• Change fee coverage reimburses fees for modifying travel plans when the trip can still proceed, while trip cancellation coverage reimburses non-refundable costs if travel is completely canceled.
• Use change fee coverage for covered events requiring rescheduling and trip cancellation coverage when a covered event prevents travel entirely.
• Both benefits require documentation of the covered event and costs; change fee coverage covers only modification fees, while trip cancellation covers eligible prepaid expenses.

If your travel plans change, should you modify your trip or cancel it entirely? It's a common situation; sudden illness, family emergencies, or weather delays can disrupt even the best-laid plans.

With AXA travel protection, change fee coverage can help reimburse fees charged by airlines, cruise lines, or other travel suppliers when your itinerary changes for a covered reason.

Trip cancellation coverage, by contrast, reimburses non-refundable trip costs if you are unable to travel at all due to a covered event.

This article will help you understand the differences between these benefits, identify when each applies, and guide you in choosing the right option for your situation.

How Change Fee Coverage Works

Change fee coverage applies when a traveler still plans to take their trip but needs to adjust existing reservations due to a covered reason. Instead of canceling the trip, this benefit can reimburse the fees charged by travel suppliers to modify bookings.

Under AXA travel protection plans, change fee coverage typically applies when airlines, cruise lines, rail providers, or tour operators impose a fee to change travel dates, routes, or passenger details. The benefit reimburses the change fee itself, not any increase in fare or cost between the original and new booking.

To qualify, the change must result directly from a covered event listed in the plan documents. Examples may include, but are not limited to:

• Explorer Standard and Explorer Advantage: up to $100 per person
• Explorer Elite: up to $250 per person

To qualify, the change must result directly from a covered event listed in the plan documents, such as illness, injury, or severe weather. Travelers must provide documentation supporting both the covered reason and the change fee charged by the supplier.

This benefit does not apply to voluntary changes. Adjustments made for convenience, personal preference, or pricing reasons are not eligible. Change fee coverage is designed for situations where an unexpected event requires a necessary change, but the trip can still move forward.

Note:

How Trip Cancellation Coverage Works

Trip cancellation coverage applies when a covered event prevents you from taking your trip. Instead of modifying travel plans, this benefit reimburses eligible prepaid, non-refundable trip costs when travel is no longer possible.

Under AXA travel protection plans, trip cancellation coverage may apply if you must cancel your trip due to a covered reason such as unexpected illness or injury, the death of a family member or traveling companion, severe weather, or other qualifying events outlined in the plan documents. The coverage is designed to help recover non-refundable expenses such as:

Trip cancellation coverage may reimburse up to 100% of your insured trip cost, depending on the plan selected. Eligible non-refundable expenses may include:

• Airfare, cruise fares, and rail tickets
• Hotel deposits and prepaid accommodations
• Prepaid tours, excursions, or travel packages
   

To be eligible, the cancellation must occur before your scheduled departure, and the reason must meet the plan’s definition of a covered event. Travelers are required to submit documentation confirming both the cancellation and the reason it was necessary, including:

• Medical records or a physician’s statement
• Official notices related to the covered event
• Cancellation confirmations from travel suppliers

Some AXA plans also include limited reimbursement for airline reissue or cancellation fees, typically up to $100, as part of the trip cancellation benefit.

Change Fee Coverage vs. Trip Cancellation: Key Differences

While both benefits are designed to protect travelers when plans change, change-fee coverage and trip-cancellation coverage apply in very different situations. Understanding these differences is essential to choosing the correct benefit.

Purpose of the benefit

Change fee coverage applies when a trip is still happening but needs to be adjusted. Trip cancellation coverage applies when a trip cannot take place at all.

Type of costs reimbursed

Change fee coverage reimburses fees charged by travel suppliers to modify an existing reservation. Trip cancellation coverage reimburses eligible prepaid, non-refundable trip costs that are lost when a trip is canceled.

Trigger for coverage

Change fee coverage is triggered by a covered event that requires a change to confirmed travel plans. Trip cancellation coverage is triggered by a covered event that prevents departure entirely.

Timing of the event

Change fee coverage applies when changes are made before or during the trip, depending on plan terms. Trip cancellation coverage applies only when the trip is canceled before departure.

Documentation required

Change fee claims require proof of the change fee charged and documentation supporting the covered reason. Trip cancellation claims require proof of non-refundable trip payments and documentation showing why the trip could not proceed.

In short, if you can still travel by adjusting your plans, change fee coverage may apply. If travel is no longer possible, trip cancellation coverage is typically the appropriate benefit.
 

When Change Fee Coverage Is the Right Choice

Change fee coverage is appropriate when you can still take your trip but need to adjust your travel plans due to a covered event. In these situations, modifying your itinerary often makes more sense than canceling the trip entirely. You may want to use change fee coverage if:

• You need to shift travel dates because of illness, injury, or another covered event, but plan to travel later
• Severe weather or a transportation disruption requires you to rebook part of your trip
• A covered event affects one portion of your itinerary, but the rest of the trip can continue

In these cases, travel suppliers may charge a fee to change flights, cruise dates, rail tickets, or tour reservations. Change fee coverage can help reimburse that specific fee, up to the plan’s stated limit, provided the change is caused by a covered reason and properly documented.
 

When Trip Cancellation Coverage Is the Right Choice

Trip cancellation coverage is designed for situations where a covered event makes it impossible for you to take your trip as planned. In these cases, canceling the trip entirely is the only practical option.

