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9 Sep, 2017

Insurance claims clarified as hurricane season disrupts travel across the Caribbean and Southeast U.S.

STEVENS POINT, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– — Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, Hurricane Irma is on a path to wreak havoc on the Caribbean and Florida, already forcing cancelled flights and cancelled, shortened and rerouted cruise vacations. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP.com) offers travelers tips on the ins and outs of travel insurance during hurricane season.

The National Weather Service predicted 2017 to be a heavier than normal hurricane season and with the 2017 Hurricane season having three months remaining, there is heightened concern that future storms may disrupt travel. Compared to the same period last year, “Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has seen a 35% increase in calls and 6% increase in visits to BHTP.com since August 25 – the day before Harvey made landfall,” said BHTP President Dean Sivley. “Hurricane season always heightens the interest in travel insurance because storms can unfortunately ruin vacations that have been planned for months.”

While the terms of travel insurance vary, travelers with existing travel insurance policies may be covered for delays, cancellations and interruptions, which may also cover non-refundable trip payments for the following reasons:

  • Inclement weather causing delay or cancellation of travel
  • Named hurricane causing cancellation or interruption of travel
  • Traveler’s destination made uninhabitable or inaccessible
  • Traveler or travel companion must cancel because their primary residence is made uninhabitable or inaccessible.

Generally, once a storm is named, travelers can still purchase travel insurance for their trip, but they will not be eligible for coverage for losses caused by travel delays, cancellations or interruptions due to that storm. BHTP advises travelers to contact their travel insurance provider to confirm and understand the coverage purchased.

For travelers planning future trips through November, the end of hurricane season, BHTP recommends travelers purchase a travel insurance plan to protect their non-refundable trip deposits against future storms. Regardless of the coverage travelers seek in a comprehensive travel insurance policy, BHTP recommends purchasing travel insurance within 15 days of making the first trip deposit to be eligible for full coverage benefits. It’s important for travelers to check their policy for complete coverage details, or call BHTP’s contact center at 1-844-411-BHTP for more information.

For additional details on travel insurance during hurricane season, visit bhtp.com/hurricane-travel-insurance