In mid-August, air travel in Canada ground to a halt as the nation¡¯s largest airline, Air Canada, had its entire staff of flight attendants go on a three-day strike.
As operations shut down, passengers had few options for continuing their travel, with many reaching into their own pockets to book new flights or secure alternate plans. The strike ended on August 19, and Air Canada was able to get all of its full fleet back in the air by August 23, but for travelers who were caught in the chaos, there are issues that still need to be resolved.?
Namely, passengers will be seeking reimbursement for costs related to altered travel plans, including hotels, rental cars, meals, and flights on other airlines, to name a few. Air Canada says it will reimburse affected travelers for ¡°reasonable¡± out-of-pocket costs, but that isn¡¯t always the case in these situations.
Travel insurance can help defer most additional costs if your itinerary is disrupted by airline staff strikes. However, it¡¯s not as simple as just buying a policy. There are a few key tips travelers should know. Here¡¯s what passengers need to know about using travel insurance to prepare for the next round of airline employee strikes.
Pay attention to your policy purchase date and details
When purchasing your travel insurance, be sure the policy covers airline staff strikes. This can be phrased as ¡°strike,¡± ¡°labor dispute,¡± or ¡°industrial action,¡± according to insurance firm Squaremouth. If you don¡¯t see these phrases as part of the coverage areas, you might want to find another policy.
Before you purchase the travel insurance policy, it¡¯s important to know whether your airline has already warned passengers about a potential strike event. ¡°A majority of travel insurance plans will cover unexpected strikes that cause interruption, cancellation, or extended delays,¡± says Christina Tunnah, head of the Americas for World Nomads Travel Insurance.?
However, that¡¯s not necessarily the case if a strike by your airline¡¯s staff has already been reported in the media. ¡°It¡¯s important to note that coverage will not apply if the strike was a known event when you purchased your plan,¡± Tunnah says. ¡°Be sure to read the policy to understand any strike thresholds, meaning how long your travel must have been impacted for the plan to take effect.¡± The minimum delay for policies¡¯ benefits to kick in is usually between three to 12 hours, according to Squaremouth.?
Save all paperwork and communications with the airline
Once you¡¯re stuck in travel disruptions due to airline staff on strike, you¡¯ll want to start documenting everything you can that can paint a picture about your situation. ¡°The more you can provide, the easier of a time you will have navigating the reimbursement process,¡± Tunnah says. ¡°Save your boarding pass, any receipts for meals or hotels, as well as any messages via email or text from the airline about your canceled or delayed flight. Write down the name of the airline employees you spoke to, as well.¡± ?
Seek a solution with the airline first before filing a claim
Before going straight to your insurance provider for reimbursements, standard procedure is for travelers to go to their airline to try to get support. ¡°The first step is to work with the airline to discuss your options for rebooking, refunds, or vouchers,¡± according to Tunnah. In the Air Canada strike, passengers will have most of their expenses covered as a result of the disruptions. So travelers would need to consult with the carrier first and then use their insurance policy as a supplement.
Even if the carrier offers much less comprehensive reimbursement, passengers can take what they get and move on to their insurance policy. ¡°You'll need to accept what the airline offers and then you can file a claim for what other costs you may have, like hotel stays, food, extra transportation, etc,¡± says Tunnah. ¡°Your travel insurance is there to potentially cover the expenses the airline won't cover.¡±?
Outside of the logistics around the travel disruption itself, insurance policies can also help with other events or parts of your trip that you might have missed as a result of the delays. ¡°Additionally, if you had prepaid for an activity that you were caused to miss due to the strike, you may be eligible for reimbursement if it was non-refundable,¡± Tunnah says.?
That¡¯s potentially a major reimbursement for non-refundable sports events, concerts, hotel stays, or other purchases that would be difficult to get reimbursed from the airline alone. But travelers should make sure these activities are covered by their policy before purchasing.?
Another good rule of thumb: travelers should buy their policy early, preferably right as they book a trip. That way, if any last-minute strikes or other interruptions come to pass, they¡¯ll have the best chance of their policy covering them and can travel with added peace of mind.
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