Flight travel insurance: What it covers and when it's worth it

Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure. Travel insurance can help cover prepaid flight costs if your trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, as listed in your insurance policy. It can also reimburse expenses for flight delays, missed connections, or baggage issues, depending on your policy terms. Travel insurance for flights is often included in comprehensive travel insurance policies, though you can also find standalone policies available for just flight insurance. Learn more: Travel insurance: What it covers, costs, and how to choose the right policy Expert tip: Airlines are typically required to provide reimbursement for flight cancellations if you choose not to take an alternative flight. But this reimbursement won’t cover other prepaid expenses, such as hotels and tours, you may miss out on because of your canceled flight. What travel insurance for flights typically covers Flight cancellations In general, even without travel insurance, you are entitled to a refund if an airline cancels your flight and you choose not to travel or accept any other form of compensation, such as travel credits or vouchers, from the airline. But what if you need to cancel your flight for a different reason? Are you still eligible for a refund? Typically, no. But with travel insurance, you may be able to recoup your flight expenses for various covered reasons. For example, if you haven’t yet departed on your trip, you may still be able to claim reimbursement through trip cancellation coverage. This type of insurance may cover you in these situations: - You become seriously ill or injured before traveling. - There’s a death in your family. - You need to attend the birth of a family member’s child. - You’re involved in a traffic accident on your departure date. - You have to attend legal proceedings during your trip. Flight delays Compensation for flight delays is largely dependent on the specific airline and circumstances, which means there’s no general guideline across the board. You’ll typically be rebooked on the same airline at no additional cost if there’s a significant delay, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be rebooked with another airline or receive cash or another type of compensation. However, with travel or flight delay insurance, you may be covered for delays by the travel carrier, natural disasters, lost or stolen travel documents, closed roads due to severe weather, and more. It’s common for travel delay coverage to include reimbursement for reasonable additional expenses if your trip is delayed for a covered reason. These additional expenses could include lodging, local transportation, and meals. Missed connections Airlines will typically work with you if your missed connection is due to a flight cancellation or delay. However, you likely won’t be eligible for any assistance or compensation if you’re at fault for the missed connection. For example, if you were eating at an airport restaurant, lost track of time, and missed your connection, you may have to pay for a new flight. With travel insurance, you may be able to receive reimbursement for missed connections for covered reasons, such as a travel carrier delay or a natural disaster. Certain travel insurance policies may have specific plans for missed connections, while others include this coverage in their trip cancellation and/or trip delay insurance. Trip interruption after departure Airlines typically won’t reimburse nonrefundable flight costs if you need to interrupt your trip while you're already traveling. For example, if you need to return home for any reason during a trip, you would have to figure out your own return flights, unless you’re able to change your original flight without any fees. Many comprehensive travel insurance policies include trip interruption coverage to cover your remaining unused and prepaid expenses if you need to interrupt your trip for an eligible reason. This coverage can also reimburse you for transportation costs to get home. Learn more: What does travel insurance cover, and do I need it? What travel insurance usually does not cover - Airline schedule changes alone: Travel insurance may not provide any reimbursement if your airline makes small schedule changes that don’t necessarily constitute a delay or cancellation. However, you may be covered if a schedule change causes you to miss a connecting flight. - Changing your mind: Unless you have cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) insurance, you need a covered reason or event for travel insurance to apply. - Known weather events: These are typically excluded from travel insurance coverage because you already knew about the weather before deciding to travel. Learn more: How to compare travel insurance to choose the right policy Travel insurance vs. airline protections Airline obligations You can typically expect a refund from the airline if it cancels your flight. Otherwise, don’t expect to receive a refund unless it’s a refundable fare. Vouchers vs. cash reimbursement An airline may offer various types of compensation for canceled or delayed flights. Keep in mind that if you want cash compensation, you shouldn’t accept other forms of compensation, such as travel credits or vouchers. When insurance fills the gap Travel insurance can reimburse you for various expenses associated with canceled or delayed flights, including non-flight expenses you’ve already made. For instance, your airline won’t cover your prepaid lodging or cruise expenses if you miss this portion of your trip due to a canceled flight, but travel insurance can certainly fill this gap. You also generally don’t have to worry about receiving travel credits, vouchers, or alternative methods of payment with travel insurance. In most cases, it’s going to be a direct deposit or a mailed check for successful reimbursement claims. Learn more: How much does travel insurance cost? Travel insurance vs. credit card flight protections Many of the best travel credit cards provide travel protections, such as trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance, and baggage delay reimbursement. If your card has these protections or others, you may already have the coverage you need for your trip. However, it’s important to compare your credit card flight protections with comprehensive travel insurance policies to ensure your coverage needs are met. Travel insurance policies are often more flexible because you can adjust the coverage limits and include specific add-ons, such as a rider for high-risk activities, to your plan. Learn more: How credit card travel insurance works When flight insurance may be worth it Expensive international flights You don’t want to be on the hook for costly prepaid international flights if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip for an emergency or another covered reason. With adequate travel insurance, your eligible prepaid and nonrefundable travel expenses are covered. Nonrefundable fares Trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage reimburses you for all eligible prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses. In addition to flights, these could include hotel stays, tours, cruises, and excursions. Tight connections A travel insurance plan with missed connection coverage can reimburse you for necessary expenses, such as food and accommodations, if you miss your connecting flight. Depending on the policy, you may also be eligible to have any unused prepaid travel bookings reimbursed, such as a cruise or hotel stay you missed because you couldn’t make your flight. Learn more: Is travel insurance worth it? Here’s when to get travel insurance. Key takeaways on travel insurance for flights - Flight insurance is typically included in comprehensive travel plans, though you can also find it as part of standalone policies. While the standalone policies may be cheaper, they often don’t provide as much coverage. - The primary types of flight-related travel insurance include trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay reimbursement, baggage insurance, and missed connection coverage. - In general, airlines provide reimbursement for flights they cancel, but this doesn’t extend to any other expenses, such as prepaid hotel stays and cruises, you may miss out because of a canceled or delayed flight. This is one of the situations where travel insurance can fill in the gap and keep you covered. Tim Manni edited this article.