Every year, a familiar foe comes knocking as the weather turns colder: seasonal illness. From sniffles to coughs, and sometimes much worse, it's hard to escape the wintertime feeling that everyone is sick.
Not surprisingly, it also means that travelers are more likely to cancel trips due to illness during colder months than at other times of year. Allianz Partners USA said illness claims usually begin to increase in October and peak in December, when illness-related claims are typically 40% higher than the previous month. By January, when the travel season begins to wind down, so do illness claims.
While a client's illness can cause some extra work for a travel advisor, it can also present opportunities for advisors to shine -- and increase their end commission by offering travel insurance.
"This is one of our biggest job securities as advisors," said Amanda Klimak, president and co-owner of Largay Travel in Waterbury, Conn. "Because as much as being an advisor and travel planning and setting the itinerary is great, it's when things go wrong and you're there to help that makes the difference."
Avoiding the sniffles before a trip
For some, client cancellations in winter aren't much of an issue. Velia Kennedy, CEO and owner of Modern Family Travel in Pottstown, Pa., said her agency doesn't see much difference in the number of illness-related cancellations in winter compared to other times of the year.
"I have a theory that people tend to take better care of themselves and are more mindful leading up to a trip," Kennedy said. For her clients, that includes adding vitamins or immune-system support to their routine, frequently washing their hands and avoiding situations where they're more likely to get sick, like crowded events.
Sarah Sullivan, an affiliate of Atlanta's Jetset World Travel, said winter travel is complicated by two main things, both unpredictable and out of one's control: illness and weather. She often finds that families with children in school will keep their kids home for a few days prior to a trip if they've been notified something is going around. It's happened more frequently as the price of many travel products has increased, Sullivan said.
"In addition, many families have very specific dates they are available to travel with work commitments combined with kids' sports and activities," she said. "So the stakes are higher because if they need to postpone a trip they don't even have other dates that will work for the family."
Klimak said Largay's experience is similar. While some clients do cancel for illness in winter, they tend to be more cautious in the lead-up to travel. She said advisors should give clients advice on how to prepare for their trip, including thinking about what would happen if they cancel.
That is why travel insurance is critical, Klimak said, and something she brings up before she starts working on a trip or charging a planning fee. She suggests advisors do the same and tell clients, "Part of my value is that I'm going to discuss both the financial investment and risks with cancellation policies, how you protect your investment and yourself. I need you to be open to talk about those things in the planning process because it's really important to both make the trip smooth and easy, but if things go wrong, allow me to help you in the best way possible."
Offering travel insurance
In addition to talking about cancellation policies and an advisor's cancellation fee, Klimak said it's important to offer insurance from both suppliers and third-party insurance companies.
While clients commonly argue that "I'm going no matter what," she recommended discussing real-life possibilities.
"For example, ask them, 'If you were to have a car accident three days before your trip, are you OK losing $25,000 if you can't travel?'" she said. "Or, 'If you were sick abroad, do you have the funds available to cover hospital costs up front, as your health insurance may not be accepted?'"
She also encouraged advisors to send messages to clients leading up to their trip, both suggesting ways to stay healthy and, closer in, what to do if they do get sick (for instance, asking their doctor for antibiotics to have on hand if they fall ill and their destination is remote).
Illness is the most common reason for trip cancellation, said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of travel insurance aggregator Travelinsurance.com. Almost all trip cancellation plans include unexpected illness or injury as a covered reason for cancellation.
"Those are going to be pretty much universal in trip cancellation plans," he said, adding that the benefits typically provide coverage whether a traveler, a family member or a traveling companion falls ill.
To trigger that benefit, a traveler would need to visit a doctor and get a note documenting their illness. While there is some gray area as to what constitutes an illness -- which the policy's claims administrator adjudicates -- Sandberg said travelers can take "a reasonability" approach. Feeling sniffly before a trip probably isn't enough to trigger cancellation benefits, but something like the flu, strep throat or Covid is, he said.