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Travel Insurance
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Plan your trip with confidence
Traveling can be an adventure. Travel protection is coverage that can help protect you from losses and unexpected events that occur when you’re traveling. Benefits can include trip cancellation, medical expenses, and coverage for baggage and personal effects. Travel protection can be a beneficial way to help guard against costly disruptions to your travel plans.
Not sure about how to purchase travel protection?
Start by considering the details of your trip and what’s most important to you when you travel. Travel Insured International offers a variety of benefits under their single-trip and multi-trip travel protection plans . U.S. Residents can purchase a plan for any trip, for travel from the U.S. to anywhere in the world. **See Travel Protection details below.
Tips to help you get started
Consider your risks to determine the corresponding travel protection you might need.
Review the benefits
If you’re concerned you may need to cancel a trip for any reason not already covered by the plan, consider adding the optional Cancel for Any Reason benefit to your plan to help protect your trip cost.
If you are planning to book during a severe weather season, delays related to inclement weather and natural disaster related issues are just two of 30 covered reasons for trip cancellations under the Worldwide Trip Protector plan.
Purchase ahead of time
It’s recommended that you purchase your travel protection within 21 days of the date your initial trip deposit made toward your trip is received by your travel supplier.
This will help to ensure eligibility for time-sensitive benefits such as optional Cancel for Any Reason and the Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion Waiver .
Whether you’re a frequent traveler or a once-a-year vacationer, you can protect your trip investment with coverage designed to meet your needs. Here’s a comparison of single-trip and multi-trip coverage:
Single-trip plan | Worldwide Trip Protector
- Trip Cancellation: up to 100% of insured trip cost
- Trip Interruption: up to 150% of insured trip cost
- Accident & Sickness Medical Expense: up to $100,000
- Optional Cancel for Any Reason: upgrade for additional cost, up to 75% of insured trip cost***
- Medical Evac & Repatriation of Remains: up to $1,000,000
- Trip Delay: up to $200/day, max of $1,500
- Missed Tour or Cruise Connection: up to $500
- Optional Travel Inconvenience: upgrade for additional cost, $250/inconvenience, max of $750
***Terms apply, not available in NY
Worldwide Trip Protector is a single-trip plan that provides pre-departure benefits and benefits throughout the duration of your trip.
GET SINGLE-TRIP QUOTE
Multi-trip plan | Annual Multi-Trip Protector
- Coverage L ength: Unlimited number of insurable trips within one year
- Optional Trip C ance l lation : upgrade for additional cost, up to 100% of insured trip cost
- Optional Trip I nterruption: upgrade for additional cost, up to 150% of insured trip cost
- Accident & Sickness Medical Expense: up to $100,000 per trip
- Optional Cancel for Any Reason: upgrade for additional cost, up to 75% of insured trip cost* * *
- Medical Evac & Repatriation of Remains: up to $100,000 per trip, per 2 occurrences per plan term
- Trip D elay : up to $200/day, max of $5,000 per trip
- Missed Tour or Cruise Connection : up to $500 per trip
* **Terms apply, not available in NY
Annual Multi-Trip Protector is designed to cover every trip you take, all year-round – at least 100 miles from home. It’s a great choice if you travel several times a year. Base coverages are provided for a flat rate per adult or child on the plan that covers the term. This plan also features benefit upgrades on a per-trip basis.
GET MULTI-TRIP QUOTE
Manage your plan details online
It's quick and easy to create your own Travel Insured account .
There, you'll have 24/7 access to all your trip details, plan documents and claim information.
- Change your travel dates
- Modify trip cost
- Share trip details
- File claims, and more
Get protection that can give you peace of mind when you're on the road.
This liability coverage may go above and beyond your car and home insurance policies to help protect you from unexpected events.
From jewelry to collectibles, you may have more valuables than you realize. And your home insurance policy may not provide the coverage you need.
Travel Resources
When should i purchase travel insurance.
Booking travel insurance ahead of time is crucial to kick-off your trip. Read on to learn more about when you should consider purchasing travel insurance.
A Guide to Renewing Your U.S. Passport
Renewing your passport can be a daunting task. Unsure where to start? Learn how to renew your passport with this helpful guide.
Home Safety
6 essential travel tips.
Planning a vacation? These travel safety tips, from knowing your surroundings to keeping copies of your ID, can help you have a fun and safe trip.
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Protect Your Travel Plans: Trip Cancellation Insurance Explained and the 5 Best Policies
Jessica Merritt
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Best Cheap Trip Cancellation Insurance: battleface
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You’ve booked your flight, hotel, and tours and are ready to go on your trip — but what happens if you can’t make it? Unexpected circumstances can pop up that force you to cancel your trip, such as illness or natural disasters. If you can’t get refunds from travel suppliers, trip cancellation insurance can help.
