travel insurance if relative dies

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How Travel Insurance Works With a Death in the Family

When you purchase travel insurance, you are trying to plan for the unexpected. In the unfortunate event that there is a death in the family, you may be eligible for coverage under your travel insurance plan.

Coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Delay, and Trip Interruption

Trip Cancellation is a benefit that can provide coverage for non-refundable trip payments in the event that a trip has to be cancelled for a covered reason. One covered reason for trip cancellation is the death of a family member of yours or your traveling companion.

If you have to cancel your trip due to the death of a family member and meet all the criteria for coverage as detailed by your policy, then your non-refundable, pre-paid expenses such as hotels and airfare are eligible for reimbursement.

This coverage applies to the Trip Interruption and Trip Delay benefits as well. So you may have coverage in the event you have to cut your trip short or start your trip late due to a death of a family member.

Does Your Family Member Need a Travel Insurance Policy to be Eligible for this Coverage?

No, your family member does not need to be a covered traveling companion under your travel insurance policy in order for you to be eligible for this coverage. If you are the traveler and have your own travel insurance policy, death of a family member may be covered.

Who is Considered a Family Member?

Under an Arch RoamRight travel insurance policy, the definition of “family member” is expansive. This may include you or your traveling companion’s:

• legal spouse (or common-law spouse where legal),
• legal guardian or ward,
• son or daughter (adopted, foster, step or in-law),
• brother or sister (includes step or in-law),
• grandparent (includes in-law),
• grandchild,
• aunt or uncle,
• niece or nephew,
• domestic partner,
• caregiver or child caregiver.

Is a relative different from that above a family member?

For the purpose of coverage under your Arch RoamRight travel insurance policy , only those listed in the definition of a family member are considered in determining your coverage.

When is a Death in the Family Not Covered?

There are some exclusions to the benefits, highlighted below, when it comes to claims related to deaths in the family. For a full details of the coverages, imitations, & exclusions please refer to your policy.

Under an Arch RoamRight travel insurance policy, death of a family member resulting from suicide is not eligible for coverage.

Pre-Existing Conditions

Death of a family member as a result of a pre-existing condition is not covered under an Arch RoamRight policy unless you and your traveling companion(s) – “the travelers” – have a policy that includes a Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusion waiver.

A pre-existing condition is defined as:

“An illness, disease, or other conditions during a specified period immediately prior to the effective date of the insured’s coverage for which the insured or insured’s traveling companion, business partner, or family member: 1) received or received a recommendation for a test, examination, or medical treatment; or 2) took or received a prescription for drugs or medicine. Item (2) of this definition does not apply to a condition which is treated or controlled solely through the taking of prescription drugs or medicine and remains treated or controlled without any adjustments or change in the required prescription throughout specified period before your coverage is effective under the policy.”

For most Arch RoamRight plans, the specified time period is 180 days, however there are a few plans that have a shorter, 60-day time period.

In order to have a Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusion waiver, you must meet the following criteria at the time of your purchase:

• Purchase your travel insurance plan within 21 days of making your first trip payment;
• Insure the entire non-refundable cost of your trip;
• Must not be disabled† from travel at the time your premium is paid; and
• This must be the first and only booking for this same time period and destination.

† For definitions, please refer to the travel insurance policy .

The Pre-Existing Conditions Exclusion waiver is available with the Arch RoamRight Preferred , Elite , Pro , and Pro Plus plans.

Related Articles

What To Do When The Worst Happens On A Trip: While we do not always want to plan for it, it is always a good idea to know what to do in an extreme emergency when traveling. Read More ->

Non-Refundable Flights & An Emergency: What To Do: These tips on what to do in an event of an emergency as it relates to non-refundable flights can be helpful when you are in a bind. Read More ->

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Does Travel Insurance Cover A Death In The Family?

Yes, most of our package travel insurance policies cover trip cancellation due to the death or serious illness of a non-traveling family member, forcing you to stay at home.

Does travel insurance cover if a family member dies?

When a family member dies, there can be a lot of upheaval and disruption. A death in the family can be very difficult for travelers since they may have to cancel their trip, interrupt it and return home early, or abandon or adjust their travel plans.

Even changing a single plane ticket these days is often prohibitively expensive, and it is up to the airline representative’s judgment whether or not to waive the change price. The same can be said for cruises and trips that have already been paid for.

Many travelers, particularly those who have elderly parents or sick family members, wonder if travel insurance covers death in the family.

How travel insurance helps with family death

• Travel insurance will reimburse you for pre-paid trip fees if you have to cancel a covered vacation due to the sudden death of a family member.
• Travel insurance will repay you for any unused pre-paid charges incurred as a result of your change in travel plans if you have to interrupt your trip and return home due to a family death.

Important exceptions

It’s vital to highlight that there are a few key exclusions that tourists should be aware of. These are some of them:

• The family member must be a ‘covered’ family member, which is defined differently by each plan. A sister or brother-in-law, for example, may not be deemed a covered family member in some instances. In the definitions part of your travel insurance plan documents, you’ll discover a list of covered family members.
• Unless you choose a plan that covers pre-existing medical issues, the death must not have been caused by a pre-existing medical condition (even if you or a family member were unaware of it).
• Suicide and mental illness are not covered by travel insurance, so the death could not have been the result of either.

Many people are taken aback when they discover that their travel insurance policy does not cover the loss of best friends, close acquaintances, or even pets. This is because essential people and pets may not be considered family members under the terms of the travel insurance policy.

You’ll need ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage and you’ll have to cancel your trip within the time frame provided by that coverage to be able to make a claim on your travel insurance policy if someone who isn’t a family member as defined by the travel insurance plan paperwork dies (sometimes as early as two days prior to your trip).

Does travel insurance cover cancellation due to family funeral?

The answer, as you might imagine, is that it depends. Every travel insurance company and plan, like every traveler, is unique. However, there are certain similarities amongst travel insurance plans that can be used to answer this issue.

In this scenario, you can cancel and be reimbursed your trip costs

Yes, you will be protected if your travel insurance plan has trip cancellation coverage that includes the death of a family member as a covered reason for canceling your trip.

Caution! According to your strategy, you’ll need to know what qualifies a family member. Some plans just cover the husband and children, while others include in-laws, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives.

The Travelex Travel Select plan certificate defines ‘family member’ as follows:

In this scenario, you cannot cancel and be reimbursed your trip costs

No, you will not be covered for canceling your trip if the family member who died had a pre-existing medical condition and you did not acquire a travel insurance plan that covered pre-existing medical conditions. Travelers frequently get trapped in this trap since they only consider their own pre-existing ailments, not those of family members. Unless you obtained a pre-existing medical condition waiver with your plan, you won’t be able to cancel your trip if your uncle dies from an existing heart condition.

As previously said, no insurance policy can cover every eventuality – that is not the essence of insurance. In their explanation of coverage or plan certificate, every travel insurance company meticulously specifies out the covered causes for cancellation. The most important thing is to read the coverage.

In addition, some travel insurance policies cover the death of a host as a basis for cancellation.

Does travel insurance cover family?

The same as single-person medical, trip cancellation, and trip interruption insurance, travel insurance coverage under a family rate operates the same way. The main difference is that it’s a single insurance that covers everyone in your immediate family, including your parents and children.

Does travel insurance cover funeral expenses?

Yes, as indicated in your travel insurance plan’s medical evacuation coverage, repatriation is covered by travel insurance.

The return of an insured traveler’s body home if they die while on the road is known as repatriation. For further information, see our repatriation coverage review.

The basic truth is that repatriating a person’s body is a time-consuming and costly procedure. Local rules and regulations govern how the body is handled and moved, and there are frequently fees, embalming expenditures, container costs, and shipping costs to consider, not to mention the bureaucracy involved in transferring human remains.

