travel plans cancelled

What to Do When Your Travel Plans Go South

E ven the most meticulous planner can have their travel itinerary thrown into chaos by the unexpected. You can do everything right and still fall victim to delays, lost items, and scams.

But fear not, it’s all character building. In fact, travel experts say that these inconvenient experiences will make you a more efficient traveler going forward. The best way to minimize the damage caused by extenuating factors is to allow for the possibility that things will go wrong and learn what to do when it does.

“Make sure you have a plan B and C before you leave the house,” advises travel blogger Justine Jenkins. “You might make a travel itinerary but it is worth bearing in mind that you need to be flexible sometimes,” she adds.

Here are some of the most common travel issues and how to tackle them so your holiday isn’t hijacked by misfortune.

Read More : The Best Carry-On Luggage for Your Next Trip

Travel documents

Aside from the glaringly obvious reminder to make sure your passport is valid, and packed alongside other crucial travel documents, you should also scan copies of them in case of loss, says Kyle Stewart, a travel writer and travel agency owner.

“Saving them to both your phone and the cloud will cut down on 90% of the delay in getting your information validated,” Stewart says. He notes that it is quicker and easier for officials to verify information provided in your scans than seek it out from their own search processes.

Erika Richter, the vice president of communications at the American Society of Travel Advisors , agrees that you should make extra copies of everything you could possibly need to survive a day or full trip should you lose your luggage. This includes boarding passes, travel insurance documents, reservation confirmations.

Lost luggage

Losing your baggage is one of the most stressful things that could happen when traveling, but understanding your rights can go a long way to making sure it doesn’t ruin your trip.

“You will be entitled to money to buy clothes, toiletries, and any other necessities during your trip because it might be a couple of days before your luggage is returned to you,” says Jenkins. On top of these expenses, Jenkins adds, you should be eligible to claim further compensation for the inconvenience caused.

From a preventative perspective, you can try luggage trackers, although Stewart warns that AirTags may alert passengers where their items are but it’s “cold comfort” as airlines are not responsive when acting on this information.

In the event that an airline does lose your bag, however, Jenkins says the first thing you should do is find the relevant airline office at the airport and register your lost items. She adds that your luggage, if found, will eventually be delivered to your hotel or home.

Read More: Air Travel Chaos Is Here to Stay. How to Get Help If Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled

Delays and cancellations

If your flight is unexpectedly delayed or canceled, Stewart recommends using Google Flights to see if other routes to your destination are available, and taking this to a ticket counter.

“It’s easier to search those options for yourself and see if the airline can accommodate your chosen route rather than rely on them to find the best choice for you,” he says. Agents may try to book you a flight the next day but if you arrive with a flight in mind they can be more targeted in their help.

Depending on the country you are, the airline you used, and how much of a delay there has been, you may be entitled to compensation. In Europe, E.U. regulations require airlines to compensate travelers who arrive later than three hours after their estimated arrival time. (Britain has maintained these rules post-Brexit. ) There are no such federal laws in the U.S. but some airlines still voluntarily offer compensation for major flight delays.

Jenkins warns that airlines can try to sell you short so research what you are owed: “You might have to do some back and forth negotiating with the airline before they pay out what you are due.”

Richter suggests a “cancel for any reason” travel insurance policy to recover costs from failed or canceled trips but she warns customers to read the fine print and see what your policy actually covers.

Misleading accommodation

Away from the stresses of the airport, accommodation is another area that has the potential to go wrong. “It’s easy to fall in love with pretty pictures on Instagram or TikTok and It’s easy to trust online review sites,” says Richter, “But who is vetting all this? And is it worth the price of your precious time and vacation dollars?”

She advises only taking recommendations from trusted sources, and researching backup options on the ground in case a holiday rental or hotel doesn’t live up to its online promise.

No matter how bad the situation feels, try to stay calm and treat it as a learning experience. With the gift of online resources, every solution is one Google search away. Jenkins says that these inconveniences may feel like “downers” but in the long run they will make you “a more knowledgeable and wary traveler.”

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Write to Armani Syed at [email protected]

Need to Change Your Travel Plans Due to Coronavirus? These Are Your Options

The global covid-19 pandemic has canceled many travelers’ upcoming trips. in light of the crisis, numerous airlines, hotels, and tour providers have rolled out more lenient change and cancellation policies—with some now extending those policies into the fall and beyond..

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Travelers the world over are working to cancel or rebook upcoming trips due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Photo by Sanga Park/Shutterstock

This is a developing story. For up-to-date information on traveling during the coronavirus outbreak, visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

For travelers who are having to cancel upcoming trips due to the global coronavirus pandemic (and given the unprecedented scope of this international health crisis, we know there are a lot of you), airlines, hotels, and tour operators are offering cancellation and rebooking options that are (rightfully) more generous than what you would expect during non-pandemic times.

Numerous travel companies have considerably relaxed their change and cancellation policies through the summer and into the fall. Many appear to be keen on doing right by travelers who were unknowingly affected by this situation before anyone fully understood its scope and scale, even as they suffer some pretty unfathomable financial losses themselves.

However, if it’s a full refund you’re hoping for, unless the airline, tour operator, or cruise line canceled your trip (and even then it’s not a guarantee), you’re not necessarily going to get one. The U.S. Department of Transportation did recently remind U.S. airlines that they remain obligated to provide refunds to passengers for flights that were canceled by the airlines.

Travelers with existing reservations for trips that are due to take place several months from now may be in limbo for a little while longer as some travel companies wait to decide on what to do about change and cancellation options further out. While those travelers are likely anxious to make a decision one way or another, to just go ahead and cancel or reschedule, there could be some benefits in waiting a bit to see whether some of these policies do in fact end up getting extended (again).

As for what’s on the table right now, here is a roundup of coronavirus-related change and cancellation policies.

Will airlines refund tickets due to coronavirus?

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, airlines have had to cancel thousands of flights due to travel restrictions that have been put in place by various governments (including by the United States ) and due to a drastic drop in demand as large swaths of the population are sheltering in place and practicing social distancing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Given the avalanche of cancellations, airlines have been steering customers toward the option of obtaining a future flight credit—versus a refund—if their flight has been canceled because of the COVID-19 outbreak. But in early April, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a notice to U.S. and foreign airlines reminding them that they remain obligated to provide “a prompt refund to passengers for flights to, within, or from the United States when the carrier cancels the passenger’s scheduled flight or makes a significant schedule change and the passenger chooses not to accept the alternative offered by the carrier.” (Lawmakers in Europe followed suit days later , with Europen Union Transport Commissioner Adina Valean rejecting calls from airlines to relax refund rules.)

The DOT stated that it had been receiving a growing number of complaints and inquiries from ticketed passengers who said they have been denied refunds for flights that were canceled or significantly delayed.

For flights that passengers choose to cancel, the airlines are offering future flight credits, allowing travelers to cancel their ticket and basically set aside that money to be used on a flight at a later date—and thankfully, you don’t have to book that flight now (which is good because it’s impossible to know how this pandemic is going to play out). American and Delta are currently offering that flexibility for flights that were scheduled to depart all the way through the end of September, and United’s flight change waiver now extends to the end of the year.

American Airlines: Any flights booked on American up until May 31, 2020, for travel through September 30, 2020, can be rebooked without change fees for travel that takes place by December 31, 2021; flights booked between March and May 31, 2020, for all future travel can also be canceled and changed without a change fee (while the fees will be waived, you will be charged a fare difference).

The airline is encouraging those who don’t plan to travel anytime soon to simply cancel their flight online and then rebook at a later date. When you’re ready to rebook, call the reservations department and be prepared to give them your 13-digit ticket number and 6-character confirmation number.

If a flight was canceled by American Airlines (either due to travel restrictions or capacity reductions), American said it will send affected passengers an email, and they can either rebook the trip or request a refund for the remaining ticket value and any optional fees.

United Airlines: For a flight booked with United between March 3 and April 30, 2020, you can change it for free—one time—for travel that takes place within the next year. Any flights booked prior to March 3 (regardless of whether they are domestic or international) with original travel dates through May 31, 2020, can be canceled and rebooked for a flight that takes place within 24 months with no change fees. Flights booked prior to March 3 with original travel between June 1 and December 31, 2020, can be canceled and rebooked within 24 months with no change fees but the change or cancellation must be done by April 30, 2020 .

With regards to requests for refunds for canceled flights, United now has an online form that customers can fill out to see if they qualify for a refund. The airline said it could take up to 21 business days to process each request.

Delta Air Lines: Any Delta ticket for domestic or international travel through the end of September can be canceled and rebooked without a fee for travel that takes place up until September 30, 2022. Flights purchased between March 1 and May 31, 2020, can be changed without a fee for travel up to a year from the date of purchase. For flights canceled by Delta, the airline said that passengers will either be issued a future flight credit for the value of the ticket or they can  request a refund .

JetBlue: Customers who were due to travel with JetBlue through January 4, 2021, on any flight that is booked by May 31, 2020, can cancel and bank the funds to use for travel up to 24 months from the date the flight credit was issued.

Southwest Airlines: Southwest’s standard refund policies hold, with a few coronavirus-related adjustments. The carrier has tier fares that include refunds (Business Select and Anytime) and a tier fare (Wanna Get Away) that doesn’t include refunds. Those remain the same. But regardless of the type of ticket purchased, it can be canceled sans fee for a future travel credit for up to a year from the original date of purchase. However, if you had travel funds that were set to expire between March 1 and June 30, 2020, those will now expire on June 30, 2021; travel credits from flights canceled for travel that was originally scheduled to take place between March 1 and June 30, 2020, will expire on June 30, 2021.

Alaska Airlines: Alaska flights purchased on or before February 26, 2020, for travel that was originally scheduled to take place March 9 through December 31, 2020, can be canceled, the money set aside in an Alaska account, and the flight rescheduled for anytime up to one year from the original travel date. Any tickets purchased between February 27 and May 31, 2020, for travel anytime through April 30, 2021, can also be changed with no fee for travel up to one year from the original travel date.

British Airways: The U.K. carrier is allowing customers who have booked or who book new flights between March 3 and May 31, 2020, to change those flights for free—and any existing bookings for departures through May 31, 2020, can be changed without a fee as well. Those who would prefer a refund have been asked to call the airline.

