A travel insurance claim is assessed against two things: what the policy says and what the claimant can evidence. Most declined claims fail on the second rather than the first.
The wording is the whole contract
Cover is defined by the policy document, and marketing summaries have no standing when the two appear to differ.
Definitions sections carry disproportionate weight, since terms such as unforeseen, close relative and valuables all have specific meanings that differ between policies.
Reading the wording at purchase rather than at claim is what allows a traveller to act correctly during the incident, which is when most evidence is created or lost.
Evidence must be gathered at the time
Assessors require documentation contemporaneous with the event, such as a police report for theft, a medical report for illness or written confirmation of a cancellation.
Many policies require reporting within a defined period, and a report filed late is frequently the reason a genuine claim fails.
Receipts, booking confirmations and evidence of ownership for claimed items are the other common gap, particularly for possessions bought long before the trip.
Recovery from other parties comes first
Insurers expect claimants to pursue the responsible party first, whether that is an airline, a hotel, a card provider or another insurer.
Statutory passenger rights in several jurisdictions oblige airlines to provide care and compensation, and those obligations sit ahead of the policy.
The insurer covers what remains after those routes are exhausted, which is why claims are often settled for less than the full loss.
Causation is examined closely
The assessment traces why the loss occurred, because cover attaches to specified causes rather than to outcomes.
A cancelled trip is covered when the reason falls within the listed insured events, and not covered when the reason is simply a change of mind or a foreseeable circumstance.
Events already known or announced at the time of purchase are usually excluded on the grounds that they were no longer uncertain.
If a claim is declined
Insurers operate internal complaint procedures, and a decline explained by reference to a specific clause can be challenged with evidence addressing that clause.
Most regulated markets also provide an independent ombudsman or dispute scheme that reviews decisions at no cost to the consumer.
Procedures, time limits and rights differ by jurisdiction and change over time, so the current rules in the country where the policy was issued are what govern any particular case.