aig travel guard vs allianz

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Allianz Travel vs Travel Guard

Sunday, May 19th

2024 Travel Insurance Plan Reviews

• Allianz Travel
• 10 plans to choose from, including single-trip, annual/multi-trip, and rental car coverage
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business for 100+ years

Allianz Travel insures more than 55 million people annually, from families taking their once-a-year vacation to business executives crisscrossing the globe year-round. The company has 10 different policies to choose from, including a standalone car rental plan. Most policyholders making claims say that the reimbursement process goes smoothly with Allianz, though some experience long delays. While you'll get a wider range of travel insurance options with some rival companies, Allianz can be trusted to get the job done.

• Travel Guard
• 3 main travel insurance policies available, with add-ons like Name Your Family bundling and coverage for Adventure Sports and Destination Weddings

Travel Guard is frequently recommended by travel agents as the best option for insurance. But, with only three main policy choices and some disappointing experiences related by customers, this insurer just doesn't keep up with its competitors in the travel insurance industry. There are other big names (and even small ones) you'll be able to count on to protect your trip, and we recommend leaving Travel Guard as a backup.

More Travel Insurance Plan Reviews

• Squaremouth

• Insure My Trip

• Travel Insurance

• Travelex Insurance Services

• Insured Nomads

• Quote Wright

• Seven Corners

• World Nomads

• Travel Insurance Center

• Axa Travel Insurance

The 13 Best Travel Insurance Plans

Who offers the best travel insurance.

With daily news stories of delayed and canceled flights, lost baggage, and travelers stranded overseas in the middle of a natural disaster, it's easy to see why travel insurance is so important. Like most types of insurance, travel insurance is bought in the hopes that you'll never need it. But, for most travelers, it's worth the price for the protection it provides.

Have you ever thought that this coverage was just an unnecessary, added expense? That's fairly common: most people assume that they've got protection through their credit card company, their regular health insurance, even their homeowners' policy. In some situations, that may be accurate - but unless you know the details of those types of coverage, you're more likely to be left paying out-of-pocket expenses you thought were taken care of... but aren't included.

Travel Insurance Plan FAQ

What is travel insurance, what does travel insurance cover, what does travel insurance not cover, can i get travel insurance if i have a pre-existing medical condition, is travel insurance expensive, my chocolate is going someplace warm. will it melt, where can i buy travel insurance, is it safe to get travel insurance online.

Continued from above...

And, even if you do have that kind of protection, travel insurance policies can amplify your benefits. For example, if you choose a plan that offers $500,000 in primary medical coverage, you might not need to touch your regular health insurance: your bills will be reimbursed up to that amount, no matter what your everyday health plan includes. Car rental insurance can go above and beyond what's paid for by your credit card company or even your own vehicle's coverage - and that can be critical if you're driving in another country and have an accident.

What type of travel insurance do you need? Naturally, that depends on your trip, your travel party, and your budget. A single-trip policy will be more affordable than multi-trip coverage - but if you're traveling internationally more than once in a year, the annual policy becomes much more economical. Do you need to be able to cancel for any reason? Is it important to you to have a waiver of the pre-existing conditions exclusion? Are there any children under 18 in your party that might be included at no extra charge, depending on the insurer you select? These are all factors that will influence your decision when picking a travel insurance plan.

Confused yet? You do have a lot of options. Here are some criteria to help you sort through them and ultimately wind up with the travel insurance coverage you need:

• Quote process. How easy is it to get a quote that matches your insurance needs? Does the site explain the questions it asks, and does it display all of the possible plans in a way you can understand? Can you buy your policy right then and there, or do you have to click through to another site?
• Value. What's included for your premium? From one site to another, you will probably see the same price on any given plan because the states regulate travel insurance prices. However, it's worth your time to compare premium prices and benefits among different insurers, so that you get the most for your money.
• Reputation. It's easy for an insurance company to get high marks from customers if they never had to make a claim on the policy. What do clients who've filed claims say about the way they were treated? Were they reimbursed quickly? Did they get updates about the status of the claim? It's also good to check the Better Business Bureau's rating of any travel insurance service you're going to use.

To help you get the protection you need on your next adventure, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked today's most popular sources of travel insurance. We're confident that this information will make it easy to protect yourself and what you've spent on your trip - and to have backup if something goes off track on your journey. Bon voyage!

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Allianz vs Travel Guard: What is Best in 2023?

Allianz and Travel Guard are two of the most popular travel insurance companies, but Travel Guard comes out on top

So you’ve done your travel insurance research and reached the point of asking “which company is better– Allianz vs Travel Guard?”.

Both companies appear often in searches for travel insurance. You’ll also see both Allianz and Travel Guard sold through travel suppliers like United Airlines & Expedia. I also have complete reviews for both Allianz and Travel Guard .

This page will show you how these two travel insurance companies compare. Which company has the best coverage? How does the cost compare? Are they both reputable companies?

My analysis shows that Travel Guard is the best choice between Allianz & Travel Guard. They have better cancellation coverage for weather & hurricanes. Their emergency medical coverage is higher than Allianz. They offer the popular Cancel For Any Reason coverage, which I believe is an important choice to have. Allianz might cost a little less, but this is because their coverage is not as good.

Criteria for comparing

For this comparison, we’ll be looking at travel insurance for a single trip such as a family vacation or cruise. Both companies have other plan options, but most travelers buy single-trip travel insurance.

When I compare, I consider the coverage, the amount of coverage, unique features, optional upgrades, and the cost. Finally, I look at value because there’s no need to spend more on coverage you don’t need.

Let’s get started.

Plan Options with Allianz vs Travel Guard

Both Allianz and Travel Guard follow the popular format of “good-better-best” for their travel insurance plans.

This is popular because it gives you insurance options to fit every budget. The lower cost plans will have lower limits, options, and even lack some coverage. The highest cost plans will have high limits, extra coverages, and more options.

The most popular is in the middle. This is where you can find good value. These plans have the right mix of coverage, coverage limits, options, and price.

Here are the plans we’re comparing:

Both Travel Guard and Allianz also offer specialty plans.

Allianz has a travel medical plan called OneTrip Emergency Medical, which is for travelers who don’t need cancellation coverage. They also offer annual/multi-trip plans called AllTrips– which also follow the good-better-best format. These are for travelers taking several trips throughout the year that want emergency medical coverage. Finally, they offer a rental car plan called OneTrip Rental Car Protector.

Travel Guard also offers a plan without cancellation coverage called Pack N’ Go, meant for last-minute trips. Finally, they offer and annual plans called Annual Travel Plan.

Winner : This is a Tie . Both Allianz and Travel Guard offer three plans that fit the needs of most travelers taking a trip. Allianz has more options for annual policies, but since we’re focusing on single-trip plans this is a tie.

Trip Cancellation & Interruption Coverage

Both Allianz and Travel Guard will reimburse your trip costs if you need to cancel for a covered reason. They cover 100% of your pre-paid and non-refundable trip costs.

This covers events like getting sick before departure, a death in the family, hurricanes & severe weather, or getting called for jury duty. There is a long list of covered reasons for trip cancellation , but the most common is someone getting sick or injured.

The details are important here. For example, one company covers cancelling for a hurricane warning, and one doesn’t (more below).

Trip interruption coverage reimburses you if the trip is cut short for a covered reason. The reasons are similar– someone getting sick or injured, a parent death back home, a house fire back home, and more.

Both companies cover 150% of your insured trip cost for interruption on their two higher-coverage plans. This is because you can incur extra expenses, such as a last-minute flight back home. Both companies cover 100% of your trip cost for interruption in their lower-cost plans.

Winner : Both companies have similar broad coverage here, but Travel Guard has better hurricane coverage. I’ll go into more detail about this below.

Cancel For Any Reason Coverage

Travel insurance covers a long list of events for cancellation. The most common is someone getting sick before the trip, but it also covers a death in the family, house fire, hurricane, terrorism, and more.

To expand this coverage and give travelers more peace-of-mind, insurance companies came up with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage . This is an upgrade that costs more, but gives you more coverage.

With CFAR coverage, you can cancel for any reason up until 48 hours before your trip. You will receive up to 75% of your trip cost back. The other 25% acts as a deductible.

Cancel For Any Reason has become more popular, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. Travelers want the option to cancel if they feel unsafe, which is not a standard covered reason.

Travel Guard offers this coverage with their Preferred and Deluxe plans for an optional upgrade. CFAR is usually not available on low-cost plans.

Allianz does not offer Cancel For Any Reason with any of their plans.

I believe CFAR is an important option to have. Not all travelers choose to purchase it, but it is always smart to have it as an option.

Winner : Travel Guard is the obvious choice here. This is an important (and popular) option to have, and Allianz does not have it with any of their plans.

Medical & Evacuation Coverage

Emergency medical coverage pays for emergency medical expenses that happen on your trip. This could be a slip & fall, a stroke, food poisoning, and anything else. This is important when you leave your home country, because your insurance from home might not cover you.

Evacuation coverage pays medical transport expenses. This might be a local ambulance, a rescue flight from a remote location, or a medical flight back home. Even if your insurance from home covers medical expenses, it won’t cover evacuation costs.

Coverage Comparison

* Coverage is Secondary. This means the coverage pays after any other insurance you might have. The other plans are Primary, meaning it pays first. Either way you are covered, but Primary is easier. Many low-cost plans have Secondary medical coverage.

Travel Guard has higher coverage limits on their low and high end plans. Both companies are the same with the middle level plan

Winner : Because they have higher coverage limits on a couple plans, Travel Guard wins here. Even though their Essential plan has Secondary coverage, most travelers will be using Preferred which is Primary coverage.

Covid Coverage with Allianz vs Travel Guard

Travel insurance covers cancellation if you, a family member, or traveling companion get sick prior to departure and a doctor advises they don’t travel. This is common with injuries and illnesses, and is the most common reason people cancel trips.

Both Travel Guard and Allianz treat Covid-19 like any other illness and cover it.

Travel insurance has emergency medical coverage, which pays medical expenses if you get sick or injured on your trip.

Both Allianz and Travel Guard cover Covid-19 as they would any other illness.

Winner : Tie . Both companies treat Covid-19 as they would any other illness for both trip cancellation coverage and emergency medical.

Hurricane & Weather Coverage

Coverage for hurricanes and severe weather are part of trip cancellation and interruption coverage. If your trip is delayed, canceled, or cut short because of these weather events you are covered.

But the details matter. It’s not enough to just say “it’s covered” and call it a day. Insurance companies are all about definitions. Is a 10 minute delay the same as a 12 hour delay? Of course not. Is heavy rain the same as a category 3 hurricane? Same thing.

The two main factors I look at are: 1) the length of delay before the coverage is in effect, and 2) the events that are covered.

Delay “trigger”

Every policy has a different amount of time that “triggers” the cancellation coverage. One might say a common carrier delay of 6 hours, another might say 48 hours. Shorter is better, because your coverage kicks in sooner.

Covered events

Most plans will list hurricane, severe weather, or inclement weather that causes a delay and causes you to cancel your trip.

But imagine a hurricane is heading towards your destination in the Caribbean. It is not affecting your departure city, so there’s no coverage there. And for the coverage to kick in at your destination, the hurricane needs to strike and cause damage closing your resort.

The best plans cover hurricane warnings from the NOAA . This way, even if it never strikes your destination, you have coverage if your destination is included in a hurricane warning. This expands your coverage, and gives you more ways to cancel and get your money back.

As you can see, Travel Guard’s top two plans cover canceled flights due to weather after a delay of any length. They also include NOAA hurricane warnings as a covered reason for cancellation.

Winner : The clear winner here is Travel Guard . The extra coverage with weather and hurricanes expands your coverage, and protects your trip investment better.

Baggage & Delay Coverage

The two main areas of travel insurance coverage are trip cancellation/interruption, and emergency medical/evacuation. We covered that above.

Travel insurance also covers your baggage and travel delays. Here’s how the coverage compares with Allianz vs Travel Guard:

Lost, stolen, or damaged baggage

This covers your baggage throughout the trip. Airlines may reimburse you for lost bags on flights, but they wouldn’t help you once you left the flight. This coverage has a per/traveler limit.

Delayed baggage

This covers extra expenses caused by a delayed bag. For example: If you’re attending a wedding and your suit is in the delayed bag, you can get a new suit and shoes. This coverage has a per/traveler limit, as well as a minimum delay time trigger.

Travel delay

This covers extra expenses caused by a delayed trips. For example: If your departure is delayed for a covered reason, it would pay costs for extra hotel stays and meals. This coverage has a limit, as well as a minimum delay time trigger.

Winner : This one is a Tie . Travel Guard has better coverage for baggage and baggage delay. Allianz has better coverage for travel delays.

