Is The Coronavirus Impacting Your Travel Decisions?

[flipstah]

WestJet has COVID insurance included in the airfare, which covers quarantine costs. You still need medical costs in the event you get it though. Confirm with your work insurance if any changes have been done to ensure coverage.

[Xtrema]

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Would health insurance somehow suddenly not cover them?

Depends on the issuer, insurance may be void for claims related to COVID.

As per TD:

What if I have Travel Medical Insurance and I am travelling to countries affected by COVID-19?


Your Certificate of Insurance has specific exclusions related to emergency Travel Medical Insurance if you are travelling to a country or region that Canadians have been instructed to avoid all non-essential travel to. That means that while this non-essential travel advisory remains in place, you will not be covered for any claim if you contract the Coronavirus.

This applies to some trip cancellation/interruption policies as well. You are on your own if you can't come back due to a positive test.

I have not shopped around to see if there are some insurers that doesn't have COVID exclusion yet. Sunlife has stop sale on all travel policies. If you are covered by work plans, check with insurer.

[ExtraSlow]

The health insurance I have through my work SPECFIICALLY EXCLUDES any costs related to quarantine, treatment, or change of travel plans while I am in any foreign country if the cause is a Covid infection of myself or a family member. So there's that.

[pheoxs]

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The health insurance I have through my work SPECFIICALLY EXCLUDES any costs related to quarantine, treatment, or change of travel plans while I am in any foreign country if the cause is a Covid infection of myself or a family member. So there's that.

Probably one of the times its best to load up on travel insurance (assuming it covers covid, def check the fine print).

Traveling with multiple kids would be a pain in the bad case scenario. Kid 1 gets sick, quarantine then a week in kid 2 gets it from the first kid and quarantine extended. Hopefully it doesn't pass to the parents after that. Doubt that would happen but would hurt the bank to have to spend a extra month in a city just to quarantine.

[killramos]

We got lucky, our Blue cross explicitly allows Covid treatment now. I think there are some restrictions on cost to quarantine etc. but if you get real sick with Covid in the states you aren’t completely fucked with out plan.

Nice to have.

[nzwasp]

I checked with manulife to see if they provide this coverage while travelling which they do, however if there is an active travel advisory against that destination country then they will not cover you at all.

[killramos]

Specifics from blue cross below:

Alberta Blue Cross will cover Eligible Expenses incurred by a Participant as a result of a Medical Emergency during a trip if the Participant tests positive for, or is diagnosed with, the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) by a physician during the trip, notwithstanding the clause in the Contract that excludes coverage for expenses related to a formal travel advisory published by the Government of Canada advising Canadians to “avoid non-essential travel” (Level 3) outside Canada (“COVID-19 Coverage”).
2. A Participant is not eligible for COVID-19 Coverage if:
o the Participant travels by cruise ship at any time during the trip; OR
o on or before the departure date, the Government of Canada publishes a travel advisory or warning advising Canadians to “avoid all travel” (Level 4) outside Canada or to the specific country, region or city of the trip.

[Xtrema]

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I checked with manulife to see if they provide this coverage while travelling which they do, however if there is an active travel advisory against that destination country then they will not cover you at all.

You need find out if it's level 3 or level 4. Every country is level 3 right now with some like Afghanistan on level 4.

TD and Sunlife doesn't make that distinction as far as I can google. They treat both the same.

[nzwasp]

So the current advisory for the USA is the non essential travel, im pretty sure these insurance companies would deem your leisure trip non essential and weasel out of paying for your covid expenses.

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You need find out if it's level 3 or level 4. Every country is level 3 right now with some like Afghanistan on level 4.

TD and Sunlife doesn't make that distinction as far as I can google. They treat both the same.

I couldnt find anything on sunlife that said they wont cover you if you travel during an advisory, whilst Manulife https://advisor.manulife.ca/content/...ember-faqe.pdf

Manulife only states in here that you wont have trip cancellation insurance because of the advisories, doesn't say anything about the health being denied.

I was explaining this to a friend - saying that I probably cant travel until Canada lifts its travel advisory and she said to me "Do you use your works travel health insurance for personal trips?" to which I said "of course", it never occured to me that you wouldnt do this. Do other beyonders do this? Ive even had to claim on my work travel health insurance while in the US before.

[flipstah]

I thought we can use work travel health insurance for personal trips.

Just an FYI from Sunlife:

Travel insurance does not cover the new measures: The traveller must pay any of the related costs. This is because the new measures are not a travel emergency.

