Trip Insurance That Will Cover COVID Resurgence?

[LimitedSlip7]

I'm getting ready to book a 2 week trip to Hawaii soon for a honeymoon in October but was wondering if there are any trip insurance providers that would cover the trip in the event of a 2nd wave shutdown? I know Hawaii currently (or did) have a 14 day quarantine on visitors but I've read they will be lifting that soon. This will probably be an expensive trip for us so I want to make sure I'm going to be able to get coverage before I book anything...

 

[Stoo]

From anything I've heard from friends in situations similar to yours, you aren't going to find any insurance to cover it. The pandemic is alive and well, and it isn't going anywhere for probably close to a year, assuming a vaccine is developed. No insurance is going to cover an active, existing threat.

I am (hopefully) leading a group to BC in late September again. The airline (Westjet) has always had, and continues to have, an generous cancellation policy... not normally a refund, but a credit valid for a year anyway, up to a couple of hours before the flight. I am still in negotiations with the Lodge owner. He doesn't have deposits from us, and our discussion is basically "If this situation hasn't drastically cleared up by then, we aren't coming...". He understands, but if he were suddenly to insist on non-refundable deposits, we'd just cancel the trip.

So I guess what I am saying, is assume insurance won't cover it, so make sure you have a clear agreement concerning refunds/credits with all suppliers.

I have yet to hear any knowledgeable person say there won't be a second wave. It's more a question of when and how significant. Based on the beach images in the news this weekend, I'd say it's going to be sooner than later, and it's going to be huge.

Because people appear to dumb as sacks of hammers. The virus hasn't gone anywhere...

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

I work for a travel insurance company and i find it very hard to believe you will find anyone that will cover it.

At most you can find insurance that will cover you in case you were unaware of the event at the time of travel or it hasn't happened before you started traveling but that wont really work in this instance.

 

[O-ring]

I wouldn't trust any travel insurance company to cover it even if they said they would. I'm sure an out would be buried in the fine print somewhere. I'd either not book anything and see what happens and book last minute or resign yourself to not going. I know it would be kind of a mood killer, but what about a simple romantic getaway for two in October and a "real" honeymoon rain check for next year or whenever it is safe to go to Hawaii without the risk of covid blowing your plans?

 

[martincohn]

You can buy insurance for ANYTHING. All you need is enough $$$.

You just won't like the cost is all.

 

[Marie13]

I'm getting ready to book a 2 week trip to Hawaii soon for a honeymoon in October but was wondering if there are any trip insurance providers that would cover the trip in the event of a 2nd wave shutdown? I know Hawaii currently (or did) have a 14 day quarantine on visitors but I've read they will be lifting that soon. This will probably be an expensive trip for us so I want to make sure I'm going to be able to get coverage before I book anything...

Sounds like you would be better off planning the expensive vacation for another time -1-2 years in the future. Do something more local that doesn’t require flying.

 

[nippurmagnum]

I'm getting ready to book a 2 week trip to Hawaii soon for a honeymoon in October but was wondering if there are any trip insurance providers that would cover the trip in the event of a 2nd wave shutdown? I know Hawaii currently (or did) have a 14 day quarantine on visitors but I've read they will be lifting that soon. This will probably be an expensive trip for us so I want to make sure I'm going to be able to get coverage before I book anything...

Why hurry to book a Hawaii trip in October? I realize that it's a honeymoon and that in ordinary circumstances you'd like to have firm plans. But I don't think you'll have any trouble booking accommodations in Hawaii on short notice for October (say, in mid-September) -- it's the low season even in normal times, and in the COVID era, I don't think there will be a rush of tourists to Hawaii, since it involves long flights and people are scared. The best insurance you can get is to make your arrangements on short notice, and to look for hotels/flights that offer flexible cancellation terms.

 

[wnissen]

I won't say travel insurance is a scam, but it's pretty useless. Many companies seem to specialize in indefinitely delaying even open-and-shut claims. I have bought TravelGuard (owned by insurance giant AIG) policies in the past based on extensive research, because they at least pay when they are supposed to. But if you read the fine print, even their policies explicitly don't cover pandemics and terrorism. Aren't those exactly the type of unpredictable events that insurance is supposed to protect against?

Be careful even buying a "cancel for any reason" policy, which by the way will run you about 25% of the trip. Even those have been reluctant to pay.

Right now airlines are offering big incentives to wait, to be perfectly frank. Pretty much all of them are offering skimpy rescheduling that only covers one year from the time you book the flight, not from the date of the flight. I would have booked flights if I knew I could use the credit within two years, but the situation in the medium term is just too uncertain. I might make a speculative booking if I could get a flight so cheap that it might be worth it to just not go, and a fully refundable car/lodging/etc. Even Southwest, which is the only airline in the U.S. with a humane cancellation policy, isn't doing much for bookings in October.

 

[Rickk]

I won't say travel insurance is a scam, but it's pretty useless. Many companies seem to specialize in indefinitely delaying even open-and-shut claims. ....

I only used it once. We had planned a 2 week all inclusive in Jamaica for family, kids and in laws. 4 adults 2 teenagers. It was a high end and over Xmas and New Year so was around $20,000 CDN.

MIL had a mild stroke about 2 weeks pre-departure, Dr advised against travel so he wrote a note, I gave it to the travel agent and money was refunded on my credit card in about 3 days. From making final payment to getting refund was all within the billing cycle.

Small town, I had gone to school with the agent and her husband, I had done some construction work with her husbands company, her father in law and my father were good friends and grew up together, I was her son's scout leader, third all inclusive for 6 over Xmas we had booked with her.

 

[LimitedSlip7]

We are mid-30s and planning on having a kid shortly after getting married, so a big trip would likely be either shortly after our wedding or 10 years from now...

I've never used trip insurance before. Just figured maybe someone would cover it for a bit higher premium. I'll just try and plan it out with a possible cancellation in mind...