Cost of Allianz vs Travel Guard

Travel insurance usually costs 4-10% of your insured trip cost. Here are the factors that determine the cost of travel insurance:

• Number of travelers
• Ages of travelers
• Trip length
• Coverage limits
• Optional upgrades

Depending on various factors or optional upgrades like CFAR, the cost can be over 10%. Let’s look at how the costs compare with Allianz vs Travel Guard.

Sample trip: The following quote is for two travelers, both 70 years old. They are taking a two week trip to Spain. The total trip cost they are insuring is $5,000.

As you can see, the cost of Allianz’s mid-range plan is $430, or a little over 8% of the insured trip cost. Travel Guard’s similar plan is $531, or a little over 10% of the trip cost. These quotes are at the higher end due to the age of the travelers.

Winner : Here, Allianz has slightly lower-cost plans. This because they have lower coverage in many areas, and don’t offer upgrades like Cancel For Any Reason insurance.

Reputation & Trust

Both Allianz and Travel Guard are reputable companies that have been in business for a long time.

Allianz is one of the largest insurance companies in the world and has tremendous financial backing. This would explain their partnerships with so many travel suppliers, which is why you see them in the checkout process as an add-on purchase.

Travel Guard started as a private company, and was purchased by AIG – also one of the world’s largest insurance companies. They are financially sound, and will not be disappearing anytime soon.

Travel insurance policies are contracts, just like any insurance policy. You make a promise to the company to pay a premium, and they make a promise to meet the terms of their coverage.

This does not mean every claim is paid. Insurance companies receive many claims that are not legitimate and cannot be paid.

Even though mistakes are made, most denied claims with travel insurance happen because travelers don’t understand what is covered. The most common misunderstanding here is covered reasons for trip cancellation . Travelers think they can cancel if “something happens”, but that something needs to be a covered reason.

Winner : Tie . Both Allianz and Travel Guard are reputable companies that will pay legitimate claims.

Final Thoughts: Allianz vs Travel Guard

Travel Guard wins pretty much all around. They have better cancellation coverage for hurricanes and weather. They offer the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade while Allianz doesn’t even have the option. They have higher limits for medical coverage.

Allianz is slightly cheaper, but the coverage is lower in many ways. I also think the lack of Cancel For Any Reason as an option is a deal-breaker.

Quote & Purchase

I am a licensed travel insurance agent. If you found this comparison helpful and are ready to purchase, consider using my link below. I earn a commission, but it does not cost you anything because the company pays that. Insurance is regulated, and you won’t find the same plan available anywhere else for less.

Travel Guard

• Covid covered for sickness cancellation and emergency medical
• Great medical limits
• Cancel For Any Reason available
• Weather coverage includes NOAA hurricane warnings

DamianTysdal

Damian Tysdal is the founder of CoverTrip, and is a licensed agent for travel insurance (MA 1883287). He believes travel insurance should be easier to understand, and started the first travel insurance blog in 2006.

Allianz vs Trawick: The Best Pick in 2023

• 24 March 2022

Allianz vs Seven Corners: Best Pick in 2023

Allianz vs generali travel insurance (updated 2023).

• 23 March 2022

Travel with peace-of-mind... Compare quotes for free

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To that end, you should know that many advertisers pay us a fee if you purchase products after clicking links or calling phone numbers on our website.

The following companies are our partners in Travel Insurance:  Travel Guard Insurance ,  Allianz Global Assistance ,  Travelex ,  TravelInsurance.com ,  Seven Corners ,  Generali Global Assistance ,  Trawick International ,  Squaremouth , and  Faye .

We sometimes offer premium or additional placements on our website and in our marketing materials to our advertising partners. Partners may influence their position on our website, including the order in which they appear on the page.

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• Travel Insurance
• Allianz Global Assistance vs. Travel Guard Insurance

Compare Allianz Global Assistance vs. Travel Guard Insurance Travel Insurance

• Trip cancelations, delays, medical emergencies, lost baggage, unexpected crises, and more

Access to a worldwide network of prescreened hospitals 

Quick claim payments for qualifying delays

24-7 emergency assistance services

• Medical, cancellation, and baggage coverage
• Travel concierge services with premium plans
• Emergency evacuation and medical repatriation
• Offers cancellation coverage due to terrorism and natural disasters

ConsumersAdvocate.org Ratings

Customer reviews, final verdict.

Allianz Global Assistance Travel Insurance has a higher overall rating than AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance. Allianz Global Assistance scores better than Travel Guard Insurance across: Coverage, Extra Benefits, Financial Strength, and Price & Reputation.

Customer Comments & Reviews

The best travel insurance policies and providers

It's easy to dismiss the value of travel insurance until you need it.

Many travelers have strong opinions about whether you should buy travel insurance . However, the purpose of this post isn't to determine whether it's worth investing in. Instead, it compares some of the top travel insurance providers and policies so you can determine which travel insurance option is best for you.

Of course, as the coronavirus remains an ongoing concern, it's important to understand whether travel insurance covers pandemics. Some policies will cover you if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and have proof of illness from a doctor. Others will take coverage a step further, covering additional types of pandemic-related expenses and cancellations.

Know, though, that every policy will have exclusions and restrictions that may limit coverage. For example, fear of travel is generally not a covered reason for invoking trip cancellation or interruption coverage, while specific stipulations may apply to elevated travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interested in travel insurance? Visit InsureMyTrip.com to shop for plans that may fit your travel needs.

So, before buying a specific policy, you must understand the full terms and any special notices the insurer has about COVID-19. You may even want to buy the optional cancel for any reason add-on that's available for some comprehensive policies. While you'll pay more for that protection, it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason and still get some of your costs back. Note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has other eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

In this guide, we'll review several policies from top travel insurance providers so you have a better understanding of your options before picking the policy and provider that best address your wants and needs.

The best travel insurance providers

To put together this list of the best travel insurance providers, a number of details were considered: favorable ratings from TPG Lounge members, the availability of details about policies and the claims process online, positive online ratings and the ability to purchase policies in most U.S. states. You can also search for options from these (and other) providers through an insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip .

When comparing insurance providers, I priced out a single-trip policy for each provider for a $2,000, one-week vacation to Istanbul . I used my actual age and state of residence when obtaining quotes. As a result, you may see a different price — or even additional policies due to regulations for travel insurance varying from state to state — when getting a quote.

AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard receives many positive reviews from readers in the TPG Lounge who have filed claims with the company. AIG offers three plans online, which you can compare side by side, and the ability to examine sample policies. Here are three plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

AIG Travel Guard also offers an annual travel plan. This plan is priced at $259 per year for one Florida resident.

Additionally, AIG Travel Guard offers several other policies, including a single-trip policy without trip cancellation protection . See AIG Travel Guard's COVID-19 notification and COVID-19 advisory for current details regarding COVID-19 coverage.

Preexisting conditions

Typically, AIG Travel Guard wouldn't cover you for any loss or expense due to a preexisting medical condition that existed within 180 days of the coverage effective date. However, AIG Travel Guard may waive the preexisting medical condition exclusion on some plans if you meet the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of your initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage you purchase equals all trip costs at the time of purchase. You must update your coverage to insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements that you add to your trip within 15 days of paying the travel supplier for these additional arrangements.
• You must be medically able to travel when you purchase your plan.

Standout features

• The Deluxe and Preferred plans allow you to purchase an upgrade that lets you cancel your trip for any reason. However, reimbursement under this coverage will not exceed 50% or 75% of your covered trip cost.
• You can include one child (age 17 and younger) with each paying adult for no additional cost on most single-trip plans.
• Other optional upgrades, including an adventure sports bundle, a baggage bundle, an inconvenience bundle, a pet bundle, a security bundle and a wedding bundle, are available on some policies. So, an AIG Travel Guard plan may be a good choice if you know you want extra coverage in specific areas.

Purchase your policy here: AIG Travel Guard .

Allianz Travel Insurance

Allianz is one of the most highly regarded providers in the TPG Lounge, and many readers found the claim process reasonable. Allianz offers many plans, including the following single-trip plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

If you travel frequently, it may make sense to purchase an annual multi-trip policy. For this plan, all of the maximum coverage amounts in the table below are per trip (except for the trip cancellation and trip interruption amounts, which are an aggregate limit per policy). Trips typically must last no more than 45 days, although some plans may cover trips of up to 90 days.

See Allianz's coverage alert for current information on COVID-19 coverage.

Most Allianz travel insurance plans may cover preexisting medical conditions if you meet particular requirements. For the OneTrip Premier, Prime and Basic plans, the requirements are as follows:

• You purchased the policy within 14 days of the date of the first trip payment or deposit.
• You were a U.S. resident when you purchased the policy.
• You were medically able to travel when you purchased the policy.
• On the policy purchase date, you insured the total, nonrefundable cost of your trip (including arrangements that will become nonrefundable or subject to cancellation penalties before your departure date). If you incur additional nonrefundable trip expenses after purchasing this policy, you must insure them within 14 days of their purchase.
• Allianz offers reasonably priced annual policies for independent travelers and families who take multiple trips lasting up to 45 days (or 90 days for select plans) per year.
• Some Allianz plans provide the option of receiving a flat reimbursement amount without receipts for trip delay and baggage delay claims. Of course, you can also submit receipts to get up to the maximum refund.
• For emergency transportation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Allianz, and Allianz must then make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, most Allianz policies provide an option if you cannot contact the company: Allianz will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Allianz Travel Insurance .

American Express Travel Insurance

American Express Travel Insurance offers four different package plans and a build-your-own coverage option. You don't have to be an American Express cardholder to purchase this insurance. Here are the four package options for my sample weeklong trip to Turkey. Unlike some other providers, Amex won't ask for your travel destination on the initial quote (but will when you purchase the plan).

Amex's build-your-own coverage plan is unique because you can purchase just the coverage you need. For most types of protection, you can even select the coverage amount that works best for you.

The prices for the packages and the build-your-own plan don't increase for longer trips — as long as the trip cost remains constant. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit is only available for your first 60 days of travel.

Typically, Amex won't cover any loss you incur because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. However, Amex may waive its preexisting-condition exclusion if you meet both of the following requirements:

• You must be medically able to travel at the time you pay the policy premium.
• You pay the policy premium within 14 days of making the first covered trip deposit.
• Amex's build-your-own coverage option allows you to only purchase — and pay for — the coverage you need.
• Coverage on long trips doesn't cost more than coverage for short trips, making this policy ideal for extended getaways. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit only covers your first 60 days of travel.
• American Express Travel Insurance can protect travel expenses you purchase with Amex Membership Rewards points in the Pay with Points program (as well as travel expenses bought with cash, debit or credit). However, travel expenses bought with other types of points and miles aren't covered.

Purchase your policy here: American Express Travel Insurance .

GeoBlue is different from most other providers described in this piece because it only provides medical coverage while you're traveling internationally and does not offer benefits to protect the cost of your trip. There are many different policies. Some require you to have primary health insurance in the U.S. (although it doesn't need to be provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield), but all of them only offer coverage while traveling outside the U.S.

Two single-trip plans are available if you're traveling for six months or less. The Voyager Choice policy provides coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger and already have a U.S. health insurance policy.

The Voyager Essential policy provides coverage (including medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger, regardless of whether they have primary health insurance.

In addition to these options, two multi-trip plans cover trips of up to 70 days each for one year. Both policies provide coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for preexisting conditions) to travelers with primary health insurance.

Be sure to check out GeoBlue's COVID-19 notices before buying a plan.

Most GeoBlue policies explicitly cover sudden recurrences of preexisting conditions for medical services and medical evacuation.

• GeoBlue can be an excellent option if you're mainly concerned about the medical side of travel insurance.
• GeoBlue provides single-trip, multi-trip and long-term medical travel insurance policies for many different types of travel.

Purchase your policy here: GeoBlue .

IMG offers various travel medical insurance policies for travelers, as well as comprehensive travel insurance policies. For a single trip of 90 days or less, there are five policy types available for vacation or holiday travelers. Although you must enter your gender, males and females received the same quote for my one-week search.

You can purchase an annual multi-trip travel medical insurance plan. Some only cover trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days, but others provide coverage for longer trips.

See IMG's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Most plans may cover preexisting conditions under set parameters or up to specific amounts. For example, the iTravelInsured Travel LX travel insurance plan shown above may cover preexisting conditions if you purchase the insurance within 24 hours of making the final payment for your trip.

For the travel medical insurance plans shown above, preexisting conditions are covered for travelers younger than 70. However, coverage is capped based on your age and whether you have a primary health insurance policy.

