COLUMBUS, Ohio — Don't let the rise of the BA.5 variant of COVID cost you your late summer trip. If you need to cancel, check the flights, hotel or home rental policies, same goes for trip insurance because in some cases it's not covered.
“Health scares, pandemics are usually excluded, as well as natural events like a hurricane,” said Judy Dollison, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio. “Really, what we recommend with travel insurance is that you really read your policy beforehand. Don't commit until you know all the details. There are policies that are called ‘cancel for any reason.’ They're typically more expensive add-ons to a traditional policy, but they do offer greater protection.”
Dollison also asks for a family to go to an actual website of the hotel or vacation rental to make sure the image and the address match. Even street view the location to see what it is surrounded by. She recommends everything, from flights to lodging, be booked on credit cards for more protection and easier refunding.
JPMorgan Chase released advice on how to prevent scammers from taking advantage of your money when traveling.
- Check your accounts and statements, and if something happens lock your credit or debit cards and call the number on the back.
- No bank will never ask for sensitive information
- Don't transfer money to anyone claiming to be from a bank
- Don’t pay someone using gift cards
“Make sure that you're using your mobile app and setting up some alerts out there on your accounts.” said Amanda Marrie, market director of banking at JPMorgan Chase. “And if this does happen, do not be ashamed or embarrassed. It can happen to absolutely anyone. The best thing is if it does happen just make sure you're reacting immediately.”