Air France: The French airline is offering a travel voucher for flights that were scheduled to depart through July 2, 2020, which will be valid for one year on any Air France, KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic flights.

How are Expedia, Priceline, and other online agencies handling coronavirus refunds?

Online travel agencies such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and Priceline serve as “middlemen” between travelers and travel suppliers. They have different working relationships with all the suppliers on their sites, which can complicate things a bit.

For instance, Expedia , Orbitz, and Travelocity can help change or cancel reservations for some of the air carriers they sell tickets for, but not all of them. For the ones with which they lack that ability, customers will have to work directly with the airline. But the bottom line is: The airline’s policy will be the policy that customers of Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity will have to work with.

Priceline advises its customers that “if your airline does not allow you to cancel or change your flight, we are not able to help you at this time.” The travel booking site offers a very comprehensive contact list, including websites and phone numbers, for all its partner airlines.

On the hotels front, Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz are allowing customers to cancel with no penalty all hotel stays through May 31, 2020, that were booked prior to March 19, 2020. For hotel stays after May 31, 2020, Expedia advises customers to check back with the site closer to the departure date.

Coronavirus refunds for hotels and vacation rentals

Hotels have always been pretty flexible when it comes to changing and canceling reservations, but in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, they are being even more so.

Marriott International: Marriott is allowing all guests at all of its more than 7,300 properties around the world with existing reservations, for any upcoming stay regardless of the date and regardless of whether the original rate had some restrictions, to change or cancel without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival—here’s the key thing to note— as long as the change or cancellation is made by June 30, 2020 . For those who make new reservations now through June 30, 2020, they will be allowed to change or cancel at no charge up to 24 hours before arrival, regardless of the date of stay.

Hilton: For guests who have booked stays that were scheduled to begin on or before June 30, 2020, at any of Hilton’s more than 6,100 global properties, the change fee is being waived and the company is offering full refunds for all cancellations (including on reservations described as “non-cancellable”) up to 24 hours before arrival. New reservations booked between now and June 30, 2020, for any future arrival date, can be changed or canceled at no charge up to 24 hours before arrival.

Accor: The 5,000-hotel Accor hasn’t offered much detail on its coronavirus-related change and cancellation policies other than to say that it has advised all of its hotels to adopt flexible change and cancellation conditions for travelers with new or existing bookings through April 30, 2020.

Intercontinental Hotel Group: IHG has waived cancellation fees for existing bookings that were made by April 6, 2020, at all of its hotels the world over for stays through June 30, 2020. It is handling groups and meeting bookings on a case-by-case basis. The company has also developed some new rates and booking options for future travel such as its “book now, pay later” rate, which doesn’t require a deposit and can be canceled up to 24 hours before your stay for bookings made up to September 3, 2020, for travel until December 30, 2020.

Airbnb: Vacation rental powerhouse Airbnb recently issued an updated global change and cancellation policy. Reservations for stays and experiences made on or before March 14, 2020, with a check-in date between March 14, 2020, and May 31, 2020, can be canceled for a full refund by guests, and hosts can cancel without a charge or impact to their Superhost status (and Airbnb will refund all service fees). Reservations made on or before March 14 with a check-in date after May 31, 2020, as well as any reservations made after March 14, 2020, will not be covered unless the guest or host has contracted COVID-19. Otherwise, the host’s standard cancellation policy will apply.

What are tour operators’ policies for coronavirus changes and refunds?

Given the global health crisis that the coronavirus pandemic presents, most reputable tour operators have gone ahead and proactively canceled a good portion of their upcoming itineraries (similar to what the cruise lines did—see below). Here are some examples.

Tauck: Long-time tour provider Tauck has canceled its scheduled tours and cruises through June 30, 2020—and for those tours it will refund the affected guests. For tours that were scheduled to take place between July 1 and July 31, 2020, guests can cancel and receive a future travel credit for any tour in 2020 or 2021 (but airline change fees will not be covered). Standard change policies remain in place for tours scheduled to take place August 1, 2020, and beyond.

Abercrombie & Kent: Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent has temporarily suspended ground operations globally from March 17 to May 31, 2020. A&K is offering guests on those journeys a future tour credit (that will include a 10 percent discount) for any trip for travel that takes place up to December 31, 2021.

Intrepid Travel: Global tour company Intrepid Travel has also suspended its tours through September 30, 2020. For those tours, travelers will receive a 110 percent future tour credit that they can apply toward any itinerary up until September 30, 2022. For tours departing October 1, 2020, and beyond, Intrepid said they are continuing as planned at this point, but that if customers choose to cancel, they can do so and receive a credit for whatever they had paid to be used for travel that takes place by September 30, 2022.

Collette: Family-owned tour operator Collette has canceled all its tours through June 30, 2020, and all affected guests are being offered either a future travel credit or the generous option to receive a refund.

What about cruises?

On March 14, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a 30-day “ No Sail Order” for all cruise ships to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As of April 15, 2020, the CDC extended that order, and cruise ship operations (in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction) have been suspended until July 24, 2020, or until the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services declares that coronavirus no longer constitutes a public health emergency, or until and unless the CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order.

Affected customers are being offered anywhere between a 100 percent and 200 percent future cruise credit by the cruise lines.

How travel advisors can help

During a complicated and overwhelming global crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic, a travel advisor can serve as a great ally. While travel advisors can’t force travel suppliers to refund their clients, they typically have stronger relationships with suppliers and thus more sway. They will be better able to help you navigate through the options for changing your trip plans. And as travel professionals (who likely have dealt with numerous crises in the past), they can offer their advice based on their myriad of contacts in the industry and from their own personal experience.

They will also have greater insights into the kinds of trustworthy and reliable travel companies you will want to book your future travel with as we navigate this ever-changing pandemic landscape.

Can travel insurance help you get a refund?

With regard to the current coronavirus crisis, travel insurance providers consider it to be a known event as of January 21, 2020 (or thereabouts, the date can change slightly depending on the provider, but usually falls sometime between January 21 and January 27, 2020). Travel insurance purchased before that date will cover disruptions resulting from the outbreak, but any travel insurance purchased after that date will not.

An exception to that is Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage , an optional upgrade to a travel insurance policy that covers cancellations for reasons not otherwise covered by a standard travel insurance “such as fear of traveling due to coronavirus or simply not wanting to travel to a country that may be affected,” according to Megan Moncrief, chief marketing officer for travel insurance search and review site Squaremouth.

There are some limitations, however. The CFAR upgrade has to be purchased within 14 to 21 days of making the initial trip deposit and it will reimburse travelers for up to 75 percent of their trip cost—for a price. Cancel for Any Reason coverage typically costs between 5 and 10 percent of the total trip cost.

This story originally appeared on February 24, 2020, and has been updated to reflect current information.

>> Next: How Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance Can (and Can’t) Help You

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Explore > Company > News > Got questions about your travel plans? Here’s what you should know if you’re changing or canceling a trip due to COVID-19

Got questions about your travel plans? Here’s what you should know if you’re changing or canceling a trip due to COVID-19

We’re here to help answer your questions about making changes to your existing travel plans due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Please read the latest updates below and visit our Customer Service Portal for online tools to help you change or cancel travel plans.

Latest Updates

We will keep this page regularly updated to ensure we are providing the latest guidance, travel suggestions, and links to pertinent coronavirus information.

June 26, 2020

Interstate Travel Quarantines:

• The travel quarantine announced on June 24, 2020 by the Governor of New York means travelers returning to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut from 8 U.S. states will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Those states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Texas.
• Governor of Hawaii announced on June 24, 2020 that all travelers arriving in Hawaii from out-of-state will be required to get a valid COVID-19 test prior to their arrival, and to show proof of a negative test result, to avoid the 14-day quarantine. The pre-travel testing program begins August 1.
• Customers who wish to change or modify travel plans due to these travel quarantines should review the terms and conditions of their air and/or hotel bookings to see what they are eligible for.
• Many airlines are allowing customers to cancel without penalty one time per ticket and receive a flight credit or change the date of their travel. Customers can cancel and view their airline’s policies by heading to their My Trips page and using self-service links in their itineraries.
• In some cases, customers with non-refundable hotel bookings may be eligible for a voucher (based on the property’s policies). Refundable bookings can be canceled in My Trips .

July Travel Dates:

• Customers with air travel booked for the month of July who wish to cancel may be eligible to cancel without penalty and receive a flight credit. Most customers with July travel would have received an email allowing them to cancel for a credit. Travelers can also cancel themselves using self-service tools in My Trips .
• For hotels, many of our travel partners continue to review and update their policies. Check My Trips to see if your reservation qualifies for free cancellation. If your reservation does not qualify, you can still cancel your reservation, but standard cancellation policies will apply.

May 27, 2020

June Travel Dates:

• Customers with international lodging bookings, as well as those with lodging bookings at select domestic properties, who are scheduled to begin their stay on or before June 30, 2020 and booked prior to March 19, 2020, will be eligible for a full refund or, in some cases, a voucher allowing them to rebook the original property at later dates. For options on how to manage your itinerary, head here:  https://www.expedia.com/service
• Customers who booked a non-refundable rate for a stay scheduled to begin after June 30, 2020 , should continue to check our site for updates. As the situation evolves, we will continue working with travel partners as necessary to implement flexible policies.

May 8, 2020

Information for travelers that purchased travel insurance:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a global emergency and a pandemic. For more information on what may or may not be covered related to COVID-19, please click  here for United States residents , and  here for non-US residents .

If I intend to file a claim, do I still need to cancel my travel booking?

• Yes, if you are not planning to travel due to COVID-19, you should cancel your travel before your travel start date to ensure that you do not forfeit any refunds, vouchers, or credits offered by the travel suppliers. You can initiate cancellations and check booking status by logging in to your online itinerary at   My Trips .
• If your travel is not immediate, please note that you may want to check back closer to your travel date as cancellation policies continue to evolve.

How do I submit a claim?

• Please visit the AIG website to submit a claim directly. Be sure to have your policy or itinerary number handy, as well as the last name the booking is under. Please note that AIG is currently processing insurance claims in order of trip date.

