TAMPA, FL -- If you have already booked your travel, don't rush out and buy travel insurance. Experts say it’s too late.
According to St. Pete Beach-based travel insurance comparison site,
Squaremouth.com, April 24 is considered the date that the swine flu outbreak went from being an “unforeseen circumstance” to a “known event.”
Think of this as purchasing hurricane insurance in the middle of a hurricane. You won't be covered.
As for existing travel insurance, Clearwater-based travel agency
Elite Travel says if you purchased a "cancel for any reason" policy at the time you booked your trip, keep in mind some polices may require you to cancel 48 hours before you leave.
You may not even get all of your money back. Your return could range anywhere from 40%-100%, depending on the policy. So always read the fine print.
If you booked standard insurance, you will not be covered for canceling your trip at this time because there is no state of emergency declared yet. In other words, because travel is still permitted to Mexico, the policy would not kick in.
Most hotels and cruise lines aren't offering any refunds or allowing travelers to rebook at this point.
Some airlines are. Call ahead and check with your carrier if you have any questions.
Squaremouth has collected responses from some of the major travel insurance companies. To read them, click
here.
