Does Travel Insurance Cover Strikes?

A strike is an unannounced labor disagreement that interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a common carrier. You may have coverage if your Certificate of Insurance was issued before the time and date a strike was announced. No coverage is available if you purchase your trip protection plan after a strike has been announced. An announcement is defined when the union issues an official statement announcing the date and time of strike.

What coverage may be included in the event of a strike?

There may be coverage for trip cancellation or interruption if the strike causes complete cessation of services of your common carrier for at least 24 hours. You may be able to claim for reimbursement of your pre-paid, forfeited, non-refundable payments or deposits paid for your trip. Reimbursable costs could include transportation, accommodations, and other specified services arranged by the travel supplier who made the land, air and/or sea arrangements for your trip. The amount you receive could be up the maximum benefit amount specified in your policy.

There may be coverage for trip delay if the strike causes a delay of at least six hours. You may be able to claim, up to the maximum amount allowed by your plan for:

Basic expenses, such as food, local transportation and accommodation, that you had to pay for because of the delay;
Any pre-paid, unused, non-refundable land and water accommodations that you’ve had to forfeit because of the delay (such as a hotel night or a tour).

Check your policy for more details.

What should I do if my plans are affected?

If you think your travel plans might be affected by a strike, you should first:

Contact your airline, cruise or tour operator to check if tourist services are affected.

If you need to change your travel arrangements, contact your airline, cruise company or travel agent for assistance in the first instance.
In the event of a claim, you must do everything you can to minimize and reduce the cost of the claim and provide all supporting documentation of the event and expenses incurred. See our article on how to make a claim for more information.

If you’re in an emergency situation, injured or sick and need help, contact the 24/7 emergency assistance team as soon as possible. Their details are listed on your Certificate of Insurance. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, call the local emergency authorities first to receive immediate assistance, and then contact Generali Global Assistance.

If you have any other concerns, please contact us.

Last updated: Dec 19, 2022 10:27 PM