If you have any additional questions regarding your insurance policy, please connect with AIG .

Information for travelers that purchased Vacation Waiver:

• If you purchased Vacation Waiver we’ll reimburse you for any change or cancellation fees you are charged by a travel provider. If there are no change or cancellation fees involved in changing or cancelling your travel plans, then there is nothing additional for Vacation Waiver to provide.

April 24, 2020

May Travel Dates:

• If you are traveling between now and May 31, 2020, we have new options to cancel your trip online at  Expedia.com/trips  or you can submit our cancellation form at  Expedia.com/travel-alert-refunds . If none of the above solutions worked, and your trip begins within the next 10 days, use the “Contact Us” button at the top of expedia.com/service to speak directly with an agent. There are still currently extremely high hold times, so please do not call if you are not departing in the next 10 days so that we can better support travelers with more imminent needs.
• Now that the impacts of COVID-19 on travel plans are more widely known, and our teams have worked hard to ensure customers are able to manage their bookings via robust self-service tools, we are putting some of our previous cancellation policies back into place. For example, if a lodging booking has a cancellation window in May, we expect travelers to abide by that cancellation window to avoid penalties.
• We will continue to notify customers as their cancellation window approaches. We encourage travelers to review their plans and let us know if they intend to travel or not.

Update for travelers with tickets booked on Qantas (travel before July 31):

• For those of you with bookings on Qantas, they have extended and simplified their flight credits for customers with impacted travel plans. If you’re due to travel on a Qantas flight before July 31, 2020 and wish to change your plans, you can cancel your booking and retain the full value as a flight credit. Change fees will also be waived when you are ready to re-book. Flight credits must be requested by April 30, 2020.
• Customers traveling beyond May 31, 2020 who are unable to self-service online—we will reach out to round-trip ticket holders directly via email to give you the option to cancel your flight for credit. Please be sure to keep an eye out and to check your spam/junk mail.

April 17, 2020

Update for travelers with tickets booked on United (June travel and beyond):

• For tickets issued on or before March 2, 2020 with travel scheduled for June 1-Dec 31, 2020, travelers must change or cancel by April 30, 2020 to ensure your change fees are waived and to receive two years to use the airline credit we will issue to you on their behalf. If you aren’t ready to re-book, no worries! Just make sure you cancel the flight for the credit. We’ll be sending out an email to you in the next few days to make it easy for you to do this, so please keep an eye out and check your junk mail. Alternatively, if you’ve already submitted your request to our Travel Alert Refund form , there’s nothing else you need to do as we’ll process that for you.
• If you booked a round-trip ticket but only one of your flights is with United, you will still need to cancel that individual leg of the flight separately even if the other leg doesn’t currently have a policy in place. Once your other flight qualifies for a flex policy, you’ll be able to cancel that one without a penalty. You can directly cancel that segment of your flight here: expedia.com/trips
• Please note that should you choose to cancel your flight for an airline credit, you waive your right to any potential refund that might have been offered in the event your flight is canceled by the airline later. However, if you wait you may not be able to change your ticket without penalty unless United issues further flex policies.

April 16, 2020

If I booked a non-refundable ticket, am I still eligible for a refund?

• Policies will vary by carrier. Many airlines are issuing flex policies that offer flight credits for non-refundable travel through the end of May and eliminate cancellation and change fees. The easiest way to find out what your travel is eligible for is to check the airline’s website.
• In some cases airlines are required to provide a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly delayed by the airline and no alternate flight is provided. For this to apply, a traveler usually must have an active ticket on that flight at the time it’s canceled by the carrier. If the flights are still operating and the traveler elects to cancel a non-refundable ticket, any refund, credit or voucher will be at the airline’s discretion based on their policies.
• Unfortunately, travelers who are under ‘stay at home’ orders or otherwise prevented from traveling are not entitled to a refund.
• If an airline cancels a flight, our customer service team will reach out to impacted travelers directly to provide an update.
• If you believe you’re eligible for a refund and you received a flight credit instead, you can get in touch with us and we’ll work with you and the airline to determine your eligibility.

When will I get my refund?

• For hotel bookings, please note that refunds may take up to 30 days to process due to the unprecedented volume of travel disruptions. If the hotel processed the charge, they’ll determine the refund timeline. With the significant increase in flight cancellations across the travel industry, most refunds will be issued within 8 weeks. Some refunds could take longer depending on the airline.

General tips for travelers who still need or want to get away despite COVID-19

Travelers should try to adhere to the guidance from government and public health officials to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The U.S. State Department has also warned Americans to no longer travel abroad. Of course, traveler safety is the most important thing so ultimately, it’s up to you to determine what’s best for you and your family. If you still need or want to travel, consider the following:

• Stay informed. As a first step in planning any trip, check the Global Health and Travel Advisories for your intended destination. As the situation continues to evolve, airlines may change or reschedule flights.
• Check your local airport to find out if there is specific travel advice for passengers. Depending on your departure or arrival airport, there may be additional security checks so allow yourself plenty of time to get checked in and to your gate.
• Many airlines are offering flexible change policies for new travel booked. For a limited time due to COVID-19, many trusted airline partners including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and United Airlines are waiving change fees on eligible new bookings. Consider filtering for these air carriers and providers when searching on sites like Expedia.
• Book refundable hotels for any trips you are planning. Many hotels on Expedia offer free cancellation, and we’ve made it easy to find refundable hotels vs. non-refundable options. Use the “free cancellation” payment type filter to easily find options within your travel window and price point. Prices can vary, but right now we believe that flexibility matters.
• Check your travel insurance policy to see if changes and cancellations due to unforeseen events like coronavirus are covered. If you purchased travel protection through Expedia, you can learn more about your coverage  here .
• If you’re traveling for an event, double check to see if it’s been postponed or canceled.

More Customer Resources

For the most up-to-date traveler advisories and information on cancellations and refunds from Expedia, visit the customer service portal.

• Customer Service Portal: Expedia

For answers to some of the most asked COVID-19 traveler questions including steps you should take to plan future trips, visit the Expedia FAQ page.

• FAQ Page: Expedia

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The complete guide to canceling your summer vacation and getting your money back

Experts say the summer of 2022 will break a lot of records. Highest prices. Biggest crowds. Worst service. But here's one they aren't talking about: record cancellations.

It could happen. With the economy on fragile ground, some travel experts privately fear we're headed for a cliff. If inflation keeps rising and the stock market continues to fall , it's just a matter of time before Americans start to cancel their vacations. 

The latest Country Financial Security Index shows how close we are to a mass cancellation event. Americans are feeling less financially secure than they have in two years. They've seen price increases in gasoline (92%), groceries (88%), restaurants or take-out (76%), and, of course, travel (60%).

Summer vacation plans may change:   Travelers say inflation is impacting 'absolutely everything'

"Summer travel plans for many Americans will be tough this summer," says Chelsie Moore, director of wealth management and financial planning at Country Financial." There's a 50-50 chance of the Great Cancellation happening."

Learn more: Best travel insurance

How do you call off your vacation without losing all your money if the Great Cancellation happens? And is there anything that sets this summer apart when it comes to canceling your vacation?

Read the terms and conditions of your purchase

Did you take a few minutes to review the terms? You'd be surprised by how few travelers know if their airfare or hotel stay is refundable. (Short answer: airfare, probably not; hotel, probably.)

"For travelers who need to cancel their trips, the most foolproof tip is to read your terms and conditions closely before booking," says Andres Zuleta , founder of Boutique Explorer , a luxury tour operator.

Where do you find the terms and conditions? Every time you book a trip component, you should receive a document with the terms. You can also find the terms on your travel companies' websites. Airlines refer to it as their contract of carriage or conditions of carriage. Cruise lines have a ticket contract. Tour operators have a passenger agreement or general terms and conditions.

I'm not going to pretend this is easy reading. But if you take a few minutes to review the document, you'll know what you can expect if you need to cancel.

Consider travel insurance

If you're still finalizing your travel plans, you might want to consider a travel insurance policy . And not just any policy, but a "cancel for any reason" policy.

"Most trip cancellation insurance limits you to a narrow list of reasons for canceling," says Joe Cronin , president of International Citizens Insurance , a company that sells health insurance to expatriates. "With cancel for any reason insurance, you can generally get 75% back on your prepaid nonrefundable expenses."

Travel insurance typically costs between 4-8% of your trip’s prepaid, non-refundable cost. However, a “cancel for any reason” policy can run you 10% of the non-refundable cost, or slightly higher. 

Is travel insurance worth it?   What to know before you book your next trip

Let the negotiations begin

Ready to cancel? You may be able to recover some – or all – of the value of your trip. Depending on the circumstances, it can be a negotiation, say experts. Tour operator Zuleta has personally negotiated a refund of nonrefundable airfare simply by asking politely. Yes, that still works.

"Many airlines and hotels are offering vouchers or refunds for future travel if you cancel now," says Fred Hoffman , a frequent traveler who edits the camping advice site The True Wilderness . Don't forget to file a travel insurance claim. If you didn't buy travel insurance, you still might be covered if you booked the trip with your credit card .

Ideally, you won't have to negotiate anything, so it helps to know when you can get a full refund. Generally, if a company can't provide a service you paid for, you get a full refund .

Summer travel woes:   What airlines owe you when flights are canceled, delayed

Flight cancellations will be common this summer:   Your credit card may minimize the misery

Laura Einsetler , a commercial airline pilot from Los Angeles, expects a higher volume of delays and cancellations this summer. If your airline cancels a flight, you get a no-questions-asked refund within seven days (at least you're supposed to, according to the government). 

"I am honestly concerned about it being a mess this summer travel season," she says.

But the travel industry's mess can be your ticket to a refund.

If you haven't booked a vacation yet, consider postponing

Bottom line: This may not be the summer for a vacation.

"COVID-19 and inflation have hit many Americans' pocketbooks," says Mike Martinez, president and CEO of financial planning firm M Martinez & Associates in Metairie, Louisiana. "It is completely understandable to adjust, postpone or cancel your vacation this year if you can't afford it."

So if you haven't decided to go somewhere, the best advice might be to stick around. Take a staycation. Wait until the clouds of economic uncertainty clear. Start budgeting and planning for a 2023 summer trip that won't put you deeper into debt.