• You may want to rely on trip cancellation coverage if:
• You experience a serious illness or injury that prevents you from traveling
• A family emergency or the death of a traveling companion requires you to cancel your plans

Severe weather or another covered event makes your destination or point of departure inaccessible

When a trip is canceled for a covered reason, travel suppliers may not refund prepaid expenses such as airfare, cruise fares, hotel deposits, or tour payments.

Trip cancellation coverage may reimburse eligible non-refundable costs, subject to the plan’s terms, conditions, and coverage limits.

This benefit applies only when travel cannot proceed at all. If you are still able to take your trip by rescheduling dates or modifying reservations, change fee coverage may be the more appropriate option.
 

How to Decide Which Benefit to Use

Choosing between change fee coverage and trip cancellation coverage depends on whether your trip can proceed after the disruption. Asking the right questions can help you determine which benefit applies. Consider the following:

• Can the trip still happen if you change your plans? If yes, change fee coverage may apply. If no, trip cancellation coverage is likely the correct option.
• Are you being charged a fee to modify your booking, or are you losing the entire trip cost? Change fee coverage reimburses modification fees, while trip cancellation coverage reimburses eligible non-refundable trip payments.
• Does the reason for the change or cancellation qualify as a covered event? Both benefits require the disruption to meet the plan's definition of a covered reason.

It's also important to think about timing. Trip cancellation coverage applies before departure, while change fee coverage may apply when adjusting confirmed reservations due to a covered event.

Submitting the correct type of claim helps avoid delays and ensures your coverage is applied properly.
 

Related Coverage to Consider

When comparing change fee coverage and trip cancellation benefits, it can also be helpful to understand how other travel protection benefits may support you if plans are disrupted in different ways. Depending on your situation, additional coverage may apply alongside or instead of these benefits. Travelers may want to review:

• Trip Interruption coverage, which may apply if a covered event occurs after departure and forces you to cut a trip short
• Travel Delay coverage, which may provide reimbursement for certain expenses if a covered delay impacts your itinerary
• Missed Connection coverage, which may apply if a delay causes you to miss a prepaid portion of your trip
   

Each benefit is designed to address a specific type of disruption and has its own eligibility requirements, documentation needs, and coverage limits. Reviewing how these benefits work together can help you better understand your overall travel protection and prepare for unexpected changes.

FAQs: Change Fee Coverage vs. Trip Cancellation Benefits

1.Can I choose whether to use change fee coverage or trip cancellation coverage?

You cannot choose arbitrarily. The benefit that applies depends on what actually happens to your trip. If a covered event forces you to modify confirmed travel plans but the trip still moves forward, change fee coverage may apply. If a covered event prevents you from traveling at all and the trip is canceled before departure, trip cancellation coverage is generally the correct benefit.

2.What if the weather forces my guided trek to be postponed but not canceled?

When a trekking operator delays departure due to severe weather and allows rebooking for later dates, change fee coverage may apply if a fee is charged. Trip cancellation coverage generally applies only if the trip cannot take place at all. Documentation from the tour operator confirming the weather disruption and the fee assessed is essential to support a change fee claim.

3.What if my airline allows free changes? Does change fee coverage still apply?

If the travel supplier waives the change fee or does not charge one, there is no reimbursable expense under change fee coverage. AXA reimburses only fees actually imposed and paid. If no fee is charged, there is nothing to claim, even if a covered reason prompted the change. Always retain confirmation showing whether a fee was assessed or waived.

4.Can I file a claim if I change my trip first and cancel later?

Yes, but each claim is evaluated separately. If you pay a change fee due to a covered event and later cancel the trip for a different covered reason, you may be able to file separate claims for eligible expenses. However, the same cost cannot be reimbursed twice. Documentation must clearly show which expenses relate to each event and when they occurred.

5.Does changing part of my trip affect my trip cancellation eligibility?

It can. If you modify your trip and then cancel later, AXA will review how the changes impact insured trip costs and eligibility. Updated itineraries and payment records are important. Cancellation reimbursement is based on eligible non-refundable expenses that remain after any changes. Keeping documentation for both the original and revised bookings helps support accurate claim review.

6.Are change fees covered if I rebook to a more expensive option?

No. Change fee coverage reimburses only the supplier-imposed fee for making the change. Any increase in fare, cabin class, or service level is not covered. If your new booking costs more than the original, you are responsible for the difference, even if the change itself was required due to a covered event.

7.What happens if a covered event affects only one traveler on a group booking?

Coverage is evaluated per insured traveler. If one traveler experiences a covered event, change fee or trip cancellation benefits may apply to that individual’s eligible expenses, provided costs are itemized. Group or bundled charges must clearly show each traveler’s portion. Without itemized documentation, reimbursement may be limited or unavailable.

8.Can work-related disruptions qualify me for change or cancellation benefits?

Some work-related events may qualify, depending on the plan. Trip cancellation coverage may apply for certain involuntary job-related situations listed in the policy. Change fee coverage may apply if a covered work-related event requires rescheduling rather than canceling. Eligibility depends on plan terms, employer documentation, and whether the event qualifies as a covered reason.

9.Does timing affect whether I should change or cancel my trip?

Yes. If a covered event occurs and you can still travel later, modifying the trip may be appropriate. If the event prevents travel entirely before departure, cancellation may apply. Acting too early or too late can affect eligibility, especially if changes are made before a covered event occurs. Always document when the event happened relative to your decision.

10.Does altitude sickness before departure qualify for coverage?

If altitude sickness or related medical issues occur before departure and prevent travel, trip cancellation coverage may apply with proper medical documentation. If travel is postponed and a rescheduling fee is charged, change fee coverage may apply instead. The determining factor is whether travel is delayed or completely canceled due to the condition.