Posts Tagged ‘travel insurance for natural disasters’

Natural Disaster Trip Insurance

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Recently, the worst disruption of European commerce since World War II was caused by an unexpected natural disaster, a volcano eruption in Iceland. Volcano Eyjafjjoell erupted for the second time in less than a month after being dormant since 1821. This time, the ash and smoke caused an international crisis that effected air travel in many parts of Europe. The International Air Transport Association reported that the ash made air travel unsafe and led to the cancellation of 100,000 flights and an estimated $1.7 billion loss to the airline industry.

Travelers found themselves unexpectedly stranded as days passed and air travel was grounded due to the natural disaster. Other travelers spent thousands of dollars on non-refundable tickets, accommodations and excursions for their pre-planned trips and at the final moment were unable to board a plane. When they requested a refund, some found that they were out of luck! The European Union offered some financial assistance for already-stranded travelers traveling in and out of the EU where if original flights were canceled they had a right to either a refund or to be re-routed.

This has many travelers considering what options they have to avoid this problem in the future. Natural disaster trip insurance is an important consideration when planning to travel abroad, especially if your expenses are non-refundable. Whether volcano, earthquake, tsunami, or other natural disaster strike, it is an important consideration. That is why trip cancellation has become extremely popular. For many, the RoundTrip Choice has become a popular option as you can add the cancel for any reason option which would allow you to cancel and receive reimbursement for your trip costs.

If you have any questions about the benefits, feel free to contact a licensed agent to provide additional assistance.