This article is part of our COVID-19 file.
Feel free to check out the other articles below for more information, or contact the community:
Most credit cards offer trip cancellation and/or interruption insurance:
I recommend that you refer to the insurance booklet provided upon receipt of your credit card . If you no longer have it, most bank websites offer a PDF version.
Here are links to the most common credit cards(information provided for information purposes only):
Several parameters will come into play so that your credit card ‘s trip cancellation and interruption insurance can be applied.
Each credit card has different terms and conditions for your Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance to take effect.
Just because you have a “World Elite” does not mean that the rule is equivalent for all “World Elite” cards offered by Desjardins, National Bank or BMO.
The conditions therefore vary from one issuer to another depending on whether you have paid:
Similarly, for those who have used travel points, you are generally covered when you have used PROGRAM travel points offered by your credit card:
On the other hand, if you have used a credit card from one program and points from another program, it will often be difficult to trigger insurance:
However, there too, you may benefit from flexibility from your credit card issuer, so do not hesitate to make a claim.
Until very recently, only destinations that the Government of Canada had formally advised travellers not to visit (China, Italy, etc.) allowed credit cards trip cancellation or interruption insurance to be used.
However, since March 13, 2020, the Government of Canada has formally discouraged all foreign travel.
Avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice. To limit the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented travel or entry/exit restrictions and other measures such as movement restrictions and quarantines. The airlines have cancelled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little notice. Your travel plans can be severely disrupted and you may be forced to stay abroad longer than you had planned. Gouvernement du Canada - Conseils aux voyageurs
Avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice. To limit the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented travel or entry/exit restrictions and other measures such as movement restrictions and quarantines. The airlines have cancelled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little notice. Your travel plans can be severely disrupted and you may be forced to stay abroad longer than you had planned.
Gouvernement du Canada - Conseils aux voyageurs
Insurance companies adjust their policies to allow you to be compensated for any trip booked BEFORE that date.
However, if you decide to book a new trip, trip cancellation and interruption insurance may not be activated for this reason! Indeed, now you are aware of the risks!
It will be interesting to see how policies will adjust once this crisis is behind us!
If you are currently travelling, check to see if your credit card has “trip interruption” insurance. This can be triggered under certain conditions:
The COVID-19 situation, particularly since the Government of Canada’s call to avoid non-essential travel outside Canada and to ask travellers to return home, is part of the conditions of this insurance.
With trip interruption insurance, you could get:
Compensation will vary depending on the credit cards:
In this article specific to credit cards trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you will find the credit cards we recommend.
It is ESSENTIAL to first contact the travel provider BEFORE contacting your credit card insurance company.
In fact, your credit card’s Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance will cover – up to the limit of your contract – all NON-REFUNDABLE travel expenses.
Since airlines, hotel groups and many other service providers have considerably relaxed their cancellation conditions – some of them allowing full reimbursement of the costs incurred – the insurance will first refer you to these providers BEFORE processing your file.
Only once you are aware of the actions taken by your travel provider will you be able to contact your credit card insurance.
Here is a list of the main telephone numbers. You can also get this information by calling the number on the back of your credit card.
If your trip is scheduled to take place in more than a month, be patient before calling your airline or insurance company. We are in a situation never seen before: the call centers are overwhelmed!
So make room for other people whose trips are planned in the very near future (less than 15 days) and who need more help!
Don’t worry, cancellation policies won’t change overnight!
Savings are here:
