5 Travel Problems and What to do if You Have Travel Insurance

TLDR: If you need assistance during your trip, call our 24/7 Travel Assistance experts. And, if your trip was disrupted, we suggest reviewing your plan coverages to see if you are eligible to file a claim. 

If you need to contact us on your trip, we’re always available:

In the United States, toll-free: 877-243-4135
Collect worldwide: 240-330-1529

Pro tip: Store these phone numbers in your phone and put them in your wallet for backup.

Travel doesn’t always go smoothly. Things happen. Fortunately, if you keep your cool and know what to do, you won’t be fazed by things like losing your passport or your luggage. And, if you have a travel protection plan from Generali, you have benefits and services at your disposal to help you through just about any issue while you’re traveling.

Here’s how to deal with some of travel life’s most inconvenient moments if you have a travel protection plan from Generali:

Canceled Trip

If you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason you can be reimbursed up to 100% of your insured trip costs. You are eligible to submit a Trip Cancellation claim as soon as 12:01 a.m. the day after you buy your travel insurance plan. You can even file a claim after you were scheduled to leave on your trip, as long as you haven’t started the trip yet.

If you would like to rebook your trip instead of completely canceling it, contact us before canceling or filing a claim and our 24/7 Travel Assistance experts can help reschedule your travel arrangements. Trip Cancellation coverage can reimburse you for fees and penalties related to rescheduling your trip.

If you’re ready to file a Trip Cancellation claim, visit the claim portal, follow instructions there, and be ready to submit documents related to your trip and the reason for which it was canceled.

If you purchased the Trip Cancellation for Any Reason add-on coverage, bear in mind that you must cancel your trip 48 hours or more before your scheduled departure in order to qualify, and all insured travelers under the coverage need to cancel.

Sick or Injured Abroad

Medical emergencies can strike at any time, but it's particularly daunting if you need to go to the hospital while you're traveling abroad. Fortunately, a travel protection plan can help make the experience easier.

Here’s what to do:

1. Had an accident or feeling sick? The first thing you should do is seek medical help. If it is an emergency, call the local equivalent of 9-1-1.
   
   
2. Find out where the nearest local hospital or medical clinic is; checking on Google or with a hotel concierge are likely the quickest ways. Call our 24-Hour Emergency Assistance Services team which will help get you to local qualified doctors. If additional medical services are required, we can consult with the attending physician and provide assistance services. Or, for smaller medical issues you could use our Telemedicine service.
   
   
3. Before you set off for the hospital, you may want to take a change of clothes, some basic toiletries (a comb, your toothbrush and toothpaste, etc.), and your phone charger and adaptor. Bring one of your travel companions to help you if you can (whoever has the best grasp of the local language) and let a loved one back home know that you're seeking medical help.
   
   
4. It’s best to contact us when emergency transportation and services are needed, so we can help arrange those. But, if you haven’t already contacted us, now is the time to do so.
   
   
5. Make sure you hold onto any receipts, doctors' notes or other medical documents for filing an insurance claim. If possible, request that a Physician’s Statement be completed.
   
   
6. Once medical treatment has been completed, you should file insurance claims. Generali travel insurance covers medical expenses in excess of your primary health insurance or other insurance that might cover such expenses. That means you should file claims with any of your other relevant insurance plans and you can file for the unpaid portion of your medical bills, up to the plan limit.

Flight Canceled

When your flight gets canceled there are bound to be a thousand and one questions running through your head: How am I going to get to where I need to go? Am I stranded? And—perhaps most importantly—how much is this going to cost?

Luckily, with a travel protection plan from Generali, we can help you answer those questions, get you back on track and help you deal with the costs.

Here’s what to do:

1. Talk to your airline

You’re almost certain to see a pretty big queue of disgruntled passengers at the customer service desk. You can join it if you like—but you can always just give the airline a call from the comfort of the nearest coffeeshop.

Either way, be firm, but nice. Especially if the cancellation was due to reasons outside of the airline’s control, such as severe weather (if so, you can skip to section 3). If that’s the case, they aren’t legally obliged to help you at all, so making friends could really pay off.

2. Claim what you’re entitled to from the airline

Airlines are responsible for issues that are their fault and your travel insurance may cover cancellations that are outside of the airlines’ control. If the airline caused your flight to be canceled or delayed, you basically have two options:

a. Reroute

In the U.S., there is no national law that regulates a customer’s rights when the airline cancels a flight. So, all rights come from the contracts tied to the airline ticket you purchased, and those can be different from carrier to carrier. See our Airline Information Guide to find the customer service information for your airline.

