A strike is a stoppage of work that is announced, organised and sanctioned by a labour union and which interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a common carrier, such as an airline.
Your cover must be in place before a strike is considered foreseeable, which is defined as the earliest of the following: when union members vote to approve a strike, when the strike begins or when the strike dates are publicly reported in the media.
You may be covered for trip cancellation or interruption if the strike completely halts travel services at the departure point or destination. You may be able to claim for reimbursement of your pre-paid, non-refundable travel costs like transportation, accommodation or tours.
If the strike causes a trip delay, you may also be covered for some basic expenses such as food, local transportation and accommodation that you had to pay for because of the delay.
The daily maximum expenses you may be able to claim depends on your plan. On the Standard plan, you can claim up to $250 per day, up to a total of $1000. If you have purchased a higher tier plan, those total amounts are higher. Compare plans for details if you haven’t yet purchased a plan, or check your plan wording if you have. You must submit receipts for all expenses.
If you think your travel plans might be affected by a strike, you should first:
In the event of a claim, you must do everything you can to minimize and reduce the cost of the claim and provide all supporting documentation of the event and expenses incurred. See our article on how to make a claim for more information.
If you have any other concerns, please contact us.
This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical, legal, insurance, or travel advice and provides only a general summary of certain features that may be available under applicable travel insurance policies. Coverage is subject to the specific terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and pre-existing condition provisions of the applicable insurance policy. In the event of any inconsistency between this article and the wording of any insurance policy, the policy wording shall govern and take precedence.
It is important that you read and understand your policy before travelling. If you have questions about your coverage or are unsure how your policy applies to your circumstances, please contact us for clarification.
We’re here to help if you have a question about your policy. We’re available:
Within Canada & continental USA, toll free:
1 877 328 2528
International collect:
+1 416 646 3723