Delayed flights are becoming an all too familiar occurrence for travelers across the United States. Roughly 22% of all flights this year have arrived at their destination at least 15 minutes later than expected, according to data from the Department of Transportation.

Lengthy delays can not only frustrate travelers but can result in significant financial loss by disrupting their itinerary. Squaremouth.com, the leading US travel insurance marketplace, discusses the impact of travel delays and how travelers can protect themselves in the future.

A Quarter of All Claims Involve Delays & Missed Connections

When a traveler is financially impacted by an unforeseen event before or during their trip, they can be covered by travel insurance. Airline delays are one of the most common reasons travelers file a claim. 

In fact, Squaremouth reports that more than 25% of all paid claims in 2023 are a result of flight delays and missed connections, which is consistent with last year. On average, these claims paid out more than $485 to travelers. 

How You Can Protect Yourself from Delays 

This year, more travelers could experience delays as holiday season travel is set to be busier than usual. Squaremouth data indicates that policy sales for trips planned between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve are up 12% from last year. 

Travelers with upcoming trips who are concerned with delays and the financial impact they may have should strongly consider a travel insurance policy that includes the following benefits: 

Travel Delay

The Travel Delay benefit can cover out-of-pocket expenses during a delay of at least 3-12 hours, including meals, accommodations, and transportation expenses. If a delay meets these requirements, the Travel Delay benefit can reimburse travelers between $100 and $5,000, depending on the policy. 

Missed Connection

If a delay causes a traveler to miss their connecting flight, Missed Connection coverage can reimburse the costs to catch up to their trip and make it to their destination. Most policies require a delay of at least three hours before coverage kicks in. After that point, the amount of coverage within this benefit ranges from $50 to $2,500 depending on the policy.