Flight delayed? Want $50? How about $1000?
I made a quick trip to Chicago last week, to be a part of a Kimpton Advisory Board for women travelers (yes, it was amazing – and more details to come).
My trip was pretty seamless, EXCEPT for the flight home, which was significantly delayed and involved over two hours (!) of tarmac time. Needless to say, I was inconvenienced and annoyed by the whole thing, not to mention super uncomfortable, as I was traveling in economy. š My back is still recovering from the experience.
As the delayĀ unfolded and the torturous minutes dragged on,Ā IĀ kicked myself for not havingĀ considered what could have transformed the experience from awful to awesome: Berkshire Hathaway’s Aircare.
Aircare is a fabulous thing to have in your travel toolkit. If you’ve ever got a hunch that a flight might be delayed, you can put money on that hunch and purchase a quick bit of insurance. For about the cost of a meal and a drink at the airport, you can create a situation where you’re getting paid to sit on the tarmac or miss your connection.
The plan will pay you:
- $100 for missed connections due to flight delays
- $1,000 if you sit on the tarmac for over two hours
- $500 if the airline takes more than 12 hours to deliver your luggage
- $500 if your luggage is lost
- $50 if a flight is delayed for more than two hours
The company tracks flights automatically, so you’ll get electronic notifications and assistance via your smartphone. If you end up using the insurance for a flight disruption, you won’t even have to submit a claim…you’ll simply get an automatic deposit into your bank account.
Sigh…I totally wish I had done this. It would have made my trip kinda perfect just the way it was.
Have you ever used AirCare? How did it go?
What happens in case of weather delays. I fly on a route where the ‘weather’ is bad and the flights are significantly delayed due to a ground stop at the destination. Will aircare cover that too?
PhatMiles – I know that there are some routes they won’t cover. If the flight has a history of frequent delays, you might not be able to get covered for it. I would say if you are interested, fill out the form to see! You’ll get an answer on the spot.
How do they know when flight is sitting on tarmac? Is that information accurately relayed?
Stacy – AirCare uses a flight-tracking service. If your plane is delayed or sitting on the tarmac, they’ll have that info and will notify you via smartphone that a claim has been issued.