Let’s look at what trip cancellation covers, whether you need a trip cancellation policy, and what you should know before shopping for a plan.
The 5 Best Trip Cancellation Insurance Policies
You’ll have plenty of options if you want a cheap, standalone trip cancellation policy, comprehensive travel coverage, or Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage.
Consider these trip cancellation insurance policies that offer good value and coverage, quoted for a 35-year-old visiting Mexico on a $1,500 trip in September 2023:
We were quoted just $20 for a battleface Discovery Plan with trip cancellation benefits up to $1,500. But that’s all it offers — you won’t get trip interruption coverage, medical coverage, evacuation, loss or delay, or other benefits offered by comprehensive travel insurance plans.
IMG’s iTravelnsured Travel Essential plan isn’t CFAR coverage, but it has multiple covered reasons for cancellation. You’re covered for foreign and domestic terrorism, financial default, medical reasons, and accommodations made uninhabitable. Our $35.92 quote offered up to 100% of the total trip cost for trip cancellation and 125% for trip interruption.
TinLeg’s Basic travel insurance plan covers up to 100% of your total trip cost for trip cancellation , but you’ll also get other major travel insurance coverages. This plan we were quoted $41 for offers trip interruption, travel delay, baggage delay, emergency medical, evacuation and repatriation, and more.
Like the battleface plan, Aegis Go Ready Trip Cancellation insurance covers up to 100% of your trip cost if you need to cancel — but not much else. But a big value-add is employment layoff coverage , which allows you to get reimbursed if you need to cancel your trip due to involuntary layoff or termination of employment. We were quoted $45 for this plan.
The Seven Corners Trip Protection Basic plan offers optional CFAR coverage, which reimburses up to 75% of your trip cost for reasons not otherwise covered by your policy. Regular trip cancellation and interruption coverage offer reimbursement of up to 100% of your trip cost. Our quoted cost for this plan came to $58.
Trip cancellation insurance is a type of travel insurance. With trip cancellation coverage, you can get reimbursement for nonrefundable prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel your trip before departure. Trip cancellation is one of the main coverage areas for travel insurance, the other being medical emergency coverage.
Many comprehensive travel insurance policies offer trip cancellation coverage; standalone trip cancellation insurance is less common than comprehensive travel policies. Travel credit cards may offer trip cancellation coverage as a cardholder benefit, as well.
How Trip Cancellation Insurance Works
Trip cancellation insurance kicks in if you must cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances such as an illness, injury, or other covered reasons. You can get reimbursed for nonrefundable expenses if you have travel cancellation insurance and need to cancel your trip.
Covered nonrefundable expenses typically include:
- Hotels and vacation rentals
- Rental cars
Travel insurance policies with trip cancellation coverage often include trip interruption benefits. Similar to trip cancellation coverage, trip interruption benefits can help you recoup your costs if you need to delay or cut your trip short due to covered reasons.
You can usually purchase trip cancellation insurance up to the day before your scheduled departure. Still, you’ll get more value if you purchase insurance as soon as you make your first trip deposit . That way, your travel plans are covered from the start.
Unless you opt for Cancel for Any Reason travel insurance, trip cancellation insurance only applies to covered cancellation reasons. For example, you can’t use trip cancellation insurance to cancel your trip for a refund because there’s rain forecasted for your beach vacation. But, you could get reimbursement if a named hurricane forms after you purchased your policy.
Common reasons covered by trip cancellation insurance include:
- Death, including the death of a family member or traveling companion
- Government travel warnings or evacuation orders for your destination
- Home damage or burglary
- Illness, injury, or quarantine that makes you or a covered travel companion unfit to travel
- Legal obligations such as jury duty or subpoena
- Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or floods affect travel operations at your destination
- Terrorist incidents at home or your destination
- Travel supplier cancellation
- Unexpected military duty
- Unexpected pregnancy complications
- Unexpected work obligations
These are common covered reasons for trip cancellation insurance, but policies vary in coverage . Reviewing the terms and conditions of your trip cancellation insurance is a good idea so you understand what’s covered.
You should also understand what’s explicitly not covered. For example, changing your mind is not a covered reason on a standard trip cancellation insurance policy. And trip cancellation insurance typically doesn’t cover foreseeable events, routine health treatments, substance abuse, sporting events, mental health, acts of war, self-harm, or dangerous activities such as skydiving.
Need to expand your list of covered cancellation reasons? Cancel for Any Reason trip cancellation insurance is an option.
You can use CFAR to cancel your trip for reasons not covered by trip cancellation insurance, such as changing your mind, fear of travel, unexpected obligations, weather, or budget concerns.
The catch? You’ll pay more for CFAR coverage , and it only reimburses up to 50% to 75% of your nonrefundable travel expenses. Generally, trip cancellation insurance offers 100% reimbursement for covered expenses.
