Emergency Return Coverage: The Travel Insurance Add-On Every Snowbird Should Know About

Imagine spending a good portion of the winter in Florida, only to be faced with unexpected news—a loved one in distress or an issue with your home—that requires you to return urgently. Last-minute plane tickets could cost you a fortune.

Thankfully, there’s a protection that can save you a lot of trouble: emergency return coverage! This travel insurance add-on reimburses you for plane tickets to return to your home province and then fly back to your sunny destination once the situation is resolved.

What Is Emergency Return Coverage?

Emergency return coverage is an optional add-on to your travel insurance for trips longer than 30 days. While this coverage isn’t widely known, it benefits many travellers, particularly Snowbirds.

Depending on specific situations, you could get reimbursed for airfare to urgently return to your home province for a temporary visit and for tickets to return to your destination.

The maximum reimbursable amount is generally $3,000 CAD. It includes the cost of economy-class tickets but excludes taxis, hotel stays, and other additional travel expenses.

Emergency return coverage can be especially useful if you spend several weeks in Europe during the summer or settle in for the winter in popular U.S. destinations like Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Florida—or anywhere else travellers go to seek warmer temperatures.

With this add-on protection to your travel insurance, you’re eligible for one emergency round trip per journey.

Protection in Case of Hospitalization or Death of a Loved One

If a member of your immediate family is hospitalized for at least seven consecutive days or passes away, this coverage allows you to return home temporarily.

Immediate family generally includes parents, children, grandchildren, and blended family members, such as stepparents, stepsiblings, and stepchildren. However, it typically excludes cousins.

It’s important to note that pre-existing conditions—those known to exist before the start of your insurance coverage—are not covered. For instance, if a family member was in intensive care before your departure or had been diagnosed with a terminal condition, the coverage would not apply.

Protection in Case of Issues with Your Home

Emergency return coverage can also come into play if your home gets damaged and becomes uninhabitable. For instance, if you learn that your house has been affected by a fire, theft, or vandalism, this coverage allows you to return to manage the situation.

This protection only applies to your primary residence, not secondary homes such as cottages or country houses.

How to File a Claim

You simply need to notify the insurer or assistance company as soon as possible so they can open a claim file. Then, they will send you the form to complete. All you need to do is fill it out and submit it with the supporting documents.

If your situation meets the policy requirements—such as the absence of a pre-existing condition affecting a loved one—you’re eligible for reimbursement of economy-class round-trip tickets.

How Does Emergency Return Coverage Differ From Trip Interruption Insurance?

While these two types of coverage may seem similar, they are actually quite different. Trip interruption insurance steps in to reimburse prepaid expenses and covers additional costs associated with returning home when unexpected events, such as illness, accidents, natural disasters, or other emergencies, occur during your trip.

Emergency return coverage, on the other hand, specifically reimburses airfare for returning to your home province and heading back to resume your extended trip abroad.

A Favourite Among Snowbirds!

Join the savvy traveller’s club by adding emergency return coverage to your travel insurance! Get a quick quote with soNomad today.

This article is for informational purposes only and does NOT constitute legal, tax, accounting, or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. The information provided is general and may not apply to your situation. External links do not imply endorsement of the sites, their content, or their services.

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