Regardless of the situation, a travel insurance provider that can handle, arrange, and pay for the repatriation is a huge aid to the traveler’s family.

What kinds of travel insurance plans include repatriation?

This coverage is included in many types of travel insurance plans (both package plans and travel medical plans), however it’s crucial to note that repatriation is almost always bundled with the medical evacuation coverage of the travel insurance plan.

The repatriation will be coordinated, managed, and paid for by the travel insurance provider, not the traveler’s family. The travel insurance provider, on the other hand, will inform the traveler’s family of their plans and progress.

What’s not included with repatriation coverage?

Funeral, burial, and cremation costs are not covered by a travel insurance plan with repatriation coverage. It also excludes similar containers like urns and coffins. The legal transportation of the body in an approved container to a funeral home near the traveler’s residence is the subject of the travel insurance coverage.

In other words, the traveler’s body cannot be buried where they died because of their travel insurance policy; instead, it must be carried home.

Does travel insurance cover death repatriation?

Most travel insurance policies include repatriation insurance as a standard feature. There will usually be a section labeled ‘Key Features’ where you can view a list of situations in which a travel insurance company will support repatriation.

The high levels of coverage reflect the true expenses of repatriation, particularly from remote locales and places with high costs. If you require more coverage than what is offered as normal, you might look for a policy with larger limits.

Can you cancel a holiday due to bereavement?

A consumer watchdog has warned that travel companies will have to fairly compensate consumers if they have to cancel their vacation due to illness or a death in the family.

Customers can be charged a cancellation fee to compensate for their losses, but the amount must be fair.

For example, if a vacation is canceled at the last minute, they may be able to defer the costs of reselling the booking.

However, some vacation companies withhold significant advance payments for cancellations or refuse to refund any money to customers, even if the company is able to recoup costs by reselling the vacation.

According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), cancellation prices are frequently not made clear enough to consumers, who may not realize how much money they would lose if they cancel due to illness.

Up to 89 percent of the 2,000 persons polled by the CMA incorrectly assumed that if the operator was able to resell the holiday, they would be reimbursed in full.

What is covered trip cancellation?

If a trip is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances, such as illness, injury, or death, Trip Cancellation reimburses prepaid and non-refundable trip costs.

Trip Cancellation is a pre-departure benefit that can repay a traveler for the whole cost of their trip if they need to cancel for a covered reason. Unexpected illness, injury, or death of the traveler, a traveling companion, or a non-traveling family member is the most common covered reason. Terrorism, poor weather, or a natural disaster are all examples of covered reasons.

Please keep in mind that each policy’s coverage and qualifying restrictions for this benefit vary. The suppliers that offer Trip Cancellation coverage are shown in the tables below.

Does holiday insurance cover death abroad?

You can either have the funeral in another country or have the body returned to the UK. Repatriation is the term for this. If you want the funeral to take place in the United Kingdom, you’ll need to hire overseas undertakers who can help you with the details. You’ll need the following documentation before you may transport the body home:

a certified English translation of the deceased person’s foreign death certificate from the country of death

The British consulate or an international undertaker can provide you with information on how to obtain these documents.

Before a body can be buried in the UK, the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for the district where the funeral is to be held must be informed and must issue a certificate. If you want to have a cremation, you’ll need to get authorization from the Home Office. Your local crematorium can provide you with an application for a Home Office cremation order.

Does travel insurance cover you if you have to cancel your holiday?

Most travel insurance products include cancellation protection. If you have to cancel your vacation due to unforeseen circumstances, it will reimburse you for any or all of your travel expenses, including flights, cruises, hotels, excursions, and so on.

You should check your policy to determine what types of cancellations are covered, but they usually include:

Does travel insurance cover death of elderly parent?

If you have to cancel your vacation due to the death of a family member and meet all of the coverage criteria outlined in your policy, you will be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-paid expenses including hotels and airfare. The Trip Interruption and Trip Delay benefits are also covered under this policy.

Travel insurance for a death in the family

Travel insurance can help with the expenses if a relative gets sick or dies when you’re away from home..

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In this guide

Does travel insurance cover you for a death in the family?

How am i covered by travel insurance for family emergency compare your options, what do insurers consider as a ‘relative’, am i covered if my relative falls ill or dies from a pre-existing medical condition, can i resume my trip and be covered for it, example: john and sue's trip re-arrangement, frequently asked questions.

Destinations

What you need to know

• Travel insurance can reimburse you for costs associated with returning home at short notice.
• To be covered, the emergency must be unexpected.
• There is generally no cover if you were aware of any pre-existing medical condition before the policy started.

Yes. If a family member falls ill or dies while you are travelling or before you depart, comprehensive travel insurance can help you recover your cancellation costs including pre-booked tickets and hotels, costs associated with returning home at short notice and costs associated with resuming your journey at a later date. Most insurers have the following conditions:

• The person must meet the insurer’s definition of a relative
• The person must be under a specified age limit (according to the travel insurance policy)
• The death or illness must be unexpected

Note: This information was last updated August 2022

In order to qualify for trip cancellation cover following the illness or death of a relative, your family member must meet the insurer’s definition of ‘relative’. The term normally refers to a:

• Spouse, de facto partner, fiancé or a fiancée
• Parent or parent-in-law
• Son, daughter, son-in-law or daughter-in-law
• Brother, sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law
• Grandchild or grandparent
• Step-parent, step-son or step-daughter

The exact definition of a relative for each travel insurance policy will differ. It is best to check with your insurer if you're unsure.

A pre-existing medical condition is a condition that is known about prior to an insurable event.

In most cases, you won't be covered if a relative falls ill or passes away due to a pre-existing condition. This is an exclusion with most insurers. However, if you were unaware of the condition at the time you took out the policy, then travel insurance can cover you.

What is considered as 'aware'

Travel insurers will typically exclude cover if your family member is on any sort of waiting list or if you were aware of any recent:

• Consultation
• Required medication
• Upcoming surgery

Most trip cancellation policies will allow you to resume your journey at a later date after being forced to return home due to the illness or death of a relative. There are normally specific conditions surrounding this type of cover, including:

• Your trip must have been for a minimum number of days
• Your insurance must have had a minimum period left to run (usually at least 50%)
• You must have had no knowledge that such an incident might occur prior to your departure
• Your resumption expenses must be pre-approved by your insurer
• You must resume your journey before your policy expires.

John and Sue were into the second week of their month-long European holiday when their son called and told them that his 9-year-old daughter, Emily (their granddaughter), was unwell and had been admitted to hospital. She had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease and would be undergoing life-saving treatment in the next few days.

This was completely unexpected news for John and Sue, and they immediately rang their airline and insurance company to arrange to cancel their trip and return home to be with their granddaughter.

Emily remained in hospital for several weeks, but soon began to make a full recovery. A relieved John and Sue were then able to resume their interrupted European holiday, thanks to their resumption of journey cover reimbursing them for the costs associated with rebooking their flights and accommodation.

Costs incurred

• Fee for bringing the date of original return flight forward: $200
• New round trip flights back to resume journey: $3,500
• Fees for changes to accommodation dates: $150

Total costs covered by insurance

Out-of-pocket costs.

• $150 in excess

Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts

Can you cancel a flight due to family emergency?

You may be eligible for a free change or refund with the airline, depending on their rules. However, travel insurance can cover you if you need to cancel your trip, including your flights, because of a family emergency such as the unexpected death of a relative.

Will travel insurance cover cancellation due to family illness?

