What You Need to Know About Trip Interruption Insurance

  • Trip interruption insurance reimburses nonrefundable costs and additional expenses if you need to end or change your trip.
  • Commonly covered events include medical emergencies, natural disasters, and family emergencies.
  • It differs from cancellation insurance, which applies before the trip begins.

If you’re planning a big trip, you may worry about getting sick just before your plane takes off or having a family emergency that prevents you from leaving town. For situations like these, trip cancellation insurance can save the day. 

But what happens if you start your trip, only for it to get cut short unexpectedly? 

Enter trip interruption insurance, which can save you from incurring extra costs if your plans change.

What Is Trip Interruption Insurance?

Trip interruption insurance provides reimbursement for nonrefundable costs like hotels and flights, along with some additional costs associated with changing your travel plans after your trip has already begun.

In other words, the name is pretty literal: If your trip gets interrupted, your insurance can kick in.

Let’s say you have to return home midway through a vacation due to an injury, and miss out on several nights of a hotel stay you prepaid for. Rather than forfeiting those funds, trip interruption insurance could reimburse you. 

Plus, if you need to pay more for a new flight to come home early, it could cover some or all of those extra costs.

Note that trip interruption insurance usually applies to unavoidable situations — as opposed to issues like not liking your accommodations. 

Key differences between interruption and cancellation insurance 

Many travelers mistake trip cancellation insurance for trip interruption insurance, and while many travel policies provide both, these are distinct coverage areas. 

Trip cancellation insurance applies to issues leading up to your trip. But sometimes unfortunate events happen during your trip — maybe you have to go home early, change locations, or stay for longer than you planned. That's where trip interruption insurance comes into play.

For example, trip cancellation insurance might reimburse your flight and hotel if you need to cancel due to getting sick shortly before your trip. 

But trip interruption insurance would reimburse you for the unused portion of your hotel stay and changes to your transportation if you have to return early.

Trip interruption and cancellation insurance can also differ in coverage amounts. While trip cancellation insurance might cover 100% of nonrefundable costs, trip interruption insurance often exceeds 100% — sometimes going up to 200% — so that you can also afford changes like a new plane ticket. 

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What Does Trip Interruption Insurance Cover?

Coverage varies by policy, so review your plan carefully. In general, though, you can expect the following:

  • Medical emergencies: Provides coverage if you, a travel companion, or a family member (who doesn't necessarily have to be traveling with you) have a medical emergency, such as illness or injury.
  • Natural disasters/severe weather: This depends on the plan and circumstances. A rainstorm that puts a damper on your beach vacation probably isn't covered, but if you're island hopping and a tsunami prevents you from reaching your next destination, you could probably get a refund for the unused portion.
  • Jury duty/subpoena: If you have to unexpectedly appear in court, that could be a covered event for trip interruption insurance.

For example, let’s say your father back home is rushed to the hospital for a heart attack (although, we hope not!). You want to rebook your return transportation for a new date so you can be there with him. Trip interruption insurance might pay for that change. 

Or let’s say you have to stay at a location for longer than expected because a volcanic eruption has canceled all flights. Trip interruption insurance might pay for additional nights at a hotel and meals. 

READ MORE: Trip Delays vs. Cancellations vs. Interruptions: What’s Covered?

Limitations and Exclusions to Watch For

While trip interruption insurance can be a big financial help in an emergency, there are limitations to these policies. 

The details vary by policy, but typically (unless you purchase some sort of waiver or additional coverage), most trip interruption insurance policies do not cover scenarios such as:

  • Voluntary changes: Cutting your trip short for personal reasons like being homesick — or essentially any other reason that's deemed voluntary, outside of covered reasons like caring for a family member.
  • Pre-existing conditions: If a known health issue flares up during your trip.
  • Issues due to drugs or alcohol: If you get hurt or sick due to drug or alcohol usage.

Coverage limits and restrictions 

Trip interruption policies typically limit how much is covered and how coverage can apply.

For one, most policies have capped reimbursement limits for additional expenses like flights or accommodations. Often, these limits are tied to an overall percentage, along with a maximum dollar amount. 

For example, let’s say your policy covers 150% of prepaid costs and your plane ticket home is worth $500. 

In this case, you’d be reimbursed $500 for the unused flight, and $250 for a new return ticket. 

Even if that return flight costs you another $500, you would be capped based on the overall 150% limit. 

The maximum dollar limit can vary substantially by plan, but it's typically several thousand if not tens of thousands of dollars, so often the percentage-based cap kicks in first.

Also, policies often have restrictions on what expenses they'll reimburse. For example, the policy might only apply to economy tickets — even if you can get a good deal on a business class ticket coming home.

