How to File a Trip Interruption Insurance Claim

Life is filled with the unexpected—things can happen while you're on vacation that might force you to cut your trip short. Travel insurance can cover trip cancellation, lost baggage and trip interruption. If you have trip interruption insurance, you can file a claim to get some or all of the money back on the unused portion of your trip.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Give a legitimate reason for interrupting your trip. An illness or injury to you or a family member or a death in the family are legit; interrupting a trip because you don't like the hotel services, for instance, may not result in an accepted claim.

2. Contact the insurance company holding your trip cancellation insurance policy as soon as possible. Request a claim form or, if applicable, download a claim form from the insurance company's website.

3. Explain the reason for the trip interruption and attach any supporting documentation. For instance, if you interrupted your trip due to an illness or injury, supply a diagnosis and copies of medical bills.

4. Show the cost of the remaining trip following the interruption. Send copies of airline tickets, hotel rates and any other documentation substantiating the cost of the unused portion of your trip.

5. Enclose documentation showing any non-refundable charges relating to the cost of your trip. You can likely get this information from your travel agent. Also include proof of amounts you already paid.

Tips & Warnings

• Some trip interruption insurance policies might cover the transportation costs of your return trip home, if those costs are higher than what you were originally planning to pay.