This summer has been one of the hottest in recorded history. Records have been shattered all around the globe. Even locations that are typically pleasant in July have seen temperatures eclipse 100°F (38°C), in some cases for weeks on end.
If you’ve purchased or are considering purchasing travel insurance for your next trip, this begs the question: Can you cancel your trip due to extreme heat and have it covered by travel insurance? Let’s answer that.
Trip Cancellation Coverage in Travel Insurance
Trip cancellation coverage is the primary component of a travel insurance plan. It allows you to get reimbursed for the prepaid, nonrefundable portion of your trip costs if you’re forced to cancel your trip for a covered reason.
This means that if you have no choice but to cancel your trip, you can get your money back for eligible expenses you’ve already paid for like airline tickets, cruise line payments, event tickets, hotel costs, theme park passes, rental car costs, etc. However, this coverage is only possible with standard travel insurance plans if you cancel your trip for a covered reason.
What’s a Covered Reason for Trip Cancellation in Travel Insurance?
The exact covered reasons for trip cancellation will vary by plan, but they typically include things like:
- Sickness, injury or death
- Natural disasters
- Military duty
- Terrorism
- Work reasons
- Weather
Does Travel Insurance Cover Extreme Heat?
You may have noticed that weather is listed as a covered reason for cancellation above. However, you need to read the fine print. Most travel insurance plans will only provide weather-related trip cancellation coverage if the weather causes complete cessation of the common carrier (such as your airline) for at least 48 consecutive hours.
In other words, it is unlikely to cover a heatwave. In fact, most plans specifically exclude trip cancellation coverage if you simply no longer want to travel because the weather isn’t to your liking.
Coverage Can Still Be Possible
As of this writing, several Mediterranean countries are battling wildfires that have been caused at least in part by extreme heatwaves. Trip cancellation coverage can be possible in these situations if you are directly affected by a natural disaster such as a wildfire. For instance, if the hotel where you were planning to stay is destroyed or damaged by a wildfire, you may be able to file a claim for trip cancellation coverage.
Another Option
Since trip cancellation coverage will not be possible in most cases due to extreme heat, it may be in your best interest to look into another type of coverage: Cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance.
CFAR travel insurance allows you to cancel your trip for reasons not covered by standard travel insurance plans. However, there are certain restrictions that can vary by plan, and you can only receive a portion of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs back. Read more about cancel for any reason travel insurance.
