People travel for so many reasons. Some of us do it to explore new places and try the local cuisine; others cross time zones as a regular part of their job. Whatever the reason, the last thing anyone wants to experience is a travel complication. Unfortunately, weather delays, ground transportation problems and lost luggage continue to disrupt travel plans. This is why more travelers are opting for travel insurance. According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, 65.8 million people purchased travel insurance plans in 2018. The number of people covered increased by 49.1% from 2016, while the number of plans sold has increased by 36.5%. However, travel insurance is not a catch-all solution for any issue that might occur while traveling — something many travelers learn the hard way when they file a travel insurance claim. While most plans include coverage for flight cancellations or organized labor strikes that affect public transportation, "travel insurance cannot cover all events that might happen," says Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance. "For instance, canceling a trip out of fear that something may happen or not getting through security on time and missing a flight are not typically covered reasons for cancellation under a travel insurance plan." Before making plans to travel and banking on travel insurance to save the day in case anything goes wrong, travelers should understand what is and isn't covered. With this in mind, explore our slideshow above to see Squaremouth's top 5 mistakes travelers make when filing a claim. Related: |

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