Upcoming Memorial Day the start of summer travel season
Last hurricane season, 15 named storms hit the U.S., causing destruction, travel delays and canceled trips around the country. Entering what could be an equally destructive hurricane season, travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth out of St. Petersburg, breaks down 3 travel insurance tips based on the lessons learned from last year’s storms.
As with other lines, once a storm is named, it’s too late to buy travel insurance for that storm. Travel insurance can cover travelers whose trips are impacted by a storm, as long as the policy is purchased before the storm is named. The World Meteorological Organization officially names hurricanes, therefore once a storm is publicized in the media as a named storm, it’s too late to buy coverage for that storm.
This year’s hurricane season is predicted to be a bit above the 30-year average, with up to 14 named storms, 3 of which are expected to become major hurricanes. For those with trips planned between June 1 and November 30, advisors recommend purchasing travel insurance shortly after booking a trip to give travelers the best chance of coverage.
Travel Insurance can also make delays more comfortable. Last year, about 35% of all delayed arrivals were due to weather, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. These weather-delayed arrivals totaled 29 million minutes, the equivalent of just over 55 years of weather delays.
Travel Delay coverage can refund travelers for meals and hotels during their delay, and some can cover the additional costs a traveler incurs to catch up to their destination, or to return home. Most policies state a traveler must be delayed for 3 to 12 hours in order to be covered. If weather is a primary concern, travelers should look for a travel insurance policy with the shortest delay time required.
Of particular interest to homeowners: travel insurance can cover you if your home is damaged by the storm. As we know, high winds and flooding from hurricanes Florence and Michael caused significant damage to homes last year in the Southeast. If a hurricane makes landfall in a traveler’s hometown and severely damages their house, most trip cancellation policies can cover the cost for the traveler to cancel their trip, or return home early, as well as any unused trip expenses due to the early return. Some policies can also refund travelers if their place of work is rendered uninhabitable by the storm.
If you’re looking for a place to road trip this upcoming Memorial Day weekend or during the long summer ahead, why not here in Florida? An analysis of Instagram posts shows Florida is the second most popular state for road trips, behind California. The Florida Keys and Miami Beach had the highest number of mentions among Florida road travelers.
LMA Newsletter of 5-20-19