Flying for July 4 weekend?  With 500+ flights canceled today, it's shaping up to be a bumpy ride

Here are three key strategies for getting the refund you want

Patience. Your sense of timing is important when you try to recover the value of your vacation. You'll want to start the process as soon as possible to avoid missing any cancellation deadlines. And you'll also want to give the company as much time as possible to answer your request. Most travelers want an immediate refund or credit. But if your situation means you have to ask for a little rule-bending, it takes time.

Persistence. Travel companies have created systems designed to turn away customers asking for refunds. You get rerouted to a chat session where you talk to a customer service bot that has no authority to help you. Or you call a phone number that sends you to voice mail hell. Stay the course, say experts.

Politeness. Maybe the most effective weapon in our cancellation arsenal is your politeness. Use your pleases and thank you's. It's far more difficult for a representative to hang up on you when you're nice (although it has happened to me). Travel professionals have seen no-refund rules bent because one of their customers asked nicely.

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WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR TRAVEL PLANS GET CANCELED BY THE PANDEMIC

Travelpro Travel Expert Editor

Tips & Tricks ,

Travel Guide ,

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According to the news, holiday travel plans could be delayed due to another surge in the pandemic. It’s unfortunate, but the possibility may occur since many cities and potential destinations could be on lockdown again, or families may decide not to travel due to sickness or the potential for infection.

We read about a recent survey of 553 Americans who were about to travel before the Thanksgiving holiday. One question they were asked was, “ Has the pandemic canceled or changed your travel plans (destination, gathering volume/type, mode of travel, etc.) for the holidays this year? ”

Of the respondents, 61.05% said yes, they had canceled or changed their plans, 24.82% said no, and 14.13% said they were waiting to see.

Canceling holiday plans is not easy, and it’s certainly not ideal, but even if you did, that doesn’t mean you have to lose all the money you spent in the process. In many cases, travel companies have options for their customers in case of COVID-related cancelations. Here are some of those options.

YOU CAN OFTEN REBOOK OR CANCEL TRAVEL PLANS WITHOUT PENALTY

Travel providers understand the issues travelers are having these days. With the second wave of COVID taking place, travelers are making the hard choice to cancel their stays at the hotels.

(Be sure to read about   the steps that many hotels and Airbnb are taking to keep their hotels sanitized and cleaned with the latest COVID protocols .)

Although your reservation may be canceled, there could be an option to receive a voucher or certificate that is usable for a future stay at that hotel. Hospitality loyalty programs will often offer those in order to keep your business in the hopes that you will return in the future.

For example,   Marriott is letting travelers cancel reservations that were made on or after July 6 with arrival dates through December 30 . Your trip can be canceled or rebooked free of charge. (So be sure to sign up for a hotel’s loyalty program before you start traveling again.)

BUY TRAVELER’S INSURANCE

You may have never bought it before, but   traveler’s insurance can save you a lot of money   if your flight, hotel, or cruise were to be canceled for most reasons. Whether it’s related to COVID, your own personal illness, or even a natural disaster or political unrest, you can get reimbursed most, if not all, of your travel costs.

Of course, that depends on the kind of insurance you got and the reasons for the cancelation. So, be sure to review your policy and make sure it covers you for the reasons you’re most concerned about. For example, if you were going on a cruise that was canceled because of a hurricane, you could receive reimbursement for your plane tickets, rental car, and hotel nights that you were going to use to get to the cruise ship and return home.

ASK QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH THEIR POLICIES

Whether you were going to fly,   rent a car , stay at a hotel, or hole up in an Airbnb, or even see sights and take tours, you need to research their cancelation policies. Businesses want to keep your business, even if it means letting you change your reservation for another date.

If you have to cancel, make sure you know the policies beforehand and contact them to ask about alternate arrangements that can be made. Also, you can Google the travel provider’s name and “COVID cancelation policy” to find their actual policy that tells you what your options are.

OTHER TRAVEL IDEAS

If your plans are canceled, and you won’t be going to your final destination, that doesn’t mean you need to sit at home in the dark. There are (hopefully) still other options in your hometown that you could consider.

Maybe you could take a day trip to see some local sights. Or you could “live like a local” and stay in a hotel nearby and experience your city as if you were a tourist. You could pick a place that’s not on lockdown or that will give you a fairly safe experience, like a   state park , or see what it’s like to   live like a digital nomad for a few days .

Depending on where you live, there may be a place within a few hours of home that you could still go to and rescue your vacation, even if you can’t visit family or take the winter cruise you were hoping for. Then, just save your vouchers and reschedule your trip for next year when it’s safer to visit family and friends or see those faraway sights you were hoping to see.

Did you have to cancel any travel plans during the pandemic? How did you cope, or what are you planning to do? Share your stories and tips with us   on our Facebook page , or   on our Twitter stream . You can also find us on our   Instagram page at @TravelproIntl .

Photo credit:   dmncwndrlch (Pixabay, Creative Commons 0)

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Should you cancel travel plans because of the coronavirus’s delta variant? Ask these questions.

For a blissful few weeks this spring, a summer of semi-normal travel seemed not just possible, but almost certain. Flights were booked, hotel reservations were made and vacation time was requested as those with wanderlust or pent-up desire to see loved ones organized their long-awaited excursions.

But the hyper-transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus has now forced some would-be travelers to cancel trips and others to consider whether it’s safe to follow through with their plans. As hospitalizations surge across much of the country — mostly among the unvaccinated — Americans are trying to adapt on the fly.

Asking yourself a few questions can help you decide whether to keep your travel arrangements.

Is everyone in your group of travelers vaccinated? Is anyone immunocompromised?

If you haven’t gotten vaccinated against the coronavirus, you should strongly consider staying home, experts said. Travel is much safer if at least two weeks have passed since your last dose. But if you have a weakened immune system, you may want to reconsider traveling, even if you have been vaccinated.

“If they have issues with their immune system or are immunocompromised, I would say now is probably not a great time to travel, because there are so many things that are outside of your control,” said Nasia Safdar, medical director of infection control at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.

The status of anyone you’re going to visit also matters. Safdar said she would wear a mask around immunocompromised family members or friends, even in private settings where everyone has been vaccinated.

For unvaccinated people who must travel, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests taking a coronavirus test one to three days beforehand, staying away from crowds and remaining masked. You should also take another virus test three to five days after returning and self-quarantine for seven days. Also, keep in mind that some countries or venues might require children who are too young for vaccination to test negative for the virus.

How do you plan to travel?

To avoid contracting or transmitting the virus, the fewer fellow travelers you come into contact with, the better. For that reason, traveling by car is generally safer than taking a train, bus or airplane . Try to make as few stops as possible, because rest stops and gas stations will probably put you in proximity to many other travelers.

If you travel by air, you have a particularly high likelihood of ending up in a crowd. Although the virus doesn’t seem to spread easily on flights, you’ll probably be among hundreds or thousands of other passengers at an airport terminal or while in line for a security check.

How to cancel your flights, Airbnbs and more because of the delta variant

Remember that masks are required on all public transportation and at transportation hubs such as airports. You should make sure the mask you bring meets your airline’s requirements, said Alvin Tran, an assistant professor of public health at the University of New Haven’s School of Health Sciences. Bandannas, scarves, balaclavas and face shields are often considered insufficient.

Before boarding an international flight, you may have to take a coronavirus test at your own expense and show proof of a negative result, said Lin Chen, director of the Travel Medicine Center at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass.

All about your coronavirus vaccine card (and what to do if you lose it)

What’s the transmission rate at your destination?

The CDC maintains a map showing which regions of the United States have low, moderate, substantial and high rates of virus transmission at a given time. A separate guide tracks coronavirus prevalence in various countries and offers recommendations associated with each level of transmission. Travelers should avoid visiting areas with a “very high” degree of transmission, per the CDC’s guidelines.

Although it can be helpful to consult that data, Safdar suggested keeping in mind that regions can move quickly from one transmission category to another. So what looks like a low-risk destination when you’re planning may not be quite as safe by the time you arrive. For example, on Aug. 2, the CDC and the State Department added 16 destinations — including Ireland, Greece and the U.S. Virgin Islands — to their highest travel advisory category for the coronavirus.

A region’s immunization rate and the status of its hospitals also matter. There is probably more virus circulating in low-vaccination areas, and overwhelmed hospitals may mean you’ll have less access to medical care if you get sick or injured — with covid-19 or any other malady.

Chen said to also consider how you would manage if you tested positive for the coronavirus while at your destination. You should be prepared to self-quarantine there until you’ve recovered.

Should you travel with kids during the delta surge? Consider these 6 trip scenarios.

What travel restrictions are in place where you’re going?

Although some destinations are loosening restrictions to encourage visitors, others are tightening them in response to the delta variant. On Aug. 3, Israel said it would require visitors from the United States and 17 other countries to quarantine upon arrival , regardless of their vaccination status. Grenada now requires full vaccination for entry. Australia’s most populous city, Sydney, has been locked down for weeks.

On Aug. 9, the CDC added countries to its list of Level 4 — or very high — travel risk. France, Iceland, Israel and Thailand are included in the countries that the agency urges people to avoid.

Some countries, including France and Italy, are beginning to require proof of inoculation, documentation of immunity or a recent negative coronavirus test for entry to certain establishments . Chen cautioned that some foreign venues may not accept a CDC vaccination card as proof of immunization.

In the United States, many restaurants and bars also have said they’ll require vaccination. If you haven’t gotten your shots, consider whether the rules of the businesses you want to visit would prohibit you from going.

What you need to know about the highly contagious delta variant

Will you spend most of your trip indoors or outdoors?

It has been clear for months that the coronavirus spreads more easily inside than outside, so where you’ll be spending most of your trip should be a consideration in whether to go through with it. Hiking in a national park, for example, is low on the spectrum of risk. But Tran cautioned that he would still wear a mask while in line for an outdoor attraction, where social distancing is difficult.

If you’ll mostly be visiting museums, historic buildings and shops, on the other hand, you should consider the fact that the CDC is urging indoor mask-wearing in areas with substantial or high coronavirus transmission. And some jurisdictions , such as Nevada, D.C., Los Angeles County, St. Louis and others, are issuing mask mandates for indoor public spaces on their own. So, depending on your destination, you may need to wear a face covering for hours at a time. Jurisdictions may also have rules regarding social distancing and the hours that different types of venues can be open.