Sun Life will not pay a claim under travel insurance policies for:
the costs of the hotel or COVID-19 test or
any extra costs resulting from the new measures, such as cancelled trips or flight costs.

https://www.sunlife.ca/content/dam/s...el-feb21-e.pdf

However: https://www.sunlife.ca/en/covid-19/#insurance

Out-of-Country Travel insurance:

Our Extended Health Care (EHC) travel benefit includes Out of Country (OOC) coverage.
The OOC benefit includes coverage in the event of epidemics or pandemics. So you’ll remain covered for COVID-19 and any other out-of-country medical emergencies.

[Xtrema]

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I was explaining this to a friend - saying that I probably cant travel until Canada lifts its travel advisory and she said to me "Do you use your works travel health insurance for personal trips?" to which I said "of course", it never occured to me that you wouldnt do this. Do other beyonders do this? Ive even had to claim on my work travel health insurance while in the US before.

Always been leveraging employer health plan when travel abroad.

And the resumption of Blue Cross coverage of emergency travel benefit thru employer is a very recent development.

Even though there’s still a travel advisory in place, we’ve heard from our customers and want to support them in their choice to travel. As of July 28, 2021, Alberta Blue Cross will resume selling travel insurance. We will also provide coverage for COVID-19 related incidents for customers who have emergency travel benefits through their employer benefit plan.

https://www.ab.bluecross.ca/travel/travel-insurance.php

[finboy]

Moved my wedding out to October 2022, hoping the 5th date will stick. The reservation company we booked with was bought out with Vacasa, and room rates are now looking 15% higher. Hurray for covid.

[killramos]

Anyone hit Hawaii recently? Like the last 30 days or so since they most recent rules came into effect?

Booked to Maui for end of November and I’m trying to navigate all the rules there.

Seems like for Canadians, still need to get a negative test through Westjet’s special Hawaii trusted provider 72 before flight. Ironically even as a Canadian if I would have gotten my shots in the states I would have been exempt, jokes on me for not going to phoenix for my shots last spring I guess. I guess I can pray for them to accept Canadian shots before my trip but I won’t hold my breath.

Also sounds like they basically have vaxport for restaurants/anything really once you are there so curious if there is a best way to get my records together in a format they recognize to cause me minimum pain.

I wondered about trying to get my records setup in the system of some other state to try and avoid the whole “Canada” situation. Like excelsior app or something.

[flipstah]

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It's like "before-times" for the most part. Masks 100% and there will be a couple people who don't follow the rules well and they get reminded by the attendants. Bring an extra mask if your flight is >2.5 hr because it gets stuffy.
The worst part is there seems to be no additional food options even on flights >4.5hr so then they run out of pretzels and they don't do as many water runs, so that's pretty shitty.

Good call on bringing spare masks. I went through three on my flight alone.

COVID definitely ruined any eco movement we had decades ago

[2Legit2Quit]

Currently need negative tests for both flying to and out of Hawaii, double whammy. We booked our airfare for Kauai in January a couple weeks ago, hoping they just eventually implement vaccination proof for flying into Hawaii and accept Canadian records

[taemo]

we cancelled our Hawaii trip for end of October, then we booked to Ottawa/Montreal supposedly for this coming weekend but just cancelled it as we decided to go to Italy with my parents in November instead

my work insurance is very shitty, wife is checking hers as its usually way better than mine and she also has CC travel insurance(RBC WJ MC).

has anyone looked on getting extra travel/covid insurance during these covid times, especially with toddlers/kids?

[R-Audi]

Just booked Mexico for March... mainly because I had to book something before my credits expired. Really hoping it works out this time.

I didnt get into the fine details, but the hotel offers testing and if you get covid during your stay, they will provide an additonal room for up to 14 days while you get better.

[g-m]

Looking to book either Italy, France or Argentina for November, leaning towards Argentina just in case we can't get the booster shot before its required in the EU. Plus weather is amazing in Argentina in Nov.

Booked a few weeks in Japan in Feb. Hope the quarantine requirements are dropped before then or else we'll have to cancel. Hotels all have good cancellation but the flights will be credits which I'm fine with.

Just got back from a week in Montreal and its like covid doesn't exist in quebec.

[ExtraSlow]

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Just got back from a week in Montreal and its like covid doesn't exist in quebec.

The headlines in lower canada would lead one to believe that it's an alberta-only pandemic.

[g-m]

I donno, there was similar mask rules there but we were in bars till 1am, no distancing, no capacity restrictions, nothing. I guess last call is usually 3am so there's that. Nobody walking down the sidewalk with masks that's for sure. Here I see people jogging and riding their bikes with masks on, its insanity haha