Troubles with the Boeing 737 MAX have shaken Quebecers’ confidence, according to a survey
Troubles with the Boeing 737 MAX have shaken the confidence of four in ten Quebecers regarding the airline industry, according to the most recent Survey of Quebecers’ Vacation Plans, Summer 2019 conducted for CAA-Quebec (1). The survey also shows that travellers are increasingly keen to take precautions to avoid being left high and dry if something goes wrong.
In April, Boeing 737 MAX planes were grounded due to serious safety concerns. Turns out it was a wise decision. But as a result, thousands of travellers were stuck with delayed or cancelled fights, and those with trip cancellation and interruption insurance were very glad to have it!
“If you’re in a different country and you find out your return flight is delayed by three days, it can be a little stressful,” says Suzanne Michaud, Vice President for Insurance at CAA-Quebec. “Or if your arrival flight lands late and your transfer flight doesn’t wait for you! Or the cruise you were supposed to board in Miami is already in Jamaica! And you can’t always get refunds for the hotels, excursions, and activities you booked.”
What’s the point of cancellation and interruption insurance?
That’s where trip cancellation and interruption insurance comes in. “We had quite a few cases after the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded,” says Michaud. For example, your insurer will cover your hotel and meals while you wait for your new flight. It may also reimburse you for a replacement flight. And any activities you paid for but couldn’t participate in? Those are insured too. Cancellation and interruption insurance can also cover your costs if you need to cancel everything or make an emergency change of plans due to a health problem or a death in the family, for instance.
Since coverage and benefits vary widely from one insurer to the next, it’s important to ask questions and shop around for your trip cancellation and interruption insurance. And remember: the insurance that comes with your credit card or your office may not be enough.
The Boeing situation gives pause
What happened with the Boeing 737 MAX has definitely made people think. About a third of survey respondents said the story changed how they think about the importance of travel insurance. Six in ten intend to take out a trip cancellation and interruption policy for their travel this year—six points higher than last year.
Travel agents to the rescue!
When a flight doesn’t take off or needs to make an unexpected stop, your travel agent leaps into action. “When the news about the 737 MAX hit, that sure kept us busy! It was really out of our control, but I’m very proud of what our counsellors were able to do to take care of our clients. We booked new flights, adjusted itineraries, postponed trips. As always, we did everything we could to help them to continue their journey!” says Philippe Blain, Vice President of Travel Services at CAA-Quebec. The Boeing 737 MAX issue has also changed how 12% of respondents view the usefulness of a travel agent.
15% of travellers don’t have travel health insurance
Believe it or not, 15% of travellers still plan to leave home without emergency medical insurance this summer. “We’d really like to move the needle on that statistic. You hear so many mind-boggling stories in the media about travellers who end up with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Usually it’s young people. I think a lot of them just don’t think about it! So let’s talk about it. Just asking what they plan to do if they break a leg can get them thinking!” suggests Michaud.
About CAA-Quebec
CAA-Quebec, a not-for-profit organization, that assists each of its members by providing mobility, travel, insurance, and residential benefits, products, and services. Its CAA-Quebec Travel division maintains a presence across most of the province with 14 Travel Centres, marketing exclusive tours and cruises as well as custom-tailored products for all types of traveller.
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1 Online survey of 1,007 Quebecers age 18 and over conducted by Leger for CAA-Quebec between April 12 and 21, 2019. The margin of error for a probability sample of the same size is approximately 3.1%.