Airline Pilot Strikes
Airline Pilot Strikes – Provider Position Statements
Squaremouth’s travel insurance providers share their position statements explaining their coverage stance for the airline pilot strikes.
Delta Strike
battleface
On November 1, 2022 Delta Airlines pilots have voted to authorize a strike if negotiators cannot reach agreement on a new employment contract. This is now a known event.
In order for travel insurance coverage to be available, a policy must have been purchased on or before
November 1, 2022. Since this event is no longer unforeseen, policies issued on or after November 1,
2022 will not cover this event.
Berkshire Hathaway
BHTP considers a Strike foreseen when the union formally announces that a strike will take place. At this point no formal announcement has been made.
Seven Corners
Our RoundTrip and Get Away USA plans do consider unannounced strikes to be a covered reason on the following benefits:
- Trip Cancellation (#8)
- Trip Interruption (#6)
- Trip Delay (#5)
- Missed Connection (#3)
In order for a strike to be considered as an eligible trigger for a claim, it must first and foremost be unannounced and unpublished at the time of policy purchase. So if Delta announced today that they will go on strike at midnight, and you buy your policy tomorrow morning, you would not be eligible to claim under the strike trigger in any of the relevant benefits. But aside from that, a strike must also organized and legally sanctioned by a labor union, and affect normal common carrier serviceability. Policy definition as follows:
“Strike means a labor disagreement resulting in a stoppage of work which:
- a. is unannounced and unpublished at time this policy is purchased;
- b. is organized, and legally sanctioned by a labor union or other organized association of workers, in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests; and
- c. interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a Common Carrier.
Tin Leg
Basic and Platinum policies:
On November 1, 2022 Delta Airlines pilots have voted to authorize a strike if negotiators cannot reach agreement on a new employment contract. This is now a known event.
In order for travel insurance coverage to be available, a policy must have been purchased on or before
November 1, 2022. Since this event is no longer unforeseen, policies issued on or after November 1,
2022 will not cover this event.
Economy, Standard, Luxury, Adventure, and USA Only policies:
BHTP considers a Strike foreseen when the union formally announces that a strike will take place. At this point no formal announcement has been made.
Travel Insured International
TRIP CANCELLATION If You cancel Your Trip prior to the Scheduled Departure Date, We will reimburse You, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount shown in the Schedule of Benefits, for unused, forfeited, prepaid non-refundable Payments or Deposits for the Travel Arrangements You purchased for Your Trip, provided the cancellation occurs while coverage is in effect for You and is due to any of the following covered Unforeseen reasons, as defined:
an unannounced Strike resulting in complete cessation of travel services for at least 24 consecutive hours of the Common Carrier on which You are scheduled to travel which prevents You from reaching Your Scheduled Destination;
TRIP DELAY We will reimburse You, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount shown in the Schedule of Benefits, for the unused, forfeited, prepaid non-refundable Payments or Deposits for the Travel Arrangements, Reasonable Additional Expenses, plus the Additional Transportation Cost paid if Your Trip is delayed at least 3 consecutive hours from the original departure time to: a. join Your Trip if You must depart after Your Scheduled Departure Date or travel via alternate travel arrangements; b. rejoin Your Trip from the point where You interrupted Your Trip to the next Scheduled Destination; or c. transport You to Your originally scheduled return or final destination of Your Trip
5. An unannounced Strike results in a complete cessation of services of a Common Carrier on which You are scheduled to travel which prevents You from reaching the Scheduled Destination;
MISSED TOUR OR CRUISE CONNECTION If You miss Your Trip departure because Your arrival at Your Trip destination is delayed for at least 3 consecutive hours, due to: T7000IP 15 1.14.21 1. any delay, cancellation or mechanical breakdown of regularly scheduled Common Carrier must be documented by the Common Carrier; 2. Inclement Weather that is documented;
3. Strike,
Strike means a labor disagreement resulting in a stoppage of work which: a) is unannounced and unpublished at time this policy is purchased; b) is organized, and legally sanctioned by a labor union or other organized association of workers, in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests; and c) interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a Common Carrier
WorldTrips
For policy purchases made after October 31st, 2022, the date the Delta Air Lines pilots’ strike authorization became public knowledge, a Delta Air Lines pilot strike would not be considered unforeseen and therefore it would not be a covered peril.
United and American Potential Strikes
Berkshire Hathaway
BHTP considers a Strike foreseen when the union formally announces that a strike will take place. At this point no formal announcement has been made.
Travel Insured International
TRIP CANCELLATION If You cancel Your Trip prior to the Scheduled Departure Date, We will reimburse You, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount shown in the Schedule of Benefits, for unused, forfeited, prepaid non-refundable Payments or Deposits for the Travel Arrangements You purchased for Your Trip, provided the cancellation occurs while coverage is in effect for You and is due to any of the following covered Unforeseen reasons, as defined:
an unannounced Strike resulting in complete cessation of travel services for at least 24 consecutive hours of the Common Carrier on which You are scheduled to travel which prevents You from reaching Your Scheduled Destination;
TRIP DELAY We will reimburse You, up to the Maximum Benefit Amount shown in the Schedule of Benefits, for the unused, forfeited, prepaid non-refundable Payments or Deposits for the Travel Arrangements, Reasonable Additional Expenses, plus the Additional Transportation Cost paid if Your Trip is delayed at least 3 consecutive hours from the original departure time to: a. join Your Trip if You must depart after Your Scheduled Departure Date or travel via alternate travel arrangements; b. rejoin Your Trip from the point where You interrupted Your Trip to the next Scheduled Destination; or c. transport You to Your originally scheduled return or final destination of Your Trip
5. An unannounced Strike results in a complete cessation of services of a Common Carrier on which You are scheduled to travel which prevents You from reaching the Scheduled Destination;
MISSED TOUR OR CRUISE CONNECTION If You miss Your Trip departure because Your arrival at Your Trip destination is delayed for at least 3 consecutive hours, due to: T7000IP 15 1.14.21 1. any delay, cancellation or mechanical breakdown of regularly scheduled Common Carrier must be documented by the Common Carrier; 2. Inclement Weather that is documented;
3. Strike,
Strike means a labor disagreement resulting in a stoppage of work which: a) is unannounced and unpublished at time this policy is purchased; b) is organized, and legally sanctioned by a labor union or other organized association of workers, in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests; and c) interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a Common Carrier
WorldTrips
As for United and American- the pilots rejected the contract but they have not voted to approve a strike yet. So at this time we would still be covering.
If any of the below changes then we would need to reevaluate.
Strike means any organized and legally sanctioned labor disagreement resulting in a stoppage of work: (a) as a result of a combined effort of workers which is unannounced and unpublished at the time Travel Arrangements are purchased, and (b) which interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a Common Carrier. A strike is considered foreseeable on the earliest of: (a) the date labor union members vote to approve a strike; or (b) the date a strike takes place; or (c) when the strike dates are published by a news media source. A strike is considered to be ongoing, and therefore foreseeable, until a documented resolution is reached on the issues causing the labor dispute, or the stoppage of work ceases to interfere with the normal departure and arrival of a Common Carrier for at least 60 consecutive days.