Travelers Face Losses for Cancelations—and Great Bargains for the Brave
While exceptions are being made, trip insurance doesn’t typically cover disruptions during viral outbreaks, including if a customer is afraid to travel.
Empty sun beds at La Caleta beach on the island of Tenerife on Feb. 27.
Photographer: Joan Mateu/AP Photo
The pyramids of Egypt have been on Genelle Edwards’s travel bucket list for years. She started having second thoughts about her two-week trip to Egypt, due to start on March 16, after an outbreak of the new coronavirus on a cruise ship on the Nile River and the death of a German tourist from Covid-19 at a hospital in a Red Sea resort. “I’m worried about being quarantined and stuck when I’m there,” says the 68-year-old retired business owner from Austin. “But also I’m concerned with my age, as I’m almost at the highest-risk category.”
Edwards says she now plans to cancel, a decision that could be costly: She spent $8,500 plus rewards points on the trip and may only be able to rebook the flight. The conundrum—to travel or not—is a common one, as the coronavirus spreads globally: Those with existing reservations face potentially steep losses for canceling, while those contemplating trips must weigh the risk of getting sick or being quarantined against the discount offers from airlines, tour operators, and cruise companies coping with plummeting sales.