Q. If I cancel a planned trip because of swine flu, will I get a refund?
A. Travel suppliers are not obligated to help but it’s worth asking. Last spring, when the outbreak was at its worst in Mexico, some travel suppliers offered credits toward future trips. Some resort chains with hotels in Mexico and other locations allowed travellers to switch destinations if they had availability at hotels elsewhere, but travellers had to book new airfare.
Q. Should I buy travel insurance?
A. “We’re telling our clients: ‘Don’t leave home without travel insurance,”’ said Mike Weingart, president and managing director of Travel Leaders in Houston.
But traditional travel insurance only offers coverage if you become too sick to travel prior to departure or if you become sick during the trip.
Traditional insurance will not cover your losses if you cancel a planned trip simply because you are worried about exposure to illness, even if a pandemic is declared, said Judy Sutton, director of product management for Travel Insured International.
To be covered in that case, you’d need a “cancel for any reason” policy, Sutton said.
Be aware, however, that “cancel for any reason” policies usually offer only a 75 per cent reimbursement of your losses.
And cancel for any reason policies typically require you to cancel two days before departure.
So while your cancellation could be for any reason at all — “fear of swine flu or even a bad hair day” — you can’t make that decision as you’re boarding the plane, Sutton said.
Traditional travel insurance typically runs about 3 to 5 per cent of the price of your trip. Sutton says a “cancel for any reason“ upgrade is usually half the cost of the basic policy. So if the regular insurance is $100, the cancel for any reason upgrade would add $50 to the total price.
If you are offered an inexpensive insurance policy with a cruise or tour, make sure you understand the terms. “Often these are vouchers for future travel with the same company, not for reimbursement of losses, and that voucher may have a time limit on it,” Sutton said.
Traditional insurance also usually covers costs related to more typical travel problems, such as medical care in your destination and airline or weather disruptions that might involve an extra night in a hotel or rebooking fees. Travel insurance providers also usually offer round-the-clock telephone assistance, whether you need a referral to an English-speaking doctor or help reaching an airline to rebook.
Q. What about cruises?
A. The cruise industry requires passengers to fill out pre-boarding questionnaires screening for swine flu symptoms. Passengers who report symptoms or exposure to flu may face additional screening by medical personnel. They could be barred from boarding if they are ill.
Paul Motter, editor of CruiseMates.com, points out that because of past outbreaks of norovirus on cruises, “the newer ships already have hands-free lavatory facilities, with doors that open automatically and hands-free sinks and toilets, as well as procedures to isolate passengers who become sick.”
Norovirus causes stomach flu.
And just as with outbreaks of norovirus, an outbreak of flu on a ship could trigger steps such as closing whirlpools or buffets to prevent the spread of infection.
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