If your flight gets cancelled by the airline, you are entitled to receive either a full ticket refund or a new flight. If the flight is cancelled after you have already arrived at the airport, you are also entitled to care.

You're legally entitled to get compensation if the cancellation is the airline's responsibility and both the following apply: the replacement flight delays your arrival by 2 or more hours. your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure.

Still, basic flight insurance might be worth it if: The airfare is your only nonrefundable trip expense and you don't have flight insurance through your credit card. You don't already have the option to get a refund or credit for airfare through your airline.

The travel delay benefit helps you get through short(ish), unexpected pauses in your travel plans. It can reimburse you for lost pre-paid expenses as well as eligible costs you incur because of the delay, including meals, accommodations, communication and transportation.

A trip cancellation plan provides coverage if your trip is cancelled for a covered reason before you depart for your trip. The benefits could include reimbursing you for the cost of non-refundable travel expenses, like trip deposits and flight change fees, if your trip is cancelled because of a covered cause.

Typically, travel insurance will cover you for missed flights and travel delays, provided it's not your, or your airline's, fault. Many travellers wrongly assume that travel insurance covers flight delays or rescheduling due to operational, technical or mechanical reasons caused by the airline.

What expenses can I claim for delayed flight? ›

You may also get cash to cover hotel costs or alternative transport to get you somewhere, though airlines should, by law, provide this if your flight is delayed by more than two hours.

It is important to keep any receipts from the incurred additional expenses resulting from a flight delay. These are required by your insurance provider as proof of claim. They also provide your insurer with the total amount spent waiting for the delay to be resolved.

Delayed Flights

If your flight is delayed, the airline is required to rebook you on a different flight. However, federal law does not require airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when flights are delayed.

While general guidelines exist, specific policies may vary among airlines. In the case of cancellation, airlines are obligated to provide an alternate flight or compensation in addition to a full refund of air tickets. Passengers awaiting an alternate flight at the airport shall also receive meals and refreshments.

Airlines must provide alternative flights or refunds for canceled flights. Passengers can claim compensation ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for cancellations within a fortnight of departure.

The most common covered reason is unforeseen illness, injury, or death of the traveler, a traveling companion, or a non-traveling family member. Other common covered reasons include terrorism, inclement weather, or a natural disaster, among others.