On any given day there are a number of unforeseeable circumstances that can cause us to deviate from a pre-arranged schedule. Real-life technicalities like coming down with an illness or having to re-prioritize is just a simple fact of life. Spring is here and the term flexible cancellation is trending because families are busier than ever pulling together schedules and trying to book a fun-filled summer vacation. Travelers really do want assurance that if plans change, they won’t be out hundreds of dollars.

Trip Insurance is Worthwhile

Travelers want changeability. Making plans is an essential part of booking travel, but it isn’t everything. Understanding that even the best-laid travel arrangements can end up needing some flexibility is. When considering adding on insurance for traveling, remember that in addition to covering the costs of having to re-book travel in the event of injury or illness, some trip insurance also covers natural disasters. The usefulness of a flexible cancellation policy is often well worth the small expense of having it available. Interrupted travel can happen when a family member needs you or business plans simply change because of any number of dynamic corporate developments at work.

Canceled Travel is Costly

A flexible cancellation policy will include a reasonable window of time that will allow you to cancel or re-book travel without penalty. Hotels typically use a 48-hour notice unless you’ve got an extraordinary deal for pre-paying in full, but vacation rental homes usually require more time or around 25% to guarantee the property. On average, people usually don’t think about being unable to commit to their pre-booked travel plans. On the occasions when things do change, travelers end up losing upwards of 10% of the total already pre-paid. Travel is expensive, so 10% of $5,000 for example, isn’t without heartache.

Find your Next Vacation Home

It can seem impossible to really anticipate how our days will pan out, and having to push-out vacation plans isn’t ever enjoyable. Having a flexible cancellation policy behind travel arrangements takes a huge burden off of worrying about details that may ultimately need restructuring. The primary aspect of successful time management is that it always requires flexibility. Whether traveling for work or pleasure, a fair cancellation policy can mean the difference between missing out entirely on that hard-earned vacation because you are sick, or simply putting off plans until there is a more convenient time to get away. After all, no one wants to spend money they didn’t intend to.