If you’re partaking in indoor activities, Safdar suggested keeping a low threshold for donning a face covering. And she said she would avoid indoor dining at any destination.

Yes, it’s time to think about holiday travel. Here’s how to plan around delta.

Can you get your money back if your travel plans change?

Your calculus for determining whether to go on a planned trip may depend in part on whether you can reschedule or cancel without losing money. Most travel insurance will reimburse you if you get the coronavirus before or during a trip but won’t help if you want to cancel out of nervousness about the delta surge, Megan Moncrief, a spokeswoman for travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth, previously told The Washington Post . She said you’d have to buy pricier “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage to account for that scenario.

We asked: Will travel insurance protect your trip as covid spreads?

How much risk and inconvenience are you willing to endure?

In this pandemic, there’s no such thing as a trip with zero chance of contracting the coronavirus. Whether it’s worth it to travel depends largely on your comfort level with risk. In a high-transmission area, Safdar said, it will be very hard to avoid the virus entirely.

Traveling right now also requires more preparation than usual. You’ll have to stay on top of evolving requirements and restrictions, even while at your destination, and adapt accordingly. You also may need to budget extra time and money to compensate. If you can afford to do so, working with a reputable travel agency can help you work through those challenges, Chen said.

“If somebody is prepared to face all those additional challenges, they might be okay and want to go anyway,” she said. “But I think for a lot of people, it might not be worth all the extra efforts.”

PLEASE NOTE: Potential travelers should take local and national public health directives regarding the pandemic into consideration before planning any trips. Travel health notice information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s interactive map showing travel recommendations by destination and the CDC’s travel health notice webpage .

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Covid isolation guidelines: Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change has raised concerns among medically vulnerable people .

New coronavirus variant: The United States is in the throes of another covid-19 uptick and coronavirus samples detected in wastewater suggests infections could be as rampant as they were last winter. JN.1, the new dominant variant , appears to be especially adept at infecting those who have been vaccinated or previously infected. Here’s how this covid surge compares with earlier spikes .

Latest coronavirus booster: The CDC recommends that anyone 6 months or older gets an updated coronavirus shot , but the vaccine rollout has seen some hiccups , especially for children . Here’s what you need to know about the latest coronavirus vaccines , including when you should get it.

Everything you need to know about cancel for any reason trip protection

In January 2020, my husband and I decided to splurge and book a suite aboard a Celebrity Cruises springtime voyage on the line's Apex ship . The cruise fare wasn't insignificant, so we bought travel insurance — as we usually do for any big trip. We printed out policies from five different companies and carefully reviewed the differences.

We thought about all the things that could go wrong that might stop us from going on this cruise — the death of an elderly relative, a work conflict or a broken leg. At the time, "pandemic" did not make our shortlist. We ultimately purchased a trip insurance package without the pricey "cancel for any reason" add-on (sometimes called CFAR). We thought we'd be just fine.

Of course, the sudden emergence of COVID-19 changed things and, boy, do we wish we'd sprung for the additional CFAR protection.

Interested in travel insurance? Visit InsureMyTrip.com to shop for plans that may fit your travel needs — including cancel-for-any reason coverage.

More destinations are reopened to American travelers, and people are booking trips once again. But the coronavirus pandemic isn't over, and there is still some uncertainty about what the rest of this year and 2022 holds. Cancel-for-any-reason trip protection can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in a time when flexibility is paramount when booking travel.

If you're not sure what cancel-for-any-reason travel protection is and when you should purchase it, here's everything you need to know.

Visit TPG's coronavirus hub for the latest news and advice.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

What you need to know about travel insurance

Cancel for any reason, also known as CFAR, is a time-sensitive, optional benefit that can be added to some comprehensive travel insurance policies for qualifying travelers. Before we delve into the details, it's useful to understand trip insurance in general. Here are some resources that explain everything you need to know about travel insurance and its benefits, from trip cancellation and interruption coverage to emergency medical to baggage delay. And, we've included some resources that specifically talk about coronavirus as it relates to insurance policies:

• The best travel insurance policies and providers
• When to buy travel insurance versus when to rely on credit card protections
• Will independent travel insurance cover coronavirus? Here's what you should know
• Best credit cards with travel insurance
• What you should know about the trip cancellation and interruption protection offered by select credit cards
• Be careful: Avoiding outbreaks isn't covered by most travel insurance

What is cancel-for-any-reason protection?

While travel insurance policies can offer a range of inclusions (think: medical evacuation, trip cancellation due to foreign or domestic terrorism or damage to your rental car), not every eventuality is included in all insurance policies. For example, some trip insurance plans may offer coverage in the event of employment layoffs, while others do not. Some policies may have robust emergency medical coverage, while competitors don't. That's why it's so important for you to select a plan that meets your specific needs for each trip.

A commonality among insurance policies is their long list of exclusions. For example, my homeowners' insurance clearly states I'm not covered for damage caused by an alien invasion. Yes. Seriously.

When it comes to travel insurance, it's common to see these sorts of incidents excluded from coverage: normal pregnancy, the illness of a pet, suicide (yours or a traveling companion) or any self-inflicted injury, psychological disorders, mountain climbing, bungee-jumping, skydiving, declared (or undeclared) war as well as epidemics and pandemics.

So, under normal circumstances, a travel insurance policy would likely not cover a trip you cancel because you're worried about contracting coronavirus .

That's where a cancel-for-any-reason policy comes into play. This is a time-sensitive add-on you can purchase from some providers when buying specific comprehensive travel insurance plans — as long as you meet certain eligibility requirements. By paying extra for this coverage, you can cancel for any reason under the sun as long as you follow the policies' purchase and cancel stipulations.

When am I eligible to add CFAR protection?

In general, you're only eligible to add CFAR protection to a comprehensive travel insurance policy at the time of purchase — you typically can't purchase the policy and then decide (at a later date) to commit to the CFAR add on. In addition, you'll need to commit to the policy and CFAR protection fairly soon after making your initial trip payment. According to InsureMyTrip.com , typically "a policy must be purchased within 10-21 days of making the initial trip payment to be eligible for CFAR benefits."

Many providers will also require you to insure the entire value of your trip, and additional requirements may apply. As always, it's critical to read through all of the terms before committing to purchasing any travel insurance policy — including CFAR coverage.

How much does cancel-for-any-reason coverage cost?

CFAR coverage is sounding pretty good as a way to hedge bets against the continued uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. But, how much are you going to have to dig into your wallet to pay for it? The fee for this add-on is typically calculated as a percentage of the price of the standard insurance policy you select.

Standard comprehensive plans can cost about 4-10% of the total cost of the insured trip, and CFAR can be an additional 40-60% on top of the standard plan (not the cost of the trip).

Consider the following illustrative example for a $5,000 trip with two 50-year-old travelers to Aruba:

• A standard, comprehensive plan might cost around $250 — which is 5% of the total trip cost.
• A comprehensive plan with the CFAR upgrade included might cost around $375 — which is the price of the standard plan ($250) plus an additional 50% ($125).

However, please note that all plan costs can differ based on individual quote details.

Will you get all your money back if you purchase CFAR coverage?

No. Generally speaking, CFAR can reimburse up to 75% of your total insured, prepaid, nonrefundable trip cost. In addition, CFAR typically requires you to cancel your trip no less than two days prior to departure to be eligible for reimbursement.

Check the insurance policy terms carefully to find out how much your refund would be if you invoked the CFAR terms and canceled your insured trip — and be sure to know the deadline for doing so.

Should you buy CFAR coverage?

Whether to travel and what level of insurance to purchase — or not — is always a personal decision. But, TPG has consistently received a lot of reader questions over the past year about what they should do if they have a trip booked or were about to book a trip and now don't know what to do because of the uncertainty of the coronavirus.

"One of the top questions travelers ask is about when to splurge for the CFAR upgrade," says Meghan Walch, a travel insurance expert for InsureMyTrip . "It's important to note that a standard comprehensive policy does not cover fear of travel. That's why we strongly recommend all travelers consider CFAR, if eligible. There is so much uncertainty with the pandemic, travelers are leaning towards maximum flexibility to cancel their trip to receive a percentage of their trip cost back."

If your total trip cost is low, you may decide to forego insurance — or the additional CFAR coverage — and self-insure (i.e., eat the nonrefundable trip costs if you cancel). But, if your vacation is expensive, the additional fee for CFAR may feel like a bargain instead of potentially losing thousands of dollars if you have to cancel nonrefundable reservations.

A few more words of advice

Coronavirus is adding a layer of complexity to decisions travelers must make about going on planned trips and booking future vacations. Here are a few specific scenarios to consider:

What to do if you're about to book a trip but are hesitant because of coronavirus

If you're afraid to commit a large amount of money to a future trip, purchasing a comprehensive travel insurance policy and adding the cancel-for-any-reason coverage option might be the best bet.

"Cancel-for-any-reason is the only way to protect the majority of your trip cost if you would like the flexibility to cancel your trip due to fear of the coronavirus pandemic and variants that are currently spiking," says Walch.

This could also be a great option for immunocompromised travelers. Even a doctor attesting to your inability to travel may not be enough to qualify for reimbursement under a standard, comprehensive plan — but CFAR coverage could help recoup some of your forfeited costs.

If you're shopping for CFAR, you can use a site like InsureMyTrip.com , and then check the applicable box under the search results:

Doing so will only return policy results that include that type of coverage.

What to do if you booked a trip and have insurance — but your policy doesn't include CFAR clause

If you purchased a comprehensive travel insurance plan for an upcoming trip but didn't add CFAR coverage, just be aware that your options for coronavirus-related cancellations are more limited. While CFAR is the only cancellation option to cover fear of travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, some comprehensive policies still offer coverage for other COVID-19-related concerns. This may include:

• Coverage for common concerns like cancellation due to diagnosed illness before traveling
• Emergency medical care from a doctor or hospital if you become ill while traveling
• Accommodation coverage if quarantined at your destination

Always be sure to review your policy carefully to understand the exclusions — but note that, without CFAR coverage, canceling a trip simply because you're afraid of contracting COVID-19 will likely not result in a successful claim under standard, comprehensive travel insurance plans.

