Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection: Coverage Explained

Summary: Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage may help reimburse prepaid, non-refundable trip costs when certain unexpected events disrupt travel plans. Learn what these coverages include and how they can support travelers facing covered situations.

Life is unpredictable, and unexpected events can derail even the most carefully planned vacation. Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage may help protect your trip by reimbursing you for prepaid, non-refundable expenses when covered circumstances force you to cancel or cut short your trip. With over 30 years of experience protecting travelers, we've seen how this coverage can provide peace of mind when the unexpected happens.

Coverage Explained

Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage helps provide protection when covered unforeseen events cancel or disrupt your travel plans. These benefits are included as part of trusted travel protection plans, alongside Medical and Dental coverage, Baggage protection, and Travel Delay coverage. Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage specifically addresses the costs associated with canceled or shortened trips.

Trip Cancellation coverage applies when you must cancel your trip before departure, while Trip Interruption coverage kicks in if you need to end your trip early or return home unexpectedly after you've already left. Trip Interruption refunds unused land or water arrangements and additional transportation expenses when a covered reason forces you to change your plans. Coverage limits vary by plan, so selecting a plan that matches your total trip cost is important.

What Counts As A Covered Event Like Flight Cancellations and Medical Emergencies

• Under our Standard Plan, Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage typically helps protect you in the event of specific, unforeseen situations such as: Illness or injury to you, a traveling companion, or an immediate family member that results in medically imposed restrictions preventing travel
• Death of a family member or traveling companion
• Medical emergencies requiring hospitalization or physician-ordered bed rest before or during your trip
• Common Carrier delays and/or cancellations resulting from adverse weather, mechanical breakdown of the aircraft, ship, boat or motor coach that you were scheduled to travel on, or organized labor strikes that affect public transportation;
• Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or floods that make your destination uninhabitable
• Jury duty or court subpoena that cannot be postponed or transferred
• Airline or cruise line strikes that directly affect your scheduled travel

Coverage applies only to events that occur after you purchase your plan and are listed as covered reasons in your plan documents. Specific terms and conditions apply to state specific plan documents as well.

How Trip Cancellation Protection Works

When you need to cancel your trip before departure due to a covered reason, contact us as soon as possible to begin the claims process. You'll need to provide documentation evidencing the covered event—such as a physician's statement for illness, a death certificate for bereavement, or official weather reports for natural disasters—along with receipts showing your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs.

We review your claim and supporting documents to verify the event qualifies under your plan terms. If approved, we may help reimburse eligible expenses up to your coverage limits. The process typically takes 13 business days after we receive complete documentation.

How Trip Interruption Coverage Works

Trip Interruption coverage applies after your trip has started. If you must return home early due to a covered reason, we may help reimburse you for both the unused, prepaid land or water portion of your trip and reasonable additional transportation costs to return home.

For example, if a family member is hospitalized and you need to fly home three days into a week-long vacation, we may help cover the unused hotel nights and tours you couldn't use, plus the cost of a last-minute return flight. Trip Interruption coverage is typically calculated as 100-175% of your trip cost to account for these additional expenses, depending on the plan selected.

What Counts as a Covered Reason and What Is Excluded?

Your Plan documents list all covered reasons and exclusions. While we cover many unforeseen events, understanding common exclusions helps you make informed decisions about your coverage needs.

Common Acceptable Reasons

Covered reasons must be unforeseeable at the time you purchase your plan and beyond your control. Illness, injury, or death affecting you, a traveling companion, or immediate family member qualify when they take effect 12:01am day after purchase and coverage is in effect. Severe weather, natural disasters making your destination uninhabitable, mandatory evacuations, jury duty, involuntary job termination, and military deployment also typically qualify under standard plan terms.

Common Exclusions

We cannot cover Pre-existing medical conditions, unless you purchase a Premium Plan within 24 hours after making your final trip payment and meet other requirements (May vary by state). Other common exclusions include change of mind, events that were publicly known when you purchased your plan (such as approaching hurricanes or civil unrest), travel undertaken for medical treatment, financial circumstances, work schedule changes that aren't involuntary termination, and cancellations due to fear of travel.

Always review your specific Plan documents, as coverage can vary by plan. 

Planning Next Trip With Generali Global Assistance

Helping protect your travel investment helps provide peace of mind when unexpected events disrupt your plans. Take a few minutes to compare our available plans and select the plan that matches your trip cost and needs.

FAQs About Trip Cancellation and Interruption Coverage

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