I’ve never purchased a separate, standalone travel insurance policy in all my years of border-crossing explorations.
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That’s for a few reasons. First, I’ve never splurged on a trip that could bankrupt me, should things go wrong. Second, I haven’t encountered locations or other factors that could influence my trip. Third, I avoid anything with fine print… and travel insurance has a lot of details that you need to dig into.
Chalk it up to laziness, a lack of need, and a penchant for mid-range travel, but travel insurance simply hasn’t been on my radar. At least, not until this year.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve noticed consistent hiccups at the airport, problems with bookings, and—here’s the oddest factor—weather. Regardless of how you feel about climate change, it’s having a clear impact on how we travel.
From turbulence to heat waves to wildfires to avalanches, unpredictable and inclement weather is influencing our travel plans. And that’s not likely to change, if current weather patterns hold or worsen.
So, how does that tie into travel insurance? You can now purchase travel insurance that guards against certain weather events—but I’m not talking about hurricane-level storms or sudden floods. I’m talking about poor weather, like rain showers and high temperatures.
Travel insurance: inclement weather events vs. rainy days and heat waves
According to a report from Sensible Weather, which offers travel insurance for rainy days, 78% of travelers are concerned about the weather. In fact, it’s second only to cost when it comes to top booking concerns, followed by safety, hotel quality, and flight disruptions.
The study also found that 89% of travelers would feel more secure making their bookings if they knew they would be reimbursed for any travel experiences ruined by bad weather. That makes sense, given 78% of total respondents said they had experienced a negative impact due to bad weather on a trip.
In other words, Americans aren’t just worried about major weather events like hurricanes or snowstorms. They’re also worried about rainy days that ruin the mood—and obstruct the views. Even high temperatures can spark worry. Just like the rain, heat waves will prevent you from getting outdoors and seeing the sights.
The trouble is that insurance policies usually only cover for inclement weather, which is defined as a severe weather event. Policies usually pay out for losses due to severe weather, like canceled flights that make you miss a cruise—but your policy must have been purchased before the weather event was known.
In short, travel insurance policies, although they cover intense inclement weather, won’t pay out a dime for rainy days or heat waves. At least, not usually.
Weather travel insurance for rainy days & heat waves
If you’re booking a cruise during hurricane season, you might want a comprehensive travel insurance policy that covers inclement weather. But, as outlined above, less extreme factors like rainy days and heat waves can also wreak havoc on your trip.
Let’s say you have to skip out on your Athens day tour due to extreme temperatures. Travel insurance policies won’t cover that. The same is true if your boat excursion is cancelled due to rain.
But given how common heat waves have become and how unpredictable rainstorms have become, you might want to consider a relaxed fit form of weather travel insurance. You can easily create a policy with Sensibe Weather, the same company whose report I cited earlier in the article.
It’s the first and only weather travel insurance company I’ve seen that focuses on rain and heat waves. Here’s how it works: You purchase a Weather Guarantee for your whole trip or for single experiences, like the tours I mentioned above. If ‘qualifying weather’ takes place, you’re automatically reimbursed. You don’t need to make a claim or harangue an agent over the phone.
They cover hotels + resorts, camping, golf, tours, attractions, skiing, live events, and even via OTAs. (OTAs = online travel agencies.) So far, they have worked with brands like KOA, Kona Kai San Diego, PGA, First Choice, and more.
