How travel insurance can protect your pets while you're traveling.
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to October 2 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For plans purchased after October 2 2024, please see below.
As pet parents ourselves, we know our cats and dogs are an important part of our lives. You may be researching the best places for you to stay on your trip, but you also have to look into accommodations for the furry member of your family. When you find a good pet kenneling/boarding facility and get it booked, you’ll need to let them know exactly when you’ll drop off your fur baby, and when you’ll pick him up.
What happens though if you plan to be home from Europe on a particular day but your plane is delayed? There’s some things we can’t plan for when traveling - like bad weather that can leave your plane sitting on the tarmac for longer than intended. Because of unanticipated delays, pet parents may want to consider getting a quote for travel insurance* that includes the pet kenneling/boarding benefit.
Even after an amazing getaway, by the end of your trip you’re probably ready to be home and see your sweet pet. The puppy kisses and kitten cuddles await, but they may have to wait a little longer if your trip home is unexpectedly delayed. If it happens to you, you may have to call your pet boarding facility and extend your pet’s stay. In addition to the stress of being away from your pet for even longer, that extended pet boarding stay is also going to cost you additional money that you hadn’t budgeted for.
US residents have the ability to purchase travel insurance through World Nomads that includes an additional pet boarding benefit. If you have a covered trip delay claim and you’re delayed past your scheduled return date for at least 6 consecutive hours, you may be reimbursed for the additional money you have to pay the pet boarding facility, dog hotel, or the licensed and insured in-home pet boarding service. The pet boarding benefit is included in the Explorer and Epic travel insurance plans, but it isn’t included in the Standard or Annual Travel Insurance Plans.
Domesticated cats and dogs may be covered under the pet boarding benefit included in your travel insurance plan from World Nomads. While we love your birds, fish, turtles, and even your pet pig, unfortunately those aren’t covered.
Also, for your cat or dog to be covered, you must have documentation from your licensed commercial kennel (or boarding facility) showing the original and actual pick-up dates. Make sure you keep all written confirmations and receipts - you’ll need that if you plan to make a claim.
While your travel insurance could cover additional costs to make sure your pet is being taken care of until you return home, there’s some things that aren’t covered. Some of those things include:
Nobody likes dealing with delayed travel, but it happens. By the time your trip ends, you would much rather be home playing fetch with your dog than sitting in an airport facing delays. We’ve been the ones making a bed on the airport floor as we waited, and trust us, it’s not fun.
Aside from coverage for additional pet boarding fees, the trip delay coverage included in World Nomads travel insurance plans could offer additional coverage if a delay is caused by a covered unforeseen reason. Some covered reasons for trip delay include inclement weather, natural disasters, sickness, and mechanical breakdown of your rental car.
If you’re delayed for at least 6 consecutive hours on your way to or from your destination you may be reimbursed for certain unexpected expenses (like meals, transportation and/or hotel rooms) if these aren’t covered by your airline or another source.
You’ll want to pay attention to the Per Day and Maximum Benefit Amounts that are offered for trip delay coverage under the different World Nomads travel insurance plans.
We encourage you to review your plan wording when you get a quote and make sure you understand it. If there’s anything you have questions about, you’re welcome to contact us anytime, and we’ll be happy to help.
Even when you take all the precautions and leave a notebook full of notes for those caring for your pet, sometimes unexpected things can happen while you’re away. None of us want to get the call that our cat ate something it shouldn’t have and got sick, or our dog got in an argument with another dog and got injured. If you or your travel buddy get that call, we know you’ll want to be home to care for your sick or injured baby. Pets are family too, and you should be there to care for them.
If your trip gets interrupted because you or your traveling companion’s pet gets sick, injured, is diagnosed with a terminal illness, or dies while you’re traveling (as confirmed by your veterinarian), you may be covered by your trip interruption coverage that is included in your World Nomads travel insurance plan. That could reimburse you for things like unused, prepaid, non-refundable hotel accommodations and activities. You may also be reimbursed for the costs of a plane ticket to get you back to your return destination (home) early.
*All information we provided here is a brief summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions of the plans described. Please carefully read your state specific plan documents for a full description of coverage. Travel insurance is included as part of your travel protection plan which contains both insurance benefits and non-insurance assistance services. Material included on this page does not represent, nor is it specific to, United States Fire Insurance Company or travel insurance benefits provided on United States Fire Insurance Company’s travel protection plans.
I arrived in Delhi from Rome. Baggage claim help desk informed me that my bag had been delayed in transit. I was without my bag for almost a week before it was finally delivered to me. It was cold in Delhi (being winter, December) and my warm jacket was in my bag, requiring that I purchase a jacket and other items of warm clothing that I had not taken in my carry-on.
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