Super Bowl weekend. A time of family get-togethers, shared drinks, chips and salsa, and yes, exorbitant expenses.
Some like to watch from the comfort of their own home – yet others hope to be right in the middle of the action. For this reason, many plan for this weekend months in advance, booking flights and making accommodations early on.
However, an event this large can come with its own risks. There are countless factors to consider when traveling, including high pricing, high demand, transportation planning, ticket costs, and so on. How can travel insurance play a role? Here is a breakdown of everything you might want to consider.
What Makes Super Bowl Travel Different From a Regular Trip?
Super Bowl weekend creates a lot of unique travel challenges that standard vacation plans or regular football games don’t have to face:
- Most packages are entirely nonrefundable: Due to the high demand and limited space, most hotels, flights, etc. during the Super Bowl are entirely non-refundable. If something does go wrong, travelers won’t be getting their money back
- Extreme demand: With 75,000+ fans trying all heading to the same place for the same reason, the risk of congestion, injury, or something else going wrong increases
- Premium pricing: Hotels and flights rates often increase up to 3-5x their normal prices
- Limited rebooking options: If your plans are disrupted, due to the completely sold out alternatives, you have limited options if you need to rebook
These factors combine to create a high-stakes travel scenario where disruptions can have significant financial consequences.
Can Travel Insurance With My Credit Card Keep Me Covered?
Unfortunately, most travelers don’t realize that their credit card travel protection and airline policies specifically exclude coverage during “special events” like the Super Bowl. This creates large protection gaps precisely when you need coverage most.
An Event This Size Means More People Traveling
With football’s biggest game taking place in Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, thousands of fans across the country will be flying to SJC – located 10 minutes from the stadium. This surge of individuals flying in can leave airports packed, flights delayed, suitcases lost, flights missed, and fans upset.
American Airlines Has Announced It’s Adding More Flights
Luckily, American Airlines has answered all prayers. In its October announcement American Airlines announced that they will be the company increasing operations to SJC by more than 450%, adding 10,000 flight seats. On top of flying larger aircraft on flights from locations like Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Phoenix (PHX), American has also added flights from Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK) and Philadelphia (PHL).
What many travelers don’t realize is that with these added flights, it’s not necessary that the airports with such an increase in outgoing flights—or reception of this influx of flights—(San Jose and San Francisco airport) are equipped to handle this many flights or people at once.
Why Should You Have Travel Insurance for the Super Bowl?
This increase in flights may ease some fan concerns, but it does not cover all that can go wrong. While a larger flight capacity is making travel simple, there are still factors like non-refundable fees, delays, and weather that can affect a traveler’s experience. You want to hope for the best, yet plan for the worst. For this reason, travel insurance can help if plans are intercepted before kickoff.
What are the Benefits of Super Bowl Travel Insurance?
Reimbursement of Fees
Travel insurance can cover up to 100% of your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses should you run into any fumbles in your plans. These can include:
- Your game ticket cost
- Your airline ticket cost
- Prearranged transportation (shuttles, trains, etc.)
- Hotel costs
- Rental car issues
Protection Within Large Crowds
With the largest weekend in football taking place, swarms of fans will be traveling, causing:
- Mishaps and accidents, as Levi’s Stadium itself can hold up to 75,000 fans
- Losing valuables like your phone, wallet, or even signed regalia
- Long lines of traffic (If a rental car, for example, is being used and something happens to the vehicle)
Planning ahead of time and incorporating travel insurance into your experience can allow for a stress free, fun-filled weekend.
Weather
Even if the weather in Santa Clara is perfect during Super Bowl weekend, it may not be as kind in the state you are departing from. Pouring rain and heavy winds can cause flight delays, and even cancellations.
Travel insurance can allow for such situations to be covered.
Airport Issues
An event this scale can create overcrowded airport hubs, resulting in lines, cancellations and delays. With more people filtering in, bags can get lost, flights can potentially be overbooked, and the chance of delays and cancellation increase.
Trip insurance can cover such losses, should your plans get sacked.
CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason)
While traveling for the Super Bowl can be exciting, it is also one of the most inflexible, expensive trips fans will plan. In hopes of avoiding high prices, many book accommodations, flights, tickets and event packages far in advance. When accidents, emergencies and last minute changes do occur, it can be challenging to cancel.
This is where CFAR comes in. While standard travel insurance is designed to cover cancellations due to official, proven circumstances like denied PTO or a sickness with a doctor’s note, the Cancel for Any Reason add-on gives you the freedom to cancel for genuinely any reason—no proof necessary! Let’s say you booked a hotel with non-refundable fees and now cannot attend the game, CFAR can help cover 50-75% of these prepaid fees, no reason to submit any proof to the insurance company.
Since CFAR is an add-on, you get all the benefits of travel insurance and the flexibility to cancel your plans regardless of your reason and still get your trip refunded.
When Should You Purchase Travel Insurance for Super Bowl LX?
