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Travel Insurance for Trip Delays

How travel insurance for Canadians may assist during trip delays.

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You’ve been eagerly awaiting your trip to Mexico for months - and the day is finally here. You’re so ready to be hiking through Copper Canyon, but your outbound flight from Toronto has other plans. What happens if a storm rolls in and you’re not able to leave until the following day?  

Unfortunately, there are incidents beyond your control that can cause trip delays. While it’s a huge bummer, having a good travel insurance plan could help get your trip back on track.

What does trip delay insurance cover?  

If something happens to delay your trip, there’s a chance you could be stuck with some unexpected costs. Most of us don’t factor these additional expenses into our travel budgets, but that’s where travel insurance may come in handy. 

The trip delay coverage that’s included in your travel insurance policy could reimburse you for unanticipated costs like meals, hotel accommodations, taxi fares, and essential phone calls if you suffer a travel delay caused by a covered reason. Some of the situations that may be covered by trip delay insurance include: 

  • Your flight with a common carrier is cancelled or delayed for at least 3 hours because of inclement weather. 
  • You, your travel companion, or one of your immediate family members develops an unexpected emergency medical condition. 
  • A strike is announced and it interferes with the normal departure and arrival of your common carrier.   
  • The Canadian government issues an advisory against travel to a destination, country or region listed on your itinerary (This does not apply to advisories issued due to epidemic or pandemic.) 

World Nomads offers two travel insurance options for Canadian residents - the Standard and Explorer plans. The Explorer plan costs more but has higher limits and sub-limits of coverage. We encourage you to check out both plans side by side when you get a quote so that you can determine the best travel insurance plan for your needs. If you have any questions, contact our team and they will be happy to assist. 

What's the difference between trip delay and trip interruption? 

Your travel insurance plan from World Nomads includes coverage for trip interruption and trip delay. Both offer travel insurance benefits for covered losses that happen on or after your trip start date or that occurs on or before your return date. Trip interruption benefits may provide reimbursement for your unused, prepaid, non-refundable, trip arrangements as well as provide reimbursement for additional transportation expenses you may incur if your trip is interrupted due to a covered risk.

Trip delay coverage provides a subsistence allowance for commercial accommodations and meals, essential telephone calls, and taxi fares, up to a daily maximum, which you may incur in the event your trip is delayed due to a covered risk.

For example, trip delay coverage may help when your arrival at a destination is delayed, but trip interruption coverage could assist if something happens in the middle of your trip and you’re unable to continue your trip as planned.  

What's not covered under trip delay 

While a good travel insurance plan can cover several things, there are some things that aren’t covered. If your plane takes off without you because you overslept, your trip is going to be delayed. Travel insurance won’t cover you forgetting to set your alarm though. Some other things that wouldn’t be covered include:   

  • Delays of less than 3 hours. Are they inconvenient? Yes. But if your flight is delayed a couple hours, it’s not going to totally ruin your trip. Just stroll over to the airport bookshop and check out the latest best-sellers. Besides - you’ll need a good book for those lazy days at your beachside resort, right?  
  • Reimbursement for expenses above the per-day and maximum benefit. While travel insurance could reimburse you for things like unexpected meals and hotel accommodations that are a result of your trip delay, this isn’t an open invitation to live lavishly. If you decide to book the luxury hotel and have a fancy dinner, just remember that you’ll still only be reimbursed based on your per-day and maximum benefits.  
  • Waiting too long to apply for your passport or visa. It’s up to you to allow ample time for your passport or visa to be processed. If your trip is delayed because your application was submitted late, you won’t be covered. World Nomads travel insurance does not provide any reimbursement for losses incurred due to a travel visa or passport not being issued due to a late application or that has been previously refused. 

How to file a claim if your trip is delayed  

Hopefully your travels will be flawless and you’ll never have to deal with this part. If you do need to make a claim though, it’s important to know what to do.  

  • First and foremost, make sure you contact us within 24 hours of becoming aware of a trip delay.  
  • You can then log in to your member account online and start a claim. If you didn’t create one previously, you can still create an account.  
  • Try to cancel unused portions of your trip immediately, and attempt to recoup prepaid, unused expenses from your travel providers. For example, if your delay is caused by your airline, you’ll first want to check with them to see if they can provide hotel and meal vouchers.  
  • Make sure you save all documentation that could be needed for your claim. If your flight is delayed, ask the airline for documentation that lists the original and revised departure times, as well as the cause of the delay. Also don’t forget to save all receipts for your unexpected out-of-pocket expenses. 

