Activity at World’s Busiest Airport Highlights Need for Travel Insurance

A whopping 1.5 billion passengers passed through the world’s 20 busiest airports in 2017, a 5.2 percent increase over the previous year*. Because of the sheer numbers of travellers worldwide, airports are a hotspot for travel emergencies.

Topping the list was the Atlanta-Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which attracted 104 million passengers in 2017. That figure was slightly down from the previous year, as heavy snowfalls last December stopped air traffic on the US east coast and caused a large number of flight cancellations.

The fall and winter travel season is already underway, with hurricane season continuing through the end of November, and predictions of wet and warmer than normal weather through December 2018 and beyond. If the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse, it could impact travellers and their trip.

As such, travellers to the southern US, Caribbean and other parts of the world need to plan for the possibility of cancelled, overbooked and redirected flights, lost, stolen or mishandled luggage, and other delays and interruptions during their trip.

For example, a grounded flight in a connecting city might mean travellers are on the hook for an unused, non-refundable night’s stay at their resort hotel or the cost of an unscheduled flight to catch up to their cruise ship at its first port of call. Crowded airports also mean more baggage that could get misdirected almost anywhere in the world. That could leave travellers without a shirt on their back—literally—for at least a day.

With coverage for situations like these and more, travel insurance remains an important defense if something unexpected happens while travelling.

Travel insurance does not cover everything. For complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions, please refer to the policy. Travel insurance is underwritten by CUMIS General Insurance Company, a member of the Co-operators group of companies and administered by Allianz Global Assistance, which is a registered business name of AZGA Service Canada Inc and AZGA Insurance Agency Canada Ltd.

SOURCE: *Airports Council International world airport traffic rankings, April 2018