Timing matters significantly when securing coverage for sporting events of this level:
- Immediately after initial deposits: Purchase base coverage within 14-21 days of your first Super Bowl-related payment to qualify for pre-existing condition waivers and benefits
- Before Conference Championships: Purchase comprehensive coverage before participating teams are determined to avoid potential rate increases
- Never wait until teams are announced: Premiums typically increase significantly once participating teams are confirmed
Early coverage decisions allow you to get maximum protection options at the cheapest price before ticket, hotel, and airline prices start to skyrocket.
How Much Does Travel Insurance for the Super Bowl Cost?
Travel insurance typically costs around 4-10% of your total trip costs. So if your total trip cost is $100, then your travel insurance would be around $4 – $10.
TIP: The best way to get the cheapest travel insurance is to book your trip as early as you can. When you book early, ticket prices are cheaper; therefore, your travel insurance would be much cheaper too.
How Can I Quickly Get the Best Travel Insurance?
The best way to get the right insurance for you is to use a comparison platform, like VisitorsCoverage, to compare and contrast the top plans and find the one that fits your budget and needs.
If at any point you have any issues, questions or concerns regarding travel insurance and how to find the best one for you and coverage, do not hesitate to reach out. Our team of licensed travel insurance agents are happy to provide clarity and support to ensure that you’re only getting the travel insurance you really need. your travel plans are as successful as possible.
- Super Bowl travel is high risk and high cost. With high demand comes almost 3-5x normal pricing of tickets, flights, accommodations and so forth.
- Travel disruptions and delays are likely with such large crowds. With over 75,000 fans all traveling to the same location (flights, car), overcrowding, lost luggage, missed flights and congestion can be a big risk.
- Credit card and airline protections can fall short. Many benefits that credit card companies and airlines have won’t include special events like the Super Bowl.
- Airports may not be equipped for large crowds. Though airlines like American Airlines have extended capacity for flights, such a large influx of people can make delays and cancellations more likely.
- Travel insurance can help cover large expenses. Non-refundable fees and purchases like game tickets, flights, and transportation can be reimbursed.
- Timing matters when purchasing insurance. Buy coverage early, ideally 14-21 days prior to your first payment and before teams are officially announced.
Frequently Asked Questions About Traveling During the Super Bowl (FAQ’s)
If I get sick and cannot attend the Super Bowl, will I be reimbursed?
Yes, travel insurance can cover non-refundable costs, like game ticket prices, flight costs, hotel expenses, etc.
What is “Cancel for Any Reason” (CFAR), and do I need it for the Super Bowl?
CFAR is a perk you can add to your plan that allows cancellation for any reason, with 50-75% reimbursement. With such high expenses during an event like the Super Bowl, it can be useful.
What happens if I book Super Bowl travel but my team doesn’t make it to the championship?
Standard travel insurance won’t cover cancellation simply because your preferred team fails to advance. However, specialized “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage would allow you to recoup a significant portion (typically 50-75%) of non-refundable expenses if you want to cancel your plans.
If I drive to the Super Bowl instead of flying, do I still need travel insurance?
Absolutely. While transportation risks differ, driving travelers still face substantial financial exposure related to illness, accidents, weather disruptions affecting stadium access, and other covered scenarios. Appropriate insurance protects your investment regardless of transportation method.
What happens if I miss a connecting flight on my way to the Super Bowl?
If a travel delay causes you to miss a connecting flight, travel insurance can provide coverage. Benefits include reimbursement for additional transportation costs to catch up to your itinerary and coverage for accommodations during delays.
What is NOT covered by insurance during Super Bowl travel weekend?
Standard travel insurance will not cover you if you change your mind on attending the Super Bowl last minute. This may only be partially reimbursed with a “Cancel for Any Reason” upgrade.
Additionally, many policies will also not cover known risks or actions taken under influence. For example, if a fan drinks excessively during the game and injures another individual, such rash action will not be covered.
Standard insurance will also not cover you if you do not have physical / digital proof. For example, if your flight is cancelled, hold on to the cancellation email to allow for approval of coverage.
Will travel insurance cover my expenses if my flight for the Super Bowl to SJC is cancelled or delayed?
Yes, these costs can be covered. Many plans include trip delay coverage once the delay has reached a certain number of hours. Your meal purchases, transportation, and hotel stay if need be can be reimbursed.
Can I purchase travel insurance just for my Super Bowl tickets without covering my flights?
How much you cover is completely customizable. When you are entering your details to get travel insurance, you can only put the cost of your Super Bowl game tickets. However, it is advised to cover *all* non-refundable expenses rather than just a portion of your trip in case there is a mishap with your flights but not your tickets.
Will American Airlines’ expanded Super Bowl schedule mean I don’t need travel insurance?
No. While increased flight options allow for more people to travel without the hassle of fighting for limited spots, they can’t protect against weather disruptions, mechanical issues, personal emergencies, or non-airline related complications. Additionally, airline responsibility extends only to transportation, not to your substantial investment in tickets and accommodations.
