Writer: Steve Dinnen
We’re all getting out more now that the pandemic is loosening its grip. But still, lockdowns, mandates and travel restrictions have a way of changing and gumming up the best-laid plans. Travel insurance that once may have seemed a pointless add-on to your journey has suddenly become a useful tool.
The best bet in this arena is coverage for CFAR – cancel for any reason. It will reimburse you for covered expenses not only if you contract COVID and can’t travel, but also if your destination becomes unavailable due to a spike in COVID. Or even if you just have a feeling it’s not the right time to travel.
There are, naturally, rules to follow. You have to purchase such a policy within 14 days (some companies allow 21 days) of making your first payment for an airplane ticket or cruise. And you won’t get back all of the money you’ve spent – probably 75% of what you can document, up to a limit.
Online shopping will turn up a host of insurers. At aardy.com (they work with AARP), I plugged in a December visit to Hungary and got a CFAR coverage quote of $622 for 50% reimbursement on a $6,000 total travel cost, or $656 for 75% payback.
To find out where we can travel, consult travel.state.gov to see how countries are categorized. Level 3 countries carry an advisory against travel, while level 4 generally don’t allow foreigners to entry, in which case CFAR is an excluded category.
The best bet in this arena is coverage for CFAR – cancel for any reason. It will reimburse you for covered expenses not only if you contract COVID and can’t travel, but also if your destination becomes unavailable due to a spike in COVID. Or even if you just have a feeling it’s not the right time to travel.
There are, naturally, rules to follow. You have to purchase such a policy within 14 days (some companies allow 21 days) of making your first payment for an airplane ticket or cruise. And you won’t get back all of the money you’ve spent – probably 75% of what you can document, up to a limit.
Online shopping will turn up a host of insurers. At aardy.com (they work with AARP), I plugged in a December visit to Hungary and got a CFAR coverage quote of $622 for 50% reimbursement on a $6,000 total travel cost, or $656 for 75% payback.
To find out where we can travel, consult travel.state.gov to see how countries are categorized. Level 3 countries carry an advisory against travel, while level 4 generally don’t allow foreigners to entry, in which case CFAR is an excluded category.