Yes, it can. Most comprehensive travel insurance policies can cover cancellation if a close family member falls unexpectedly ill. In most cases, it can reimburse you for the cost of your flights home.

Am I still covered if my relative is over 90 years old?

Age limits apply to many trip cancellation policies in terms of the illness or death of a relative. The age your relative can be will vary with insurers, but many set a maximum age of around 90, after which the illness or death is not deemed to be 'unexpected' and no cover is offered. Some travel insurance brands do not state an age limit, but the health of your relative is a condition many policies will consider.

If your relative is elderly and you are concerned about whether you will be covered if an incident occurs while you're away, you should read your product disclosure statement (PDS) carefully and contact your insurer for further information.

When won't I be covered?

As with all forms of insurance, trip cancellation cover has certain exclusions or circumstances in which a claim will not be paid. These depend on the individual insurer, but they generally include:

• Travelling despite suspecting that your relative might die or become hospitalised
• Expenses that you incur while you're at home
• The cost of a return flight home if you haven't already booked one (considered part of normal costs rather than emergency expenses)
• Any expenses that you've already claimed for elsewhere in your travel insurance policy

Jessica Prasida

Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification. See full bio

Gary Ross Hunter

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

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Table of Contents

What is travel insurance?

Does travel insurance cover death, how to get accidental death travel insurance, filing a claim, accidental death travel insurance recapped.

Vacations are always exciting. The chance to get out of town, see some new things and explore new places is an opportunity many dreams of. However, traveling is always risky, especially if you intend to undertake activities such as hiking or bungee jumping. Travel insurance can help protect you if things go awry, with coverage such as emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation insurance and accidental death insurance. But do you need travel life insurance — and how does it work? Let's take a look.

There are many different kinds of travel insurance available to customers, and the type you'll need will depend on travel style, destination and how long you'll be away. Generally speaking, here are some of the more common types of travel insurance:

Accidental death insurance .

Baggage delay and lost luggage insurance .

Cancel for Any Reason insurance .

Emergency evacuation insurance .

Medical insurance .

Rental car insurance .

Trip cancellation insurance .

Trip delay insurance .

Trip interruption insurance .

» Learn more: How much is travel insurance?

You'll find a few different varieties of coverage within the broader accidental death travel insurance umbrella. Generally speaking, the way that accidental death travel insurance works is that you'll purchase a policy covering the period that you're away. Then, if a covered accident occurs, you or your designated beneficiary will receive the payout from your insurance company. Despite its name, accidental death travel insurance can cover more than just death. Here are some different types of injuries that your insurance policy may cover:

Loss of life.

Loss of speech and/or hearing.

Loss of thumb and index finger on the same hand.

Loss of hand/s.

Loss of foot/feet.

Loss of eye/s.

The amount you'll be paid will be determined by the policy you've purchased and the extent of your injuries. Depending on your policy, your spouse and unmarried children may also be covered against accidental death. You'll also want to be aware that different accidental death travel insurance policies can cover you at different times. Accidental death flight insurance, as you'd suspect, will provide coverage for you while you're flying.

If you're looking for  life insurance  beyond travel coverage, there are several options. Adding an  accidental death and dismemberment policy  can provide additional coverage whether you're traveling or not.

Meanwhile, 24-hour accidental death insurance will protect you anytime during your trip. You don't need to be traveling for your policy to be enacted, though there are certain limitations to this. For example, don't expect to be covered while you're in the middle of skydiving. Finally, common carrier accidental death insurance insures you while traveling on any ticketed public transportation. This can be flights, buses, ferries or even trains.

» Learn more: What to know before buying travel insurance

Just like there are multiple types of travel insurance, there are various ways to acquire accidental death travel insurance.

Buy a policy

Probably the most common option is to purchase a policy for life insurance from an insurance company. Whether you're looking for accidental death insurance or trip cancellation insurance, you can find policies to cover various issues from providers. Before you buy a plan, be sure to gather as many quotes as possible. Different levels of coverage will affect the cost of your policy, as will your age, travel dates, destination and residency. Websites like Squaremouth can help you find the best policy to suit your needs. For example, Squaremouth compares coverages and costs from a wide variety of providers on a single screen as an aggregator. Expect insurance coverage amounts ranging from $10,000 to $1 million.

» Learn more: The best travel insurance companies

Use your credit card

If you hold a travel credit card, you may be eligible to receive accidental death insurance for free. Many different types of credit cards provide trip insurance , including:

Trip cancellation insurance.

Trip delay insurance.

Emergency medical insurance.

Accidental death insurance.

The type of insurance you'll receive will vary greatly depending on which card you hold, so you'll want to read your guide to benefits carefully if this is something you'll be relying on. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® , for example, provides you two types of accidental death insurance. You'll be covered throughout your trip with 24-hour coverage if you charge your travel bookings to the card. The coverage limits and payouts will differ, however, based on when the incident occurs.

Chase's 24-hour travel accident insurance only covers you for the first 30 days you're out of the country.

The Platinum Card® from American Express , meanwhile, will only provide you with common carrier accidental death insurance, though you'll also be covered when en route to and from your common carrier. Terms apply.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

The process for making a claim on your insurance will vary based on your provider. For example, you may need to contact a benefits administrator or create a file online. Usually, you'll have a specific period during which you must report the incident, file the claim and complete your documentation. Documents that you can expect to turn in with your claim include the following:

Your completed claim form.

A copy of your travel itinerary.

A police report confirming the accident.

A death certificate.

Have a plan for submitting the required documentation ahead of your trip. » Learn more: Does travel insurance cover medical expenses?

Travel insurance, as a whole, can be a good option for you if you're worried about accidents while you're away from home. Along with emergency medical and trip cancellation insurance, accidental death insurance can provide you and your family coverage when things go wrong. Before buying a policy, however, be sure to check if your credit card already provides complimentary travel life insurance. Doing so can save you money while ensuring you're always protected.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

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.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 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.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 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.

Does Travel Insurance Cover Death in the Family?

When a death occurs in the family, there can be a lot of turmoil and disruption. For travelers, a death in the family can be even worse because you may have to cancel your trip, interrupt it and come home early, and otherwise abandon or change your travel plans.

Changing even a single airline ticket these days is often cost-prohibitive and it’s up to the discretion of the airline representative whether to waive the change fee or not. The same is true for cruises and tours that have already been booked and paid.

Many travelers – especially those with elderly parents or family members who are ill – want to know if travel insurance covers death in the family.

It does … with some exceptions.

How travel insurance helps with family death

Here’s how travel insurance works when a death occurs in the family:

• If you have to  cancel an insured trip  because a family member unexpectedly dies, travel insurance will reimburse you for your pre-paid trip expenses.
• If you have to  interrupt your trip and return home  due to a family death, travel insurance will reimburse you for your unused pre-paid costs due to your change in travel plans.

Important exceptions

It’s important to note that there are some important exceptions travelers should understand. These include:

• The family member must be a ‘covered’ family member and every plan defines this differently. In some cases, for example, a sister- or brother-in-law may not be considered a covered family member. You’ll find the list of covered family members in the definitions section of your travel insurance plan documentation.
• The death must not have been the result of a pre-existing medical condition (even one that you or the family member didn’t know about) unless you purchase a plan with  coverage for pre-existing medical conditions .
• The death must not have been the result of suicide or mental illness as these are excluded from all travel insurance coverage.

Many people are surprised when their travel insurance plan doesn’t cover the loss of best friends, close acquaintances, and even pets. This is because those persons and pets who are important to us may not be considered family members as defined by the travel insurance policy.

To be able to make a claim on your travel insurance policy should someone who is not a family member as defined by the travel insurance plan documents die, you’ll need to have  ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage  and you’ll have to cancel your trip within the time frame defined by that coverage (sometimes as early as two days prior to your trip).

