A plane ticket can be the most expensive part of your trip, but many people don’t insure it. If something goes wrong with my flight, the airline will compensate me, they think. Or I’ll just deal with it. Right?

Well… In this era of chaotic air travel, a canceled or delayed flight can seriously disrupt your travel plans—and you can’t rely on airlines to solve problems for you. That’s why travel insurance for flights is well worth the cost! Here are 7 reasons you should consider buying it.

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1. Airlines are not required to compensate you for every delay.

How many U.S. airlines will give you cash compensation when a controllable flight cancellation or delay keeps you waiting for three hours or more?

The answer: Zero. If the delay is caused by a reason within the airline’s control, a few carriers (Alaska and JetBlue, as of September 2023) have agreed to give you a credit or travel voucher following a 3-hour+ delay.  Most airlines will give you a hotel voucher for an overnight delay, and all should offer you a meal or a meal voucher, at the very least. But cash, or reimbursement for other expenses? Nope.

Also, keep in mind that for flights delayed for a reason out of the airline’s control, such as bad weather, airlines in the U.S. are only required to give you a refund (if you choose not to fly) or a seat on a different flight.

2. Without travel insurance, flight delays can be expensive.

There’s about a 1 in 5 chance that a U.S. flight will be delayed or canceled.¹ That means you’re pretty likely to experience some unplanned downtime at the airport, especially if your trip includes multiple flights.

A short delay is no big deal. You can get a cup of coffee, listen to a podcast, and be on your way. Long flight delays are different. You could end up spending a lot more than you planned on meals and a hotel for the night. You may even lose some of your prepaid expenses for the trip if you arrive a day late.

That’s when the travel delay benefit in your travel protection plan comes in handy. This benefit can reimburse you for any prepaid trip expenses lost because of a delay, as well as additional expenses for meals, accommodation, communication, and transportation during a covered delay.

For insurance purposes, it’s important to understand what a “covered delay” means. Read your plan documents to discover which covered reasons are included, the minimum length of a covered delay, and the maximum limit for reimbursement.

3. With travel insurance, you can get a cash payment for flight delays.

Not many people know this… but you can get an automatic payment of $100 per insured person, per day, for a covered flight delay if you have the OneTrip Prime or OneTrip Premier plan. Both these plans include SmartBenefits®, which give you the option of receiving the $100 payment without submitting receipts for any purchases.

If the covered delay occurs on a monitored flight, you may be eligible for a rapid payment by direct payment to your debit card or direct deposit. (If your flight is canceled, or if the flight is not one we monitor, you are not eligible for rapid payments. However, you still can file a no-receipts claim to receive the $100 if the flight cancellation results in an eligible covered travel delay.)

What if you end up spending more than $100 on covered expenses, like meals and a hotel, during the delay? In that case, you can submit a claim with receipts for the remaining expenses, up to the maximum benefit limit specified in your plan. Just make sure you provide proof of any expenses incurred.

4. Travel insurance can reimburse the cost of your flight if you cancel for a covered reason.

Sometimes, life gets in the way of your travel plans. If you have to cancel your flight at the last minute, you may not be able to get your money back from the airline—especially if you purchased a “saver,” “basic,” or other non-refundable fare.

That’s why having flight travel insurance is definitely worth it. If you cancel your trip for a covered reason, (such as a serious illness or injury, a natural disaster striking your destination, or any reason listed in your plan) then your trip cancellation benefits can reimburse you for nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs up to the maximum limit in your plan.

5. A long flight delay can ruin your whole trip.

Let’s say you’re headed to Palm Springs for a girls weekend with your college BFFs. You’re only staying two nights, but you have a packed itinerary: a round of golf, some shopping, a hike through Indian Canyons and dinner reservations at Spencer’s Restaurant.

You’re supposed to arrive Friday morning, but your flight is canceled because of severe weather. The next plane out is full, so you’re bumped to a flight leaving Saturday morning. This means you won’t get to enjoy even one full day with your friends… What should you do?

With Allianz Travel Insurance, you have options!

• You can cancel the trip. If you miss at least 50% of the length of your trip due to a travel carrier delay (or another covered reason), that can be a covered reason for trip cancellation. This means you can file a claim for your nonrefundable prepaid expenses, including lodging and even your golf course reservation.
• You can accept the later flight and file a travel delay claim to be reimbursed for lost prepaid expenses plus eligible expenses during the delay.
• You can try to find an earlier flight. If your arrival is delayed at least 24 hours from the originally scheduled time, your trip interruption benefits can reimburse you for the reasonable cost of alternate transportation if you can get to your destination another way (up to the maximum limit in your plan).

6. Travel insurance may reimburse the fees for changing your flight for a covered reason.

Some plans include the trip change protector, which reimburses fees or extra expenses from an airline or other travel carrier/supplier if you must cancel or change your airline, rail, cruise, or tour itinerary for a covered reason. This benefit also can reimburse fees for redepositing loyalty points, if you use your points to purchase travel and then cancel or change your trip for a covered reason.

7. Flight insurance is only a small part of your travel protection benefits.

When you’re asking yourself if flight insurance is worth it, it’s important to remember that it’s not just the cost of your airline ticket that’s being protected. Allianz Travel Insurance offers whole-trip protection! Depending on the plan you choose, you may get:

• Emergency medical and dental benefits
• Medical transportation benefits
• Baggage delay benefit
• Baggage loss/damage benefit

Every Allianz Travel Insurance plan also includes 24-hour assistance for help with any travel challenge you face, anytime. And if you’re wondering whether you can buy travel insurance for flights that are already booked, the answer is yes!

Discover why more than 70 million Americans a year trust Allianz Travel Insurance to protect their biggest adventures. Find your perfect plan right now.

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