• Some annual multi-trip plans are modestly priced.
• iTravelInsured Travel LX may offer optional cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason coverage, if eligible.

Purchase your policy here: IMG .

Travelex Insurance

Travelex offers three single-trip plans: Travel Basic, Travel Select and Travel America. However, only the Travel Basic and Travel Select plans would be applicable for my trip to Turkey.

See Travelex's COVID-19 coverage statement for coronavirus-specific information.

Typically, Travelex won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 60 days of the coverage effective date. However, the Travel Select plan may offer a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, the insured traveler must meet all the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of the initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage purchased equals all prepaid, nonrefundable payments or deposits applicable to the trip at the time of purchase. Additionally, you must insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements added to the same trip within 15 days of payment or deposit.
• All insured individuals are medically able to travel when they pay the plan cost.
• The trip cost does not exceed the maximum trip cost limit under trip cancellation as shown in the schedule per person (only applicable to trip cancellation, interruption and delay).
• Travelex's Travel Select policy can cover trips lasting up to 364 days, which is longer than many single-trip policies.
• Neither Travelex policy requires receipts for trip and baggage delay expenses less than $25.
• For emergency evacuation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Travelex and have Travelex make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, both Travelex policies provide an option if you cannot contact Travelex: Travelex will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Travelex Insurance .

Seven Corners

Seven Corners offers a wide variety of policies. Here are the policies that are most applicable to travelers on a single international trip.

Seven Corners also offers many other types of travel insurance, including an annual multi-trip plan. You can choose coverage for trips of up to 30, 45 or 60 days when purchasing an annual multi-trip plan.

See Seven Corner's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Typically, Seven Corners won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition. However, the RoundTrip Choice plan offers a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, you must meet all of the following conditions:

• You buy this plan within 20 days of making your initial trip payment or deposit.
• You or your travel companion are medically able and not disabled from travel when you pay for this plan or upgrade your plan.
• You update the coverage to include the additional cost of subsequent travel arrangements within 15 days of paying your travel supplier for them.
• Seven Corners offers the ability to purchase optional sports and golf equipment coverage. If purchased, this extra insurance will reimburse you for the cost of renting sports or golf equipment if yours is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed by a common carrier for six or more hours. However, Seven Corners must authorize the expenses in advance.
• You can add cancel for any reason coverage or trip interruption for any reason coverage to RoundTrip plans. Although some other providers offer cancel for any reason coverage, trip interruption for any reason coverage is less common.
• Seven Corners' RoundTrip Choice policy offers a political or security evacuation benefit that will transport you to the nearest safe place or your residence under specific conditions. You can also add optional event ticket registration fee protection to the RoundTrip Choice policy.

Purchase your policy here: Seven Corners .

World Nomads

World Nomads is popular with younger, active travelers because of its flexibility and adventure-activities coverage on the Explorer plan. Unlike many policies offered by other providers, you don't need to estimate prepaid costs when purchasing the insurance to have access to trip interruption and cancellation insurance.

World Nomads offers two single-trip plans.

World Nomads has a page dedicated to coronavirus coverage , so be sure to view it before buying a policy.

World Nomads won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition (except emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains) that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. Unlike many other providers, World Nomads doesn't offer a waiver.

• World Nomads' policies cover more adventure sports than most providers, so activities such as bungee jumping are included. The Explorer policy covers almost any adventure sport, including skydiving, stunt flying and caving. So, if you partake in adventure sports while traveling, the Explorer policy may be a good fit.
• World Nomads' policies provide nonmedical evacuation coverage for transportation expenses if there is civil or political unrest in the country you are visiting. The coverage may also transport you home if there is an eligible natural disaster or a government expels you.

Purchase your policy here: World Nomads .

Other options for buying travel insurance

This guide details the policies of eight providers with the information available at the time of publication. There are many options when it comes to travel insurance, though. To compare different policies quickly, you can use a travel insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to search. Just note that these search engines won't show every policy and every provider, and you should still research the provided policies to ensure the coverage fits your trip and needs.

You can also purchase a plan through various membership associations, such as USAA, AAA or Costco. Typically, these organizations partner with a specific provider, so if you are a member of any of these associations, you may want to compare the policies offered through the organization with other policies to get the best coverage for your trip.

Related: Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?

Is travel insurance worth getting?

Whether you should purchase travel insurance is a personal decision. Suppose you use a credit card that provides travel insurance for most of your expenses and have medical insurance that provides adequate coverage abroad. In that case, you may be covered enough on most trips to forgo purchasing travel insurance.

However, suppose your medical insurance won't cover you at your destination and you can't comfortably cover a sizable medical evacuation bill or last-minute flight home . In that case, you should consider purchasing travel insurance. If you travel frequently, buying an annual multi-trip policy may be worth it.

What is the best COVID-19 travel insurance?

There are various aspects to keep in mind in the age of COVID-19. Consider booking travel plans that are fully refundable or have modest change or cancellation fees so you don't need to worry about whether your policy will cover trip cancellation. This is important since many standard comprehensive insurance policies won't reimburse your insured expenses in the event of cancellation if it's related to the fear of traveling due to COVID-19.

However, if you book a nonrefundable trip and want to maintain the ability to get reimbursed (up to 75% of your insured costs) if you choose to cancel, you should consider buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy and then adding optional cancel for any reason protection. Just note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

Providers will often require CFAR purchasers insure the entire dollar amount of their travels to receive the coverage. Also, many CFAR policies mandate that you must cancel your plans and notify all travel suppliers at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Likewise, if your primary health insurance won't cover you while on your trip, it's essential to consider whether medical expenses related to COVID-19 treatment are covered. You may also want to consider a MedJet medical transport membership if your trip is to a covered destination for coronavirus-related evacuation.

Ultimately, the best pandemic travel insurance policy will depend on your trip details, travel concerns and your willingness to self-insure. Just be sure to thoroughly read and understand any terms or exclusions before purchasing.

What are the different types of travel insurance?

Whether you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or rely on the protections offered by select credit cards, you may have access to the following types of coverage:

• Baggage delay protection may reimburse for essential items and clothing when a common carrier (such as an airline) fails to deliver your checked bag within a set time of your arrival at a destination. Typically, you may be reimbursed up to a particular amount per incident or per day.
• Lost/damaged baggage protection may provide reimbursement to replace lost or damaged luggage and items inside that luggage. However, valuables and electronics usually have a relatively low maximum benefit.
• Trip delay reimbursement may provide reimbursement for necessary items, food, lodging and sometimes transportation when you're delayed for a substantial time while traveling on a common carrier such as an airline. This insurance may be beneficial if weather issues (or other covered reasons for which the airline usually won't provide compensation) delay you.
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection may provide reimbursement if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for a covered reason, such as a death in your family or jury duty.
• Medical evacuation insurance can arrange and pay for medical evacuation if deemed necessary by the insurance provider and a medical professional. This coverage can be particularly valuable if you're traveling to a region with subpar medical facilities.
• Travel accident insurance may provide a payment to you or your beneficiary in the case of your death or dismemberment.
• Emergency medical insurance may provide payment or reimburse you if you must seek medical care while traveling. Some plans only cover emergency medical care, but some also cover other types of medical care. You may need to pay a deductible or copay.
• Rental car coverage may provide a collision damage waiver when renting a car. This waiver may reimburse for collision damage or theft up to a set amount. Some policies also cover loss-of-use charges assessed by the rental company and towing charges to take the vehicle to the nearest qualified repair facility. You generally need to decline the rental company's collision damage waiver or similar provision to be covered.

Should I buy travel health insurance?

If you purchase travel with credit cards that provide various trip protections, you may not see much need for additional travel insurance. However, you may still wonder whether you should buy travel medical insurance.

If your primary health insurance covers you on your trip, you may not need travel health insurance. Your domestic policy may not cover you outside the U.S., though, so it's worth calling the number on your health insurance card if you have coverage questions. If your primary health insurance wouldn't cover you, it's likely worth purchasing travel medical insurance. After all, as you can see above, travel medical insurance is often very modestly priced.

How much does travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance costs depend on various factors, including the provider, the type of coverage, your trip cost, your destination, your age, your residency and how many travelers you want to insure. That said, a standard travel insurance plan will generally set you back somewhere between 4% and 10% of your total trip cost. However, this can get lower for more basic protections or become even higher if you include add-ons like cancel for any reason protection.

The best way to determine how much travel insurance will cost is to price out your trip with a few providers discussed in the guide. Or, visit an insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to quickly compare options across multiple providers.

When and how to get travel insurance

For the most robust selection of available travel insurance benefits — including time-sensitive add-ons like CFAR protection and waivers of preexisting conditions for eligible travelers — you should ideally purchase travel insurance on the same day you make your first payment toward your trip.

However, many plans may still offer a preexisting conditions waiver for those who qualify if you buy your travel insurance within 14 to 21 days of your first trip expense or deposit (this time frame may vary by provider). If you don't need a preexisting conditions waiver or aren't interested in CFAR coverage, you can purchase travel insurance once your departure date nears.

You must purchase coverage before it's needed. Some travel medical plans are available for purchase after you have departed, but comprehensive plans that include medical coverage must be purchased before departing.

Additionally, you can't buy any medical coverage once you require medical attention. The same applies to all travel insurance coverage. Once you recognize the need, it's too late to protect your trip.

Once you've shopped around and decided upon the best travel insurance plan for your trip, you should be able to complete your purchase online. You'll usually be able to download your insurance card and the complete policy shortly after the transaction is complete.

Related: 7 times your credit card's travel insurance might not cover you

Bottom line

Not all travel insurance policies and providers are equal. Before buying a plan, read and understand the policy documents. By doing so, you can choose a plan that's appropriate for you and your trip — including the features that matter most to you.

For example, if you plan to go skiing or rock climbing, make sure the policy you buy doesn't contain exclusions for these activities. Likewise, if you're making two back-to-back trips during which you'll be returning home for a short time in between, be sure the plan doesn't terminate coverage at the end of your first trip.

If you're looking to cover a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition, select a policy with a preexisting condition waiver and fulfill the requirements for the waiver. After all, buying insurance won't help if your policy doesn't cover your losses.

Disclaimer : This information is provided by IMT Services, LLC ( InsureMyTrip.com ), a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 5119217) and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. IMT's services are only available in states where it is licensed to do business and the products provided through InsureMyTrip.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not create or modify any insurance policy terms in any way. For more information, please visit www.insuremytrip.com .

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11 Best Travel Insurance Companies in May 2024

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that travelers need to be prepared for the unexpected — from a pandemic to flight troubles to the crowded airport terminals so many of us have encountered.

If you don't have sufficient travel insurance coverage via your credit card , you can supplement your policies with third-party plans.

Whether you’re looking for an international travel insurance plan, emergency medical care or a policy that includes extreme sports, these are the best travel insurance providers to get you covered.

How we found the best travel insurance

We looked at quotes from various companies for a 10-day trip to Mexico in September 2024. The traveler was a 55-year-old woman from Florida who spent $3,000 total on the trip, including airfare.

On average, the price of each company’s most basic coverage plan was $126.53. The costs displayed below do not include optional add-ons, such as Cancel For Any Reason coverage or pre-existing medical condition coverage.

Read our full analysis about the average cost of travel insurance so you can budget better for your next trip.

However, depending on the plan, you may be able to customize at an added cost.

As we continue to evaluate more travel insurance companies and receive fresh market data, this collection of best travel insurance companies is likely to change. See our full methodology for more details.

Best insurance companies

Types of travel insurance

What does travel insurance cover, what’s not covered, how much does it cost, do i need travel insurance, how to choose the best travel insurance policy, what are the top travel destinations in 2024, more resources for travel insurance shoppers, top credit cards with travel insurance, methodology, best travel insurance overall: berkshire hathaway travel protection.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

• ExactCare Value (basic) plan is among the least expensive we surveyed.
• Speciality plans available for road trips, luxury travel, adventure activities, flights and cruises.
• Company may reimburse claimants faster than average, including possible same-day compensation.
• Multiple "Trip Delay" coverage types might make claims confusing.
• Cheapest plan only includes fixed amounts for its coverage.

Under the direction of chair and CEO Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has been around since 2014. Its plans provide numerous opportunities for travelers to customize coverage to their needs.

At $135 for our sample trip, the ExactCare Value (basic) plan from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection offers protection roughly $10 above the average price.

Want something cheaper? Air travelers looking for inexpensive, less comprehensive protections might opt for a basic AirCare plan that includes fixed amounts for its coverage .

Read our full review of Berkshire Hathaway .

What else makes Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection great:

Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers available at nearly all plan levels. 

Plans available for travelers going on a cruise, participating in extreme sports or taking a luxury trip.

ExactCare Value (basic) plan was among the least expensive we surveyed.

