More than 2,000 Southwest Airlines flights recently came to a screeching halt due to a technology glitch, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in unfavorable conditions. In 2022, 26% of Southwest Airlines chartered flights were delayed, and other popular U.S. airlines followed suit. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines experienced delays on 16% to 20% of their flights throughout 2022.
Airlines look set for the same trends, or worse, in 2023. Bureau of Transportation Statistics According to reports, 19,314 flights have been canceled this year and more than 2,000 have been rerouted from their original routes.
Flight delays will increase to 21.60% in 2023, the highest in nearly a decade.
Summer is coming to an end, but 80% of travelers say they plan to travel in the fall and winter.
flight delay
Of course, flight delays are not uncommon for the average traveler. As expected, such delays and cancellations can disrupt even the most carefully crafted travel plans. With flight schedules constantly changing, passengers find themselves scrambling to catch connecting flights. Sometimes we miss them completely. These issues impact the entire travel experience for passengers.
If a connecting flight is delayed or canceled without notice, travelers may end up paying for accommodation in a destination they never even get to. As a result, you may have to book accommodation in expensive accommodations. Hotel This is because planes were hit by waves of delays. Flight cancellations are a logistical nightmare that can easily ruin your trip.
Thankfully, travel insurance provides protection and prevention from further financial problems. Here’s how:
The Rescue travel insurance
lots of Airlines There is no legal obligation to compensate travelers if their flight is delayed or cancelled. Some airlines have cut off coverage for passengers due to weather or major mechanical issues, leaving them to deal with the difficult situation on their own.
Thankfully, having the right travel insurance plan can prevent travelers from spending thousands of dollars to cover lodging and meals. If your luggage is lost or accidentally sent to another location, your travel insurance company may be able to provide replacement services.
Types of travel insurance
There are seven common types of travel insurance. these are:
- Travel medical insurance: This plan covers your health while you are out. These are useful when traveling internationally, since most U.S. medical insurance does not cover travelers once they cross the border.
- Emergency medical assistance, evacuation, and repatriation: Covers your expenses if you become ill or are injured in an accident while traveling. Medical evacuation covers transportation to a medical facility, while repatriation covers the cost of flying the patient home.
- 24 hours support: These insurances can help you when traveling to unfamiliar places where you need assistance, booking airline tickets, tracking lost luggage, and even contacting a lawyer or doctor if necessary.
- Baggage and personal items: Also known as lost baggage insurance, these policies cover loss or damage to your baggage.
- Rental car coverage: If you rent a car during your trip and it gets damaged for some reason, this insurance will cover the damage and repair costs.
- Accidental death and dismemberment insurance: This insurance protects your family if you die in an accident during your trip. You are also covered if you lose a limb or body part during your trip.
- Trip cancellations, interruptions, and delays: This is what protects travelers in case of emergency. Flight Unforeseen delays or cancellations may occur. Refunds will be issued in a variety of situations, including:
- If you are unable to travel due to illness or injury
- If you are unable to board the flight due to death or injury in your family
- Natural disasters
- Tour operator closes shop
- travel interruption
- Flight delay (compensation for accommodation, meals, etc.)
How to buy travel insurance
It is important to check what a particular travel insurance plan covers and the exceptions before purchasing. If you book a trip, travelers may already have trip cancellation, delay, or interruption coverage by default. credit card. The credit card you used to make your reservation may also have rental car coverage.
Before starting the search for travel insurance, travelers should first review their existing coverage, if any, and determine whether it is suitable. If not, you may need to consider another plan or purchase additional coverage.
There are other ways to secure travel insurance besides relying on credit cards. They include:
- Reservation site and agency: The online supplier used for your booking will usually have the option to purchase insurance at an additional cost. If you are booking through a booking agent, ask what type of coverage they offer and inquire about additional coverages and costs. Most of these policies cannot be customized, so read the fine print before taking the plunge.
- Travel insurance site: Travelers can purchase travel insurance from a travel insurance company’s website or from an insurance comparison site. The latter option is great for shopping around because you can compare quotes and coverage before purchasing.
This article was created and distributed by Wealth of Geeks.
Ananyaa Bhowmik is a neurodivergent queer pop culture journalist at Wealth of Geeks. She has previously worked with brands like Sterling Holidays, Myntra, Bajaj, and The Loud Interactive. She is an independent scholar, cat parent, and performance poet. Her research and areas of interest focus on digital she marketing, Canadian Indigenous history, queerness in media, pop she culture and fandom research.