The other main stipulation is that you’ll need to purchase your coverage within a specified period , usually within 10 to 21 days of your first trip deposit. And to get reimbursement under CFAR, you must cancel your travel within the cancellation timeframe, usually at least 48 hours from your scheduled departure.
Most annual travel insurance policies, also known as multi-trip policies, cover trip cancellation for multiple trips taken within the policy period, usually 12 months. You’ll also typically get coverage for medical expenses.
Trip cancellation insurance covers your nonrefundable travel expenses if you have to cancel before departure, while trip interruption covers your trip costs after departure . For example, trip interruption coverage kicks in if you get injured while traveling and have to go home early.
Trip cancellation insurance can be worth it if you have nonrefundable travel expenses and there’s a risk you’ll have to cancel your travel due to unforeseen events. It offers financial protection if you’re traveling to a destination with potential risks such as natural disasters or political instability — or if you have risk factors at home, such as unpredictable work commitments or family members with health conditions that could interfere with travel.
If you plan an expensive trip with nonrefundable bookings or deposits, trip cancellation is probably worth it. But if your travel is inexpensive, or most of your travel expenses are refundable, you might not need trip cancellation insurance.
Consider the cost of insurance, the likelihood you’ll need to cancel, and the cost of nonrefundable travel at stake when you decide if trip cancellation is worth it.
What Trip Cancellation Insurance Costs
A basic travel insurance policy with trip cancellation coverage generally costs between 5% to 10% of your trip costs . So a travel insurance policy for a $5,000 trip would cost $250 to $500. Your costs will be higher if you opt for CFAR coverage.
Factors that influence how much your trip cancellation insurance costs include traveler age, trip expenses, trip length, coverage options, and how many people you need to cover.
A comprehensive travel insurance policy with emergency medical or lost baggage coverage and trip cancellation coverage can offer additional value.
If you’re mainly concerned with trip cancellation coverage, look for cheap travel insurance policies that still offer this coverage, but have either nonexistent or low coverage limits for other coverage areas, such as lost baggage or medical evacuation .
You might not have to pay for trip cancellation insurance if you have the right credit card. Some credit cards offer trip cancellation and interruption coverage as a cardholder benefit.
Credit cards with trip cancellation coverage generally provide between $2,000 to $10,000 per person in trip cancellation benefits, often covering trip interruption.
For example, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers cardholders $2,000 in trip cancellation or interruption benefits per person. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve ® , cardholders get up to $10,000 per person in trip cancellation coverage with a maximum of $20,000 per trip and a $40,000 limit per 12-month period.
If your nonrefundable travel costs exceed the covered benefit offered by your credit card, you may prefer to purchase separate trip cancellation insurance.
If you only need trip cancellation and interruption coverage, your credit card may have adequate protection benefits.
Consider these factors as you shop for a trip cancellation insurance policy:
- Cost: Compare policy premiums and consider how the cost fits into your overall travel budget.
- Coverage Amount: Your trip cancellation coverage should cover all of your nonrefundable prepaid trip expenses. But a policy with too much coverage could be more costly than necessary.
- Policy Limits: Know the policy’s limits, including deductibles, exclusions, and limitations.
- Covered Reasons: A policy that offers a variety of covered cancellation reasons offers the most protection.
- CFAR Coverage: Understand whether CFAR coverage is included in the policy and its additional cost.
- Reputation and Customer Service: Read travel insurance reviews to learn about the experiences policyholders have had, whether they’re good or bad.
- Refund Policies: Understand what happens if you cancel your policy before the trip.
Travel insurance comparison sites such as Squaremouth make it easy to enter your trip details and get quotes from multiple insurance providers.
Trip cancellation coverage can provide valuable peace of mind if you’re concerned about losing nonrefundable prepaid travel expenses. It can be worth it if there’s a chance you’ll have to cancel your travel plans, and you’ll lose money on nonrefundable costs. Before you choose a trip cancellation policy, consider factors including cost, coverage, and cancellation reasons, and look at what’s covered with any credit cards you hold.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa ® or Mastercard ® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is trip cancellation insurance for.
Trip cancellation coverage offers financial protection if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip due to unexpected circumstances. You can get reimbursement for nonrefundable prepaid expenses related to covered travel if you have to cancel your trip.
Is trip cancellation covered in travel insurance?
Most travel insurance policies cover trip cancellation coverage. Other common coverage areas include trip interruption and medical emergencies.
Does trip insurance cover cancellation for any reason?
Travel insurance can offer CFAR coverage, usually as an optional add-on. You can select a CFAR policy if you want more flexibility in canceling your trip and receiving reimbursement.
When should I buy trip cancellation insurance?