Best for emergency medical coverage: Allianz Global Assistance

Annual or single-trip policies are available.

• Multiple types of insurance available.
• All plans include access to a 24/7 assistance hotline.
• More expensive than average.
• CFAR upgrades are not available.
• Rental car protection is only available by adding the One Trip Rental Car protector to your plan or by purchasing a standalone rental car plan.

Allianz Global Assistance is a reputable travel insurance company offering plans for over 25 years. Customers can choose from a variety of single and annual policies to fit their needs. On top of comprehensive coverage, some travelers might opt for the more affordable OneTrip Cancellation Plus, which is geared toward domestic travelers looking for trip protections but don’t need post-departure benefits like emergency medical or baggage lost.

For our test trip, Allianz Global Assistance’s basic coverage cost $149, about $22 above average.

What else makes Allianz Global Assistance great:

Annual and single-trip plans.

Plans are available for international and domestic trips.

Stand-alone and add-on rental car damage product available.

Read our full review of Allianz Global Assistance .

Best for travelers with pre-existing medical conditions: Travel Guard by AIG

Travel Guard by AIG

• Offers last-minute coverage.
• Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Exclusion Waiver available at all plan levels.
• Plan available for business travelers.
• Cancel For Any reason coverage only available for higher-level plans, and only reimburses up to 50% of the trip cost.
• Trip interruption coverage doesn't apply to trips paid for with points and miles.

Travel Guard by AIG offers a variety of plans and coverages to fit travelers’ needs. On top of more standard trip protections like trip cancellation, interruption, baggage and medical coverage, the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is available on certain Travel Guard plans, which allows you to cancel a trip for any reason and get 50% of your nonrefundable deposit back as long as the trip is canceled at least two days before the scheduled departure date.

At $107 for our sample trip, the Essential plan was below average, saving roughly $20.

What else makes Travel Guard by AIG great:

Three comprehensive plans and a Pack N' Go plan for last-minute travelers who don't need cancellation benefits.

Flight protection, car rental, and medical evacuation coverage, as well as annual plans available.

Pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver available on all plan levels, as long as it's purchased within 15 days.

Read our full review of Travel Guard by AIG .

Best for those who pack expensive equipment: Travel Insured International

Travel Insured International

• Higher-level plan include optional add-ons for event tickets and for electronic equipment
• Rental car protection add-on for just $8 per day, even on lower-level plan.
• Many of the customizations are only available on the higher-tier plan.
• Coverage cost comes in above average in our latest analysis.

Travel Insured International offers several customization options. For instance, those going to see a show may want to add on event ticket registration fee protection. Traveling with expensive gear?Consider adding on coverage for electronic equipment for up to $2,000 in coverage.

Be sure to check which policies are available in your state. You will need to input your destination, residence, trip dates and the number of travelers to get a quote and see coverages.

What else makes Travel Insured International great:

Comprehensive plans include medical expense reimbursement accidents, sickness, evacuation and pre-existing conditions, depending on the plan.

Flight plans include coverage for missed and canceled flights and lost or stolen baggage.

Read our full review of Travel Insured International .

Best for adventurous travelers: World Nomads

World Nomads

• Travelers can extend coverage mid-trip.
• The standard plan covers up to $300,000 in emergency evacuation costs.
• Plans automatically cover 200+ adventurous activities.
• No Cancel For Any Reason upgrades are available.
• No pre-existing medical condition waivers are available.

Many travel insurance plans contain exclusions for adventure sports activities. If you plan to ski, bungee jump, windsurf or parasail, this might be a plan to consider.

Note that the Standard plan ($72 for our sample trip), while the most affordable, provides less coverage than other plans. But it can be a good choice for travelers who are satisfied with trip cancellation and interruption coverage of $2,500 or less, do not need rental car damage protection, find the limits to be sufficient and do not need coverage for certain more adventurous activities.

What else makes World Nomads great:

Comprehensive international travel insurance plans.

Coverage available for adventure activities, such as trekking, mountain biking and scuba diving.

Read our full review of World Nomads .

Best for medical coverage: Travelex Insurance Services

Travelex Insurance Services

• Top-tier plan doesn’t break the bank and provides more customization opportunities.
• Offers a plan specifically for domestic travel.
• Sells a post-departure medical coverage plan.
• Fewer customization opportunities on the Basic plan.
• Though perhaps a plus for domestic travelers, keep in mind the Travel America plan only covers domestic trips.

For starters, basic coverage from Travelex Insurance Services came in at $125, almost exactly average for our sample trip.

Travelex’s plans focus heavily on providing protections that are personalized to your travel style and trip type.

While the company does offer comprehensive plans that include medical benefits, you can also choose between cheaper plans that don’t provide cancellation coverage but do offer protections during your travels.

Read our full review of Travelex Insurance Services .

What else makes Travelex Insurance Services great:

Three comprehensive plans available, two of which cover international trips.

Offers a post-departure plan geared exclusively toward disruptions after you leave home.

Two flight insurance plans available.

Best if you have travel credit card coverage: Seven Corners

Seven Corners

• Annual, medical-only and backpacker plans are available.
• Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is available for the cheapest plan.
• Cheapest plan also features a much less costly Interruption for Any Reason add-on.
• Offers only one annual policy option.

Each Seven Corners plan offers several optional add-ons. Among the more unique is a Trip Interruption for Any Reason, which allows you to interrupt a trip 48 hours after the scheduled departure date (for any reason) and receive a refund of up to 75% of your unused nonrefundable deposits.

» Jump to the best cards with travel insurance

The basic coverage plan for our trip to Mexico costs $124 — right around the average.

What else makes Seven Corners great:

Comprehensive plans for U.S. residents and foreigners, including travelers visiting the U.S.

Cheap add-ons for rental car damage, sporting equipment rental or trip interruption for any reason.

Read our full review of Seven Corners .

Best for long-term travelers: IMG

• Coverage available for adventure travelers.
• Special medical insurance for ship captains and crew members, international students and missionaries.
• Claim approval can be lengthy.

While some travel insurance companies offer just a handful of plans, with IMG, you’ll really have your pick. Though this requires a bit more research, it allows you to search for coverage that fits your travel needs.

However, travelers will want to be aware that IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel Lite is expensive. Coming in at $149.85, it’s the costliest plan on our list.

Read our full review of IMG .

What else makes IMG great:

More affordable than average.

Many plans to choose from to fit your needs.

Best for travelers with unpredictable work demands: Tin Leg

• In addition Cancel For Any Reason, some plans offer cancel for work reason coverage.
• Adventure sports-specific coverage is available.
• Plans have overlap that can be hard to distinguish.
• Only one plan includes Rental Car Damage coverage available as an add-on.

Tin Leg’s Basic plan came in at $134 for our sample trip, adding about $8 onto the average basic policy cost. Note that you’ll pay a lot more if you shop for the most comprehensive coverage, and there are eight plans to choose from for trips abroad.

The multitude of plans can help you find coverage that fits your needs, but with so many to choose from, deciding can be daunting.

The only real way to figure out your ideal plan is to compare them all, look at the plan details and decide which features and coverage suit you and your travel style best.

Read our full Tin Leg review .

Best for booking travel with points and miles: TravelSafe

• Covers up to $300 redepositing points and miles on eligible canceled award flights.
• Optional add-on protection for business equipment or sports rentals.
• Multi-trip or year-long plans aren’t available.

Selecting your travel insurance plan with TravelSafe is a fairly straightforward process. The company’s website also makes it easy to visualize how optional add-on elements influence the total cost, displaying the final price as soon as you click the coverage.

However, at $136, the Basic plan was among the more expensive for our trip to Mexico.

What else makes TravelSafe great:

Rental car damage coverage add-on is available on both plans.

Cancel For Any Reason coverage available on the TravelSafe Classic plan.

Read our full TravelSafe review .

Best for group travel insurance: HTH Insurance

HTH Travel Insurance

• Covers travelers up to 95 years old.
• Includes direct pay option so members can avoid having to pay up front for services.
• A 24-hour delay is required for baggage delay coverage on the TripProtector Economy plan.
• No waivers for pre-existing conditions on the lower-level plan.

HTH offers single-trip and multitrip medical insurance coverage as well as trip protection plans.

At around $125, the Trip Protector Economy policy is at the average mark for plans we reviewed.

You can choose to insure group trips for educators, crew, religious missionaries and corporate travelers.

What else makes HTH Insurance great:

Medical-only coverage and trip protection coverage.

Lots of options for group travelers.

Read our full review of HTH Insurance .

As you shop for travel insurance, you’ll find many of the same coverage categories across numerous plans.

Trip cancellation

This covers the prepaid costs you make for your trip in cases when you need to cancel for a covered reason. This coverage helps you recoup upfront costs paid for flights and nonrefundable hotel reservations.

Trip interruption

Trip interruption benefits generally involve disruptions after you depart. It helps reimburse costs incurred for flight delays, cancellations and plenty of other covered disruptions you might encounter during your travels.

This coverage can cover the costs for you to return home or reimburse unexpected expenses like an extra hotel stay, meals and ground transportation.

Trip delay coverage helps cover unexpected costs when your trip is delayed. This is another coverage that helps offset the costs of flight trouble or other travel disruptions.

Note that many policies have a total amount a traveler can claim, with caps on per diem benefits, too.

Cancel For Any Reason

Cancel For Any Reason coverage allows you to recoup some of the upfront costs you paid for a trip even if you’re canceling for a reason not otherwise covered by your standard travel insurance policy.

Typically, adding this protection to your plan costs extra.

Baggage delay

This coverage helps cover the costs of essential items you might need when your luggage is delayed. Think toiletries, clothing and other immediate items you might need if your luggage didn’t make it on your flight.

Many travel insurance plans with baggage delay protection will specify how long (six, 12, 24 hours, etc.) your luggage must be delayed before you can make a claim.

Lost baggage

Used for travelers whose luggage is lost or stolen, this helps recoup the lost value of the items in your bag.

You’ll want to make sure you closely follow the correct procedures for your plan. Many plans include a maximum total amount you can claim under this coverage and a per-item cap.

Travel medical insurance

This covers out-of-pocket medical costs when travelers run into an emergency.

Because many travelers’ health insurance plans don’t cover medical care overseas, travel medical insurance can help offset out-of-pocket health care costs.

In addition to emergency medical coverage, many plans have medical evacuation or repatriation coverage for costs incurred when you must be taken to a hospital or return to your home country because of a medical situation.

Most travel insurance plans cover many trip protections that can help you be prepared for unexpected travel disruptions and expenses.

These coverages are generally aimed at protecting the money you put into your trip, expenses you incur because of travel trouble and costs incurred if you have a medical emergency overseas.

On top of core coverages like trip cancellation and interruption and travel medical coverage, some plans offer add-on options like waivers for pre-existing conditions, rental car collision damage waivers or adventure sports riders. These usually cost extra or must be added within a specified timeframe.

Typical travel insurance policies offer coverage for many unforeseen events, but as you research to select a plan, consider your needs. Though every plan differs, there are some commonly excluded coverages.

For instance, you typically can’t get coverage for a named storm if you bought the coverage after the storm was named. In other words, if you have a trip to the Caribbean booked for Sept. 25 and on Sept. 20 a hurricane develops and is named, you generally won’t be able to buy a travel insurance plan Sept. 21 in hopes of getting your money back.

Many plans also don’t cover activities performed under the influence of drugs or alcohol or any extreme sports. If the latter applies to you, you might want to consider a plan with specific coverages for adventure-seekers.

For numerous plans, a few other situations don’t qualify as an acceptable reason to cancel and make a claim, such as fear of travel, medical tourism or pregnancies (unless you booked a trip and bought insurance before you became pregnant or there are complications with the pregnancy). This is where a Cancel For Any Reason add-on to your coverage can be helpful.

You can also run into trouble if you give up on a trip too soon: a minor (or even multihour) flight delay likely isn’t sufficient to cancel your entire trip and get reimbursed through your plan. Be sure to review what requirements your specific plan has when it comes to canceling a trip, claiming trip interruption, etc.

Travel insurance costs vary widely. The final price of your plan will fluctuate based on your age, length of trip and destination.

It will also depend on how much coverage you need, whether you add on specialized policies (like Cancel For Any Reason or pre-existing conditions coverage), whether you plan to participate in extreme sports and other factors.

In our examples above, for instance, the 35-year-old traveler taking a $2,000 trip to Italy would have spent an average $76 for a basic plan to get coverage for things like trip cancellation and interruption, baggage protection, etc. That’s a little less than 4% of the total trip cost — lower than average.

If there were multiple members in a traveling party or if they were going on, say, a rock-climbing or bungee-jumping excursion, the costs would go up.