DamianTysdal

Damian Tysdal is the founder of CoverTrip, and is a licensed agent for travel insurance (MA 1883287). He believes travel insurance should be easier to understand, and started the first travel insurance blog in 2006.

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How to Cancel a Flight for a Deceased Loved One

Updated 09/16/2022

Published 12/9/2021

Sam Tetrault, BA in English

Contributing writer

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

If you’ve recently lost a loved one, you have a lot on your plate. The next steps and final arrangements can be tricky, and you might not know what to do next. It’s not always clear what to do when someone dies , especially if that person had upcoming travel plans. How do you cancel a flight for a deceased loved one?

Jump ahead to these sections:

What happens if someone misses a flight, what documents or information will you need before you cancel the flight, steps for canceling a deceased loved one’s flight, what are airline exceptions to unused tickets, what if the deceased had travel insurance.

There are a lot of different reasons someone might not be able to make a flight. Of course, if your loved one passes unexpectedly, another family member needs to take action to cancel this flight on his or her behalf. Failing to cancel the flight could result in unwanted penalties. Though it can seem like a lot of hassle, it’s important to cancel all upcoming travel plans. 

Luckily, this is a relatively easy process. You should always be as proactive as you can when handling travel arrangements. Failing to show up to a scheduled flight is never a good idea. Here’s how to cancel a flight for a deceased loved one with step-by-step tips. 

First, what actually happens if someone fails to appear for a flight? Since missing a flight isn’t a common experience, you might not know what happens in these instances. If someone fails to show up for a scheduled flight, they fall into what’s called the “no show” category. This means the airline takes action to cancel the rest of the itinerary. It usually means there are limited (or no) options for rebooking or refunding the ticket. 

If there are standby passengers for that flight, the seat is typically given to them. Frequent flier and rewards points are not given for missed flights. If several flights are missed, this could result in someone being banned from the airline. The good news is that airlines understand that things happen. As long as you cancel the flight or give the airline notice, it’s easy to avoid any unexpected consequences. 

Whether your loved one was flying alone or with others, take action as quickly as possible. If there were other passengers on the itinerary, their standing with the airline is at risk if they fail to show on time. 

Now that you understand what happens if someone misses a flight, you’re ready to start the process. Before you begin, make sure you have the right documents. Airlines typically require proof before they cancel flights, especially in the case of death or emergency. However, this doesn’t have to be complicated. 

Airlines only consider official death certificates in the case of death. Learn how to get a death certificate from your funeral home or local vital records office. Alternatively, you can get a document signed and typed on official hospital letterhead. Whether or not the flight is refunded, rebooked, or canceled is at the discretion of the airline team member. 

Canceling upcoming travel is part of the typical executor duties , though it’s not something most people think of. As an executor, it’s your job to make sure your loved one’s arrangements are made in a timely fashion. Here are the steps for canceling a deceased loved one’s flight. 

1. Find their flight information

Before you begin, make sure you have all of their flight information. This is typically found through their email, travel services, or travel agents. You will need information about their airline, flight number, and how they paid for the flight (credit card, airline points, etc).

If you’re not sure where to find their contact information, check their calendar or with loved ones. Most people share these plans with others in their life, so it’s usually possible to track down key information with a bit of research. 

2. Log into their airline page

The easiest way to cancel a flight for a loved one who passed is by logging into their online airline account directly. If they booked through a travel service, you might be able to log in and cancel the flight digitally. Their information might be shared with you or stored in a password manager .

If you can log into an airline directly, there is typically an option to change the flight details or cancel. This lets you avoid a lengthy phone call. However, if you’re unable to cancel digitally or you don’t have access to their information, continue to the steps below. 

3. Contact the airline

Next, contact the airline directly. Ask to speak to a representative on the line and let them know you wish to cancel a flight on behalf of a deceased loved one. The representative will let you know what else you need to provide. In most cases, you will need to share a copy of the death certificate or a document from the hospital. 

4. Ask for a refund

In most cases, the airline will be able to refund your loved one’s account for the unused ticket since it’s the result of a death. These funds go back toward your loved one’s estate, and they can be used for final affairs or other debts. 

In some cases, you can apply this refund towards rewards points or alternative travel arrangements. Talk to the airline about their refund options to determine what’s best for your needs. This flight might be able to be used for last-minute travel, such as for a funeral. 

5. Keep track of any confirmation

Keep close track of any contact information, confirmations, and so on. You’ll want to follow up to make sure the flight has been canceled. This can take a few days to finalize, so keep track of any documentation.

6. Cancel any other travel arrangements

If your loved one had any other travel arrangements, now is the time to cancel these as well. The sooner you act, the better. Things like hotels, car rentals, and so on often have late fees if you cancel right before the reservation date. You don’t want the estate to be charged unnecessarily. From there, you’re all set. 

In most cases, unused tickets are not eligible for donation, transfer, and so on. The passenger might be responsible for re-booking his or her own trip, and other destinations on the itinerary are often canceled. However, there are some exceptions in the case of death. If a passenger on the ticket passed away, you might find these policies in place:

• A refund is issued to the original form of payment
• The family is issued a voucher for the death of a family member
• Reward miles are returned to the deceased traveler’s account
• The ticket is transferred to another passenger

In all of these cases, documentation is usually needed. The best way to handle these interactions with airline staff is in advance. If you can avoid the flight being missed entirely, this is the best-case scenario. The sooner you act, the more options the airline has to make the situation right for the surviving family members. 

Last but not least, if your loved one had travel insurance, you might be entitled to an even larger payout. Travel insurance covers the costs of unused tickets, missed flights, and so on. There might be a payout for the family as well. However, there are exceptions for most travel insurance plans. They don’t usually cover death due to any pre-existing conditions, so keep that in mind. 

Ultimately, if you suspect your loved one had travel insurance, it’s a good idea to reach out to their policy provider. They might have agents available to help you navigate these next steps with the airline. 

Making Travel Arrangements After a Loss

There are a lot of unexpected steps and decisions that take place after losing a loved one. From managing his or her final affairs to canceling unused plans, death has a way of disrupting all aspects of life. As long as you’re prepared for the path ahead, you can proceed with confidence. You’re performing a compassionate act of remembrance, and it’s something to be proud of. 

Now that you know how to cancel unused flights on behalf of deceased relatives, you’re ready to take action. The sooner you cancel reservations, flights, and so on, the more options you have. It’s in the airline’s best interest to work with you, so don’t be intimidated to take the first step.

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How Travel Insurance Works if a Family Member is Hospitalized or Dies

Buying travel insurance to cover your whole family is a great idea, since one family travel insurance plan can usually provide travel protection to you, your loved ones and your trip. But, did you know certain travel insurance coverages can kick in even if a non-traveling family member is hospitalized or dies?

Whether you have elderly family or have understandable concerns about the pandemic causing a family member to be hospitalized, you can plan a trip with more peace of mind, knowing if you need to cancel the trip for a covered reason you won’t lose your vacation investment. 

Also read: 7 Questions to Ask to Find the Best Family Travel Insurance

What about family members who are not traveling?

There are a few ways family members not going on your trip could impact that trip and the travel insurance coverages you might have.

All of our plans include Trip Cancellation coverage that reimburses your trip costs if you cancel for a covered reason. One of those reasons is a non-traveling family member being hospitalized or passing away due to an illness or injury and you are unable to take your trip.

Everyone wants a vacation to be a carefree time, and even if everyone on the trip is doing the right thing, staying healthy and out of trouble, there’s no guarantee that things will be going along swimmingly back at the hacienda.

