Find the Best Travel Insurance Companies
Compare Top Travel Insurance Company Reviews | ||||
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| Allianz Global Assistance | Allianz is one of the oldest insurance companies in the United States, having insured the Wright Brothers' first flight as well as various movie stars' vehicles. Today, it partners with airlines, hotels and other travel services. |  | ||
| Generali Global Assistance | Generali Global Assistance has been offering travel insurance & assistance for over 25 years. A Generali protection plan will protect you from non-refundable costs due to unforeseen events causing you to cancel your vacation. |  | Visit Website Toll free number (800) 874-2442 | |
| Travelex Insurance Services | Travelex offers travel insurance services throughout North America. It offers bankruptcy and terrorism coverage as well as trip cancellation, lost baggage and other standard travel insurance coverage to protect vacationers. |  | ||
| Trip Mate Insurance | Trip Mate specializes in travel insurance for both casual and frequent travelers and was the first company to waive exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Its insurance policies are underwritten by major insurers like Nationwide. |  | ||
| Travel Guard | Travel Guard has been providing travel insurance services for over 25 years and distributes its services to over 12,000 companies. It offers international insurance options to both business and casual travelers. |  | ||
| APRIL Travel Protection | With 30 years of industry experience, APRIL makes insurance easy with exclusive features that streamline the claims process. They offer single trip & annual multi-trip plans for Americans traveling domestically or abroad. |  | ||
| American Express Travel Insurance | American Express Travel Insurance is underwritten by AMEX. This company offers customizable travel insurance with options such as medical insurance, trip delay insurance and lost baggage insurance. |  | ||
| Travel Insured | Travel Insured has focused exclusively on providing insurance for travelers since 1994, when it was acquired from the Travelers Insurance Group. It currently works with over 1,500 travel agencies to provide services for travelers. |  | ||
| TravelSafe Insurance | Read 17 Reviews | TravelSafe Insurance provides coverage for trips around the world for consumers in Canada and the United States. It has been an industry leader since 1971 and offers several unique travel insurance packages. |  | |
| Tripinsurance.com | TripInsurance.com has exclusive policies from some of the largest and most reputable travel insurance companies at direct-to-consumer rates. By eliminating the middleman, they offer better value & pass substantial savings to you. |  |
What does travel insurance cover?
Trip cancellations or interruptions
Sometimes, situations beyond your control impact your travel plans. Weather, family tragedies, illness, work and other issues can cause you to cancel, postpone or interrupt your trip.
- Weather or worker delays: Some travel insurance policies offer reimbursement for trips interrupted by worker strikes or the weather.
- Sickness, injury or death: An illness, injury or death of you or a loved one might require a trip cancellation. With the right coverage it won't cost the policyholder financially.
- Work-related interruptions: If work interferes with your ability to travel, you can cancel and get your money back with the right coverage. The same is true if you become unemployed and can’t afford to take your planned trip.
Medical expenses
Many health insurance policies will not pay for services incurred outside of their coverage network. This can leave travelers facing huge medical bills in the event of an issue during a trip. Travel insurance can make up the difference.
- Emergency evacuation: If you suffer from a medical emergency during a trip, your travel insurance may cover medical and ambulance (and even evacuation by plane) expenses.
- Dental coverage: A dental emergency may not be immediately life threatening, but it can certainly ruin a vacation. Be sure that your dental coverage protects you where you’re visiting, or consider including it in your travel insurance plan.
- Pre-existing condition coverage: A pre-existing condition can act up at any time, but many travel insurance policies will not cover them. Ask about pre-existing conditions since premium policies may include this type of coverage.
Flight cancellations
Anything that interrupts a trip, including missing your connecting flight, could leave you struggling to meet back up with your travel group. Travel insurance picks up the bill for transportation services that you need to keep you on schedule.
- Canceled flight coverage: If your flight is canceled and it causes you to miss a connection, travel insurance can pay for a hotel stay and a new flight as soon as it's available.
- Easy logistics: When you miss a flight, it can throw your entire itinerary out of whack, but your travel insurance company should be able to do the work to put you back on track.
- Interruption coverage: If something happens at home, and you need to cut your trip short, travel insurance can help cover the cost of return fare and reimburse the unused portion of your trip.
Lost or stolen baggage or belongings
Lost, delayed or damaged luggage can start any trip on the wrong foot. It can also cost an arm and a leg to buy an emergency wardrobe for a vacation.
- Clothing allowance: If your luggage is lost, be sure to ask your insurer about a clothing allowance to help you get through your vacation and replace your missing items.
- Property replacement: It’s not uncommon for people to travel with valuable items like jewelry or personal care products. Be sure to discuss them with your insurance company before traveling to ensure they're covered for replacement.
- Luggage delays: If your luggage is permanently lost, your travel insurance would probably replace it, but if it's only delayed, you might need to deal with some interim needs. Insurance could pay for an outfit or two and for toiletries, just to hold you over until your luggage can be delivered.
Trip extensions
Typically, travel insurance covers a specific trip, which is arranged in advance. If you decide to extend your vacation, you might lose your travel insurance. With that in mind, consider the following:
- Ask about policy extensions: It’s always a good idea to know ahead of time whether you can also extend your travel insurance coverage if you decide on the fly to extend your trip.
- Long-term and short-term policies: Many travel insurance policies only cover a short time-frame, sometimes only a week or two. If you plan to travel more extensively, be sure to ask about long-term options.
