Well not exactly, but we thought we would be while listening to the news.If you were a solo traveler yesterday, you would have been nervous and thinking about cancelling your wonderful trip,right?

What do you do when you are abruptly cancelled from a trip departure? First have a list of all your reservations from the taxi, to pre-tour rooms, aiport lounges through the trip. Then speak with your tour operator and make sure they know you have an issue and ask for their imput.

1 Call your airline to make absolutely sure you have been cancelled. Do not accept the airline substitution flight so quickly, but keep the email they will send you with it. (You might want a different flight or your insurer might allow you to buy a new one). Don’t react too quickly.

2 Call your insurance company and find out what they will cover: transfer on the other end that you missed? A new connecting flight if you bought two tickets separately?

3 Connect with any ‘optional’ hotel bookings so the hoel doesnot give away your room. This is where speaking with your insurance rep is important: will they cover these extra nights if you don’t arrive to use them but need to keep them because it is during a festival?

4 Call your tour operator back and email them to confirm your new arrangements. If they do not hear from you, they will not be able to act or help you.

In one case, our insurer helped a woman to avoid a snowed in airport and agreed to cover her buying a new one way ticket to our destination. She arrived on time and with no out of pocket.  The insurance company is on your team, use their expertise when weather interfers with dreams.

Snowy tip from The Women’s Travel Group 

Grab one of the last spots on France or one of the first on Fabulous Italy: from Rome to Cinque Terra, with Apuglia, Sorrento and Tuscany tossed in.