If trouble strikes back home, our Trip Interruption coverage can reimburse you for the unused portion of your trip and help arrange for transportation back to your loved ones at home, in case of a covered event.

One other way family members could become involved with travel insurance is if you’re traveling alone and hospitalized for more than seven days and need family support. Our Emergency Assistance and Transportation benefit includes coverage  to fly one person of your choosing to come accompany you. Their lodging, meals, local transportation and telephone calls during this time can also be covered by the plan.

Also read:  Does Travel Insurance Cover the Flu or Other Illness?

Defining “Family”

It’s very important that you understand who is considered a “family member” when you buy travel insurance with this in mind. Don’t assume that your cousin qualifies – because in this case, they don’t.

You can find those specific details in the  Plan Details , but we’ve pulled the definition for our plans out of the fine print.

FAMILY MEMBER means:

• Insured ’s or Traveling Companion’s Spouse 
• grandparent, great-grandparent or grandchild or great-grandchild;
• son-in-law or daughter-in-law; 
• brother-in-law or sister-in-law; 
• parent-in-law;
• step-parent, step-child or step-sibling; 
• aunt or uncle; 
• niece or nephew; 
• legal guardian; 
• foster child or legal ward;
• step-grandparent or step-grandchild;
• step-aunt or step-uncle.

See more travel insurance definitions

Coverage For One, Coverage For All

The topic of family travel insurance often results in many questions, starting with the basic question, “Can one travel insurance policy cover my entire family?”

The answer is yes – one travel-insurance policy can cover up to 10 people. Adding each family member (or traveling companion , technically) to the plan increases the total premium, but everyone has coverage under the same policy, enjoying the same benefits.

The only exceptions to that is if your traveling family exceeds 10 people or a family member(s) fall outside the traveling companion definition .

Another common question family travelers have is, “What if one of my family members has to cancel their trip because of illness, but the rest of us don’t? Does family travel insurance cover one cancellation because of illness?”

The person who has to cancel their trip has coverage under Trip Cancellation (assuming they’re canceling their trip for a covered reason, of course), while the rest of the family’s coverage continues on.

This can happen time and again. If your grandfather’s luggage is lost he can get coverage under the Baggage benefit, without compromising the benefit in case your sister subsequently loses her luggage. And, if your nephew needs emergency medical attention, he will have coverage under the plan – without changing the amount of the Medical and Dental benefit you have on tap in case you need it.

On the other hand, if everyone needs to use their benefit at once, they can. So if grandma back home gets sick and the family needs to interrupt their trip to be with her, they all can

That’s one of the great advantages of families using travel insurance: the incredible versatility. It works just as well for one family member as for an entire family.

Also read:  Buying Travel Insurance in a Post-Pandemic World

Making Sure Everyone’s Covered

If you’re planning a big family vacation and want to make sure everyone has coverage, here’s what you need to do:

• Read your policy. Make sure everyone you want to be covered under the plan is actually covered – and on a per-person basis. If they’re not, shop around for a plan that can accommodate everyone.
• Make plans early. It’s easier to get everyone coverage when everyone is on board right away, and the plan is purchased soon after the trip is paid for. It’s harder but not impossible to add family members after the plan is purchased. Learn more about adding to an existing plan.
• Look for medical coverage. Usually with family trips the most desired coverage is emergency medical protection. Make sure your plan has good Medical and Dental and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage – the more the better.
• Put one person in charge of insurance shopping . If everyone is out looking for plans there can be confusion and delay in getting everyone coverage – and sometimes that can mean no one gets coverage at all. By making one person responsible for finding the travel insurance for the entire family the process is consolidated – and the outcome is generally favorable.
• Have personal information handy. If you go the route of trusting one person with the insurance shopping, they’ll need everyone’s birthdate to buy a plan. Make sure they have this information before they start shopping. 

Also read: Info You Need to Know Before Getting a Travel Insurance Quote

Getting an entire family travel insurance coverage makes a lot of sense – and doing it online is fast and easy. Plus, with coverages that work even if a non-traveling family member gets sick or injured – it’s a no-brainer. It’s the best way of making sure your family travels get off to a great start and continue that way.

Start the process with Generali by comparing plans and getting a quote .

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Travel insurance & family emergencies 101

It's only natural to be concerned about your loved ones when you go away on your holidays.

If a family member or travelling companion falls ill or is injured on your trip, or before you depart for your holiday, it's important to know where you stand with your cover.

A common question that comes up again and again is;

Does travel insurance cover family emergencies? The answer is yes, but like all insurances, there are terms, conditions, and exclusions that will affect your claim.

Keep reading to learn about the cover conditions when it comes to travel insurance and family members.

Who is classified as 'Family'’?

'Family' in the world of travel insurance usually refers to your spouse (or legally recognised defacto) and your dependants.

Cover for furbabies

For those with pets, it may be of some consolation that some insurers provide cover in the event of their illness, injury or death. Cover-more , for instance, provides cancellation benefits of up to $10,000 should your pet cat or dog suffer a life-threatening illness or injury or dies suddenly.

Who is classified as a ‘Relative’?

'Relatives' in terms of travel insurance will typically include, your or your travelling companions' spouse, de facto partner, parent, parent-in-law, daughter, son, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandchild, grandparent, step-parent, step-son, step-daughter, fiancé, fiancée or guardian.

NOTE: aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and close friends are not often included as a ‘relative’ so it pays to pay attention.

When Does Travel Insurance Cover For Family Emergencies?

Your policy will kick in if a family member or relative (as defined above or within your insurers' definitions);

• Dies unexpectedly
• Is disabled by an injury
• Becomes seriously sick and requires hospitalisation

When Are You Not Covered For Family Emergencies?

Like any type of insurance terms and conditions apply to your cover.

Where your relative resides matters: Relatives who live outside Australia or New Zealand are typically not covered by your policy. Most insurers state that they will only pay claims concerning ‘Relatives’ who reside in Australia or New Zealand. If you have a family member that lives in a different country to you, chances are you wouldn’t be covered for cancelling your trip.

Pre-existing illnesses can cause difficulties: If you were already aware of a Relative’s illness when you booked your travel insurance, you may not be covered should they take a turn for the worse. However, some companies like 1Cover, Fastcover and Zoom Travel Insurance would provide limited cover under these circumstances, provided you were not aware of the likelihood of their hospitalisation or death when purchasing your policy.

How the family member dies matters: If the death was due to the relative committing suicide, or related to alcohol or drug consumption you may find that isn't covered. Any claims to do with alcohol, drugs or mental illness are typically excluded in Australian travel insurance policies.

Age limits apply: For example insurers such as Boomers, Southern Cross Travel Insurance and Worldcare will not cover for any benefits for Relatives who are 85 years or older. This means even if a Relative has an unforeseen accident or illness, not relating to a pre-existing illness, travellers would not be covered for any events involving those who are older than the specified age limit.

Can I resume my trip if it was cut short due to a family emergency?

Most policies with a family emergency benefit will allow you to resume your journey at a later date after being forced to return home due to the illness or death of a relative and still be covered. This is sometimes included as a sub-limit within the trip cancellation benefit or, it may be under a benefit called "resumption of journey". This will often include the cost of flights for you to return to the destination where your trip was disrupted.

There are normally specific conditions surrounding this type of cover, including:

• You must have had no knowledge that such an incident might occur prior to your departure
• Your resumption expenses may be limited or must be pre-approved by your insurer
• You must resume your journey before your policy expires
• You may need to resume your journey within a certain time of returning to Australia. Usually within 30 days.