- Limited coverage on extensions: Some travel insurance may allow for limited extensions with little to no extra cost. They may not include all premium services, however, so it's important to find out what is and is not covered on an extension.
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How much is travel insurance?
The dollar amount you pay for travel insurance will depend on the total cost of your trip and the level of coverage you want. In general, expect to pay 4–10 percent of your total pre-paid trip cost. So if your trip costs $5,000, put aside $200–$500 for trip insurance. This might seem like a lot upfront, but when you consider how much travel insurance can save you if you have to cancel your trip unexpectedly, it can end up saving you a lot of money.
What are the different types of travel insurance plans?
Single trip travel insurance
These plans are for a single trip and offer no extensions. Any additional coverage must be negotiated separately.
Annual travel insurance
For the frequent traveler, an annual insurance policy goes into effect for every trip taken during the year. There may be some limitations on coverage.
Long term travel insurance
For those planning to travel for a year or more, long-term plans are the best option.
Group travel insurance
Like many products, buying several policies at once may offer a group discount. Typically, these are sold to groups of 10 or more.
International travel insurance
Some policies only cover domestic travel, so for the world traveler, it's important to make sure insurance coverage crosses international boundaries.
Travel insurance FAQ
- Is travel insurance worth getting?
- Travel insurance is worth getting in certain situations, such as when you’re:
- Traveling internationally
- Traveling to a remote location
- Taking a trip that could be affected by weather, like a cruise
- How do I choose travel insurance?
- Travel insurance covers a number of scenarios, from medical emergencies to trip cancellations. Choosing the right policy can ease your mind and save you money at the same time.
- The first thing you should do is see what your current health insurance covers. If you have an active policy, it might cover emergencies while overseas.
- Next, find out how long and often you are traveling. Insurance companies categorize insurance policies by length and number of trips.
- Finally, decide the coverage you want. Do you want your travel insurance to cover trip cancellations or more significant issues, like medical emergencies, that may happen along the way?
- When should you buy travel insurance?
- Experts recommend you purchase travel insurance at least 15 days before your first deposit for a trip. Some companies let you buy up to the day of departure, but buying early may provide bonus coverage.
- Can you buy travel insurance after booking a flight?
- You can buy travel insurance after booking a flight. However, the earlier you purchase a policy, the more likely you have coverage for cancellations or other issues. Some plans allow features booked later to be added, so the whole trip does not need to be set in stone when you first purchase insurance.
- Can I buy travel insurance when abroad?
- You cannot buy travel insurance once already on the trip. The cutoff is midnight on the day of the trip.
- Is it cheaper to get travel insurance as a couple?
- Travel insurance may be less expensive to purchase as a couple, but the coverage may be divided and therefore limited between the two people. One person’s health conditions may also inflate the price for both. Couples can purchase two individual plans if they choose.
- Does my medical insurance cover international travel?
- Some medical insurance policies cover emergency care while you're abroad, but you typically need to pay out of pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement when you return. Make sure you discuss what’s covered while you're traveling internationally; every insurance provider has a different standard for what’s considered a medical emergency. Original Medicare does not cover you during travel abroad; however, Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans may have coverage.
- How does trip insurance work?
- Trip insurance covers unexpected, uncontrollable events. Depending on your coverage, it can range from hotel and rental car cancellations in the face of emergencies or medical bills for injuries incurred on a trip.
Most travel insurance is simple. Once you choose a policy, you pay an upfront fee to the insurance provider before your trip. If an incident covered by your policy occurs, you submit claims with evidence to the provider for approval after the trip. If the claim is approved, the company reimburses the cost.
Although this is generally how travel insurance works, some companies may have a different system. While comparing travel insurance, make sure to discuss how the individual policies work.
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Travel insurance reviews
Allianz Global Assistance has a long history in the industry. They were the insurer on the Wright brothers' flight and on the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Travelex Insurance Services is a leader in the travel insurance industry. They offer a variety of plans with customizable upgrades so you can find the perfect plan for your trip.
APRIL International offers multiple travel insurance plans for anyone traveling internationally. Coverage includes medical, death and disability, trip cancellation, baggage and more. It has a presence across 37 countries to help cover your single-trip and annual multi-trip plans.
Trip Insurance is an online company that helps consumers compare, choose and buy travel insurance, trip cancellation insurance and coverage for devices lost or damaged during travel. Policy options are categorized as good, better or best values, allowing for fast comparison of policy features. Travelers can also find exclusive direct-to-consumer rates, buy insurance directly through the Trip Insurance website and take advantage of customer support 24 hours a day.
As the first company to waive the pre-existing condition exclusion, Trip Mate Insurance demonstrates its commitment to making every vacation as perfect as possible.
Serving millions of travelers each year, Travel Guard is one of the leading providers of travel insurance.
Founded in 1971, TravelSafe offers comprehensive insurance packages to travelers from the United States and Canada.
Founded in 1994, and formerly a part of the Travelers Insurance Group, Travel Insured works with more than 1,500 travel agencies to offer quality travel insurance products.
As a Fortune 500 company, American Express offers a wide range of financial and insurance services.
Information in this guide is general in nature and is intended for informational purposes only; it is not legal, health, investment or tax advice. ConsumerAffairs.com makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from its use.
Matthew Brodsky is an established expert on insurance, having written hundreds of articles and other pieces of content on the subject, interviewed countless practitioners, and attended dozens of conferences and events. He served as an editor at industry magazine Risk & Insurance for six years.
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