Trip Interruption Can Be Costly—Help Protect Yourself with Travel Insurance

Woman standing in front of flight status screens at airport, wondering if she's covered by trip interruption insurance

While trip cancellation is one of the most common reasons travelers might start thinking about buying travel insurance to help protect their prepaid trip costs, making sure you purchase a well-rounded insurance plan that also includes trip interruption coverage can be equally important in helping to protect your hard-earned vacation investment.

Why Trip Interruption Insurance Matters

Trip cancellation coverage ends once your trip begins; so if something goes wrong shortly after you leave home and you’re unable to continue your itinerary as planned, you may be out of luck if your travel protection plan doesn’t include Trip Interruption coverage. As soon as you depart on your trip, this coverage takes effect.

Similar to other coverages, Trip Interruption is designed to make you “whole” again if your trip is interrupted due to a covered reason and you have to forfeit travel costs. Trip Interruption insurance can reimburse for prepaid land arrangements like accommodations, tours, train tickets or event admissions in addition to prepaid water arrangements such as a ferry ride or cruise. This valuable coverage can also reimburse you for out-of-pocket transportation costs to get you caught back up to your trip as planned after your interruption, or to get you back home if you have to end your trip early.

Note that Trip Interruption coverage does not typically reimburse for unused airfare to or from your primary destination. However, if you planned to take any side trips during your travel dates (a quick weekend in Sicily during your Italian vacation, for instance) those prepaid side flights can also qualify for Trip Interruption reimbursement.

Real Customer Experience with Trip Interruption

Always buy through Generali. Had a urgent medical emergency with a family member at home and had to leave Aruba years ago. Generali was very helpful and refunded what was left of our trip and we were able to go back months later.

Edward B. from Mentor, OH

When Trip Interruption Coverage Can be Used

Any number of different events can force you to interrupt your travels. Trip Interruption unfortunately cannot cover all of them, but some of the most unexpected and highly stressful events that can impact your plans qualify for Trip Interruption coverage. Each of our plans includes approximately 20 different covered events, including:

Sickness, Injury and Death: You or a traveling companion become sick or injured and can no longer travel. Or a non-traveling family member is hospitalized or passes away and you are forced to return home early.

Adverse Weather: You experience flight cancellations or delays due to adverse weather such as a hurricane or snowstorm.

Car Accident: You’re directly involved in a documented traffic accident while en route to departure.

Home Uninhabitable: A flood, fire or other natural disaster renders your home residence uninhabitable.

Travel Document Theft: A documented theft of your passports or visas during your trip.

Terrorist Act: A destination city on your itinerary suffers a terrorist act and you’re forced to take a detour.

These are some of the covered situations where you can be reimbursed for trip costs if you have Trip Interruption coverage, but not a complete list of all covered events included with our plans or a full summary of event restrictions and exclusions. See our full list of covered reasons for trip interruption

Also read:
• How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?
• Are You Protected? How Travel Insurance Can Help During Your Trip
• How Travel Insurance Can Help with Trip Cancellation

Protecting your travel expenses from covered mishaps that can occur during your trip is an important component of all of our well-rounded travel protection plans. Each of our three different plans includes a different Trip Interruption coverage limit: up to 125%, 150% and 175% of your insured trip cost. Depending upon how long you’re traveling for and where you’re heading, our Standard, Preferred or Premium plan could have the right coverage level for your next trip.

Wherever you're headed on your travels, make sure you pack trip interruption insurance from a trusted provider.