Other Options

As mentioned, the majority of insurers would not cover family emergencies if the relative in question suffered from a pre-existing medical condition. However, specialist insurer AllClear may cover you provided that your relative’s doctor is prepared to state that at the date you booked your trip, he/she would have seen no substantial likelihood that his/her patient’s condition would deteriorate to such a degree that you would need to cancel or curtail your journey.

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Eugene is the king of insurance! Having spent more than ten years raising awareness on the importance of holiday protection, he is a self-confessed insurance geek extraordinaire when it comes to the world of travel cover. Eugene loves helping people save time, worry and loads of money with the right policy at the right price. His ideal holiday is any one where he has a pina colada in his hand. Salut!

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Comparetravelinsurance.com.au is Australia’s leading comparison site solely focused on travel insurance.

Our comparison is a free service that allows users to compare quotes in a few simple steps based on limited personal criteria. Comparisons supplied are not a recommendation or opinion about the suitability of a policy for a user. Comparisons are default ranked according to price and users have the ability to sort by popular cover levels. Whilst we compare a vast range of policies, we do not compare all providers in the market. This site compares the following brands: 1Cover, Fast Cover Travel Insurance, InsureandGo, Ski-Insurance, Travel Insurance Saver, Tick, Zoom Travel Insurance. The directors and shareholders are common with companies Zoom Travel Insurance and 1Cover Pty Ltd including it’s subsidiary brand Ski-insurance. CoverDirect takes all reasonable care when preparing this information but does not warrant its accuracy. Pricing information is supplied by the providers who participate on this site and should be verified with the insurer before you purchase. This site links users to the website of the provider to verify quotes and access the relevant PDS to understand what is, and is not, covered by a policy prior to purchase.

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If my family member or I get sick, am I covered for Trip Cancellation?

Last Updated: October 25, 2013 March 28, 2024

Short Answer

Yes, you or your family member’s unforeseen illness is generally a covered reason for Trip Cancellation coverage.

More Detail

An unforeseen illness, injury, or death of you, your traveling companion or your family member are standard covered reasons to cancel your trip.

Please be aware, every policy has its own definition for who is considered a covered family member. This generally includes children, parents, step-parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, step-siblings, aunts, uncles, and in-laws. Cousins are usually excluded.

While an unforeseen illness is covered, most policies exclude cancelling due to a Pre-Existing Medical Condition unless the policy includes Pre-Existing Medical coverage. Pre-existing Medical coverage can extend to you and your non-traveling family members. Specific conditions such as pregnancy, self-inflicted injury, or mental and psychological disorders may be excluded from cancellation coverage, even if Pre-existing Medical is included.

This information can vary based on the travel insurance policy. Please review the policy certificate to verify coverage. If you have questions about a specific policy, please contact us directly at 800-240-0369. Our customer service representatives are available from 8am to 10pm ET seven days a week and are delighted to help!

• Author: Anna Gernandt

5 people found this article helpful.

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What Happens To Your Plane Ticket When There’s A Death In The Family?

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There are all kinds of reasons why you might not be able to fly when you were planning to, or need to make a change in a scheduled itinerary. Unfortunately, one of those might be the death of a loved one. But now that most domestic airlines don’t offer special bereavement fares, many fliers find themselves dealing with airlines after they’ve already bought tickets to try to make changes. But because airlines don’t want just anyone to pull the “my grandma died,” often customers are finding the process of changing or canceling flights in these situations daunting, confusing, and well, a bit tacky. Recently, Consumerist reader Stacy reached out with her story of trying to get a refund on a ticket change fee she incurred while visiting her terminally ill brother. Originally scheduled for a US Airways flight to visit him on May 27, Stacy writes that she had to change her flight to an earlier date when her parents said his condition was taking a turn for the worse, so she could arrive in time to see him before he passed away. When she called to make the change, she was told she’d be charged a $200 fee and any difference in fare. She asked if she the change fee could be waived in this instance, as it was an emergency. At first, she was told that it wouldn’t be possible, so she asked to speak with a supervisor to have the ticket refunded so she could buy a ticket with another airline. After several phone calls escalating her issue, a customer service agent informed her that the change fee would be refunded if she submitted a letter from her brother’s doctor, detailing the emergency nature of the situation. She paid for her new ticket, along with the change fee, and submitted the letter along with her refund request, which she was told would take 7-10 days. More than two weeks after that — during which time her brother passed away — she checked on the refund and found that its status had changed from “in progress” to a message telling her to call US Airways customer service. After a customer service agent investigated her request, she received an email from the refunds department informing her she would need to submit a copy of the original death certificate to “support a refund of the non-refundable change fee.” Stacy was blown out of the water — she’d provided the documentation she was originally told would be required, and now this? Was she supposed to harass her brother’s wife and daughter while they were coping with his death to get a death certificate? “This added requirement only proves what I suspected all along: that US Airways requires customers to pay for fees upfront so they can make receiving a refund so exasperating that most people will give up,” Stacy wrote of how she felt at the time. In this instance, Consumerist got involved and US Airways did finally refund the change fee without requiring the death certificate. That’s good news for Stacy in this case, but what about other travelers with the same quandary? We wanted to know which airlines do require such a document for otherwise nonrefundable fares — which let’s face it, is not something that’s easily provided and is often an impractical request when family members are dealing with a loved one’s death. As it turns out, that information isn’t easy to find, if at all. We checked the web sites of the major domestic carriers to see if they listed a death certificate as a requirement for ticket or fee refunds, and often had to do some digging to find it, if at all. The information might be there, but would the average consumer see it? So Consumerist reached out to each airline — if the policy wasn’t clearly stated during the ticket buying process or in an obvious place on their web site — and have included that information below. This is what you can expect for fares that are advertised and sold as nonrefundable fares , but approaching customer service politely and clearly stating your problem can often result in a different outcome, as Stacy’s experience shows. And if you can’t get a copy of the death certificate, try offering to find a copy of a published obituary or reaching out to the funeral home to get an official letter, as some of the airlines below include as an option. American Airlines/US Airways Offer bereavement fares: No Full refund in case of immediate family member death: Yes, in the form of a nonrefundable travel voucher ( policy here ) Documentation required for any refunds : Death certificate Southwest Airlines Offer bereavement fares: No Full refund in case of family member death: Yes Documentation required for any refunds: “If the fare were nonrefundable and the Customer or family member requested a refund, our Customer Relations Department would approve the request with documentation ( typically a copy of the death certificate ),” a spokesperson told Consumerist. United Airlines Offer bereavement fares: No Full refund in case of family member death: Yes — minus a $50 processing fee ( policy here ) Documentation required for any refunds: Death certificate JetBlue Offer bereavement fares: No Full refund in case of family member death: Yes — in “most cases,” a JetBlue spokesperson tells Consumerist. “JetBlue believes in Inspiring Humanity and as such we seek to do the right thing whenever possible. If a customer experiences the death of an immediate family member before travel, in most cases our Customer Support team will waive the cancel or change fee. If the customer is exchanging for future travel, the customer may be required to pay the difference in air fare. If a customer experiences the death of an immediate family member mid-travel, our Customer Support can waive the cancel or change fee. Documentation and proof may be required in both cases.” Documentation required for any refunds:  JetBlue asks for the following — Funeral Home / Mortuary Name, Funeral Home Phone Number, Name of Deceased, Relationship to Deceased Delta Air Lines Offer bereavement fares: Yes — and it seems to be one of the only remaining airlines out there that does ( policy here ) Full refund in case of family member death: It seems likely, due to the existence of its Bereavement policy, but it’s unclear. We reached out to Delta however, and have not yet received a clear response. Documentation required for any refunds: Again, unclear. Frontier Offer bereavement fares: No Full refund in case of family member death: Yes, or change fee can be waived ( policy here ) Documentation required for any refunds: Death certificate OR letter from funeral home on official letterhead Spirit Airlines Offer bereavement fares: No Full refund in case of family member death: Yes and no, according to a Spirit spokesperson: If you or your traveling companion passes away either before or during scheduled itinerary , if there’s no portion of that ticket used, there will be a refund on all unused segments of the ticket. But otherwise, even if grandpa dies before you could fly to see him, “if a customer chooses to cancel a flight for any reason, they will not get a refund,” a Spirit spokesperson explains, something that is made clear when customers purchase tickets. “But because Spirit understands there are unexpected issues,” Spirit encourages customers to buy travel insurance, “for that very reason.” Documentation required for any refunds: A copy of the death certificate, but “we don’t need an original, it can be faxed or scanned and sent by email,” the Spirit spokesperson explains to Consumerist.  