If you go for this option, then the airline might arrange a replacement flight to the same destination. This includes any connecting flights you might have, as long as they’re with the same airline. If they’re with a different airline, once again, be nice—they aren’t legally obliged to help you here, either. If they won’t, skip to step 3.

b. Refund

If you try for a refund, bear in mind that the airline doesn’t have to offer you any further assistance. In other words, you’ll be on your own, and you’ll need to book your own flight to your destination. Our Airline Information Guide also includes links to refund information for each airline.

3. Use your travel protection plan

If assistance from the airline isn’t forthcoming in either of these scenarios, contact us. We can work with the airline or help find you a new flight to get your trip back on track as quickly as possible.

Once everything is resolved, if you have losses due to a flight cancellation or reasonable food and accommodation expenses while delayed, you should file a travel insurance claim for reimbursement.

Also, airlines tend to make clear in their contracts that they are not responsible for consequential damages such as missed hotel reservations, missed tour groups or other losses you might incur as a result of delayed or canceled travel. With a Generali travel insurance plan, the Trip Interruption coverage can come in handy in this case by reimbursing you for extra travel costs and/or getting you back on your trip.

Baggage Problems

Your plan includes coverage in case your baggage or certain personal items are lost, damaged, or stolen. Some items, like eyeglasses and computer hardware are excluded. Read the full list of excluded items in your plan documents.

Here’s what to do if your baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen:

1. should immediately report what happened to your hotel manager, tour guide, or local authorities and obtain a written report.
   
   
2. After reporting your loss, do your best to protect your items from any further damage.
   
   
3. If you need to temporarily repair your luggage, we can reimburse you for those reasonable and temporary costs.
   
   
4. Baggage coverage is secondary to your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. That means before filing a travel insurance claim, you will need to seek reimbursement from those insurance plans, if you have that type of coverage.
   
   
5. If the item is covered by your travel insurance plan, submit a claim and be ready to include documents related to the loss.

Pro tip: Taking a photo or video of the contents of your luggage and collecting receipts for big-ticket items before you leave can help establish ownership and value.

Stolen Wallet and Passport

There one minute and gone the next. A pickpocket can get away with a lot, but a travel protection plan can help. Certain types of losses related to stolen items can be covered by the Baggage benefit.

Here’s what to do:

Passport stolen:

1. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and ask to speak to the Consular Section. They’ll report your passport stolen and help you get a replacement. If you need assistance contacting those authorities, contact us and our team will set up a referral.
   
   
2. File a police report recording the theft with the local authorities. Get a copy of the police report and save it in your records.
   
   
3. If you are unable to travel because of your stolen passport, call us and we’ll help. Your Trip Interruption coverage can come in handy in this case by reimbursing you for extra travel costs and/or getting you back on your trip.

Pro tip: When you go to the embassy/consulate to get your replacement, take whatever identity-verifying evidence you have on hand, including:

• Passport photo
• ID (driver’s license, expired passport, other ID)
• Evidence of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate, photocopy of missing passport)
• Your travel itinerary
• Tickets
• A police report

Wallet stolen:

1. File a police report recording the theft with the local authorities. Get a copy of the police report and save it in your records.
   
   
2. Call our 24/7 Travel Assistance experts for advice on next steps.
   
   
3. Cancel credit cards as soon as possible and request replacements.
   
   
4. If you need an emergency cash transfer, call us and we may advance up to $500 to you after satisfactory guarantee of reimbursement.
   
   
5. Take advantage of the Identity Theft Resolution services included with your plan. You can use this service even if you don’t realize you’ve been scammed until you get home.
   
   
6. File a claim for eligible losses. Keep in mind that your plan does not cover lost or stolen money.

Don't Fall for Travel Scams: See Our Essential Guide to Protect Yourself

That’s our roundup of some common travel problems, what to do if you encounter them, and how to use your travel protection plan to the fullest.

If you encounter another issue during your trip that we didn’t elaborate on, give us a call and we can provide live help with almost any issue while traveling. And remember, if your trip was disrupted, we suggest reviewing your plan coverages to see if you are eligible to file a claim. 

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