Travel Delays and Travel Insurance

Travel delay cover as part of a travel insurance policy can be useful when travelling abroad if you are delayed due to adverse weather conditions, mechanical breakdowns, strikes and industrial disputes. There are normally two aspects to the travel delay cover:

1. Delay compensation will pay you an amount such as £20 for the first 12 hours of your delay and then another amount per 12 hours thereafter up to a maximum amount of £100
2. Cancellation compensation will reimburse your irrecoverable travel and accommodation expenses if you decide to cancel the entire holiday or trip after a delay at the port of departure exceeding 12 hours.

With increasing congestion at airports, the travel delay section of a travel insurance policy can be useful if you are delayed for a day and need to buy food or keep the children entertained. And of course, if you are only flying abroad for a long weekend and the flight is cancelled for 24 hours it may then seem pointless waiting for your flight so if you are insured and the policy includes cover for cancellation compensation you would be able to claim back all your travel costs and rearrange your trip at another time without being out-of-pocket.