What to do if you booked a trip and have no travel insurance

First, look at when you actually booked the trip. If it was within the last three weeks, you may still be eligible for a comprehensive travel insurance plan with the cancel-for-any-reason add-on. And if not, there may still be more limited policies that provide some coronavirus-related protection — including emergency medical evacuation.

In short, it's critical to begin investigating your travel insurance options as soon as you book (and make an initial payment on) a trip, as this will maximize the number of applicable plans. This is particularly important when it comes to time-sensitive benefits — like CFAR protection.

To explore these options, you can enter your trip details to compare available plans on a site like InsureMyTrip.com .

Bottom line

Having the peace of mind of travel insurance is more important than ever as countries reopen to vaccinated U.S. citizens and people start booking trips once again. With the delta variant now the dominant strain in the U.S., there is still uncertainty ahead for travelers hoping to take trips this year and into next.

In the past, you may have shrugged at the idea of trip insurance, especially the more expensive policies that offer a CFAR add-on. If you don't want the coronavirus pandemic to derail your travel plans but want to be covered if an expensive trip must be postponed or canceled, CFAR may be a great option to consider.

Disclaimer : This information is provided by IMT Services, LLC ( InsureMyTrip.com ), a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 5119217) and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. IMT's services are only available in states where it is licensed to do business and the products provided through InsureMyTrip.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not create or modify any insurance policy terms in any way. For more information, please visit www.insuremytrip.com .

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

Rule makes it easy to get money back for cancelled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and additional services not provided  

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

The final rule creates certainty for consumers by defining the specific circumstances in which airlines must provide refunds. Prior to this rule, airlines were permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund. As a result, refund policies differed from airline to airline, which made it difficult for passengers to know or assert their refund rights. DOT also received complaints of some airlines revising and applying less consumer-friendly refund policies during spikes in flight cancellations and changes. 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.  
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.  
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

DOT’s final rule also makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund — searching through airline websites to figure out how make the request, filling out extra “digital paperwork,” or at times waiting for hours on the phone. In addition, passengers would receive a travel credit or voucher by default from some airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process.  

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.   
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.  
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.    
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

The final rule also requires airlines to provide prompt notifications to consumers affected by a cancelled or significantly changed flight of their right to a refund of the ticket and extra service fees, as well as any related policies.

In addition, in instances where consumers are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease, the final rule requires that airlines must provide travel credits or vouchers. Consumers may be required to provide documentary evidence to support their request. Travel vouchers or credits provided by airlines must be transferrable and valid for at least five years from the date of issuance.

The Department received a significant number of complaints against airlines and ticket agents for refusing to provide a refund or for delaying processing of refunds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, refund complaints peaked at 87 percent of all air travel service complaints received by DOT. Refund problems continue to make up a substantial share of the complaints that DOT receives.

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• Thanks to pressure from Secretary Buttigieg and DOT’s flightrights.gov dashboard, all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov .  
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.   
• Under Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.  
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.  
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs.

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect against surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, and the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.  
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.   
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

The final rule on refunds can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news and at regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089. There are different implementation periods in this final rule ranging from six months for airlines to provide automatic refunds when owed to 12 months for airlines to provide transferable travel vouchers or credits when consumers are unable to travel for reasons related to a serious communicable disease. 

Information about airline passenger rights, as well as DOT’s rules, guidance and orders, can be found at   https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

Airlines in America will soon have to give automatic refunds for cancelled and delayed flights. Could the same happen in Australia?

Experiencing cancelled or delayed flights and navigating refunds for them are some of the more annoying aspects of air travel, depending on where you are in the world. 

Remuneration requests require a lot of time and motivation on behalf of consumers: to make phone calls, wait on hold, and dig through piles of paperwork or an inbox full of emails.

Here in Australia, consumer advocacy groups have long pushed for a code of conduct that would ensure minimum standards of treatment for passengers.

Currently, there are no aviation-specific consumer protection laws in place.

Under the existing framework, contracts between airlines and consumers are governed under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and it's at the discretion of airlines to set the terms and conditions of refunds and travel credits.

Rosie Thomas, director of campaigns at consumer group Choice, says Australia is out of step with international jurisdictions when it comes to establishing clear rules in the aviation sector.

"We think it's well overdue for [Australia] to introduce some airlines-specific consumer protections to bring us in line with the rest of the world," she said.

In comparison, the European Union legislation mandates that airlines provide passengers with certain levels of care and with cash compensation after significant delays.

New rules introduced in the United States will soon see airlines held to clear and consistent standards on flight cancellations, delays or unexpected changes to a passenger's travel plans.

The requirements, which were announced last week by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and will come into effect in October, instruct airlines to promptly provide travellers with automatic cash refunds and be more up-front about additional fees in their pricing.

John Breyault from America's National Consumers League says the changes will "eliminate a lot of the headaches consumers have to endure".

So what could these new rules mean for American passengers preparing to fly later this year and what lessons could they hold for Australia?

Australian consumers fed up with cancellations and delays

One of the biggest gripes of Australian airline customers, according to Choice, is cancelled flights and unexplained delays.

Almost a third of flights were cancelled or delayed over the January holiday period this year, with Qantas and Virgin postponing 1,305 flights that month.

The ACCC and industry insiders have previously accused major airlines of dropping flights tactically in a practice known as "slot hoarding"

The tactic  allows major airlines to intentionally book and then cancel flights to prevent competition at airports. As long as the service cancellations do not occur more than 20 per cent of the time, the airlines keep the slot at the expense of a competitor.

The sector has also been under close scrutiny since the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal action against Qantas over the sale of seats on flights that had already been cancelled .

The airline agreed to compensate customers, in a deal reached with the consumer watchdog earlier this week.

When an individual buys a ticket, they expect to arrive at their destination as close as possible to the time that they booked. And when that doesn't happen, they want to be reimbursed in some way.

But in a survey of 9,000 people asked about their airline experiences, Choice found that of those who pursued a refund or compensation for a delay or cancelled flight, one in five had to wait more than six months .

Ms Thomas says fed-up consumers have complained of having to "fight tooth and nail" to be compensated when travel plans go awry.

"As part of the minimum consumer protections that need to be introduced and legislated in Australia, I think consumers would welcome the certainty of knowing that if a flight is cancelled, or doesn't go to plan, that they don't need to request or chase up the refunds," she told the ABC.

The ACCC, Choice, and other legal and consumer groups have called for laws to allow domestic travellers to be compensated when airlines delay or cancel flights, or when their luggage is lost or damaged in transit.

A Pay on Delay bill  introduced by Coalition senators last month also proposed new protections  that would oblige airlines to provide refunds or compensation when an airline chooses to cancel or delay flights.

But one airline has already rejected the idea. Last year, Qantas said paying compensation for delayed and cancelled flights would be "a backwards step" and would "increase confusion and complaints and materially increase costs, ultimately leading to higher fares".

In America, consumer advocates have made similar pushes for clear guidelines and greater recognition of passenger rights when it comes to flying.

These efforts date back to the early 1970s when individuals were forced to sue to recover money lost to delays but, for the most part, airlines were allowed to set their own rules when it came to issuing refunds.

That was until the Transport Department issued new set of rules last week, which laid out a series of minimum protections for consumers.

America wants to make cash refunds automatic

DOT will soon require airlines to automatically issue refunds when their flights are cancelled or significantly changed, their checked bags are significantly delayed, or purchased ancillary services, such as wi-fi, are not provided.

Other changes will force airlines and ticket agents to:

• Promptly issue refunds within seven business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods
• Provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase and not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger chooses to accept it
• Provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used, including all fees

Mr Breyault from America's National Consumers League says the new rules will make the process of securing a refund more seamless for the customer.

"If I buy a toaster and I go home, plug it in and it doesn't toast my bread, I can take that back and get my money back," he told the ABC.

"We think that it should be that easy when you are buying a ticket for air travel and the airline doesn't provide the service that you paid for."

The new requirements also set parameters around "significant" delays — more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally — and on ticket purchases, with airlines and ticket agents now required to tell consumers up-front what fees they will be charged for things like baggage.

The last rule is designed to help consumers avoid unexpected charges that can quickly spiral and add significant cost to what may, at first, look like a cheap ticket.

Junk fees are less of an issue in Australia despite there being no set guidelines on them. Under the ACL, they tend to fall within misleading or deceptive conduct and the regulator, the ACCC, has acted previously to stamp it out.

Janet Bednarek, an aviation researcher and professor of history at the University of Dayton in Ohio, says DOT's requirements will now mean all airlines are "playing by the same rules".

"[This way] you don't have to try to figure out 'OK, what airline was I on? What are their rules?'" she told the ABC.

American Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says his department has legal authority to enforce the new rules, but Congress is also considering a massive $US105 billion ($159 billion) Federal Aviation Administration bill, which includes some of these provisions.

Ms Thomas, who has been following DOT's new rules from Australia, says airlines that operate in the US, such as Qantas, will also have to comply in six months.

"If they're going to be building the systems and processes to comply in the US, we have to ask why Australian consumers shouldn't get the same benefits," she said.

It is understood Qantas is working out how the new rules will apply to them.

Europe is a step ahead on consumer protections

The requirements bring Americans closer to European-style consumer protections in the aviation industry.

Passengers there have some of the best consumer safeguards in the world when it comes to flying but industry insiders caution it is not the gold standard.

"Europe is ahead of the United States when it comes to passenger protection regulations," Mr Breyault said, adding this was especially true for delay compensation rules.

Under European Union regulation EC261, all flights departing from or arriving in a member state within the bloc as well as Norway or Iceland qualify for refunds in the event of a cancellation or a delay of more than three hours.

The amount is between 250 euros ($407) and 600 euros ($977) per passenger , depending on the distance of the flight, and passengers stuck killing time in the waiting area are entitled to refreshments and beverages free of charge.

In the case of a delay of five hours or more, customers also have the right to cancel the flight and receive full reimbursement or another return flight at their earliest opportunity.

It's worth noting the rules don't apply to extraordinary events, such as bad weather.

