How to Avoid
Research the potential weather conditions of the destination you plan to visit. Situations like hurricanes or other weather emergencies could lead to canceled or delayed flights and damaged accommodations.
Consider these tips before purchasing your trip cancellation policy:
- Research Hurricane Threats – Check the National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center website for potential hurricane threats to your destination before booking your trip.
- Find an Alternate Destination – Consider other destination options if a hurricane is predicted to make landfall. Services like restaurants, shopping, and tourist attractions can be impacted by hurricane weather too. Look for alternate locations that aren’t threatened by severe weather conditions.
- Move Travel Dates – Push your trip back or travel earlier in the event a hurricane may threaten your destination. You may still be able to enjoy your vacation by strategically avoiding bad weather. Learn how to travel during hurricane season before your next trip so that you’re well prepared.
How to Avoid
Checking your plan’s specifics could be the difference between canceling for a covered reason (and getting reimbursed for your trip cost) and canceling for a not covered reason (and not being reimbursed for all your prepaid expenses). Review the policy documents for your plan carefully, paying special attention to benefits like Trip Cancellation and Travel Delay.
Use these tips as well when planning your trip or dealing with a flight delay:
- Fly Early – Morning flights are less likely to be delayed than those later in the day. Look for flights that depart earlier rather than later to reduce your chances of a delay.
- Wait Patiently – Trip Cancellation benefits often kick in once an airline has been delayed for at least 12 hours. Read the policy documents for your plan and consider waiting for the cutoff before canceling.
- Use Travel Delay Benefits – These benefits often kick in after 5 or more hours of delay, depending on your plan. Receive reimbursement for necessary accommodations, meals, local transportation, and other necessities listed in the Travel Delay benefit details for your plan.
Learn more about how to handle a delayed or canceled flight.
How to Avoid
Consider preventative measures if you are nervous about flying. Use these tips to better prepare yourself for your trip:
- Do Your Research – Airplane accidents are newsworthy events, but they aren’t as frequent as you think. Do some personal research about these complex machines and the extensive list of rules and regulations put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure your safety.
- Bring Activities – Be prepared with a book to read, sleep-aids, music, or other items to keep you occupied during your trip. The last thing you need is to have nothing to do but worry during your flight.
- Travel with a Friend – Sometimes you just need someone by your side to assure you that it will be okay. Consider traveling with a friend or family member to ease your nerves.
- Upgrade Your Travel Insurance to Include a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason Benefit – Some travel insurance policies allow you to add a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) benefit to your plan for an additional charge. A CFAR benefit will provide reimbursement for your unused, nonrefundable, prepaid deposits if you cancel your trip for a reason like getting cold feet about flying. Learn more about the CFAR benefit below.
How to Avoid
Note these tips to reduce the chance that your plans are impacted by weather conditions:
- Read Weather Predictions – Look at predicted weather conditions for your vacation destination before traveling. Also consider average temperatures and weather in your destination to help you gauge what to prepare for.
- Look at a Different Destination – You might look at other locations that aren’t in their rainy season or are less likely to have weather conditions that will impact your plans.
- Upgrade to Include a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason Benefit in Your Travel Insurance Plan – Your travel insurance provide may allow you to upgrade in order to add a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) benefit to your plan. This upgrade could mean reimbursement for your unused, nonrefundable, prepaid trip deposits if you want to cancel for an uncovered reason. See more details in the CFAR section.
- Keep a Flexible Itinerary – Many minor weather situations that impact your plans will be only temporary. Consider rescheduling your activities around weather conditions. Just remember to be flexible when planning your itinerary.
How to Avoid
Frequent fliers know the benefits of arriving earlier rather than later to the airport. Here are a few ways to ease your stress of getting to your airline’s gate on time:
- Arrive Earlier Than You Think – A good rule of thumb is to arrive two hours before your flight plans to depart. Consider arriving even sooner during busy flying times or if you are flying out of a larger airport.
- Avoid Checked Bags – Save yourself some time by packing only carry-on luggage if you can. This allows you to completely skip the lines for baggage checking.
- Weigh Your Luggage at Home – If you need to check a bag, pick up a simple luggage weight to ensure your luggage is under the weight restriction before arriving at the airport. Save yourself time emptying your suitcase or dealing with over-weight fees by being prepared.
- Wear Slip-On Shoes – Expert fliers always consider what shoes they wear to the airport. Slip-on shoes can save time fumbling with laces, zippers, or buckles while getting through security. A quick shoe choice can save valuable minutes if you are running late.
How to Avoid
You can often avoid dissatisfaction due to poor conditions or management by performing thorough research before booking your accommodations. Here’s what you can do to avoid the possibility of this happening:
- Ask for Recommendations – Family members and friends who have visited your destination can give you recommendations for where they stayed. Have the reassurance that they have seen it in person.
- Seek Out Online Reviews – Don’t just rely on a business’ website to know what your accommodations will look like. Seek reviews from other sites like Yelp or Trip Advisor to get more perspectives on what it’s really like to stay there.
- Use Reputable Rental Agencies – Agencies often have a set bar for the satisfaction of an accommodation by its visitors. Stick to reputable rental aggregators like Airbnb, TripAdvisor, HomeToGo, and Hostel World.
Booking a hostel for your accommodations? Read our Guide To Staying at a Hostel.
How to Avoid
This mistake is avoidable by being more prepared for your trip. Here’s how you can do that:
- Purchase a Trip Cancellation Policy Sooner – It’s best to purchase your trip cancellation insurance sooner rather than later. This will allow you to feel more prepared if your trip must be canceled beforehand.
Plus, certain coverages and optional upgrades (like the Trip Cancellation for Any Reason benefit) may only be available if you purchase your plan within a certain number of days after you make your first trip payment. - Read Your Plan’s Policy Documents – It’s important to read through your plan’s policy documents carefully to ensure you are fully aware of what your plan does and does not cover. Pay special attention to the conditions required for each benefit and the policy exclusions.
How to Avoid
Knowledge about your destination beforehand can help prevent any need to back out of a trip. Here’s what you can do to be more informed:
- Thoroughly Research – Know what kinds of risks you are willing to take and research what risks your destination may pose on you and your fellow travelers. This kind of information can help you feel more assured when settling on your destination.
- Stay Updated on Travel Advisories and Alerts – Your trip cancellation insurance may provide coverage if a travel advisory/alert is issued for your destination by the U.S. Department of Stateafter you purchase your coverage. (Remember that some policies require a certain level of advisory/alert to be issued and others do not provide coverage for advisories/alerts at all.) Be sure to read the conditions outlined in your plan and check the U.S. Department of State websites to stay up to date on travel warnings and advisories.
- Check Your Destination’s Travel Page – See your destination’s International Travel – Learn About Your Destination page on the U.S. Department of State website for information on potential risks and other facts about your destination before booking.
- Sign Up for Alerts – U.S. citizens can sign up for the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages regarding their destination.
- Upgrade Your Travel Insurance to Include a Trip Cancellation for Any Reason Benefit – Consider purchasing a travel insurance plan that allows you to add an optional Trip Cancellation for Any Reason benefit. This benefit can provide partial reimbursement for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses in the event you don’t feel comfortable traveling to your destination.
