Find out more about World Nomads travel insurance for delayed and missed flights.
For information relating to policies purchased prior to 14 July 2021 12:00am UTC, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased from 14 July 2021 please see below.
Has your transport been cancelled, delayed for 12 hours or more, you can’t board because it’s overbooked, or it’s redirected after departure and you haven't ended up where you were supposed to? Your World Nomads travel insurance can offer cover for the cost of some essential items you need to buy to tide you over.
What’s covered for delayed transport?
When you are delayed in reaching your overseas destination or your home by more than 12 hours, if the common carrier, such as the airline, doesn’t provide alternative transport and/or accommodation, we may cover:
- Expenses incurred during the period of delay, such as reasonable telephone calls, internet access and meals and refreshments, provided you eventually continue with your trip. What’s reasonable? The grub to keep you going: yes. Extended international calls and/or Michelin-star cocktail menu: no.
- Reasonable additional accommodation and transport expenses.
- The cost of local transfers needed to get to the destination or return home.
What if I’m denied boarding my flight?
In most cases, you won’t be covered if you’ve been refused passage on a flight. However, under the Explorer Plan, we offer cover for denied boarding if you are denied boarding due to you being suspected of being infected with COVID-19.
You can check out our Coronavirus article which has more information, including benefit limits, conditions and exclusions.
What about missed connections?
If you’ve purchased the Explorer Plan, you may be covered if you miss your connecting transport because one of the following events unexpectedly happens:
- The carrier fails to get you there on time.
- There’s a strike or industrial action.
- Adverse and unforeseeable weather keeps you grounded.
- The flight is overbooked and the airline offers no alternative.
- Your car breaks down or you have an accident on the way to the airport.
Please contact the carrier immediately if another carrier’s delay has affected your connecting transport.
How does cover for delayed and missed flights work?
For you to be able to claim for reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses, the travel delay or missed connection must be unforeseeable, unavoidable and no fault of yours.
You will need to minimize your expenses (sorry, no presidential suite at The Ritz), and you must seek a refund or compensation from the transport provider before making a claim on the policy. Please keep all this documented with receipts, correspondence, written confirmations and an explanation from the carrier.
Any travel delay or missed flight connection claim will have an excess payable for each person, per claimable event. Claims payments will also be reduced by any refunds or compensation from the carrier.
What’s not covered?
Travel insurance is not designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the Policy Wording, so there are no surprises if you do need to use it. Here are some examples of where you have no coverage:
- You simply change your mind.
- At the time of booking or buying the tickets and buying your travel insurance, you were aware of circumstances that might cause a travel delay or missed connection.
- You don’t allow enough time to get to the airport and check-in as required by the carrier. For example, not factoring in extra time for heavy traffic in peak hour.
- For any unused accommodation expenses or no-show fees in connection with travel delay.
The policy isn’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered, get in touch.
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Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.