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What Is Trip Interruption Coverage?
If a traveler has to cut a trip short, trip interruption coverage offers the chance to seek financial reimbursem*nt for unused, pre-paid and non-refundable travel expenses. An example of when trip interruption coverage would apply is if a traveler suffered a serious injury while on vacation, or if a government ordered an evacuation of an area the traveler is visiting.
Trip interruption coverage differs from other types of travel insurance as it covers travelers post-departure. This type of insurance coverage is perfect for expensive trips. Fortunately, most comprehensive travel insurance plans offer it.
How Does Trip Interruption Coverage Work?
Trip interruption coverage exists to cover you for any unexpected or uncontrollable circ*mstances that may force a premature return home from your trip. Examples include a serious injury, illness, a family emergency back home, quarantine, evacuation or an early departure. Anything that prohibits you from continuing your trip as intended should be protected by trip interruption coverage.
Insurance offers travelers reimbursem*nt of some or all the prepaid or unused money from a trip cut short for covered reasons. Covered reasons include:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Rental cars
- Excursions
Sometimes insurance covers added costs incurred from the cancellation, such as an early flight home.
What Does Trip Interruption Insurance Cover?
Covered reasons for guaranteeing trip interruption insurance vary from policy to policy. They’re typically defined as uncontrollable and unexpected circ*mstances.
Examples include a serious illness or injury, required quarantine or evacuation, severe weather, a family emergency at home, natural disasters or a terror-related attack, or a legal obligation such as jury duty, which prevents continued participation in the trip.
The amount of coverage can also differ. Some policies cover 100% to 200% of the total trip cost. Others cap coverage at a predetermined amount, and if customers want more protection, they can buy it as an add-on.
Imagine you’re in the position of having a severely sprained ankle on a romantic vacation. You can no longer do the things you planned and want to get back home to receive treatment for your injury before it worsens.
Trip interruption insurance would protect you for an unused hotel stay, your original return flight, the cost of new plane tickets, and additional transportation costs (taxis, Ubers or a rental car). You’re fully covered to fly back because you can’t continue the vacation as you intended.
Once you decide to return home, notify your insurance provider. Consult your travel insurance policy to confirm that you’re acting within the policy’s declaration times and other protocols. If you don’t abide by the protocol, you risk giving up a reimbursem*nt.
Trip Interruption Insurance vs. Trip Cancellation Insurance
Trip cancellation insurance refers to pre-departure situations where you’re forced to cancel a trip before it starts for covered reasons. Trip interruption insurance deals with cancellations mid-trip from any situation that arises post-departure.
The reasons that are covered under trip cancellation coverage are largely the same as trip interruption coverage, with a few exceptions in each policy.
Trip Interruption Insurance vs. Trip Delay Insurance
Trip interruptions are when you need coverage for a trip unexpectedly cut short, and you return home for several covered reasons. Trip delay insurance covers travel plans that have been delayed, such as a late or canceled flight, which created a domino effect on other travel plans and reservations.
Coverage exists to reimburse you for the extra costs of rearranging your travel plans. If you have had a flight canceled or missed a connecting flight because of a covered delay and had to make alternative arrangements to catch up with a cruise or a travel group, you would be reimbursed for some or all of the additional costs.
Both types of insurance cover costs lost because of events that happened that are beyond your control. But with trip delay coverage, you wouldn’t be covered if you forgot to renew your passport or arrived late at an airport, triggering your travel losses.
How Much Does Trip Interruption Coverage Cost?
Most basic travel insurance policies cost between 5% and 10% of a trip’s total cost. A good travel insurance policy will be comprehensive and include trip interruption coverage. If it doesn’t, consider the price of adding a specific trip interruption rider and any other coverage you want.
Here are some examples of travel insurance quotes with basic trip interruption coverage for a 30-year-old man traveling from Alabama to Mexico for a week, costing $1,000.
A Travelsafe classic travel insurance plan would cost $60, which includes trip interruption coverage up to 150% of the non-refundable insured trip cost and $1,000 toward a return plane ticket, $500 for unused shore excursions and $150 for traveling companion hospitalization (limited to five days).