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Consumerist.

Do I need travel insurance for my summer vacation? It's complicated.

• Travel insurance can be complicated, but it's worth it if you have travel expenses that insurance would cover.
• You might not need travel insurance if you're taking a driving vacation and staying in a place where lodging is free.
• If you're leaving the country, you'll likely need travel insurance.

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If you're planning to travel somewhere this summer, you're probably thinking of buying travel insurance.

Kingsley Hopkins is. He's headed to Portugal and Iceland with his girlfriend, and he wants to make sure he's covered for things like medical emergencies or trip disruptions, "or if a volcano erupts," he said.

Check out   Elliott Confidential , the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone!

But getting the right travel insurance can be complicated. There's no one-size-fits-all policy, and Hopkins, an assistant editor at a book publishing company in New York, has been spending a lot of time thinking about how to protect his summer vacation.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Chances are, so have you.

Why finding the right travel insurance is so hard

Most surveys suggest this will be a record summer for travel. How much of a record? Demand is so high that some airlines are afraid they will run out of planes. Now that's busy.

At the same time, danger and uncertainty are lurking everywhere – wars in Europe and the Middle East, the usual slate of natural disasters like hurricanes and maybe a volcano or two. It's no wonder people are giving some serious thought to insurance. 

Older travelers are particularly worried. And they should be, said PK Rao, CEO of INF Visitor Care . Claims by travelers over age 50 spike during the summer months.

Warning: American tourists are being profiled. Don't be one of them.

Try this pro trick for an affordable and stress-free summer vacation

"According to our claim data, medical emergencies tend to uptick during the summer, especially for those going on trips that involve outdoor activities," he said.

But there are so many choices out there, including credit card coverage, medical evacuation membership programs and stand-alone travel insurance. What should you get?

You need peace of mind 

But don't just reflexively start shopping for a travel insurance policy this summer. Instead, look for peace of mind – knowing that if something goes wrong, you'll be taken care of.

"Knowing you're protected from unforeseen travel mishaps – like delays, lost baggage and even medical emergencies – can make the trip that much more enjoyable,” said Daniel Durazo, a spokesman for Allianz Partners USA .

As it turns out, there are several ways to get the peace of mind you need. And there are times when you can safely skip travel insurance.

This is when you don't need insurance

Here's when you can skip travel insurance, according to experts:

◾ If you already have coverage. "You may already have travel coverage through your benefits at work, your credit card, or through group benefits with an organization," said Jiten Puri, CEO of PolicyAdvisor.com. If you do, there's no need to buy more coverage. You're all set.

◾ If you're not traveling far. If you're taking a driving vacation and staying in a place where lodging is free, like a relative's sofa, then there's not much to insure. "If you already have health insurance, it may cover you for a domestic trip, so you don't need to think about health insurance coverage," said Joe Cronin, CEO of International Citizens Insurance .

◾ If your trip isn't insurable. Traditional travel insurance covers conventional trips with prepaid, nonrefundable components like airline tickets and hotel stays. You might find that you either already have coverage through your medical insurance, or the trip is essentially uninsurable.

So think twice before saying "yes" to optional travel insurance that your online travel agency may offer you when you're booking a trip. You might not need it.

Here's when you need travel insurance

But most travelers should consider some kind of travel insurance coverage this summer. Here's when you need the extra coverage:

◾ If you have travel expenses that insurance would cover. "If you have many prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, it's best to take out travel insurance," said Lauren Gumport, a spokeswoman for Faye Travel Insurance ."This includes things like flights, hotel rooms, tickets and activities." The more conventional your vacation, the likelier travel insurance is to cover almost every aspect of your summer vacation.

◾ If you're leaving the country. "Your regular medical insurance might not extend coverage beyond your home borders," said John Rose, chief risk and security officer at ALTOUR . Also, many countries require travel insurance for entrance. They include Bermuda, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and some European countries.

◾ If you can't afford to lose your trip. "When considering travel insurance for your summer trip, evaluate whether you can afford to lose your vacation investment due to unforeseen circumstances like illness, weather disruptions, or emergencies," explained Robert Gallagher, president of the US Travel Insurance Association (USTIA). "Can you afford the financial risk if you miss your cruise departure because of covered flight delays? What if you have to cut your trip short because of illness?"  

One of the most common mistakes travelers make is assuming their credit card will cover them. For example, I found that my credit card only covered my rental car as secondary insurance, which made it completely useless when I rented a car in Tampa recently. I had to buy a standalone policy from Allianz to cover the vehicle.

Should you repeat your vacation? Let's settle this once and for all.

Junk fees: Travelers are drowning in junk fees during the summer of surcharges

How one traveler insured his summer vacation

So, how did Hopkins handle his travel insurance needs? Well, as I mentioned – it's complicated.

Hopkins said he always buys some travel insurance before he takes a trip, "but how much, and what I cover, varies," he explained.

He decided that his path to peace of mind in this case was to spend a few extra dollars: He made fully refundable flight and hotel reservations, just in case something went wrong. That would eliminate a lengthy claim with his travel insurance company or credit card.

But he still needed at least $50,000 in medical coverage with emergency evacuation because of his active schedule.

"We’re going to be doing a lot of hiking in Iceland," he said. "And you just never know." 

At the beginning of the year, he decided to buy an annual Medjet Horizon plan, a membership that would get him from a hospital in Portugal or Iceland to a hospital at home, in case something happened. 

For insurance, Hopkins checked TravelInsurance.com to find an affordable travel insurance policy. He found coverage through Trawick International that pays up to $50,000 in medical expenses and up to $200,000 for an evacuation.

"I’ve heard good things about them," he said. "Hopefully, we won’t need any of it."

How do I insure my trips?

I'm on the road about 360 days a year, so I'm always thinking about peace of mind. I currently use a Wells Fargo credit card with lots of travel benefits, and I have long-term policies through Faye and Cigna, which have worked fairly well. I also am a long-time Medjet Horizon member. If I rent a car, I turn to Allianz for my primary coverage.

I know – that's a lot of peace of mind. 

But I've also run into trouble and had to use many of those benefits. Medjet got me back home during the pandemic. Cigna covered me after a serious ski accident in Switzerland. My old Allianz policy took care of my medical expenses when I had to see a doctor in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a few years ago.

Like I always say, when it comes to having enough insurance, better safe than sorry.

Christopher Elliott  is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded  Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes  Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the  Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can  reach him here  or email him at  [email protected] .

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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Chaos and Confusion: Tech Outage Causes Disruptions Worldwide

Airlines, hospitals and people’s computers were affected after CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, sent out a flawed software update.

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By Adam Satariano Paul Mozur Kate Conger and Sheera Frenkel

• July 19, 2024

Airlines grounded flights. Operators of 911 lines could not respond to emergencies. Hospitals canceled surgeries. Retailers closed for the day. And the actions all traced back to a batch of bad computer code.