DOT has signalled it would like to bring delay compensation rules in the US closer in line with those in Europe, but there has been no official announcement yet.

"It recognises a very simple concept, which is that consumers' time is valuable," Mr Breyault said.

"…So we are looking for that to happen."

Could Australia adopt similar rules?

The existing legislative framework in the Europe Union and the new guidelines soon to be in place in America offer some examples of how minimum consumer protections could work in Australia.

Keith Tonkin, an aviation expert and managing director of Aviation Projects, says consumers here would be better served by something similar to what America is preparing to implement.

"Why hasn't it been done? I think it's probably because of resistance from the airlines to accommodate that change, and to be able to provide that service in response to a claim," he said.

He explains that part of the airlines' consideration when it comes to refunds revolves around there being a "very significant administration overhead in trying to get that money back to people".

In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for Virgin Australia said "where possible, we proactively communicate with guests who have been impacted by a schedule change".

"Virgin Australia has a Guest Compensation Policy that sets out what customers are entitled to when their flights are disrupted including other flight options, a travel credit, or a refund for the value of the booking," they said.

The federal government's upcoming aviation white paper is set to look at issues such as safety, competitiveness, sustainability and efficiency in the sector as well as consumer protection.

One of the questions raised in the green paper released last year was whether policies pursued in other jurisdictions – such as a Passenger Bill of Rights or a stronger ombudsman model – would deliver benefits in Australia's aviation sector? 

In its submission to the paper's terms of reference, Choice encouraged the Department to implement minimum consumer protections that make it easier for consumers to:

• Receive a refund
• Mandate minimum requirements for travel vouchers/credits
• Introduce a mandatory industry code of practice
• Establish a new travel and tourism ombudsman and
• Mandate information standards

The white paper is expected to be released in mid-2024.

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How to Use Travel Insurance to Cancel a Flight

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Table of Contents

Basic process for travel insurance flight cancellation

Additional tips for travel insurance flight cancellation, if you need to cancel a flight with travel insurance.

Travel insurance can reimburse you for the nonrefundable portion of your flight expenses when you have to cancel a trip due to serious illness, a death in the immediate family, natural disaster or other reason specifically covered by your policy. But to make sure your claim is processed, you need to cancel your flight and file your claim the right way.

If you’ve been wondering how to cancel a flight with travel insurance — here's what you need to do.

The steps necessary to cancel a flight with travel insurance vary by travel insurance company, but many have the same basic process for submitting a claim.

1. Cancel your flight with the airline

Contact the airline to cancel your flight. For most airlines, this can be done online, through its app or by calling customer service. The airline isn't concerned about whether or not you have travel insurance protections.

» Learn more: Airline travel insurance vs. independent travel insurance: Which is right for you?

2. Determine the amount of your claim

When you cancel a plane ticket, you may be entitled to a refund of some or all of your ticket price. Travel insurance reimburses you for the nonrefundable portions of your affected travel plans; your claim amount is the price of your nonrefundable travel plans minus refunds that you have received, up to your eligible limits.

3. Start your claim

Claims can be started online or over the telephone with most travel insurance providers. Some allow you to submit your claim through their mobile app. To get started, have your policy information and travel details handy.

» Learn more: The majority of Americans plan to travel in 2022

4. Review the claim documentation checklist

Travel insurance companies often provide a checklist of documents you’ll need to process your claim. Gather all of the documents required by the insurance company, even if you don't understand why it is asking for them.

5. Submit your supporting documents

Once you have the documents, submit them to the travel insurance company for its review. It's best to submit all of the information at once, rather than piecemeal, so that the claims adjuster can quickly make a decision.

6. Respond to additional requests right away

If the insurance company requests additional documents or information, respond as quickly as possible. If too much time passes, your claim could be denied.

» Learn more: The best credit cards for travel insurance benefits

Here are tips for dealing with a trip cancellation to make the process as smooth as possible.

Determine if you're canceling for a covered reason. A common question travelers have when they need to cancel a trip is: Can I cancel my flight with travel insurance? Depending on your policy, the answer may be yes. With many trip insurance policies, you can expect to get reimbursed only if you cancel for a covered reason, like serious illness, terrorist attack or death in the immediate family. Review your policy to determine what reasons are eligible for coverage.

Document everything and save all receipts. Save all of your receipts, emails and other items related to the trip. Keep a journal of all communications with the airlines, your doctor (if applicable), the insurance agency and anyone else related to your claim. Consider scanning and backing up your documents in case they are lost.

Call your doctor if you’re sick. You may not be feeling well, but can you prove you are sick enough that a reasonable person would need to cancel the flight? A doctor’s advice that you cancel your trip can help prove that your travel insurance claim is valid.

Contact your travel insurance company right away. You should start your travel insurance claim as quickly as possible. If you don't submit your claim and supporting documentation within the required timeframe, your claim will be denied.

Consider rescheduling your flight. After the pandemic struck, many airlines dropped the fees for changing flights . If you are planning to make this trip in the near future, contact the airline to ask about rescheduling your flight. This could be quicker and easier than trying to get reimbursed through insurance.

Remember that travel companions might be covered, too. Review your travel policy to see if it covers travel companions as well.

Buy the right insurance coverage from the get-go. The most flexible types of plans are Cancel For Any Reason, or CFAR plans; you can avoid a lot of phone calls and proof-of-coverage demands by purchasing CFAR policies.

Travel insurance offers protection in case you need to cancel a flight. Follow the steps carefully and document everything to prevent the insurance company from denying your claim.

Before canceling, discuss your situation with the airline to see if you can cancel or reschedule your flight without incurring a fee. This may be quicker and easier than submitting a claim through your travel insurance provider.

To file a trip cancellation claim on travel insurance, contact your insurance provider online, through its app or by phone. They will provide detailed instructions on how to submit your claim, including what documentation they'll need based on your reason for filing a claim.

In many cases, yes, you can cancel your flight and be reimbursed if you have an eligible reason for canceling. You may not cancel the flight because you've changed your mind. You must have a valid reason that is detailed in your travel insurance policy.

Travel insurance reimburses the cost of nonrefundable travel plans if you need to cancel your flight for a covered reason. To receive reimbursement, you must file a claim and submit supporting documentation that validates your eligibility to receive reimbursement.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

June 1, 2020

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Insurance benefits underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: 2 Mid America Plaza, Suite 200, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181), rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233), rated “A+” (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101-C series or 101-P series, depending on your state of residence and plan chosen. A+ (Superior) and A (Excellent) are the 2nd and 3rd highest, respectively, of A.M. Best's 13 Financial Strength Ratings. Plans only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are marks of AGA Service Company dba Allianz Global Assistance or its affiliates. Allianz Travel Insurance products are distributed by Allianz Global Assistance, the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Any Non-Insurance Assistance services purchased are provided through AGA Service Company. Except as expressly provided under your plan, you are responsible for charges you incur from third parties. Contact AGA Service Company at  800-284-8300 or 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or [email protected] .

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6 Best Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance Options

Allianz Travel Insurance »

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Seven Corners »

AXA Assistance USA »

IMG Travel Insurance »

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Why Trust Us

U.S. News evaluates ratings, data and scores of more than 50 travel insurance companies from comparison websites like TravelInsurance.com, Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip, plus renowned credit rating agency AM Best, in addition to reviews and recommendations from top travel industry sources and consumers to determine the Best Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance Options.

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Allianz Travel Insurance

Travelex insurance services.

Even the best travel insurance policies don't cover every "what if." "If you buy travel insurance, there are covered reasons for cancellation or interruption. If your situation doesn't fit those covered reasons, there's no coverage," explains Angela Borden, product strategist with Seven Corners .

That's why cancel for any reason coverage, or CFAR, can be a valuable add-on. With this type of policy, you can cancel your trip for any reason at all and still get a percentage of your prepaid travel expenses back (typically around 50% to 80% of what you’ve already paid; percentages vary by provider).

Read on to see the best cancel for any reason travel insurance options and the main policy details you should know about, as well as answers to common questions around this type of coverage.

Seven Corners

Axa assistance usa, img travel insurance, squaremouth, best cfar insurance options in detail.

Reimburses up to 80% of prepaid travel arrangements

Allows you to cancel trip as late as day of departure

"Cancel Anytime" coverage may not be available in every state

Can cancel trip up to 48 hours before departure

Emergency medical coverage is only $50,000

CFAR add-on offers up to 75% reimbursement for prepaid travel costs

CFAR coverage can be purchased up to 20 days after initial trip payment

Benefit not available in all states

Get up to 75% of prepaid travel expenses back when you cancel for any reason

10-day money back guarantee if dissatisfied (prior to your trip)

Must purchase CFAR coverage within 14 days of initial trip deposit

Get back up to 75% of the full cost of nonrefundable travel expenses

CFAR coverage can be purchased within up to 20 days of the initial trip deposit

CFAR coverage does not apply if the travel supplier goes out of business or refuses to provide services

Compare multiple plans with CFAR coverage in one place

Comparison tool makes it easy to price shop

CFAR coverage reimbursements and fine print vary by company

Frequently Asked Questions

Cancel for any reason insurance (also called CFAR coverage) is a type of trip cancellation insurance that lets you cancel your trip for a reason not listed as a covered reason in your plan. For example, you may decide not to travel due to an illness in your extended family or a specific financial issue you're dealing with. In either case, this time-sensitive coverage can help you get reimbursement for prepaid trip payments you have made toward airfare, hotel stays, tours and more.

CFAR coverage typically needs to be purchased within a sensitive period of time after making a trip deposit (usually ranging from 14 to 20 days after). Travelers only get back between 50% and 80% of prepaid travel expenses, depending on your policy, so this coverage won't lead to a full refund.

If you're worried how COVID-19 might affect your travel plans, you can purchase travel insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage . That said, CFAR protection can also be a good investment, particularly if you want the option to cancel based on last-minute disinclination to travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is an award-winning content creator who has been writing about travel insurance and travel for more than a decade. She has researched travel insurance options for her own vacations and family trips to more than 50 countries around the world, and she has experience navigating the claims and reimbursement process. In fact, she has successfully filed several travel insurance claims for trip delays and trip cancellations over the years. Johnson also works alongside her husband, Greg – who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states – in their family media business.