On average, travel insurance comes to about 5% to 10% of the trip cost. However, considering many of the plans reimburse up to 100% of the trip cost (or more) for disruptions like trip cancellation or interruption, it can be a worthwhile expense if something goes wrong.

It depends. Consider the following factors that might affect your decision: You’re young and healthy, all your bookings are refundable or cancelable without a penalty, your flights are nonstop, you’re not checking bags and a credit card you carry offers some travel protections . In that case, travel insurance might not be necessary.

On the other hand, if you prepaid a large chunk of money for a nonrefundable African safari, you’re going on a Caribbean cruise in the middle of a hurricane season or you’re going somewhere where the cost of health care is high, it’s not a bad idea to buy a travel insurance plan. Here’s how to find the best travel insurance coverage for you.

If you’re thinking of booking a trip and not planning to buy travel insurance, you may want to consider at least booking refundable airfare and not prepaying for hotel, rental car and activity reservations. That way, if something goes wrong, you can cancel without losing any money.

Selecting the best travel insurance policy comes down to your needs, concerns, preferences and budget.

As you book, take a few minutes to consider what most concerns you. Is it getting stranded because of flight trouble? Having the ability to cancel for any reason you see fit without losing money? Getting sick or injured right before departure and needing to postpone the trip? Injuring yourself or falling ill while overseas?

Ultimately, you want a plan that protects you, your money and the large investment in your trip — but doesn’t cost too much, either.

Medical coverage. If your priority is having adequate medical coverage abroad, you might want to look for plans with high limits for medical emergencies and medical evacuation.

Complex travel itinerary. If your itinerary has lots of flight connections, prepaid hotels and deposits for activities you can’t get back, prioritizing a plan with the best coverage for trip cancellations or interruptions may land at the top of your list.

Travel uncertainty. If you’re on the fence about a trip and have nonrefundable reservations, you may want to select a plan with a Cancel For Any Reason coverage option, which can help you recoup about 50% to 75% of the costs. This helps provide peace of mind, placing the decision on whether to travel entirely in your hands.

Car rentals. If you’re renting a car, a collision damage waiver is often worth looking into.

The following destinations are the top insured destinations in 2024, according to Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner).

The Bahamas.

Costa Rica.

Antarctica.

In 2022, travelers spent about 25.53% more on trips than they did before the pandemic.

As of December, NerdWallet analysis determined travel prices are 10% higher than pre-pandemic. Each statistic makes a strong case for protecting your travel investment as you plan your next trip.

Bookmark these resources to help you make smart money moves as you shop for travel insurance.

What is travel insurance?

CFAR explained.

Is travel insurance worth getting?

10 credit cards that provide travel insurance.

Here is the list of travel cards offered by Chase that include various forms of travel insurance.

Having one of these in your wallet is a good start to protecting your travel investments and preventing expensive accidents; however, savvy travelers check card terms closely and sometimes supplement with a third-party policy, like from one of the companies above, to better protect themselves.

on Chase's website

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 12 hours.

• Car rentals: Theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.

• Trip interruption: Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for three days.

We used the following factors to choose insurance providers to highlight:

Breadth of coverage: We looked at how many plans each company offered plus the range of their standard plans. 

Depth of coverage: We considered two data points to get a sense of how much each company pays out for common travel issues — the maximum caps for trip cancellation and trip interruption claims.

Cost: By looking at the costs for basic coverage across multiple companies, we determined an average cost for shoppers to benchmark plan prices against.

Customizability: While standard plans can cover a lot of ground, sometimes you need something a little more personal.

Customer satisfaction. Using data from Squaremouth when available, and Google Reviews as a backup, we can give kudos to companies with better track records from their clients.

No, it doesn’t necessarily get more expensive the longer you wait to purchase. However, as you put off buying insurance, you may lose access to potential plans and coverage options.

In general, buying travel insurance within a few days to two weeks of prepaying or making an initial deposit for your trip is your best bet. Assuming you’re not booking last-minute, this will provide you with access to the widest possible range of coverage options. It also helps prevent any medical conditions or storms that pop up between booking and buying a plan from ending up as excluded situations, which won’t be covered by your plan.

But, generally, many plans do allow you to buy coverage quite close to your departure date.

To get the most out of your travel insurance plan, buy it soon after making your initial prepayment or deposit to ensure you have access to the biggest menu of plans possible.

Select a plan that’s comprehensive enough to cover the travel scenarios you’re most concerned about or likely to encounter but not too expensive or laden with protections you’d never likely need.

Whatever your coverage, thoroughly review the plan so you understand what’s covered and what’s not, plus how to adhere to the plan’s rules for making a claim.

Travelers frequently use phrases like “trip insurance” and “travel insurance,” as well as “trip protection,” interchangeably, but they do mean different things, according to Stan Sandberg, founder of insurance comparison site TravelInsurance.com.

Trip insurance, or trip protection, generally refers to predeparture (or preevent) coverage if you need to cancel. You may see these plans sold by airlines, online travel agencies or even ticketed event sellers.

“You could refer to it as the portion that protects the investment in the trip,” Sandberg says.

A travel insurance plan typically includes that — plus more comprehensive benefits to protect you during your trip, from medical coverage to trip delay and lost baggage protections, and many more elements, depending on the plan.

Though travel insurance is typically not required for international trips, your personal circumstances will play a key role in whether it’s a good investment.

For instance, young, healthy travelers with few prepaid trip expenses embarking on a relatively risk-free trip may not see a need to buy a plan.

Older travelers with complicated itineraries who are visiting destinations where they could potentially fall ill or get injured — or who could encounter bad weather or some other disrupting factor along the way — may want to buy coverage.

Consider a few key questions:

How well would your health insurance plan cover you if you needed to visit a hospital overseas?

How much did you prepay for a hotel or rental car?

How much money would you be out if weather or some other flight issue derailed your itinerary?

Could you afford an unexpected night in a city where you have a connecting flight?

Do you already have a credit card that provides some travel protections?

Your answers to these questions can help you decide whether you need travel insurance for your international trip.

In general, buying travel insurance

within a few days to two weeks of prepaying or making an initial deposit

for your trip is your best bet. Assuming you’re not booking last-minute, this will provide you with access to the widest possible range of coverage options. It also helps prevent any medical conditions or storms that pop up between booking and buying a plan from ending up as excluded situations, which won’t be covered by your plan.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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AIG Travel Guard insurance review: What you need to know

Whether you need an annual plan or a policy for a last-minute trip, travel guard can deliver..

Travel Guard is one of CNBC Select 's picks for best travel insurance , thanks to its wide range of customizable policies. But are any of them right for you? Below, we review the provider and its offers and how they compare to the competition to help you choose the right travel insurance for your next trip.

Travel Guard review

Other insurance offered, how it compares, bottom line, travel guard® travel insurance.

The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote

Policy highlights

Travel Guard offers a variety of plans to suit travel ranging from road trips to long cruises. For air travelers, Travel Guard can help assist with tracking baggage or covering lost or delayed baggage.

24/7 assistance available

• A variety of plans are available to help cover different types of trips
• Not all products are available for purchase online

Travel Guard® is a global travel insurance provider specializing in plans for leisure and business travelers. Its online travel insurance packages include five options, from basic and last-minute trip coverage to more comprehensive plans. This allows travelers to pick a plan that best matches their situation.

For example, budget-minded travelers might go for the Essential Plan which offers basic protections, such as trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance, coverage for lost, damaged and delayed baggage, and medical, evacuation and death coverage.

On the other hand, the Deluxe Plan — the most comprehensive option — adds such extras as missed connection coverage, security evacuation, travel inconvenience benefits and more. It also boosts high limits for essential coverages.

Last-minute travelers can opt for the Pack N' Go Plan which only includes certain post-departure coverages. Or, if you travel often, the Annual Plan can cover your trips throughout the year.

Finally, Travel Guard offers "offline" travel insurance packages, meaning you'll have to call if you're looking for a specialty plan.

Coverage types

Depending on the plan, here are the types of protection Travel Guard can include in your package:

• Trip cancellations
• Trip interruption
• Baggage coverage
• Baggage delay
• Travel medical expenses
• Travel inconvenience benefits (reimbursement for such situations as runway delays, cruise diversion and other unforeseen situations)
• Medical evacuation
• Trip Saver (reimbursement for meals, hotels and transportation if you need to begin your trip sooner due to weather or airline changes)
• Trip exchange (reimbursement in case you have to cancel your trip and book a new one due to covered unforeseen circumstances)
• Security evacuation (due to a riot or civil disorder)
• Flight guard (coverage for accidental death or dismemberment that occurs when traveling by plane)
• Pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver

You can also customize your plan with add-ons, such as car rental insurance and "cancel for any reason" coverage .

Travel Guard landed on our list of the best travel insurance companies thanks to its variety of coverage. With plenty of options to choose from, both online and offline, it's easy to build a policy that meets your needs.

Travel Guard also features 24-hour concierge services that you can use to book a new flight in case of an emergency or delay.

The provider's website also offers informational resources — here, you can check travel news, read safety tips and find general travel advice. Additionally, the website lets you modify your plan, file a claim and check its status, or apply for a voucher or refund.

As of writing, Travel Guard doesn't offer any discounts. That's common for travel insurance — you're more likely to find deals when shopping for other types of insurance, such as home and auto insurance .

Travel Guard is a portfolio of travel insurance and travel-related services offered by AIG Travel, a member of American International Group (AIG). AIG also offers life insurance and a variety of business insurance products.

Travel Guard makes it easy to get a travel insurance policy customized to your needs. But before you purchase coverage, it's always a good idea to shop around.

For example, if you're going on a cruise, you might want to look at Nationwide Travel Insurance . The provider advertises cruise-specific insurance with three plan options available. This type of coverage is designed with issues unique to cruises in mind — from ship-based breakdowns to missed pre-pard excursions.

If you're planning a more active trip filled with rock climbing or sky diving, Berkshire Hathaway offers the AdrenalineCare® plan which features coverage for unforeseen costs that result from participating in extreme sports on your trip, as well as reimbursement for sporting equipment delay. Pre-existing conditions are covered under this plan (if you meet qualifying conditions).

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has multiple plans to cover vacations from luxury travel to adventure travel. The brand's LuxuryCare offers the highest limits of travel insurance coverage offered by the company. Quotes and policies are available online.

As you can see, offerings vary by provider. It can be helpful to compare multiple companies and the plans they offer to find what works best for you. It's even better if you gather several quotes to ensure you're getting a good price for your policy.

Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.  Sign up here .

Travel Guard offers plenty of ways to customize your policy, making it a solid choice for travel insurance. You can also access additional options by giving Travel Guard a call. However, make sure to check out other travel insurance companies too — comparison shopping is essential when picking any type of financial product.

Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products . While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of  credit cards ,  banking  and  money , and follow us on  TikTok ,  Facebook ,  Instagram  and  Twitter  to stay up to date.

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AIG Travel Guard Insurance Coverage Review – Is It Worth It?

Christine Krzyszton

Senior Finance Contributor

310 Published Articles

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Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

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Director of Operations & Compliance

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Table of Contents

Why purchase travel insurance, aig travel guard — coverages and policy options, aig travel guard and covid-19, additional information — aig travel guard, how does aig travel guard compare, the value of travel insurance comparison websites, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Purchasing insurance for your home, auto, or your life, can be complicated and time-consuming if you want to compare coverages and premium costs between companies. Fortunately, the process of purchasing travel insurance is quite simple , and you can secure immediate coverage within minutes.

It all starts with determining the coverages that most important to you, securing a quote, then making sure you’re purchasing from an established, highly-rated company. One such established travel insurance company is AIG Travel Guard .

With over 25 years of experience and high ratings from premier insurance financial rating company A.M. Best , AIG Travel Guard was named the best travel insurance company of 2020 by Forbes . Its Travel Guard Deluxe policy was also given a top 5-star rating by Forbes’ insurance analysts.

We’ll certainly discuss AIG Travel Guard’s policy offerings in our article today but we also want to discuss why you’d want to purchase travel insurance , whether travel insurance covers COVID-19, the process for obtaining a quote, and additional resources to help ensure you’re receiving good value.

Plus, if you’re wondering if you need to purchase travel insurance or whether you might have enough coverage elsewhere, you’ll want to read on.

While the primary reasons for purchasing travel insurance are to protect your economic investment and to cover unexpected additional expenses you might incur due to trip disruptions, purchasing travel insurance has another, more intangible, purpose.

Purchasing travel insurance can provide peace of mind prior to and during your trip as you won’t be worried that an unforeseen event will result in an economic loss. Knowing you have evacuation insurance when you’re traveling to a remote area on safari, for example, could be tremendously reassuring, even if you never use the coverage.

