I've had to deal with travel insurance a number of times for work, where I've needed to be evacuated due to political unrest, etc. I won't travel without it and just buy an annual multi-trip policy. My experience is that it's fantastic for very serious things like medical treatment or evactuations etc., but that it's totally useless for lost luggage, delays, cancellations, and the like.
In the fine print of just about every travel insurance policy, I've seen an exclusion for weather related delays and cancellations. Read the fine print in any policy that anyone recommends and don't take their word for it. There may be trip cancellation or delay included in the policy, but you need to read the fine print, because there's a good number of exclusions to that.
Okay, I've read the fine print, here it is; I still think that I would be covered for a situation like the OP's experiences - unless I am missing something?
TRIP CANCELLATION AND INTERRUPTION
The Company will reimburse the Insured a benefit, up to the
Maximum Limit shown in the Schedule or Declarations Page
if an Insured cancels his/her Trip or is unable to continue on
his/her Trip due to any of the following Unforeseen events…
…(b)
Inclement Weather causing delay or cancellation of
travel;
TRIP DELAY
The Company will reimburse the Insured up to the Maximum
Limit shown in the Schedule or Declarations Page for
Reasonable Additional Expenses until travel becomes
possible to the originally scheduled Destination, if the
Insured’s Trip is delayed 12 or more consecutive hours and
prevents the Insured from reaching the intended Destination
as a result of a cancellation or delay of his/her Trip for one of
the Unforeseen events listed below…
…(f
) Inclement Weather which prohibits Insured’s departure…
…This benefit is payable for only one delay per Insured, per
Trip.
If the Insured incurs more than one delay in the same Trip
the Company will reimburse the Insured for the delay with
the largest benefit up to the Maximum Limit shown in the
Schedule or Declarations Page.
The Insured Must: Contact Travel Guard as soon as he/she
knows his/her Trip is going to be delayed more than 12
hours.
MISSED CONNECTION
If, while on a Trip, the Insured misses a Trip departure
resulting from cancellation or delay of 3 or more hours of all
regularly scheduled airline flights due to
Inclement Weather
or Common Carrier caused delay, the Company will
reimburse the Insured up to the Maximum Limit shown in the
Schedule or Declarations Page for:
(a) additional transportation expenses incurred by the
Insured to join the departed Trip; and
(b) prepaid, nonrefundable Trip payments for the Unused
portion of the Trip.
The Common Carrier must certify the delay of the regularly
scheduled airline flight.
Coverage is secondary if reimbursable by any other source.
“Inclement Weather” means any severe weather condition
which delays the scheduled arrival or departure of a
Common Carrier or prevents the Insured from reaching
his/her Destination when traveling by a rented or owned
vehicle
---------- Post added June 15th, 2015 at 03:34 PM ----------
Further to the post by "awap" and "KathyV" I have priced the travel coverage for a personal trip this October for two people on Explorer Ventures to T&C. The liveaboard and airfare totals $6165 and the price I calculated is based on that value. Options to the policy can be:
* Cancellation for any reason = add $180
* Medical evacuation upgrade = add $2.58 (yes, less than $3)
* Medical coverage upgrade = add $2.56 (yes, less than $3)
Here is the basic coverage. Sorry the table does not show all the coverage limits. Total cost for basic coverage on $6165 is $479. I can say how this compares to KathyV's coverage not knowing the total cost of her trip to the Caymans.
The expense is very similar, we estimated $6,600 as the base price for both of us. We used air miles for our airfare but I included the costs of airfare in the calculation because once you use the air miles you can't get them back - even if you weren't able to take the trip, so they have value.
I know that $224 per person for insurance sounds expensive for an already costly trip; but frankly I have spent $224 on purses before (very nice purses - on sale - a real bargain!) so I think that it is worth the cost for peace-of-mind. And again, I hope we never have to use it but if we do, then I will be glad that we have it.