This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms and conditions of the policy. It is important you read and understand your policy as it contains benefits, conditions, exclusions and pre-existing condition exclusions. If you do not understand your coverage, or if you have questions, just ask us

What else is covered by travel insurance?  

In addition to trip delay and trip interruption coverage, travel insurance may help with several other unexpected situations you may encounter on your trip. For Canadian residents, World Nomads may also offer coverage for:  

  • Adventure Activities:  World Nomads covers more than 250 activities for Canadian residents. Level 1 activities like golf and racquetball are automatically covered but will still need to be listed when you purchase your policy. You’ll need to pay an additional premium to be covered for Level 2 and Level 3 activities like spelunking and hang gliding. If you’re participating in an activity that isn’t listed in your policy wording, contact us to make sure you’re covered. You won’t be able to add or remove activities after you make your purchase, so make sure you add them all when you purchase your policy.  
  • Emergency Medical Coverage: If you get sick or injured on your trip, travel medical insurance could assist with reimbursement for things like ambulance transportation, prescription medication prescribed to treat your emergency medical condition, or a hospital stay. You’ll still need to have a Government Health Insurance Plan in your home province while you’re on your trip though. If you don’t, your total limit for all emergency medical expenses during your trip is limited to CAD $40,000. 
  • Emergency Evacuation: If you suffer a medical emergency and our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team or your treating Physician recommends that you return to your home province in Canada to get medical care, the emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage that’s included in your travel insurance may cover the costs to get you there.  
  • Baggage Insurance: If the airline loses your bag, baggage protection may help provide reimbursement to replace your belongings, subject to depreciation. If your baggage is delayed by an airline or ground carrier for more than 12 hours while on the way to your destination, you may also be reimbursed for toiletries and a change of clothes until you’re reunited with your bag.  

Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you

Trip Cancellation

Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation.

  • Explorer Plan: $5,000
  • Standard Plan: $2,500
Trip Protection
  • Work emergency?
  • Weather delay?
  • Travel companion sick?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Insurance

Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.

  • Explorer Plan: $10 million
  • Standard Plan: $5 million
Emergency Medical Insurance
  • Accidentally injured?
  • Suddenly sick?
  • Need a hospital urgently?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation

We’ll get you to hospital or home quickly.

  • Explorer Plan: $500,000
  • Standard Plan: $500,000
Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation
  • Ambulance transfers
  • Medevac flights
  • Medical escort services

Help starts here.

Protect your gear

Covers the theft, damage or delay of your bags, tech and sports gear.

  • Explorer Plan: $3,000
  • Standard Plan: $1,000
Protect your gear
  • Stolen I.D.s
  • Checked-in sports equipment
  • Damaged luggage

Help starts here.

  • Emergency Medical Expenses
  • Emergency Dental for Injury or Sickness
  • Bedside Companion Travel and Subsistence
  • Emergency Professional Services
  • Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation
  • Return of Travel Companion/Dependent Children
  • Return to Your Trip Destination
  • Return of Remains
  • Travel Accident
  • Flight Accident
  • Trip Cancellation
  • Trip Interruption
  • Trip Delay
  • Baggage and Personal Effects Theft or Damage
  • Baggage and Sporting Equipment Delay
  • Travel Documents Theft or Damage
  • Sporting Equipment Theft or Loss by a Common Carrier
  • Covered Adventure Sports listed in Policy
Assistance Services Included
  • LiveTravelTM Emergency Assistance
  • Worldwide Travel Assistance
  • Adventure Travel Hotline
  • 24/7 Security
  • Travel Medical Assistance
  • Bag Trak
This is a general summary for Canadian residents only. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions of the travel insurance plans described. Coverage may not be available for residents of all provinces. Check the Travel Insurance Policy for full details.

24/7 emergency assistance

Whether you need medical or dental assistance or advice, emergency evacuation or travel assistance, our team are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.

Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?

Telephone +1 866 878 0192 (toll-free from Canada and the Continental U.S.) or +1 416 646 3723 (collect from anywhere else in the world)

Contact the team