Traveler Insurance and the Hurricane New York Times (blog)
Travelers should double-check their travel insurance policies as Hurricane Irene makes its way to the East Coast, possibly touching down this weekend. If your trip is cut short because your home suffers damage, a little-known benefit in most travel insurance policies could allow you to file a claim for lost travel expenses.
“If a traveler’s home is rendered uninhabitable by a hurricane, their travel insurance policy may cover them to cancel their trip or come home early and receive reimbursement,” Chris Harvey, the chief executive of Squaremouth, a Web site that allows vacationers to comparison shop for travel insurance, said in a statement. Some policies also include the cost for travelers to fly back home.
Travelers who do not already have travel insurance will not be able to purchase it in preparation for Irene. “Since Irene became a tropical storm on Aug. 22, only policies purchased before that date will provide coverage for the storm,” Sarah Byrne, a marketing manager at Squaremouth, wrote in the release.
