Flight cancellations are up this summer, and experts don’t see any sign of stopping. But that expensive travel insurance you bought to protect your trip probably won’t cover a flight canceled by the airline.
To avoid losing money, consider renting a car instead—and skipping unnecessary insurance.
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers Over 2,300 cancellations over Memorial Day Weekend herald a grim start to summer travel
Normally, summer is the season of breaking free, letting go, and having fun on the open road—or in the open skies. But when over 2,300 US flights were canceled over Memorial Day Weekend—and thousands more hit staggering delays—it became clear that this summer…well, it’s gonna be a little different.
That’s because staffing shortage, bad weather, and over-scheduling are putting airlines in a difficult position. And for travelers, there’s a bigger problem: travel insurance usually won’t cover the cost of a canceled flight.
What? Isn’t that the point of travel insurance—to protect your finances if anything goes wrong? Well, not exactly. Travel insurance protects the cost of your trip if you have to cancel, and it may cover cancellations due to mechanical breakdowns, airline bankruptcy, or natural disasters. But bad weather and staffing problems—which are behind most of today’s cancellations—don’t rise to the level of a covered cancellation.
One piece of good news: if your flight is changed but not canceled, your travel insurance ought to cover change fees. You can also contact the airline directly for support with lodging, refunds, and more.
Rental cars are one affordable alternative to risky flights
If you own your own car, driving may be a safer alternative to flying—even with gas prices up around the country. But even for travelers without a car of their own, a road trip doesn’t carry the same financial precarity of a flight that could be canceled. In fact, you may not even need to buy rental car insurance!
That’s right—we’re giving you permission to ignore your dad and skip that collision damage waiver
. This overpriced type of rental car insurance always gets pushed hard at the sign-up counter, but it’s not necessarily the best choice. Yes, it covers just about every conceivable risk, including loss of use for the rental company, but it can cost more than the actual rental. So how can you be sure that you’re covered in a rental car?
If you have an existing full-coverage car insurance policy, it ought to cover your rental car—just be sure to check with your insurer for confirmation!
If you paid for the rental car with a credit card, you likely have insurance coverage through the credit card company (again, check to be sure of the details and any coverage limits!)
If you don’t own a car, you can purchase non-owner car insurance
to cover your rental
No matter what mode of transportation you choose this summer, be sure to update your car insurance policy to avoid overpaying for coverage. With the Jerry
app, checking for new rates is as simple as sending a text—and it could save you over $800 a year! 4.717k Ratings 5M+Drivers Joined
7M+Cars Garaged
