Coronavirus Important Travel Tips

Can I cancel a trip I've booked because I'm afraid of the coronavirus?

Depends on whether you bought a refundable ticket or have the right kind of travel insurance. Regular travel insurance won't cover a cancellation because of fears about the coronavirus outbreak. For that, you need to buy a "Cancel for Any Reason" (CFAR) policy.

"They've become quite popular in the last few weeks," says Jonathan Breeze, CEO of AardvarkCompare, a travel insurance comparison website. "We're seeing about a 50% increase in the amount of policies being sold."

A few things to note: A CFAR policy typically needs to be purchased within a couple of weeks from the time you booked your trip, it will usually only cover about 75% of your costs, and New York state does not allow residents to buy CFAR policies.

How clean are planes anyway?

Airline sanitization is also something to consider.

Some airlines are stepping up their cleaning game.

American Airlines says it is conducting a "more thorough cleaning of all hard surfaces" and removing self-serve snack baskets on some international flights.

Alaska Airlines says that, since March 2, it has been "enhancing" aircraft cleaning between flights.

For planes whose schedules allow, the cleaning policy now includes seats,

overhead air vents, bathroom door handles, window shades and luggage compartment handles.

What if I booked a flight and want to reschedule it to avoid traveling during the outbreak?

Several airlines — including American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue and United — have been waiving change fees for flights purchased between certain dates.

And even if your purchase falls outside that window, "it's always worth asking," says Seth Kaplan, transportation analyst for WBUR's Here & Now.

"You're asking for an exception," he says — but if you're polite and explain your situation, you might get a break.

What if I want to end my trip early, say, because the outbreak has spread to a country I'm visiting?

In most cases, "somebody abroad saying, 'I don't wish to be here anymore,' isn't covered by regular travel insurance," says Breeze. Again, this is where a Cancel for Any Reason policy would come in handy.

With many CFAR policies, a traveler can not only recover some of the initial cost of the trip, he says, but in many cases, the policy will also cover the additional cost of coming home.