On Monday, September 30th, XL Airways announced the cancellation of all flights due to suspending their operations. Customers can find information about the closing on their website. With several travelers concerned about their upcoming planned travel, Travel Insured clarifies what exactly could be covered with its travel protection plans.

Which coverage could apply if my flight is cancelled?

Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption coverage could come into effect.  One of the covered reasons for both of these coverages in many of Travel Insured’s plans, including the multi-state Worldwide Trip Protector and Worldwide Trip Protector Plus plans, is the bankruptcy or default of an airline. This covered reason is only applicable if your coverage was in effect for 14 days or more as of September 30th, 2019. Your plan also must have been purchased within 21 days of the date that your initial deposit was received as well. Please note, however, there is no Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption coverage if you directly purchased your flight with XL Airways. Rather, plans can only provide coverage if a third party, such as a travel advisor, purchased a flight with XL Airways on your behalf.

Change Fee: If your plan contains coverage for Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption due to the bankruptcy or default of an airline, please note that in many plans, including the multi-state World Wide Trip Protector and World Wide Trip Protector Plus plans, full Trip Cancellation/ Trip Interruption benefits cannot be paid if alternate transportation is available. If alternate transportation is available, benefits will be limited to the change fee charged to allow you to transfer to another airline in order to get to your intended destination.

If your plan does not include coverage for Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption due to the bankruptcy or default of an airline, your plan, such as the World Wide Trip Protector Lite plan, may still include a stand-alone Change Fee coverage. This coverage could apply if you are already on your trip and need to change your connecting or returning flight, since coverage for this benefit does not begin until departure. The multi-state versions of the World Wide Trip Protector and World Wide Trip Protector Plus plans also contain stand alone Change Fee coverage and this can apply even if you do not qualify for Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption coverage. However, as with the World Wide Trip Protector Lite plan, this coverage only applies if you are already on your trip and need to change your connecting or returning flight, since coverage for this benefit does not begin until departure.

Please refer to your actual plan document for the specific terms and conditions of the specific plan purchased as eligibility for coverage varies based upon the specific plan terms, conditions and limitations, and may vary by state or may not be available in all.