Here are some sample situations where travel insurance may provide coverage:

• Your sister is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and you must cancel your trip
• You broke your ankle and will not be able to go on your skiing trip
• You become ill and cannot travel
• You or your traveling companion is terminated or involuntarily laid off from your job
• You are summoned to jury duty or other legal action such as requiring you to appear as a witness

If your trip is expensive, complicated, or you need medical coverage while traveling, a travel insurance policy is a must.

Bottom Line: In addition to protecting your trip investment and covering unexpected expenses due to trip disruptions, travel insurance can also provide peace of mind before and during your travels. 

There’s probably nothing more boring than listing insurance coverages but it’s important to know the types of coverages you can expect when purchasing an AIG Travel Guard policy.

First, AIG Travel Guard offers 3 policy options for U.S. residents (not including NY residents), 3 separate options for NY residents, and 1 policy for Canadian residents.

• Tr avel Guard Essential
• Travel Guard Preferred
• Travel Guard Deluxe
• Travel Guard Essential Expanded — available to NY residents
• Travel Guard Protect Assist — available to NY residents
• Travel Guard Tour, Cruise, & Travel — available to NY residents
• Gold Trip Cancellation Policy — available to Canadian residents

Coverage options and limits will vary by policy, however, you can expect to find the core and optional coverages listed here.

Core Coverages

Here are the types of coverages you’ll find offered on AIG Travel Guard policies and the applicable coverage limits for each type of policy.

There are also additional coverages that may be included at no extra charge, depending on the policy type selected. Terms and conditions apply.

• 1 child under 17 per covered adult is included for no extra charge
• Pre-existing conditions waiver
• Trip exchange coverage
• Single occupancy fee coverage
• Evacuation for a security reason
• Non-flight accidental and dismemberment insurance
• Worldwide travel and medical assistance services

Optional Coverages for an Additional Fee

You may secure any of the following add-on coverages by paying an additional fee.

• Cancel for Any Reason Insurance — covers trip cancellation for any reason
• Rental vehicle damage — coverage for collision damage when renting a vehicle
• Pet bundle coverage — pet care, medical expenses, and adds pet illness to trip cancellation benefit
• Adventure sports coverage — coverage for higher risk adventure activities
• Increased lodging expense bundle — increases the amount covered under travel inconvenience benefit
• Wedding bundle — coverage when a destination wedding is canceled
• Name a family member bundle — select a traveler to be covered as a family member

Hot Tip: For more information and tips on purchasing travel insurance, start here in our article on travel insurance basics .

Travel insurance , in general, is designed to protect you from financial loss due to unforeseen events that may cause you to cancel your trip, or to cover disruptions that could occur during your journey. It is not meant to cover voluntary trip cancellations due to fear of getting ill.

Voluntary cancellations, including those that are related to the fear of getting ill, are not covered on travel insurance policies. However, there is 1 option for obtaining coverage for voluntarily canceling your trip.

Cancel for Any Reason insurance (CFAR) is an optional coverage that can be added to select travel insurance policies allowing you to cancel your trip for any reason you deem necessary and be covered for partial reimbursement.

AIG Travel Guard offers CFAR coverage as an optional add-on to add to its Preferred and Deluxe plans , with these stipulations:

• Must be purchased within 15 days of the initial trip deposit
• The trip must be canceled more than 48 hours prior to departure
• The full cost of the trip must be insured for at the time of purchase

Cancel for Any Reason insurance does not cover the entire cost of the trip. In this case, to add CFAR insurance to the Deluxe and Preferred plans above, the additional premium would be $53.31 for coverage to cover up to 50% of the trip price. Additional options may be available to cover up to 75% of the cost of your trip.

The above prices are for a single trip 1-week in length for a traveler of 40 years of age at a cost of $3,000.

AIG Travel Guard policies, even without the CFAR insurance add-on, offer coverage for trip cancellations due to COVID-19 related illness and also medical coverage should a covered traveler become sick with COVID-19 during their travels. Terms and conditions apply.

Bottom Line: While trip cancellation, trip interruption, and emergency medical may offer some coverage for illness, you must purchase Cancel for Any Reason insurance to have coverage for canceling a trip due to the fear of getting ill. AIG Travel Guard offers this coverage on its Deluxe and Preferred plans.

Point-of-Sale Availability — In addition to offering travel insurance package policies directly to the public, AIG Travel Guard offers travel insurance products via several travel providers including airlines and various travel services. You’ll find the option to purchase Travel Guard protection during the checkout process with companies such as United Airlines or Frontier Airlines when purchasing a flight and when making a travel purchase via Costco Travel .

Call for Additional Quotes — While AIG Travel Guard does sell annual multi-trip policies, you must call to request a quote. Adventure sports coverage, medevac coverage, and rental vehicle damage coverage quotes are also available via phone.

15-Day Free Look Period — If you decide, after you have reviewed your purchased policy, that you do not want it, you may receive a full refund.

Cruise Insurance Option — AIG Travel Guard offers cruise insurance that includes cruise diversion and other applicable coverages.

Filing a claim — to initiate a claim, you can either call AIG Travel Guard at 866-478-8222 or access travelguard.com to begin the process. You will need your policy number handy. Once your claim is submitted, you can check the status at claims.travelguard.com/status .

First, know that when purchasing a policy from AIG Travel Guard, you’re buying from a highly-rated established insurance company. Here’s how the company stacks up in relative comparison with other travel insurance companies.

To Other Travel Insurance Companies

Comparing travel insurance policies can be complicated as coverage limits and prices vary widely. We looked at a 1-week trip to Mexico for a traveler 40 years of age and a total trip cost of $3,000 as criteria for obtaining a quote.

AIG Travel Guard’s Preferred plan, which prices out at around $200, aligns with the John Hancock Bronze policy above. Add in CFAR coverage, however, and the comparison costs are closer to AIG Travel Guard’s $254 premium for its Preferred level plan that also includes CFAR.

This 1 example uses the criteria of a specific trip for an individual traveler of a certain age and may not reflect the same relative premium costs as other comparisons.

Your own individual traveler information, the number of travelers, trip length, destination, state of residence, selected coverages, and the total cost of your trip will ultimately determine the premium cost. Our example is just a narrow snapshot comparison.

Bottom Line: Travel insurance policy coverages and costs vary dramatically. To ensure you’re receiving good value, determine the coverages that are most important to you, compare policy options, and purchase from a reliable company. 

To Credit Card Travel Insurance

The travel insurance coverages that come complimentary on your credit cards are no substitute for a comprehensive travel insurance policy. With that being said, the coverage that comes with your credit card could be enough to cover some trips.

Here are some examples of trips where you may not need travel insurance and the coverage you have on your credit card could be sufficient.

• The trip consists of only a round trip domestic flight and hotel stay
• The trip is a road trip by car
• The trip does not include any non-refundable trip expenses
• The trip does not have several travel providers involved
• Your health insurance covers you while traveling and you are not worried about having additional medical coverage during your trip

Also, keep in mind that coverage offered on your credit card is generally secondary versus a primary travel insurance policy. This means you must first file a claim with other applicable insurance, including coverage with the airline or travel provider, for example, before the credit card coverage will kick in.

Bottom Line: If you have a significant investment at stake, several travel providers involved, or want medical coverage during your travels, you should purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy for your trip and not depend on a credit card with travel insurance . 

Travel insurance is widely available and competitive. You won’t have trouble purchasing some level of coverage regardless of your situation. Additionally, there are travel insurance comparison websites that make it easy to find a policy that fits and purchase coverage that is effective immediately.

These travel insurance comparison websites are each easy to use, have qualified people to assist, and all feature policies offered only by highly-rated companies.

Travelinsurance.com

• Instant coverage
• Simple format, easy to secure a quote quickly
• Guarantees the best price for the policy you’re purchasing

Squaremouth

• Features 20 companies with nearly 120 different policy options
• Its customer service team is award-winning
• You can access thousands of customer reviews

InsureMyTrip

• Educational content to assist you in understanding coverages
• Features 21 highly-rated companies
• Licensed agents can answer questions and assist with a claim

Bottom Line: Travel insurance comparison websites provide quick easy access to securing a quote, compare several high-rated travel insurance providers at once, and the benefit of receiving immediate coverage. 

While airlines and travel providers have made significant changes to cancellation, refund, and exchange policies, it’s still important to consider purchasing travel insurance if you’re uncomfortable with the possibility of losing your trip investment or incurring unexpected expenses during your journey.

In addition, if you need medical insurance coverage during your trip, you won’t find that coverage on a credit card or with the airlines — you’ll need to purchase it.

The fact that AIG Travel Guard does not exclude COVID-19 related claims under certain coverages and offers a Cancel for Any Reason add-on is significant as not every travel insurance company can make that claim.

Also, if you have children traveling with you, you may find good value with AIG Travel Guard having those under 17 included for no extra charge (1 per premium-paying adult).

The bottom line when purchasing travel insurance from AIG Travel Guard is that if you can secure the coverages you need at a price you’re comfortable with and you’ll know you’re completing that transaction with a highly-rated established company.

All information and content provided by Upgraded Points is intended as general information and for educational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice or legal advice. For more information, see our  Medical & Legal Disclaimers .

Frequently Asked Questions

Is aig travel guard a good travel insurance company.

AIG Travel Guard is a highly-rated established travel insurance company. It is rated A by the prominent insurance financial rating company A.M. Best and has been in business for over 25 years.

It was also named the best travel insurance company of 2020 by Forbes.

Does AIG Travel Guard cover trip cancellation?

Yes, AIG Travel Guard will cover trip cancellations but only for covered reasons listed in the policy. Examples of situations that may be covered include becoming ill and having to cancel your trip, being called for jury duty or other covered legal obligation, or your home becomes uninhabitable.

Does AIG Travel Guard cover flight cancellations due to COVID?

AIG Travel Guard, like other travel insurance companies, does not cover canceling a flight due to the fear of getting ill. However, if you become ill from COVID-19 and have to cancel your trip, you may have coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, or emergency medical if should become ill during your trip.

How do I make a claim with AIG Travel Guard?

You can file a claim with AIG Travel Guard by calling 866-478-8222 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST. You can also initiate a claim online at travelguard.com using your policy number and last name.

Once you have submitted a claim, you can check the status of your claim at claims.travelguard.com/status , using your claim number and last name.

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.

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AIG Travel Insurance: The Complete Guide

Everything you need to know before you buy AIG Travel insurance plans

For decades, AIG Travel , part of American International Group, Inc., has provided travel insurance options for many travelers. Marketed under Travel Guard, the company offers travel insurance solutions and travel-related services, including medical and security services, marketed to both leisure and business travelers around the globe.

If you have purchased a trip insurance plan in the past, it may have been provided by AIG Travel without you even knowing it: the company also creates custom policies for several smaller insurance brokers, airlines and even travel groups. Is AIG Travel the right company for your trip? 

About AIG Travel

AIG Travel is a member of American International Group, Inc., a global insurance company that provides everything ranging from property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services. Travel Guard is the marketing name that AIG Travel uses to advertise its portfolio of products.

Today, the company is headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisc., and serves travelers in 80 countries and jurisdictions through eight wholly-owned global service centers in key regions, including Houston, Texas; Stevens Point, Wisc.; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mexico City, Mexico; Sofia, Bulgaria; Okinawa, Japan; Shoreham, England; and Guangzhou, China. 

How Is AIG Travel Rated?

AIG Travel policies are underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., another subsidiary of AIG. As of June 2018, the policy writer has an A.M. Best A rating, putting them in the “Excellent” credit category with a stable outlook.

For customer service, AIG Travel is highly rated on three major travel insurance marketplaces online. With more than 400 reviews, AIG Travel has a five-star rating from TravelInsurance.com , with a 98 percent recommendation rate. Customers of InsureMyTrip.com give the company 4.56 stars (out of five). Although Squaremouth.com no longer offers AIG Travel policies anymore, previous customers gave the company 4.46 stars (out of five), with less than one percent negative reviews. 

What Travel Insurance Does AIG Travel Offer?

AIG Travel offers four plans for consumers, based on their needs and travel plans: Basic, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Although the Basic plan is not available direct through AIG Travel, it can be purchased through marketplaces like TravelInsurance.com. All travel insurance plans include travel medical assistance, worldwide travel assistance, LiveTravel® Emergency Assistance, and personal security assistance, but only take effect when travelers are at least 100 miles away from home.

Please note: All schedules of benefits are subject to change. For the most up-to-date coverage information, contact AIG Travel.

