How travel disruptions affected Americans last year

A new study has found that seven in 10 Americans have had their travel plans go awry in the past year.

The survey of 2,000 US adults who traveled in the past 12 months found that 46% had flights delayed or canceled, 28% had lost luggage, 15% had their reservations changed without warning and 11% had their personal belongings damaged. .

Four in 10 of them said their travel problems, including unexpected events and accidents, have completely disrupted their trip – with some citing hurricanes, blizzards, car breakdowns, stolen luggage, damage aircraft, missing pilots and even military operations.

Commissioned by AXA Partners and conducted by Talker Research, the study also found that the average person plans their trips eight weeks in advance and will spend $1,120 making their travel arrangements.

Seventy-seven percent agreed that the cost of travel today is uncomfortably expensive, and many will cut out the essentials and niceties of travel just to stay under budget.

Travelers said they forgo premium car rentals (52%), premium seats (50%), in-flight entertainment (46%) and baggage fees (45%) if they have to.

More than a third (36%) will even skip buying travel insurance, believing that it will either not be used (40%), that it is too expensive (36%) or that it will not be used needed for short trips (26%).

Despite this, 58% admitted that they were worried about an unexpected event or accident occurring during the trip. And 63% know they would feel frustrated if something happened.

“We can always hope that our travels will be pleasant and smooth, but it is difficult to predict when the unpredictable may happen,” said Stephen Samataro, Chief Revenue Officer at AXA Partners. “When the cost of these trips is seemingly always on the rise, there’s a sense of urgency to make sure you’re getting every cent’s worth — but when the unexpected happens, it can have dire consequences beyond what you’re paying for.”

The study found that 42% of travelers said they bought travel insurance before their last trip, and most of them found it worth the price.

Half said they were able to get full refunds for canceled trips. Meanwhile, others were compensated for lost luggage (25%), covered for a personal injury that occurred while on vacation (21%) or compensated for damaged personal belongings (20%).

More than nine in 10 (92%) said their experiences with travel insurance were so worthwhile that they are likely to buy it for any future trip they take. And 88% would recommend others get it too, based purely on their own experiences.

“I believe that having peace of mind goes hand in hand with travel,” continued Stephen Samataro. “People deserve to enjoy their travels without the added worry and stress of something going wrong.

“The survey shows that most people are likely to have some disruption to their journey, and when this happens, there’s nothing that can bring a sense of immediate relief than having your entire journey covered by insurance.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who have traveled in the past 12 months – domestic OR international; the survey was commissioned by AXA Assistance and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between September 13 and September 19, 2024.