A flawed software update sent out by a little-known cybersecurity company caused chaos and disruption around the world on Friday. The company, CrowdStrike , based in Austin, Texas, makes software used by multinational corporations, government agencies and scores of other organizations to protect against hackers and online intruders.

But when CrowdStrike sent its update on Thursday to its customers that run Microsoft Windows software, computers began to crash.

The fallout, which was immediate and inescapable, highlighted the brittleness of global technology infrastructure. The world has become reliant on Microsoft and a handful of cybersecurity firms like CrowdStrike. So when a single flawed piece of software is released over the internet, it can almost instantly damage countless companies and organizations that depend on the technology as part of everyday business.

“This is a very, very uncomfortable illustration of the fragility of the world’s core internet infrastructure,” said Ciaran Martin, the former chief executive of Britain’s National Cyber Security Center and a professor at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University.

A cyberattack did not cause the widespread outage, but the effects on Friday showed how devastating the damage can be when a main artery of the global technology system is disrupted. It raised broader questions about CrowdStrike’s testing processes and what repercussions such software firms should face when flaws in their code cause major disruptions.

How a Software Update Crashed Computers Around the World

Here’s a visual explanation for how a faulty software update crippled machines.

While outages are common, often caused by technical errors or cyberattacks, the scale of what unfolded on Friday was unparalleled.

“This is historic,” said Mikko Hypponen, the chief research officer at WithSecure, a cybersecurity company. “We haven’t had an incident like this.”

George Kurtz, CrowdStrike’s chief executive, said that the company took responsibility for the mistake and that a software fix had been released. He warned that it could be some time before tech systems returned to normal.

“We’re deeply sorry for the impact that we’ve caused to customers, to travelers, to anyone affected by this,” he said in an interview on Friday on NBC’s “Today” show.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, blamed CrowdStrike and said the company was working to help customers “bring their systems back online.” Apple and Linux machines were not affected by the CrowdStrike software update.

A White House official said the administration was in “regular contact” with CrowdStrike and had convened agencies to assess the impact of the outage on the federal government’s operations.

CrowdStrike, founded in 2011 by Mr. Kurtz and others, has built a reputation over the years as a firm that could solve even the toughest security problems. It was tapped to investigate a 2014 hack of Sony Pictures and the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee, which exposed Hillary Clinton’s emails.

But problems stemming from CrowdStrike’s products have surfaced before. In April, the company pushed a software update to customers running the Linux system that crashed computers, according to an internal CrowdStrike report sent to customers about the incident, which was obtained by The New York Times.

The bug, which did not appear to be related to Friday’s outage, took CrowdStrike nearly five days to fix, the report said. CrowdStrike promised to improve its testing process going forward, according to the report.

On Thursday, the tech issues began when Microsoft dealt with an outage on its cloud service system, Azure, which affected some airlines .

Then CrowdStrike sent an update for its software called Falcon Sensor , which scans a computer for intrusions and signs of hacking. If everything had gone according to plan, CrowdStrike’s software would have received minor improvements and customers would have hardly noticed.

Instead, when CrowdStrike’s faulty update reached computers running Microsoft Windows, it caused the machines to shut down and then endlessly reboot. Workers around the world were greeted with what is known as the “blue screen of death” on their computers. Insufficient testing at CrowdStrike was a likely source of the problem, experts said.

As computers restarted themselves over and over, known as the “doom loop,” there was little CrowdStrike could do to fix the problem. Tech staff at affected companies were faced with a choice: walk around to each machine and remove the bit of flawed code, or wait and hope for a solution from CrowdStrike.

The problems cascaded instantly. At Sydney Airport in Australia, travelers encountered delays and cancellations, as did those in Hong Kong, India, Dubai, Berlin and Amsterdam. At least five U.S. airlines — Allegiant Air, American, Delta, Spirit and United — grounded all flights for a time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

How the airline cancellations rippled around the world (and across time zones)

Share of canceled flights at 25 airports on Friday

50% of flights

Ai r po r t

Bengalu r u K empeg o wda

Dhaka Shahjalal

Minneapolis-Saint P aul

Stuttga r t

Melbou r ne

Be r lin B r anden b urg

London City

Amsterdam Schiphol

Chicago O'Hare

Raleigh−Durham

B r adl e y

Cha r lotte

Reagan National

Philadelphia

1:20 a.m. ET

Health care systems were crippled, forcing hospitals to cancel noncritical surgeries. In the United States, 911 lines went down in multiple states, though many of those problems were being resolved later on Friday. Britain’s National Health Service also reported issues.

“We knew we had a catastrophe on our hands,” said B.J. Moore, the chief information officer for Providence Health, which has 52 hospitals in seven states. He said 15,000 servers were down and 40,000 out of Providence’s 150,000 computers were affected, adding that it was “worse than a cyberattack."

The United Parcel Service and FedEx said they were affected. Customers with TD Bank, one of the biggest banks in the United States, reported issues accessing their online accounts. Several state and municipal court systems closed for the day because of the outage.

At CrowdStrike, engineers described an atmosphere of confusion as the company struggled to contain the damage.

Executives urged employees not to speculate on why the mistake happened and directed them to focus on a fix for the computers that were affected, said two engineers who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Computers not connected to the cloud required a physical fix to the error introduced by CrowdStrike, they said, which could take weeks.

Within several hours of the faulty software going out, CrowdStrike sent out a software patch as a fix that would stop computers from endlessly rebooting.

Lukasz Olejnik, an independent cybersecurity researcher and consultant, said the outage would still take time to resolve because a suggested solution for some organizations involved rebooting each computer manually into safe mode, deleting a specific file and then restarting the computer.

While that is a relatively straightforward process, security experts said, it may not be easy to do at scale. Those with organized and well-staffed information technology teams could potentially fix the issues more quickly, Mr. Olejnik said.

Unlike the iPhone software updates that Apple sends to customers, the incident highlighted information technology systems that operate in the background. The CrowdStrike issues were compounded because the software being updated performed critical cybersecurity tasks, giving it access to scan a computer to look for viruses and other malicious attacks.

Cybersecurity tools operate quietly in the background to defend computers against attacks. The software is frequently updated with new defenses as hackers develop fresh methods of attack, but constant updates mean there are many opportunities for mistakes to happen.

“One of the tricky parts of security software is it needs to have absolute privileges over your entire computer in order to do its job,” said Thomas Parenty, a cybersecurity consultant and a former U.S. National Security Agency analyst. “So if there’s something wrong with it, the consequences are vastly greater than if your spreadsheet doesn’t work.”

On Friday, the stock price of CrowdStrike, which reported $3 billion in annual revenue last year, closed down 11 percent.

CrowdStrike’s stock price so far this year

The company faces questions about what liabilities it and other software makers face for major disruptions and cybersecurity incidents. The consequences for significant outages can be so minimal that companies are not motivated to make more fundamental changes, experts said. While a car manufacturer would face stiff penalties for faulty brakes, a software provider can often issue another update and move on.

“Until software companies have to pay a price for faulty products, we will be no safer tomorrow than we are today,” Mr. Parenty said.

Meaghan Tobin , Aaron Krolik and Jill Cowan contributed reporting.

Adam Satariano is a technology correspondent for The Times, based in London. More about Adam Satariano

Paul Mozur is the global technology correspondent for The Times, based in Taipei. Previously he wrote about technology and politics in Asia from Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul. More about Paul Mozur

Kate Conger is a technology reporter based in San Francisco. She can be reached at [email protected]. More about Kate Conger

Sheera Frenkel is a reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area, covering the ways technology impacts everyday lives with a focus on social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram and WhatsApp. More about Sheera Frenkel