• Travel Guard Basic: Travel Guard Basic is the lowest level of coverage available through AIG Travel Guard, with the smallest benefits for trip cancellation , trip interruption , and trip delay. The basic plan offers 100 percent coverage of trip cancellation or trip interruption events (up to $100,000), but has very low coverage ceilings for return airfare due to trip interruption ($500 maximum), trip delay (maximum of $100 per day, up to $500), baggage loss ($500 before a $50 deductible) and baggage delay ($100 maximum). The basic plan includes an optional rental car damage policy for an additional price but does not include options for a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver or accidental death and dismemberment. Read the schedule of benefits here.
• Travel Guard Silver : Travel Guard Silver is the lowest level of coverage available directly through AIG Travel Guard. Described as “savvy coverage that helps give you peace of mind on a budget,” Travel Guard Silver offers more generous benefits for baggage delay and baggage loss ($750; $50 deductible) and accident sickness medical expenses ($15,000; $50 deductible). This plan also offers optional coverage for pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers, trip cancellation or interruption due to financial default and additional flight coverage. Typically, travelers who elect to purchase Travel Guard Silver over Travel Guard basic can expect to pay around 2.5% more. Read the schedule of benefits here.
• Travel Guard Gold : The most popular plan offered by AIG Travel Guard, Travel Guard Gold balances insurance costs with benefits. The Gold plan offers more money for trip interruption (150 percent, up to $150,000 maximum), return airfare due to trip interruption (the greater of $750 or 150 percent of the trip cost) and trip delay coverage ($150 per day maximum, up to $750 total). This plan also introduces several additional benefits, including baggage and travel document loss (up to $1,000), baggage delay ($300) and missed connection coverage (up to $250). When purchasing within 15 days of the initial trip payment, travelers may also be covered for pre-existing condition waivers, trip cancellation or interruption due to financial default and primary coverage for accident sickness medical expenses. Optional coverage levels include Cancel for Any Reason insurance (up to 50 percent of insured trip costs), car rental collision coverage and upgrades for medical expense and emergency evacuation coverage. Before any optional coverage, expect to pay 20 percent more for Travel Guard Gold compared to Travel Guard Silver. Read the schedule of benefits here.
• Travel Guard Platinum : Travel Guard Platinum is the highest level of coverage offered by AIG Travel Guard, with the biggest benefit levels. In addition to trip cancellation and trip interruption benefits, travelers can receive up to $1,000 for return air travel due to trip interruption, trip delay benefits of up to $200 per day ($1,000 maximum) and up to $500 in missed connection benefits. Like Travel Guard Gold, travelers who purchase their policy within 15 days of their initial trip payment may also receive the pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver, trip cancellation or interruption coverage due to financial default, primary accident sickness medical expense coverage and primary baggage and personal effects coverage. Optional policy add-ons include Cancel for Any Reason (up to 50 percent of insured trip costs), car rental collision coverage, and medical coverage upgrades. Because Travel Guard Platinum is the highest level of coverage available, it is also the most expensive: travelers should expect to pay between 50 and 60 percent more than Travel Guard Gold before any additional add-on coverage.  Read the schedule of benefits here.

What Won't AIG Travel Cover?

While AIG Travel offers plans to cover many common travel issues, they will not necessarily cover everything. Excluded situations include:

• Self-inflicted injuries: If you are in crisis while traveling, there are ways to get help anywhere around the world. Note that mental health care may not be covered by your travel insurance plan .
• Pregnancy or childbirth: In many situations, pregnancy or childbirth are not covered under AIG Travel plans.
• Dangerous activities: Planning on mountaineering, going motor racing, or participating in a professional-level athletic event? All of these situations are not covered under AIG Travel plans.
• Baggage loss for items seized by governments or customs officials: Before you return home, be sure to understand what may (or may not) be allowed in your home country. If you believe your items were stolen by customs or Transportation Security Administration officials , there is a separate protocol for reporting those losses.
• Baggage loss for eyeglasses, sunglasses, or hearing aids: Loss or replacement of prescription vision wear is not covered by AIG Travel.

This is just an abbreviated list of situations that may not be covered under AIG Travel trip insurance plans. For a full list, refer to the schedule of benefits of each plan, which are linked in the above content.

How Do I File a Claim With AIG Travel?

Travelers who purchased an AIG Travel plan in the United States can start their claims online . After starting an account online, travelers can file claims for the most common situations, including trip cancellation, baggage loss, and trip delay. Policyholders can also find documentation requirements online , as well as receive updates online. Those who have questions about their policies or claims can call AIG Travel direct at +1-866-478-8222.

The online claims tool is only available for American travelers who purchased their travel insurance plans in the United States. All other travelers should contact AIG Travel directly via their provided telephone number to start the claims process.

Who Is AIG Travel Best For?

At the Basic and Silver levels, AIG Travel is a very basic-level travel insurance plan that may cover those who do not already have trip coverage through a credit card or otherwise have access to a trip insurance plan. Before considering either of these AIG Travel plans, be sure to check that you don't already have coverage through the credit card used to pay for your trip.

If you are planning a major international trip, or are going on a big trip aboard a cruise line, AIG Travel Gold and Platinum may offer better coverage than a credit card. With large benefit levels and coverage already built in for pre-existing conditions when purchased within the first 15 days of an initial travel payment, Gold and Platinum can be a better bet for those who are spending money on a big vacation and want to make sure their trip runs smoothly.

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Best Travel Insurance: AIG Travel Guard vs Allianz vs Travelex vs World Nomads vs AXA & More

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You’ve been saving money for years to take that once-in-a-lifetime, dream vacation; you’re all booked and can’t wait for your big trip. It’s going to be a perfect escape — a week in a tropical paradise, Paris, or Peru. But what if reality rears its unfortunate head? Stuff happens when you least expect it, and you’re not immune just because you’re traveling.

Whether you have to cancel your trip, have a medical emergency, or disaster strikes while you’re on vacation, travel insurance can help save you from an utter financial loss — or an even larger financial burden. Our travel insurance reviews will help you determine which providers are right for you.

Table of Contents

Is COVID-19 Coverage Still Necessary?

As of February 2023, mandatory Covid travel insurance for most countries has now been waived. However, it is advisable to choose an insurance policy that includes Covid-related medical expenses, trip cancellation, delay, or disruption so you are covered in case Covid strikes you or your travel companions before or during your trip.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention still advises you not to travel if you have symptoms, so securing your travel insurance as soon as you book your trip would cover you if you contract the virus before traveling. Most policies now treat COVID like any other sickness, and trip cancelation and/or medical expenses related to COVID are therefore covered in the same way other illnesses are.

Be sure to read any policy’s fine print before purchasing travel insurance. Every policy is different, and certain exclusions may apply, so it’s important to know exactly what’s covered.

5 Things To Look Out For

• Check if the plan explicitly covers medical expenses for COVID-19. Some policies state it as a ‘known event,’ and therefore, your claim might be rejected.
• Look for trip cancellation coverage due to COVID-19 in case you contract the virus before traveling and need to cancel/postpone.
• Go for a policy with a 24-hour hotline where possible. This will give you peace of mind when traveling in different time zones and need urgent advice on what you are or are not covered for.
• Do not get caught out by your destination’s government restrictions. It is advisable to check your Covid cover if traveling to China or Singapore, for example.
• Finally, check, check, and check again, as Covid is still prevalent in most countries. You do not want to be hit with hefty medical expenses that might not be covered.

Best COVID-19 Policies

Get A Quote Now From SquareMouth

• April International Pandemic Plus Plan
• AXA Assistance USA Platinum Plan
• HTH Worldwide TripProtector Preferred Plan
• Trawick International Safe Travel Voyagers Plan

Which Travel Insurance Is Best?

We’ve chosen our travel insurance winners based on 6 factors:

• Company reputation
• Coverage payouts
• Variety of plans available
• Ease of claims process
• Customer service
• Policy pricing

A few things you need to know about pricing: policy pricing depends upon the age of travelers; many policies discount rates for kids; travelers over 65 should expect to pay more. And be aware: not all providers and policies are available in every state.

Travel insurance can be confusing even if you read the fine print (which you should always do). Therefore, we’ve included a terminology section below to help you understand the details of some benefits and what you need to keep in mind. This section can help you if you don’t understand some of the features we cover in our reviews.

We broke up our top picks into several categories to help you choose the policy that best meets your needs. Here are our winners in the following categories:

• Overall Coverage
• Trip Cancellation & Interruption
• Emergency Medical
• Travel With Kids
• Lost Luggage & Missed Connections
• Adventure Seekers

Best Overall: Generali Global Assistance Review (Formally CSA Travel Protection)

Free Quote At SquareMouth

Generali Global Assistance (formerly CSA Travel Protection) wins our top nod for the best overall travel insurance for its very high payout rates for nearly everything it covers (and they cover a lot). They also offer some perks many other companies don’t — ID theft resolution services, lost or stolen prescription coverage, and up to $1,000 emergency medical coverage without having to file a claim (although you must visit one of their network’s healthcare providers to qualify).

This California-based company has been in business for 25+ years and has built a great reputation for itself. They only offer three package plans; however, they recently added the ability to file claims online.

Best For Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe Review

TravelSafe provides some of the best trip cancellation and cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage in the industry — at extremely competitive pricing. TravelSafe offers two comprehensive plans, and their policy pricing is a good value for overall coverage, and they offer fantastic customer support.

They also offer excellent missed connection coverage and high payouts for lost or delayed luggage. You can also file and check your claim status through their website. Travel Safe has been in business since 1971 and has a solid reputation for continued customer satisfaction.

Personal Experience

Personally, whenever I travel, I always purchase TravelSafe cancel for any reason coverage. In March 2019, I had to cancel a trip due to a reason that’s normally not covered by travel insurance. Cancel for any reason helped me recoup 75% of the cost. I also found the claims process to be straightforward and hassle-free. – Neil G.

Read Our In-Depth TravelSafe Review

Best For Emergency Medical Coverage: Seven Corners Review

In business since 1993, Seven Corners is a well-established insurance provider and offers a wide variety of travel insurance plans. You can choose from three comprehensive travel insurance plans that include coverage similar to what other companies offer at competitive prices.

What’s great about Seven Corners is its high medical emergency and repatriation cover should you need it. The testimonials make it clear that travelers have not had to worry about medical bills when needing medical attention abroad. In addition, pre-existing medical conditions are covered when choosing the highest plan. They also have an annual plan for frequent travelers, two student policies, and plans for non-U.S. residents . Seven Corners’ plans have affordable prices, and consumers find them reputable and easy to work with.

Best For Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard Review

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In business for more than 20 years, AIG Travel Guard is the largest global travel insurance provider, serving more than six million travelers each year. Travel Guard offers three popular comprehensive plans to fit almost any budget. Its Gold and Silver comprehensive plans even insure kids for free (one child per paying adult).

Travel Guard’s highest comprehensive plan is among the most expensive we’ve reviewed once you tack on all the add-ons, but, hey, if you’re traveling with kids, we feel it’s well worth it. They give you the option of purchasing the cancel for any reason add-on to cover either 50% or 75% (the 50% option is much cheaper).

Best For Lost Luggage & Missed Connections: AXA Assistance USA Review

AXA is a global insurance company that’s been in business for more than 50 years. Travel insurance is a branch of their overall insurance offerings. AXA Assistance USA offers reliable travel insurance for domestic and international travel, and they offer three policy levels plus some add-ons.

Overall, their policy prices are extremely competitive, and they offer some sizeable payouts compared to the bigger travel insurance names. What’s more, AXA’s cancel for any reason add-on pricing is far lower than most. Add that on top of an extremely affordable base Platinum Plan, and you’ve got a super deal.

With AXA you get a major global presence and some nice features, including ID theft resolution, concierge, and translation services. At their highest plan, they also cover missed golf and skiing trips, lost sports equipment, and pet boarding fees if you face a delay.

Best For Adventure Seekers: World Nomads Review

World Nomads’ policy pricing is far below average but lacks a lot of coverage that other travel insurance providers offer. Where World Nomads shines is for adventure seekers. Their medical expenses coverage provides for accidents while taking part in more than 100 different sports and physical activities . Most companies don’t offer this or charge an added fee. They also include rental car damage coverage in their policy.

Most of World Nomads’ payouts are far below their competitors, and they don’t offer cancel for any reason coverage, or pre-existing medical conditions. If you’re a healthy risk-taker, World Nomads could be just the ticket for your adventure.

Side-By-Side Comparison

The following coverage amounts are for each company’s highest plan. All of the companies reviewed have 24/7 emergency hotlines.

What Are My Other Options?

Below, you’ll find an alphabetical listing of other travel insurance companies we’ve reviewed.

