You’ve been planning your trip to the Galapagos Islands (and dreaming about frolicking sea turtles) for months… and now your trip is finally here. You’ve checked in your gear and are ready for your flight – only to be alerted that a storm is rolling in and you won’t be able to leave until the following day.
Unfortunately, while irksome incidents such as trip delays are rarely anticipated, they can happen. And when they do, knowing you have travel insurance in your back pocket can help get your trip back on track… and calm you down fast.
- What's covered under trip delay
- How to file a claim
- What's not covered
- What's the difference between trip delay and trip interruption?
What's covered under trip delay
There are a several events that can cause a trip delay. World Nomads covers delays of six hours or more when caused by:
- A delay of your common carrier (including inclement weather)
- A traffic accident on the way to the airport that you’re not directly involved in;
- Unannounced employee strikes.
- Lost or stolen passportsor other documents.
- Civil commotion or riot.
- Closed roadways that stop you from getting to your destination.
Don’t forget to read your World Nomads policy, which explains in more detail the types of situations that are covered under trip delay. Also, when you get a quote, you can compare ourStandard and Explorer plans side by side so you can compare the benefit maximums in each.
If the reason for your trip delay is covered, then you could be reimbursed up to the maximum plan benefit for:
- Basic expenses, such as food, local transportation and accommodation, that you had to pay for because of the delay;
- Any non-refundable, pre-paid portions of your trip that you’ve had to forfeit because of the delay (such as a hotel night or a tour).
Check out our article onbaggage delay, in case your bags also take a detour en route to your destination.
How to file a claim
To help ensure a seamless reimbursem*nt, you will want to hold on to any receipts or other documentation for World Nomads, because (sadly) we can’t travel with you, so we have no way of knowing what happened.
World Nomads trip delay coverage is secondary to any reimbursem*nt provided by your airline or other transportation provider. Reach out to your airline first to ask for hotel and meal vouchers, and make sure you get documentation from your airline listing the original and revised departure times and the reason for the delay.
When you submit your claim, provide the airline documentation and proof of travel, along with receipts for your out-of-pocket expenses. See ourHow to Make a Claim article for step-by-step instructions.
What's not covered under trip delay
Not every incident that can cause a trip delay is going to be claimable... here are a few things that aren’t covered:
- Delays of less than six hours. Are they inconvenient? Yes. But hey, an extra few hours is more likely to give you spare time to stroll a medieval village or browse the airport bookshop for the latest best-sellers than to totally ruin your trip, so they are not covered.
- Personal delays. So, your flight left but you weren’t on it. Whether or not you can be reimbursed for your delay will depend on why you missed the flight. Things like oversleeping and missing your ride or just not leaving yourself enough time to get to the airport and through airport security are not incidents that World Nomads is going to reimburse you for.
- Reimbursem*nt for expenses above the per day and maximum benefit. Be sure to read your schedule of benefits to check the per-day limits, and give us a call if you have any questions.
What's the difference between trip delay and trip interruption?
When it comes to World Nomads, a Trip Delay is defined as when you are delayed for at least six hours, hindering you from getting to your destination.
A Trip Interruption is when something happens that prevents you from taking advantage of your full itinerary or causes you to end your trip early, such as breaking your leg during a ski trip, and your doctor advises returning home from so that you can recover. It’s not fun, but as we all learned, it happens. For more information on Trip Interruption, go to ourHelp Center.
This is not a full list of what is and isn’t covered, so please check your policy for a full list of terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions that may apply to your specific plan. Any example scenarios provided above are not a guarantee of coverage. All claims are subject to review, require documentation and are considered individually. If you have any questions about what is and is not covered, please reach out – we’re happy to help.
