Why travel insurance may fall short

Conclusion: Vacationers who miss part or all of their trip may not be reimbursed by insurance companies for various non-refundable expenses such as flights, hotels or tours. Individuals stranded abroad may not be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses for extra meals or hotel stays.

“There are many situations where travel insurance won’t cover you,” said NerdWallet travel expert Sally French.

But experts said much depends on the insurer and the detailed text of the insurance policy.

For example, “the domino effect resulting from military action” (e.g., delayed flights or missed connections) may be covered under certain policies that include travel delay benefits, Lauren McCormick, a spokeswoman for travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth, wrote in an email to CNBC.

“As a result, major airlines have suspended flights to and from the region and closed major global travel hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha,” McCormick wrote in an article. website post On Monday.

It is unclear how long the military conflict will last.

The conflict is expected to last four to five weeks but could last “much longer than that,” President Donald Trump said Monday at his first public event since the conflict began.

The travel chaos comes less than a week after the Mexican military killed the cartel leader known as “El Mencho,” prompting airlines to halt flights to certain areas and cruise lines to reroute ships. They also come nearly two months after a US operation to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which disrupted air traffic around the Caribbean.

“Two months into 2026, we have already seen three major U.S. military operations brewing in Venezuela, Mexico and Iran, each of which will impact the region and travel routes,” McCormick said. he wrote.

Standard travel insurance policies do not cover military action, acts of war, political unrest and government-related airspace closures, experts say.

This means many travelers affected by attacks in the Middle East will not be eligible for financial refunds, experts said.

But McCormick told CNBC that every policy and travel situation is different.

For example, there may be certain situations where a policy covers military action, so it’s important to read the brief of the policy to see what applies, he said.

For example, these coverage limitations often apply specifically to trip cancellation and interruption, meaning a traveler wants to cancel their trip just before the trip or cut it short in the middle of the trip, McCormick said.

McCormick said some passengers may be covered by insurance policies if military action causes an airline to reroute flights due to factors such as hub disruptions, crew rescheduling or mechanical problems resulting from tighter return schedules.

Additionally, travelers who purchase certain benefits, such as “cancellation for any reason” or “interruption for any reason” coverage, may be eligible to have some travel expenses covered.

The cancellation for any reason policy applies to those who have not yet departed, while the interruption for any reason coverage applies to those who are in the middle of the trip.

These policies are generally more expensive and come with caveats, such as limits on how much money can be refunded and when the traveler can cancel.

“If you have questions about your coverage, we recommend contacting your provider directly and preserving all correspondence with both the insurance company and the airline,” McCormick wrote in an email.

For example, certain United Airlines Passengers scheduled to fly from Dubai or Tel Aviv airports until March 7 will be able to reschedule their travels without paying a change fee or fare difference. Combined travel warning.

This flexibility applies to a broader list of airports (Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Dubai, Erbil and Tel Aviv) for those scheduled to travel between March 8 and March 31, United’s alert said.

French recommends that travelers who can take advantage of such offers do so.

“This is already a better option than travel insurance,” he said. “Just go to their website and choose a new flight.”

However, this compensation does not necessarily cover all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by travelers, such as forgone tour or hotel fees.

“If you miss your safari, the airline won’t help you,” French said. “That’s where something like travel insurance will be key.”

French said such travelers should call their travel providers, such as hotels and tour operators, and see if they’re willing to be flexible in such situations.