I might have to use my travel insurance - what documentation should I have?

In a case similar to this with the possibility of impending delays and cancellations I’ve asked the airline to fly me out early if they will do so without penalty or change in price. In every case my carrier has done so including just a few months ago.

If departing early is not possible for you then at least know that the airline is usually responsible for getting you to your destination without additional fare cost.

Your travel insurance company can best explain what documentation is needed.

Not trying to be sneaky ---- BUT -- you need the documentation that the insurance will ask for. I don't know what that would be so ask the insurance company. Depending on the terms of the insurance I doubt if you will have a claim against the airline but you MAY have a hotel claim if you are forced to pay for the one night stay. However, if you can or could have canceled that room without penalty and did not, then you may not have a claim. It is all in the fine print.

Frank is right, except I think he meant "snarky" instead of "sneaky". Read your policy, and give them exactly what they ask for.

Good luck - Hope you get there and have a great trip.

If you have Allianz, let me send some encouragement your way. I just filed a claim with them yesterday for event reimbursement, because we got Covid a week before leaving for our trip. When I filed an online claim they immediately acknowledged it and gave me a claim #. They are clear in what they need, and have an excellent web site to download your info. I ended up sending them a screenshot via JPEG of the event cost posted to my visa bill and then a positive covid test glamour shot (ha.) So, be prepared to provide jpegs or something similar for what they say they need. You can do this! (If you need to.). Good luck and travel safe.

I know it’s a couple days difference, but are you able to leave earlier?

Lori; go ahead and call the insurance carrier and discuss your situation with them. They will explain the process and exactly what they will require in the way of documentation. I looked at the current storm path for Ian and departing Friday may be tough in Tampa. Instead of leaving Friday, I would call the airline and see about leaving on Tuesday at the latest and at least getting to Detroit or other part of the US. If necessary you might want to think about driving to another area and departing from there.

Let me just say that it may be a challenge to claim anything. You will have to get your airline to provide documentation that it was the hurricane that caused the delay. Last year we had a very delayed flight home from Malta to Newark because of a hurricane. We ended up missing our connecting flight from Newark to home. We tried to file for reimbursement from insurance for miscellaneous expenses, but the airline (Luthansa) would never provide the necessary documentation that the travel insurance needed. Luckly it wasn't a huge amount that we wanted reimbursed, but just sharing our experience.

Your travel insurance will tell you what documentation you need. I would take pictures of any screens at the airport that show any delay or cancellation of a flight.

I would think your airline would give you flexibility to change your outbound flight at no cost so I would contact them to verify and see if you can fly out a day or two early so you can enjoy your vacation. I had to do this when a blizzard was coming to NYC and I was flying to Heathrow.

Leave earlier!!

Leaving early may not be a viable option. What if you have damage to your property because of the hurricane? Then you would need to return.

Lori!!! My word!! Thinking about you and fingers crossed you are able to get out on Friday. If it slams in to Tampa you might be able to get out of Orlando if it takes a more northern track. In all my years in PC we were never hit so hoping the same for you! And no, I did not live there when the infamous Hurricane Donna swept through town!

Let us know how things work out!

Note that "trip delay" often has different claim limits than "trip cancellation" or "trip interruption." Can you really fly to Paris on a Saturday morning? Most of my European options are in the evening. I don't think it's that helpful, but it might be smart to look at the departure schedules that would exist without bad weather. I've read that airlines are very reluctant today to put someone on another airline's flight, although that was routine through 1975 or so.

You were smart to plan to fly a day ahead of the tour departure. At least this is a tour it's easy to "catch up with."

Well, scratch my suggestion as I see Ian is headed diagonally across the state.