Can You Get Travel Insurance for Domestic Trips?

January 9, 2025 - Kate

Table of Contents

• What Does Travelling Domestically Mean?
• Why Get Domestic Travel Insurance?
• What Does Domestic Travel Insurance Cover?
  • Travel Delays Make a Difference
  • You Might Experience Baggage Issues
  • Emergencies Happen Anywhere
  • Contracting COVID-19
  • Protect a Fancy Rental
• Should You Get Travel Insurance for A Domestic Flight?

Even though there’s a high demand for travel, many U.S. travelers are still focusing on trips within the country. If you’ve planned a domestic vacation and think travel insurance isn’t needed, we advise you to think again. Airline technical and mechanical issues, flight delays, strikes, and lack of airplanes available have become quite common for domestic flight routes. Even if you’re not venturing too far from home, we think having peace of mind by getting travel insurance for domestic travel is worth it.

What Does Travelling Domestically Mean?

Traveling domestically within the United States primarily refers to air travel between cities and regions across the country, making it easy to access a variety of top destinations. With a robust network of airlines and airports, travelers can quickly hop on a flight to iconic cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, or explore popular vacation spots such as Las Vegas, Miami, and Orlando.

Domestic air travel opens up a world of experiences, from the bustling streets of San Francisco to the stunning beaches of Hawaii, allowing you to discover the rich diversity of culture, cuisine, and attractions that the U.S. has to offer —all within a few hours of flight time.

Pro-tip: Many travel insurance policies require that you’re traveling at least 100 miles away from home in order for coverage to apply.

Why Get Domestic Travel Insurance?

Common Issues that Can Disrupt Your Trip

Even if your trip is just getting away for the weekend, there is always risk involved. These are some common things that can go wrong during domestic trips:

• Delayed luggage and flights

• Mechanical issues with the airplane

• Weather delays

• Medical emergencies

• Missed connections

• Rental car damage

• Traffic accidents

Unexpected Costs Due to Disruptions

These events might force you to pay extra out-of-pocket money you didn’t budget for like: 

• Additional hotels

• Extra meals

• Local transportation

• Additional flight tickets

Without travel insurance, you’d likely have to pay for these costs out-of-pocket. Not an ideal way to start your getaway in our opinion.

With travel prices rising, you’ve probably invested more into this domestic trip than other vacations in the past. Trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage is usually included with many travel insurance plans too. These benefits can help you recoup lost expenses if you suddenly have to cancel or cut your trip short. Check out other commonly asked insurance questions on our Travel Insurance FAQ page.

Fun Fact: About 18% of Yonder’s customers in 2024 were traveling within the United States.

What Does Domestic Travel Insurance Cover?

Based on the travel hiccup you experience, there are several benefits that could apply for domestic trips within the US. Here are the most common things travel insurance covers for domestic trips:

• Trip Cancellations

• Trip Interruptions

• Medical Emergencies

• Travel Delays

• Baggage Losses or Delays

• Missed Connections

Still a bit skeptical? Here are real scenarios you could experience and how travel insurance can provide much-needed insurance benefits for your short trip:

Travel Delays Make a Difference

When you have a relatively quick jaunt planned, every hour of travel counts. If your flight is running late, even by just a few hours, you could end up missing a connecting flight or part of your tour. This can be extremely annoying and costly.

Delays likely mean you’ll need to pay for meals and accommodations while you wait for your transport to leave, which means spending even more money (not ideal when you’re already on a budget!). Instead of just losing all of that money, pick a comprehensive plan that has travel delay coverage! You’ll be able to recoup those extra costs such as a hotel room, meals, or local transportation.

You Might Experience Baggage Issues

When you’re taking domestic travel, you’ve probably selected the items you plan to bring with you pretty carefully. If your bag gets lost or delayed en route to your destination (domestic or not!), you may not have a lot of time to wait for it to show up before you need it. You may need to buy toiletries and clothing while waiting for your bags to arrive.

With most travel insurance plans, though, you can be reimbursed for these out-of-pocket expenses. While it won’t speed up your bag’s arrival, it will reduce the stress and financial loss from baggage delays. Many travelers have experienced delayed or lost luggage, but check out these important steps to do right away when an airline loses your bags to ensure your travel insurance claim gets processed fairly and more quickly. Most comprehensive travel medical insurance policies cover baggage loss for damaged bags or stolen personal items.