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The Morning

When travel plans go awry.

There are ways of keeping ourselves anchored, even when we enter a parallel universe disconnected from time.

By Melissa Kirsch

The weekend trip is, in theory, the perfect break. Two nights someplace else, just a small duffel bag and limited logistics standing between you and a reset. Leave on Friday, come back Sunday, fill the hours in between with enough that’s novel and return refreshed, or at least with a slightly altered perspective. You might take a weekend trip for vacation or work or to see family, but the effect is the same. You’re a little changed on return. You see your regular life a little bit differently.

I took what was meant to be a quick trip last weekend to attend a college graduation, and it was, strictly speaking, quick: I was scarcely away for 48 hours, but extreme weather marooned me for most of those hours in the liminal spaces of transit — airports, grounded planes, traffic jams — where time loses legibility. An old friend used to call these neither-here-nor-there realms the “zero world” for the way they feel unfastened from reality, parallel to daily life but separate. The flight cabin after an announcement of a fourth lightning delay is a world detached from the one you know, a temporary society populated by temporary citizens with perhaps not much in common save one deeply held belief: We need to get out of here.

I was as cranky and impatient as the rest of my fellow travelers at each complication in our journeys, but also fascinated by the communities and customs and Cibo Express markets of the zero world. Each of us was, at any given time, one captain’s announcement away from a temper tantrum, but we were also competitively careful to be polite to one another and to the airline staff, as if determined to demonstrate that those wild videos of short-tempered passengers being duct-taped to their seats did not represent us, the makeshift civilization of this departure lounge.

Graduation, when I finally arrived, was a joyous affair despite the glitches. The speaker, an astronaut, showed a photo of the farm where she grew up, the place she thought of as home for much of her life. Then she showed a photo of the limb of the Earth, the glowing edge of the atmosphere, and described how, when she went to space, home was no longer a town on a map but this planet, a shift in perspective so massive I felt a little queasy contemplating it.

On Hour 3 in the airport bar on Sunday morning, beside two German travelers practicing Spanish, I ordered an omelet and imagined my own home, which felt very far away and lit by its own otherworldly halo. What would I be doing if I were there? Reading, texting, catching up on emails — the same things I was doing here. What was so bad about this? Was it the lack of choice? The lack of fresh air?

It was all those things, and also the feeling of being trapped in a warp between origin and destination. My emotions felt out of proportion to the situation: I hadn’t traveled very far for very long, was in no peril and would still arrive in New York with enough day left to do whatever needed to be done, but I felt on the verge of tears, loosed from my moorings, floating between fixed points, dislocated. I put on my headphones, put on a favorite band whose songs are so familiar they provide a home base no matter where I am. I listened to the same album on repeat for the duration of the flight, in the car on the way home, even at home once I finally made it there.

There’s a story in The Times today about how A.S.M.R., the pleasant, brain-tingling feeling we get when hearing certain sounds or watching certain comforting scenes, has become a feature of all viral internet content, not just specialized videos devoted to inducing the sensation. You can still put on a very specific video of someone whispering into a microphone or crinkling paper, but you’re just as likely to find the stimuli in videos of people cooking or cleaning their pools. This seems like a logical extension. We’re restless beasts in need of soothing. Sometimes we’re dramatically homesick, sometimes it’s just a bad day. Why not imbue the mundane with the choreography of comfort? Why not add pleasure whenever and wherever we can?

For weekend travel inspiration: The Times’s 36 Hours series.

How to deal with the increasing unpredictability of travel .

Stunning views of Earth from space .

How A.S.M.R. became a sensation.

THE WEEK IN CULTURE

The final round of the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Sweden today. This year’s favorites include a Croatian techno act called Baby Lasagna. Read , or listen to , a guide to the competition.

“I won’t let anything break me”: Eden Golan, Israel’s 20-year-old entrant, spoke to The Times about the campaign to exclude her country from the event because of the war in Gaza.

The stage crew has 50 seconds to disassemble and reassemble sets. Watch a video from The Wall Street Journal .

Film and TV

“It’s easy to get caught up in the bigness of it all”: Owen Teague, the star of the latest “Planet of the Apes” film, and Andy Serkis, the lead in the earlier movies, sat down for a conversation .

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is not as transporting as the previous trilogy of films, the Times critic Alissa Wilkinson writes , but “there’s still a tremendous amount to mull over.”

The latest season of “Doctor Who,” starring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th actor to play the doctor, opened with a double episode. Read a recap.

Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a plan to bundle their Disney+, Hulu and Max streaming services this summer

The recording engineer Steve Albini, who died this week at 61, was “arguably the most influential figure ever to emerge from indie rock,” Pitchfork wrote . Listen to 10 of his essential tracks , which shaped the sound of alternative rock music.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s rap beef crashed the website Genius , where users can annotate lyrics to songs. Times critics discussed where the rappers’ sonic conflict goes next .

Other Big Stories

A stage version of the beloved animated film “Spirited Away” is running in London, after premiering in Japan. The adaptation is opulent and impressive, but it could use more heart , our critic writes.

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that would bar the Des Moines Art Center from dismantling “Greenwood Pond: Double Site,” an environmental work by Mary Miss that includes wooden walkways and sitting areas in need of repair.

The owners of the Los Angeles house where Marilyn Monroe last lived, and died, sued the city, accusing officials of “backroom machinations” to save it from a planned demolition .

David Shapiro, a lyrical poet who appeared in a famous photograph from the 1968 uprising at Columbia University, died at 77 .

THE LATEST NEWS

Israel-Hamas War

A Biden administration report said that Israel may have broken international law in Gaza, but that Israel’s “credible and reliable” assurances mean the U.S. can keep sending weapons.

The Biden administration is still waiting for Israel to show how it plans to evacuate and protect civilians in Rafah ahead of a possible invasion.

The U.N. General Assembly voted to support Palestinian statehood , a symbolic move. The U.S. voted no, and Israel accused delegates of “shredding the U.N. charter.”

Michael Cohen, who paid Stormy Daniels hush money and whom prosecutors say Donald Trump reimbursed, is expected to testify Monday in Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial. The judge asked prosecutors to stop Cohen from criticizing Trump .

Russia tried to break through Ukrainian lines in the country’s north using shelling and armored columns. Ukraine said it had repelled the attacks.

Russia is upgrading a munitions depot in Belarus, possibly to house nuclear weapons , a Times analysis of satellite imagery found.

The Biden administration plans to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to protect U.S. auto manufacturers.

Apple is revamping Siri to offer more advanced A.I. responses , akin to ChatGPT.

An appeals court upheld Steve Bannon’s conviction for defying a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee. He could soon have to serve prison time.

A Virginia school board voted to restore the names of Confederate leaders — including Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson — to two schools, reversing its 2020 decision to rename them .

CULTURE CALENDAR

By Desiree Ibekwe

🎥 Back to Black (Friday): You may well have seen the online discussion about this movie, an Amy Winehouse biopic directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. The movie — which focuses on Winehouse’s relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil — was No. 1 at the British box office but divided viewers and critics, some of whom found fault with the appearance of its star, Marisa Abela. “I don’t need to convince people that they’re actually watching Amy,” Abela told The Times . “I need to remind people of her soul.”

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

By Melissa Clark

Strawberry Shortcake

It’s Mother’s Day tomorrow, and if your mom has a sweet tooth (and if so, I can relate), Jane Grigson’s strawberry shortcake as adapted by Nancy Harmon Jenkins might be just the thing for a celebratory brunch. Make the biscuit dough and cut out the rounds the day before (just keep them in the fridge until baking time). Then, while they’re in the oven, you can macerate the berries (any kind you like) with sugar and prep the whipped cream. Be sure to save any leftover biscuits. They’re excellent toasted for breakfast the next day.

REAL ESTATE

The hunt: An American took a chance on the Lake Geneva area of Eastern France, with a $300,000 budget. Which home did she buy? Play our game .

What you get for $900,000: A Frank Lloyd Wright house in Wilmette, Ill.; an 1879 three-bedroom house in Wilmington, N.C.; or a renovated ranch house in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Free help: A filmmaker, feeling unhelpful in her daily life, decided to offer small favors to passers-by in Union Square.

Made for walking: Brides are increasingly pairing cowboy boots with relaxed silhouetted dresses.

Scarlett Johansson: The actress shared her beauty regimen with T Magazine.

How to: Restoring a chair is easier than one might think . Here’s how a couple known as the Brownstone Boys did it.

ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER

Food processors, blenders and choppers.

Countertop appliances can help you get a meal on the table faster, often with less work and a quicker cleanup. But deciding which gizmo is best for you can be a challenge. It depends on what kinds of foods you most frequently prepare, Wirecutter’s kitchen experts say. For example, if your main goal is to reduce the time you spend prepping ingredients, a food processor is likely your best bet. If you demand the smoothest, silkiest textures from your soups, sauces and smoothies (and have ample storage space), consider a full-size blender. Oh, and those TikTok-famous manual vegetable choppers ? No one needs those. — Rose Lorre

GAMES OF THE WEEK

W.N.B.A. season openers: A once-in-a-generation group enters the W.N.B.A. next week. You may already know their names: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso. Their college matchups shattered viewership records, and their pro draft last month did the same. The W.N.B.A. is trying to seize the moment: Nearly all of Clark’s games with the Indiana Fever will be national broadcasts , and some of her games are moving to bigger arenas to meet fan demand.

The season begins Tuesday, as Clark and the Fever face the Connecticut Sun and M.V.P. contender Alyssa Thomas. After that, the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces play Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury. 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2

More coverage

Clark and Cardoso are featured in a documentary series , “Full Court Press,” airing on ABC this weekend, which follows them through their final season of college.

The W.N.B.A. is expanding : The league plans to add a 13th team, in the San Francisco area, next season, and a 14th, in Toronto, the year after.

NOW TIME TO PLAY

Here is today’s Spelling Bee . Yesterday’s pangram was uncloak .

Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines.

And here are today’s Mini Crossword , Wordle , Sudoku , Connections and Strands .

Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa

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Melissa Kirsch is the deputy editor of Culture and Lifestyle at The Times and writes The Morning newsletter on Saturdays. More about Melissa Kirsch