Travelers Already Bracing For 2018 Hurricane Season

WARWICK, R.I., May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As the 2018 hurricane season is set to begin, licensed travel insurance agents at InsureMyTrip expect a 20 percent jump in call volume from travelers seeking insurance protection. 

Last year's destructive 2017 hurricane season wreaked havoc on travel plans  —  leading to a record number of trip cancellation claims and travel insurance sales.  Hurricane Irma, Harvey and Maria and Nate also helped drive online searches for travel insurance to its highest level in five years.

Summary

• Travel insurance agents expect a jump in call volume due to hurricane fears.
• Agents say the top concern of summer travelers is bad weather affecting travel plans.
• Hurricane season officially runs June 1 through November 30.
• Some plans enable travelers to cancel a trip when NOAA issues a hurricane warning*.
• Once a storm starts forming, it's considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm.

According to InsureMyTrip, 75 percent of customers will choose a comprehensive travel insurance policy for summer travel. This policy provides a variety of benefits including medical coverage, emergency travel services, baggage protection, trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage.

Here are some examples of how insurance may enable travelers to receive reimbursement of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs if they must cancel a trip due to severe weather-related issues that are covered under the trip cancellation benefit:

Cancel trip due to weather: when common carriers such as airlines and cruise lines cease service due to weather. Many plans require that the cessation of services be for a certain number of hours, usually 24-48.

Cancel due to a hurricane warning: when a destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning.*

Cancel because of storm damage at destination: when a hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated and made uninhabitable by a storm.

Cancel because home is destroyed by storm: when the home of a traveler sustains destructive storm damage.

Cancel trip for any reason: this is an optional time-sensitive benefit available on some plans,  that allows travelers to cancel a trip for any reason. Reimbursement is usually 50-75% of the pre-paid, non-refundable trip cost. This benefit includes specific eligibility requirements.

Tip: Travelers concerned about hurricanes should purchase travel insurance early. Once a storm starts forming, it's considered a foreseeable event and insurance coverage will no longer be available to cover losses related to that storm. Only a few plans offer coverage for a NOAA-issued hurricane warning.

"Travelers clearly have concerns about bad weather hampering their travel plans. Choosing to buy insurance early --- before a storm is named --- is a smart way to protect their trip investment," says InsureMyTrip CEO Jim Grace.

Travelers interested in learning more about protection plans for travel during hurricane season can visit www.InsureMyTrip.com or call 1-800-551-4635 to speak with a licensed travel insurance agent.

Hurricane Travel Insurance Expert:Meghan Walch401-773-9210
[email protected]

*With most comprehensive travel insurance plans, the NOAA-issued hurricane warning must be issued within 24-48 hours of your scheduled departure and the cancellation must be more than 14 days after your effective date for trip cancellation coverage when a destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning.

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SOURCE InsureMyTrip