Emergencies Happen Anywhere

Medical Emergencies

No matter where you are or for how long, you never know when an emergency situation will arise. We often convince ourselves that nothing will go wrong on a short trek and that coverage isn’t necessary. That logic can lead to a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, medical emergencies, injuries, and elemental issues –to name just a few– can always arise. It’s important to prepare for them by getting travel insurance since your health insurance might not cover the bill.

Pro Tip: If you have a high-deductible health insurance plan and need medical care while traveling, travel insurance can help cover the costs that your health insurance doesn’t pay.

Non-Medical Emergencies

Most standard comprehensive travel insurance policies will cover you if one of these types of emergencies comes up. For example, standard trip cancellation coverage will kick in if you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason such as if you get sick prior to departure, a family member passes away, or your work requires you stay home. If bad weather throws a wrench in your travel plans, such as a snowstorm or a hurricane, you could recoup your unused trip costs if you can’t depart for your trip.

Pro Tip: Most travel insurance options include access to round-the-clock emergency services to help navigate medical or travel hiccups.

Contracting COVID-19

It’s no secret that traveling brings the risk of contracting the coronavirus and potentially infecting your travel buddies –not to mention the risk of spreading it to your destination. So…is COVID-19 covered by travel insurance?

It’s important to note that most travel insurance providers will still treat COVID-19 as a standard illness if you’re treated by a physician. This applies to benefits such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical expense, and emergency medical evacuation. Make sure to review our guide on everything you need to know about COVID-19 travel insurance coverage to make an informed decision.

At the very least, your insurance will give you peace of mind that should anything go awry. That way, you won’t end up with a major bill on top of it and you’ll get the medical coverage you need while traveling a short or long way from home. You’ll even have access to 24/7 medical and travel emergency assistance with your plan, so if a crisis happens during your trip, you can get the help you need from emergency experts.

Even with major medical insurance on your domestic trip, travel insurance can cover any remaining medical bills your health provider doesn’t pay. For those with high medical deductibles, this could save you from a large doctor’s bill if you get sick or injured while traveling.

Protect a Fancy Rental

If you’re planning to rent a car on your domestic trip, you’ll need to make sure you have rental collision insurance added to your travel insurance plan. Even if you consider yourself the best driver in the world, accidents occur –and when you’re in a car that’s not your own, those calamities can be expensive.

With rental collision insurance, you’ll have coverage whether or not you are responsible for the accident in your rental car –this includes in America too! As mentioned, most travel insurance policies cover medical expenses from a fender bender.

Pro-tip: If you know which car rental company you’ll be using, do some research or call ahead to make sure that they’ll accept third-party insurance before selecting your travel insurance plan.

Vacation rentals like Airbnb are quite popular, but did you know that travel insurance can cover those too? From trip cancellations to stolen items to medical events, travel insurance is a great way to protect your home-sharing experience. Find out more about what’s covered and what’s not when it comes to renting an Airbnb.

Should You Get Travel Insurance for A Domestic Flight?

When considering whether to invest in third-party travel insurance for your domestic flights, ask yourself a few key questions to determine what’s best for your travel plans:

What is the airline’s cancellation policy?

Does the airline offer credits or vouchers for future travel if I need to cancel my flight? Are there any penalties or fees involved?

How flexible is the airline with travel disruptions?

What accommodations does the airline provide in case of delays or cancellations? Will they assist with rebooking, provide meal vouchers, or cover overnight stays if necessary?

Am I comfortable relying solely on the airline’s policies?

Do I feel confident that the airline will adequately cover my needs in the event of an unexpected disruption, or would I prefer the added security of a third-party insurance policy?

What additional costs might I incur?

If I have non-refundable hotel bookings or activities, how would I handle those expenses if my flight is canceled or delayed? Would travel insurance help cover those costs?

With these questions, you can make an informed decision about whether third-party travel insurance is a worthwhile investment for your domestic travel plans. If you find that the potential risks and costs outweigh the benefits, securing additional coverage may provide the peace of mind you need to enjoy your trip.

What’s Next?

Whether you’re embarking on a quick weekend escape or a longer adventure, securing travel insurance is a smart move that can save you from unexpected headaches. While we hope you enjoy a seamless journey, being prepared for the unforeseen can turn potential disasters into minor inconveniences.

Take the first step towards worry-free travel by using our free quote tool! It’s designed to help you find the perfect travel insurance coverage tailored to your needs, ensuring you’re protected no matter what.

Plus, our team is here to answer any questions you may have along the way. Don’t wait—get peace of mind for your next trip today! We’re here to help if you have any questions or concerns. 

Tags: airbnb, travel insurance faqs