It’s best to purchase trip cancellation as soon as you have any money at risk on your trip, usually as soon as you book travel. Buying trip cancellation insurance after booking covers you for unexpected circumstances that could cause you to cancel your trip.
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About Jessica Merritt
A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little cash as possible.
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How to Use Travel Insurance to Cancel a Flight
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Table of Contents
Basic process for travel insurance flight cancellation
Additional tips for travel insurance flight cancellation, if you need to cancel a flight with travel insurance.
Travel insurance can reimburse you for the nonrefundable portion of your flight expenses when you have to cancel a trip due to serious illness, a death in the immediate family, natural disaster or other reason specifically covered by your policy. But to make sure your claim is processed, you need to cancel your flight and file your claim the right way.
If you’ve been wondering how to cancel a flight with travel insurance — here's what you need to do.
The steps necessary to cancel a flight with travel insurance vary by travel insurance company, but many have the same basic process for submitting a claim.
1. Cancel your flight with the airline
Contact the airline to cancel your flight. For most airlines, this can be done online, through its app or by calling customer service. The airline isn't concerned about whether or not you have travel insurance protections.
» Learn more: Airline travel insurance vs. independent travel insurance: Which is right for you?
2. Determine the amount of your claim
When you cancel a plane ticket, you may be entitled to a refund of some or all of your ticket price. Travel insurance reimburses you for the nonrefundable portions of your affected travel plans; your claim amount is the price of your nonrefundable travel plans minus refunds that you have received, up to your eligible limits.
3. Start your claim
Claims can be started online or over the telephone with most travel insurance providers. Some allow you to submit your claim through their mobile app. To get started, have your policy information and travel details handy.
» Learn more: The majority of Americans plan to travel in 2022
4. Review the claim documentation checklist
Travel insurance companies often provide a checklist of documents you’ll need to process your claim. Gather all of the documents required by the insurance company, even if you don't understand why it is asking for them.
5. Submit your supporting documents
Once you have the documents, submit them to the travel insurance company for its review. It's best to submit all of the information at once, rather than piecemeal, so that the claims adjuster can quickly make a decision.
6. Respond to additional requests right away
If the insurance company requests additional documents or information, respond as quickly as possible. If too much time passes, your claim could be denied.
» Learn more: The best credit cards for travel insurance benefits
Here are tips for dealing with a trip cancellation to make the process as smooth as possible.
Determine if you're canceling for a covered reason. A common question travelers have when they need to cancel a trip is: Can I cancel my flight with travel insurance? Depending on your policy, the answer may be yes. With many trip insurance policies, you can expect to get reimbursed only if you cancel for a covered reason, like serious illness, terrorist attack or death in the immediate family. Review your policy to determine what reasons are eligible for coverage.
Document everything and save all receipts. Save all of your receipts, emails and other items related to the trip. Keep a journal of all communications with the airlines, your doctor (if applicable), the insurance agency and anyone else related to your claim. Consider scanning and backing up your documents in case they are lost.
Call your doctor if you’re sick. You may not be feeling well, but can you prove you are sick enough that a reasonable person would need to cancel the flight? A doctor’s advice that you cancel your trip can help prove that your travel insurance claim is valid.
Contact your travel insurance company right away. You should start your travel insurance claim as quickly as possible. If you don't submit your claim and supporting documentation within the required timeframe, your claim will be denied.
Consider rescheduling your flight. After the pandemic struck, many airlines dropped the fees for changing flights . If you are planning to make this trip in the near future, contact the airline to ask about rescheduling your flight. This could be quicker and easier than trying to get reimbursed through insurance.
Remember that travel companions might be covered, too. Review your travel policy to see if it covers travel companions as well.
Buy the right insurance coverage from the get-go. The most flexible types of plans are Cancel For Any Reason, or CFAR plans; you can avoid a lot of phone calls and proof-of-coverage demands by purchasing CFAR policies.
Travel insurance offers protection in case you need to cancel a flight. Follow the steps carefully and document everything to prevent the insurance company from denying your claim.
Before canceling, discuss your situation with the airline to see if you can cancel or reschedule your flight without incurring a fee. This may be quicker and easier than submitting a claim through your travel insurance provider.
To file a trip cancellation claim on travel insurance, contact your insurance provider online, through its app or by phone. They will provide detailed instructions on how to submit your claim, including what documentation they'll need based on your reason for filing a claim.
In many cases, yes, you can cancel your flight and be reimbursed if you have an eligible reason for canceling. You may not cancel the flight because you've changed your mind. You must have a valid reason that is detailed in your travel insurance policy.
Travel insurance reimburses the cost of nonrefundable travel plans if you need to cancel your flight for a covered reason. To receive reimbursement, you must file a claim and submit supporting documentation that validates your eligibility to receive reimbursement.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
on Chase's website
1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.
60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.
50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
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