Though many travelers now carry travel insurance, losses from missed flights and other problems triggered by increased security are not necessarily covered unless there is an actual attack.

Insured travelers are typically responsible for allowing enough time to make it through security and check in.

“Terrorism falls under a travel delay,” said Emily Porter, a spokeswoman for Richmond-based Access America, a travel insurance firm. The firm, however, expanded its travel-delay benefits to reimburse additional travel expenses for missed flights on Thursday and Friday.

“If you have to stay in a hotel, for example, it is covered,” said Porter. “However, a terrorist event did not occur.”

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Not every company is following suit.

There are no additional measures for insured customers affected by the recent terrorist plot, according to Travelocity spokeswoman Amanda Borichevsky.

The company has responded to a high volume of calls, however, and has sent mass e-mail warnings detailing new security measures.

“Over the past 24 hours, we’ve had a proactive care team in place that calls people and tells them issues that could impact their travel,” said Borichevsky.

Travel insurance usually comes in three key areas, including trip investment, personal protection and personal belongings. About 35 percent of leisure travelers have travel insurance.

“We always practically insisted that customers purchase travel insurance,” said Lynda Maxwell, president of Destinations Inc. of Ellicott City. “Most major vacations are very expensive, and people should be able to secure that investment.”

Insurance companies have also added other benefits like an intercontinental message relay system so friends and loved ones could stay in contact in a crisis — such as when cell phone networks failed in London.

Though regional statistics were not immediately available on the number of insured travelers who failed to make their flights Thursday, it appears that many people traveling through the region’s airports did not make their connections.

The D.C. area was “one of the worst hit places in the country,” said Porter.

“I basically got to the gate and they weren’t waiting for people,” said District resident Bob Piper after barely making his flight from Atlanta. One his plane, he said, “there were a lot of empty seats.”

mmartin@dcexaminer.com