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Most denied travel insurance claims fail on documentation rather than on coverage. Policies pay against evidence: a written statement from the airline or cruise line, itemised receipts, and a medical report where relevant. Gather that evidence at the moment of the disruption, because it is much harder to obtain weeks later.
Key Travel Facts & Insights
Most policies require notification within a defined period of the incident, often 20 to 30 days. Call the 24-hour assistance number on the policy while the disruption is happening, particularly for medical events — many policies require pre-authorisation for treatment above a threshold.
Ask the airline, cruise line or hotel for written confirmation of what happened and why: the delay length, the cancellation reason, the denial of boarding. This is the single most important document in the claim and it is far easier to obtain at the time than weeks later.
Meals, accommodation, ground transport, replacement clothing and toiletries. Insurers reimburse documented reasonable expenses, not estimates. Photograph receipts as you go so a lost paper slip does not cost you the line item.
For a medical claim you will need a physician's statement covering the diagnosis, the treatment and the dates. For trip cancellation on medical grounds, the statement must usually confirm the traveller was medically unfit to travel on the departure date specifically.
A complete claim moves faster than a partial one. Insurers pause the clock each time they request additional documents, so a claim submitted piecemeal can take months. Assemble the full package before you file.
Travel insurance is a set of separate coverages bundled together, and each has its own trigger and limit. Reading the schedule of benefits before you buy is more useful than comparing headline prices.
Two of the most valuable benefits are only available if you buy the policy quickly after your first trip payment. Cancel For Any Reason coverage and the pre-existing condition waiver both typically require purchase within 14 to 21 days of your initial deposit.
This is the detail that most often costs travellers money, because the natural instinct is to buy insurance closer to departure. If either benefit matters to you, buy the policy when you pay the first deposit, not later.
Trip cancellation cover reimburses money. Medical and evacuation cover addresses a risk that can run to six figures. US domestic health insurance and Medicare generally do not cover treatment abroad, and a medical evacuation from a cruise ship or a remote destination is among the most expensive things that can happen to a traveller.
If you are buying minimal cover, prioritise medical and evacuation limits over cancellation limits.
Several premium travel credit cards include trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage delay and primary rental car coverage when the trip is paid for with the card. The limits are usually lower than a standalone policy but the cover is free and requires no separate purchase.
Read the card benefit guide before buying a separate policy — you may only need to top up medical and evacuation cover rather than buying a full policy.
Most commonly because you cancelled for a reason not listed in the policy, because documentation was missing, or because a pre-existing condition was involved without a waiver bought in the required window. Standard trip cancellation pays only for listed covered reasons — Cancel For Any Reason coverage is a separate and more expensive add-on.
At the time of your first trip deposit. Cancel For Any Reason coverage and the pre-existing medical condition waiver typically must be purchased within 14 to 21 days of that first payment. Waiting until closer to departure forfeits both, and they are the two most valuable optional benefits.
Usually not. Most US domestic health plans and Medicare provide little or no coverage outside the United States, and none cover medical evacuation — which is the most expensive risk in international travel. Emergency medical and evacuation cover should be the priority in any policy you buy.
Our US travel consultants handle changes, cancellations, refunds and claims directly. No charge to ask.