Last May, when American Airlines had a fare
sale, Chandler O’Brien bought a roundtrip ticket
to Tokyo for $650. Her 10-day trip to Japan is
scheduled to begin April 1. O’Brien, who does
sales and design for an event rental company in
Austin, Texas, said she doesn’t usually buy travel
insurance. But since the ticket was purchased so
far ahead of her travel, she added $60 for travel
insurance through Allianz Global Assistance,
which American offered on its web site.
O’Brien recently decided to cancel the trip
because of concerns about the outbreak.
American Airlines waived its $250 cancellation
fee and offered her a credit on future travel. The
catch? Her future travel must be completed by
May since that will mark a year since she bought
the ticket.
O’Brien thinks it will still be too soon to travel to
Japan, and she’s frustrated that American won’t
refund her money.
“’All of the Japanese hotels and restaurants I had
booked very nicely cancelled and gave me a full
refund with no hesitation,” she said.
O’Brien plans to file a claim with Allianz, but isn’t
sure how much the policy will cover.
Here are some recommendations if you’re
considering travel insurance:
SHOP AROUND: Resist the temptation to add
on the insurance offered when you’re booking
a flight or a cruise. Instead, shop around for the
best deal and the coverage you need on sites
like InsureMyTrip.com and Squaremouth.
com. Walch says you should typically buy travel
insurance 10 to 21 days after you buy tickets for
your trip.