How To Choose the Right Trip Interruption Insurance

Trip interruption insurance isn't right for everyone, but a good policy can save you a lot of money in an emergency. 

Here’s how to find the right policy — or decide if you should pass on this coverage.

Evaluate your trip risks 

You might be willing to take the risk rather than paying for extra coverage. But before you make a rash decision, evaluate your trip risks:

  • How high is the cost of your nonrefundable purchases? 
  • Are you traveling to a dangerous area or one with frequent severe weather issues? 
  • Is your trip to a remote destination where the cost of quickly returning home could be high?

Compare providers and plans 

Next, do your homework and compare different travel insurance providers and plans. 

Shop around for the best prices and the right combination of coverage limits, exclusions, claims processes, etc. 

In general, you can expect to pay around 5-10% of your trip's costs for a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes both trip cancellation and trip interruption, along with other areas like medical evacuation coverage. 

However, the exact costs and coverage vary greatly, so don't make any assumptions.

You can use an online marketplace like VisitorsCoverage to compare comprehensive travel insurance quotes and buy a policy that works for you.

Combine with other coverage for full protection 

While it's common to find travel insurance providers that bundle trip interruption with trip cancellation and medical insurance, if you find a standalone trip interruption policy, you could combine that with other types of travel coverage so you don't have gaps. 

For example, you may have protection through the credit card you booked your trip with. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card covers up to $10,000 per person ($20,000 per trip) if your trip is interrupted due to issues such as sickness or severe weather.

Its premium sister card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, offers the same interruption insurance but also adds on medical coverage.

COMPARE: Best Credit Cards With Travel Insurance

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Rewards Rate
  • 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
  • 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries
  • 2x on all other travel purchases
  • 1x on all other purchases
Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

Annual Fee

$95

. . .

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Rewards Rate
  • 10x points on hotel stays and car rentals through Chase Travel℠
  • 5x points on dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards and on Lyft purchases (through March 2025)
  • 5x points on flights booked through Chase Travel℠ (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually)
  • 3x points on restaurants and travel
  • 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee

$550

. . .

FAQs About Trip Interruption Insurance

Does trip interruption insurance cover emergencies at home (e.g., family illness)?

Yes, many trip interruption insurance policies cover emergencies at home, such as if a family member has a significant illness and you need to go back to support them.

Are additional travel expenses like rebooking fees fully reimbursed?

Additional travel expenses like rebooking fees might be fully reimbursed, but it depends on the policy terms and limits. 

In many cases, trip interruption coverage limits exceed the initial amount paid for nonrefundable travel, so the extra amount could cover expenses like rebooking fees.

Can I buy trip interruption insurance separately, or does it have to be bundled with cancellation coverage?

Trip interruption insurance is commonly bundled with trip cancellation insurance, but it depends on the provider. Shop around to see what you can find.

Does interruption insurance apply to all types of travel (e.g., cruises, tours)?

Trip interruption insurance often applies to all types of travel such as cruises and tours, but it's best to check the specifics of potential policies to confirm what's covered and what's not.

TL;DR: Understanding Trip Interruption Insurance

Sometimes travel plans get interrupted mid-trip, such as if a medical emergency causes you to have to return home, or if a natural disaster forces you to stay in your destination for longer than expected. 

In these types of unexpected situations, trip interruption insurance can provide financial protection by reimbursing you for unused, prepaid travel costs. It may also cover some new costs like rebooking transportation to get home. 

The decision of whether to buy trip interruption coverage depends on how much risk you're willing to take and your ability to afford additional costs in an emergency. 

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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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I'm an award-winning lawyer and personal finance expert featured in Inc. Magazine, CNBC, the Today Show, Business Insider and more. My mission is to make personal finance accessible for everyone. As the largest financial influencer in the world, I'm connected to a community of over 20 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. I'm also the host of the podcast Erika Taught Me. You might recognize me from my viral tagline, "I read the fine print so you don't have to!"

I'm a graduate of Georgetown Law, where I founded the Georgetown Law Entrepreneurship Club, and the University of Notre Dame. I discovered my passion for personal finance after realizing I was drowning in over $200,000 of student debt and needed to take action-ultimately paying off my student loans in under 2 years. I then spent years as a corporate lawyer representing Fortune 500 companies, but I quit because I realized I wanted to have an impact; I wanted to help real people and teach them that you can create a financial future for yourself.

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Advertiser Disclosure

Our aim is to help you make financial decisions with confidence through our objective article content and reviews. Erika.com is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our aim is to help you make financial decisions with confidence through our objective article content and reviews. Erika.com is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.