Does Travel Insurance Cover Missed Flights?

Whether you were desperately trying to make it to the airport to get on a flight for a meeting or rushing to get to the connecting flight that will bring you home after a vacation - missing a flight can be an incredibly stressful situation. And if you do have to deal with watching your plane pull away from the gate without you, your stress can be multiplied if you have to worry about the costs of new tickets.

You may naturally assume that your new tickets are covered by your travel insurance, but this can depend on the reason you have missed your flight.

Successfully accessing any missed flights travel insurance can depend upon whether you are the reason you missed your flight, and if missed flights are covered in a comprehensive travel insurance plan.

Because of this, there is no clear-cut answer to the question "Does travel insurance cover missed flights?" However, if you get a good idea of the variables beforehand, you should have a clear idea about your options the next time you run into this exact situation.

Read below to discover the ins and outs of travel insurance missed flights, and which situations qualify as a covered event.

What Qualifies as a Missed Flight?

A missed flight describes a situation whereby a traveler has not been able to make it to the gate in time to board the scheduled flight they have a seat on. There can be a vast number of reasons why someone has missed a flight including a traffic accident, inclement weather, natural disasters, or misreading departure times.

A missed flight is different from a mixed connection. A mixed connection describes a situation when you have missed a booked flight because your connecting flight arrived too late for you to make your next flight. (Connection insurance and connection coverage will be dealt with later in this article.)

Below, we will be looking at the particulars of travel insurance missed flight victims need to know about.

Does Travel Insurance Cover Missed Flights?

Whether your missed flights travel insurance covers the flight you have watched depart without you will usually spend on the reason this has occurred. Some of these reasons will be covered by your travel insurance and some will not.

Missed flights travel insurance is usually limited to covering flights that are part of an overall canceled or delayed trip. For example, if you have missed a flight and have had to cancel your entire trip as a result. Another qualifying situation would be if you have missed a flight and you are unable to get home and need to spend more on accommodation where you are currently stranded.

In these situations, compensation for a missed flight can be included as part of overall trip cancellation or trip delay coverage. Under these trip interruption and cancellation insurance plans, you may qualify for reimbursement of flight expenses which are pre-paid and non-refundable.

Reasons You Won't Qualify for Missed Flights Travel Insurance

As we detailed above, the answer to "does travel insurance cover missed flights?" can often depend on the reason you have missed your flight. If you have missed a flight due to your own actions or mistakes, your travel insurance company is unlikely to pay out. Examples of this include:

• Waking up late and arriving too late for your flight as a result.
• Forgetting your passport and being unable to make it through the security line.
• Getting lost in the airport and not being able to find the right gate for your flight.
• Not hearing your flight being called while you are at the airport.

These and similar situations are avoidable if the passenger is better organized, attentive, or made plans to get to the airport earlier. As a result, you shouldn't assume that your travel insurance for missed flights will apply.

Does Travel Insurance Cover Missed Connected Flights?

Missed flights due to lateness on your part and missed connected flights due to the late arrival of your incoming flight are usually approached differently by your chosen airline.

If you have a connecting flight with the same airline, missing your flight is unfortunate, but will usually be rectified by your carrier. They should help you to get on the next available flight and may issue vouchers to cover food and accommodation while you wait.

But, if your connecting flight was with a different carrier, you may run into problems. Your second carrier will be unlikely to want to bear the financial burden for the mistakes of a competitor. Your travel insurer may not offer you reimbursement unless you have connection coverage.

Make Sure to Check Your Travel Insurance Benefits and Terms Before You Leave

If you get travel insurance before you travel, it is easy to assume that all of your costs are covered in any eventuality, but that is far from the truth. Before you take out any travel insurance you need to make sure you are aware of exactly what is covered and what isn't.

If you have any questions or are uncertain about any terms, contact the company to ask for clarification. It is important that you know what you are paying for.

Summary: Does Travel Insurance Cover Missed Flights?

When it comes to traveling, there are a few things as frustrating as missing your flight. This can then be compounded when you stop to think about the financial implications. Whether your travel insurance missed flight coverage comes into play will depend upon the terms of your insurance, the reason you missed your flight, and how this has affected the rest of your trip.

If you have missed the flight through no fault of your own and have had to cancel or delay your trip as a result, missed flight travel insurance may be included in a comprehensive travel plan. However, if you have overslept, or missed a connecting flight due to late arrival, then you may have to face paying for a new ticket without the help of your insurance company.