One Year After CrowdStrike Outages, Traveler Concerns Over Flight Disruptions Reach All-Time High

 

PETERSBURG, FL., July 18, 2025 — Tomorrow marks one year since the CrowdStrike outage that caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations worldwide. Over the past year, these outages have been just one of many major disruptions travelers have faced. 

 

Amid airline staffing shortages, airport outages, overall economic uncertainty, and hurricane season, travelers are more concerned than ever about flight disruptions. Squaremouth, the nation’s largest travel insurance marketplace, explains how travel insurance can help provide peace of mind.

 

Summer Travelers Bracing for Delays

Since the CrowdStrike outages last July, Squaremouth has seen a steady rise in traveler concern over flight disruptions. This summer, this is now the number one concern for travelers.

 

49% of travelers taking trips this summer say flight delays and cancellations are their biggest concern. This marks a notable shift in traveler sentiment since last year, when just 36% of travelers said this was their biggest concern. 

 

This growing concern is changing what travelers are looking for when buying travel insurance. Squaremouth has seen a 74% year-over-year increase in the number of travelers searching specifically for policies that cover delays.

 

How Travel Insurance Covers Flight Delays

Travel Delay insurance is meant to make sure you aren’t stuck with out-of-pocket losses if you experience a significant flight delay. This benefit covers your necessary expenses while you’re delayed, including your meals, hotel accommodations, and transportation expenses.

 

Tips for Getting the Best Travel Delay Coverage

Travel insurance plans have specific requirements that need to be met before Travel Delay coverage kicks in. To get the best and most flexible coverage in the event of a delay, look for a plan with the following features: 

• Delay coverage that kicks in after 3 hours. Most plans require a delay of 6-12 hours, but the best plans only require a 3-hour delay.
• Coverage for any delay of a common carrier. Some plans will only cover you if the delay is caused by weather or a mechanical problem on the plane. However, plans that cover any delay of a common carrier provide the most flexibility.

 

About Squaremouth

Squaremouth is a trusted name in the travel insurance industry offering comprehensive, transparent, and competitive coverage to travelers for 20 years through its digital platform. With the largest portfolio of travel insurance carriers and products in the U.S., Squaremouth has insured over 4 million travelers.