A Seven Corners trip protection choice plan would cost $65, which includes trip interruption coverage up to 150% of the insured trip cost, as well as $1000 toward your return airfare. You can also buy interruption-for-any-reason coverage for an extra $1.95 within 20 days of your trip, whereby Seven Corners will reimburse you for trip interruptions outside of the covered reasons list.
Each travel insurance company supplies a comprehensive list alongside each policy of the covered reasons.
Benefits of Trip Interruption Coverage
Although intended to be exciting and enjoyable, traveling can be stressful and unpredictable. Trip interruption coverage protects travelers from the unexpected, giving you peace of mind for circ*mstances that are beyond your control.
If your trip ends early for an unavoidable reason, can you comfortably deal with the inevitable financial consequences? Or would it add to the already emotional stress of the unfortunate circ*mstances?
Trip interruption coverage acts as a traveler’s safety net in the worst-case scenarios.
How To Get Trip Interruption Insurance
To obtain trip interruption insurance, you will need to purchase travel insurance with the appropriate coverage. You can also apply for a premium travel credit card with trip insurance benefits. To find travel insurance, you can compare providers online or ask your tour provider for recommendations.
If you prefer to go directly through a travel insurance provider, we recommend obtaining quotes from multiple travel insurance providers to compare coverage and cost. You can refer to our guide to the best travel insurance providers to get started. To get a quote, you will have to fill in basic information, including travel dates and your destination. You then can go through each policy and evaluate which offers the most appropriate coverage for your travel needs.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Trip Interruption Coverage
When evaluating travel insurance companies and their policies, there are certain things to inspect. Policies have varying coverage amounts, exclusions and conditions you must be aware of.
If you and a traveling companion must return from a trip unexpectedly, your insurance coverage policy would determine whether some or all of the unused portion of your accommodation cost would be reimbursed to you. It also varies from policy to policy how much, if any, additional transportation expenses will be covered, such as your new return flight or taxis to and from the airport.
Certain policies also cover you for all or some of any extra trip expenses on your way home, such as a necessary hotel stay. But your insurance provider may have specific limits on hotel expenses or may only cover certain types of accommodations.
The Bottom Line
Trip interruption insurance can be a saving grace if something unexpected happens on your vacation. Nobody wants to think about planning for the worst. But if something happens and forces you to cut your trip short, you want travel protection for you and your family and the knowledge that you won’t face unmanageable financial consequences and unnecessary emotional stress.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trip Interruption Coverage
The benefit of trip interruption coverage is that it protects travelers post-departure. If you or your traveling companion fall ill or suffer a serious injury that prohibits further participation in your vacation — or any other covered reason — you would be reimbursed for the unused portion of your accommodation and extra travel expenses you could incur.
Trip interruption insurance covers you for when your trip is unexpectedly cut short, and you return home for a reason that’s covered by your policy.
Trip delay insurance refers to travel plans that were delayed, such as a late or canceled flight, thereby having a domino effect on the rest of your travel plans. You would be covered for any added travel expenses you have incurred because of the delay.
Covered reasons vary from policy to policy. They’re usually defined as reasons that are unexpected and outside of your control. Examples include:
- A serious illness or injury that stops you from traveling
- You’re called for jury duty
- The government advises against traveling to your destination country
- An immediate family member falls ill or dies
Providers
AIG Travel Insurance Allianz AXA Assistance USA Cat 70 Travel Faye Generali Global Geoblue Goready HTH Worldwide IMG Travel John Hanco*ck Medjet Assist Nationwide Seven Corners Tin Leg Travel Travelex Travelsafe Trawick USI Affinity World Nomads Worldtrips
If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team ateditors@marketwatchguides.com.
Amelia CantyContributing Writer
Amelia Canty is a U.K.-based writer. Her specialities include all things travel, covering everything from destination guides to more technical travel issues such as insurance queries. As a big foodie, you will often find Amelia sampling the latest restaurants for food and drinks with friends when she’s not writing.
Tori AddisonEditor
Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.