Allianz Travel Assistance | Travel Insured International  | USI Affinity

Allianz Travel Review

Virginia-based Allianz Travel (previously Allianz Global Assistance) is a big player in the travel insurance industry, with 35 million customers. Allianz offers various plans for domestic and international travel, so you have some choices about how much coverage you want. Most of their payouts, however, are less than what you’ll find elsewhere.

A huge perk with Allianz’s higher-level plans is that kids 17 and under are covered for free when traveling with parents or grandparents. Allianz also offers an option of annual travel insurance coverage for people who frequently travel during the year. The policy pricing is lower than their one-trip plans, but the payouts per trip are also much lower.

Travel Insured International Review

Travel Insured International (TII) is another well-established company, in business for more than 20 years. Their policy pricing is competitive, and overall their payouts are about average compared to the top travel insurance providers. TII is the only provider we reviewed that includes both cancel for any reason and trip interruption for any reason in their highest policy.

USI Affinity: Travel Insurance Services Review

USI Affinity has an excellent reputation and loyal customer base, with more than 40 years of providing reliable travel insurance under its belt. They offer fairly competitive payouts for most benefits and are one of a few companies that include rental car damage in their plan pricing. They’re also one of few providers we’ve seen that offer an add-on for trip interruption for any reason .

Where USI Affinity falls short compared to companies that provide comparable payouts is higher than average pricing (especially for their two higher plans) and nearly double the trip delay time required before you can make a claim. Still, depending on your needs, USI Affinity may be worth your consideration.

Read Our In-Depth USI Affinity Review

Beyond The Boundaries Of Travel Insurance

Are you a student traveler, or do you travel to potentially life-threatening destinations? If so, the following sites may be of interest to you for coverage you won’t find with traditional travel insurance providers.

Global Rescue

If you’re traveling to a high-risk area of the world, you may want to join Global Rescue , the world’s leading membership organization providing emergency services to individuals, families, enterprises, and governments. Membership gives you access to travel assistance and insurance, medical evacuation and advisory services, field rescue, security advisory, extraction services, and more.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

Severe weather, medical problems, mechanical problems with transportation — these events affect travelers more than you might think. In a survey, the US Travel Insurance Association found that 1 in 6 Americans said their travel plans were impacted by such incidents leading to trip cancellations, interruptions, or major delays.

On average, travel insurance will only cost you 6% of your total travel costs , but it may not be worth it in some cases. In general, if you’re traveling domestically and you’ve gotten excellent deals on a flight and hotel stay, it’s probably not worth it to invest in travel insurance — especially if your vacation isn’t too long or too far from home. Otherwise, here are four factors you should consider, especially if you are traveling internationally.

• What does your credit card cover? Many credit cards offer some type of travel insurance, but a vast majority don’t cover trip cancellation for non-refundable costs. Overall, the coverage they offer doesn’t even come close to what you get by purchasing travel insurance.
• What if you have to cancel? If you’ve spent thousands of dollars on non-refundable plane tickets, hotel rooms, tours, etc., you could suffer a significant financial loss if you have to cancel. Finding the best vacation insurance could help mitigate that loss.
• What if you have an accident or get seriously ill? Travel insurance is worth it if you’re not covered by your healthcare insurance for emergencies when traveling abroad. Many U.S. health insurance policies don’t cover you when you’re out of the country. Further, you may not have access to advanced medical care in the local region (due to lack of it or lack of access for non-residents) without travel insurance.
• What if you require evacuation? The highest cost you are subject to incur while traveling is for emergency medical care or evacuation. The average price for emergency medical evacuation is a whopping $26,000 ($200,000+ in Alaska). If your health is in trouble, you want to make sure this cost is covered, and your evacuation happens quickly (without claims process).

Is Travel Insurance A Replacement For Existing Insurance?

First, travel “insurance” can be a misleading term, particularly regarding the emergency medical aspect. A more apt term is travel protection. The medical benefit arm of comprehensive travel protection isn’t really medical insurance per se, and it doesn’t cover you as your health insurance policy does. See our terminology section to learn more.

When To Say Yes Or No To Travel Insurance

Check out this helpful video by CNBC  that goes into greater detail about whether you should get travel insurance or not.

Travel Insurance Terminology

• Trip Cancellation
• Trip Cancellation For Any Reason
• Trip Interruption
• Primary vs Secondary Emergency Medical
• Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

1. Trip Cancellation

Travel insurance policies vary based on the reasons for approved trip cancellation coverage, so you need to read the fine print of your policy to see when you’re covered and when you’re not.

The most common covered reasons for trip cancellation include:

• The unanticipated illness or injury of you (or a fellow traveler) that renders you unable to travel (with a licensed physician’s approval)
• The unforeseen death or hospitalization of an immediate family member
• Unexpected natural disasters at home or your destination
• Jury duty or other legal obligation
• A common carrier’s mechanical failure or worker strike

To be approved for trip cancellation benefits, the circumstances must be the direct cause of you not being able to make your destination, or you must experience unreasonable delays. You’ll need to provide documentation for your claim approval.

2. Trip Cancellation For Any Reason (CFAR)

Trip cancellation for any reason is a different ball game, and that’s why it typically hikes up your premium so much. This optional benefit truly covers you if you have to cancel your trip, no matter the reason. Unlike basic trip cancellation coverage, however, you have to meet a few requirements to get reimbursed. You MUST:

• Purchase CFAR coverage within a set time period after you make your initial trip deposit (usually 10-21 days)
• Insure 100% of your pre-paid, non-refundable trip cost
• Cancel with your travel supplier 48 or 72 hours before departure date, depending on the plan

3. Trip Interruption

Trip interruption coverage is similar to trip cancellation in that travel insurance companies vary in the circumstances they cover. Policies also differ with the timing of your trip interruption.

Some require you to be less than halfway through your trip to approve coverage, while others cover you for additional time during your trip. Again, it’s crucial to read the fine print of your policy.

4. Primary vs Secondary Emergency Medical Coverage

It’s important to note that travel insurance offers emergency medical benefits coverage rather than general health insurance coverage. To receive medical-related travel benefits, you’re typically required to need immediate medical attention — anything from a serious ankle injury to hospitalization.

What Is Primary Coverage?

A travel insurance plan with primary emergency medical means the travel insurance company is the first payer or reimburser of those benefits. After paying your claim, the travel insurance provider may contact your health insurance company for reimbursement.

What Is Secondary Coverage?

Secondary emergency medical coverage means that you’re first required to file a claim with your health insurance company. Then, if denied, you file a claim with the travel insurance company, which will reimburse you up to its stated limits.

The major benefit of primary over secondary is that you don’t have to deal with both your health insurance company and travel insurance companies. The travel insurance company handles your claim all on its own.

A few companies offer primary with all of their plans, but most only include it with their higher-priced plans. If this feature is important to you, make sure you read the policy to see which type of coverage each plan offers to meet your needs best.

5. Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

This coverage is one of the most confusing aspects of travel protection. Travel insurance plans automatically exclude coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. However, in many cases, you can qualify for an exclusion waiver, which protects both your trip cancellation and emergency medical benefits.

What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Condition?

A pre-existing condition is any disease, illness, injury, or other medical condition that occurs before the travel plan’s effective date — and for which you sought a diagnosis, treatment, new prescription medications, or a change in a current prescription.

What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Waiver?

The waiver essentially removes the exclusion of pre-existing conditions from your travel plan (as we stated earlier, all travel insurance plans automatically exclude pre-existing conditions).

In most cases, you MUST purchase your plan within a specified time frame (usually 10-21 days) after making your initial trip deposit to qualify for the waiver. Some plans also require you to meet other eligibility requirements.

Some plans, particularly basic, lower-priced plans, don’t include the waiver. Make sure the policy you purchase does indeed have the pre-existing condition waiver if this coverage is important to you or fellow travelers.

Are Non-Travelers Included?

Yes, in most cases. Non-travelers can include immediate family members or a business partner (whose illness would require you to work). Most plans don’t apply to cousins, uncles, nieces, etc.

What Is A Look Back Period?

The travel insurance company has the right to “look back” at the medical records of the traveler or non-traveler to whom the claim is made. The period of time for this review of medical records varies by company and by plan (typically 60-180 days back).

Any medical condition that existed during the look-back period is considered pre-existing if you received treatment or a change in your prescription medications. The condition is not deemed pre-existing if you’ve been stable within the look-back period. “Stable” means that the condition has not changed or worsened.

What If You’re Planning An Extended Stay Abroad?

If your “travel” plans involve living abroad for more than a year, traditional trip insurance and your U.S. health insurance carrier likely won’t cover you for medical needs. That’s when you need to consider purchasing expatriate health insurance . Check out our reviews of the best expat health insurance policies to learn more details and see our top picks.

Do you think you’ll purchase travel insurance for your next trip? Let us know in the comments below.

Melissa Osborne

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AIG Travel Guard Review and Pricing (2024)

AIG Travel Guard offers a range of plan and upgrade options to protect international travel, but prices are often higher than competitors.

with our comparison partner, TravelInsurance.com

Alex Carver is a writer and researcher based in Charlotte, N.C. A contributor to major news websites such as Automoblog and USA Today, she’s written content in sectors such as insurance, warranties, shipping, real estate and more.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

After researching and rating 20 different travel insurance companies , the MarketWatch Guides team awarded AIG Travel Guard 4.6 out of 5 stars based on our comprehensive provider review methodology. AIG offers eight policies that can provide medical and trip coverage for a wide variety of traveler needs. In this review, we will examine AIG’s coverage options, costs, customer service reviews and more.

• Average plan cost: $171–$319
• Emergency medical coverage: Up to $150,000
• Trip cancellation coverage: 100%
• CFAR coverage: 50%

*Indicates AD&D coverage for non-flight-related incidents. However, the company offers flight-related AD&D coverage as an add-on.

Our Thoughts on AIG

We awarded AIG Travel Guard 4.6 out of 5 stars when rated using our provider review methodology, naming it our pick for families. The provider includes coverage for one child under 17 years old when you purchase a travel plan for an adult, offering the opportunity to save on a policy if you travel as a family. We appreciate how AIG provides an annual travel insurance plan and a special Medevac plan that can cover trips lasting up to a year. However, some coverages aren’t available for purchase online, requiring you to call a customer representative for more information.

AIG earned full points for cost, coverage details, delay coverage amounts, customer service and reviews when scored against our review criteria. It lost points for offering only 50% reimbursement through its cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage, which is also only available for higher-tier plans. But if you’re looking for coverage that suits a traveling family, AIG may fit your needs.

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Companies Reviewed

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How aig scored in our methodology.

After analyzing AIG using our travel insurance methodology, the company earned 4.6 out of 5 stars — higher than the average of 4.4 out of 5 stars across our industry-wide review. AIG lost points for its lack of coverage for business equipment, only offering CFAR coverage with a 50% reimbursement, and having a longer hurricane and weather delay time constraint of 12 to 18 hours.

Compare AIG Travel Guard to the Competition

You can use the table below to compare AIG Travel Guard and its competitors in the travel insurance sphere.

AIG vs. Allianz

AIG and Allianz have plans that are similar in more ways than one. The AIG Travel Guard Deluxe and Allianz OneTrip Premier plans include the same level of trip cancellation and interruption benefits and emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage limits. Allianz offers slightly higher baggage delay benefits and trip delay coverage, while AIG offers more medical expense coverage and an overall cheaper price.

Unlike AIG Travel Guard, Allianz’s OneTrip Premier plan does not offer CFAR coverage. However, Allianz provides a mobile app and has a higher AM Best credit rating than AIG. See the table below to compare AIG Travel Guard’s Deluxe policy directly with Allianz’s OneTrip Premier plan.

Read more in our Allianz travel insurance review .

AIG vs. Faye

While AIG and Faye both offer 100% trip cancellation benefits and 150% trip interruption co v erage , the similarities end here. On average, Faye is 7% cheaper than AIG’s comparable travel insurance plan. In addition, Faye offers higher limits for medical expenses and, most notably, trip delay coverage. However, AIG provides more coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation, lost baggage and baggage delays.

It’s worth noting that Faye offers only one travel protection plan, while AIG offers more than six for travelers to choose from. See the table below for a comparison of the AIG Travel Guard Deluxe plan and Faye’s Travel Protection plan.

Learn more about the Travel Protection plan in our Faye travel insurance review .

What Does AIG Travel Guard Cover?

AIG offers eight travel insurance plans, providing a variety of coverages to suit the needs of multiple travelers. The company provides five online travel insurance packages, three of which are available in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. In addition, the company tailors two of the five online packages toward last-minute travelers and those seeking annual, multi-trip coverage. 

AIG also provides three additional “offline” travel insurance packages, which are specialty plans only available for purchase once you’ve spoken to a customer service representative. 

AIG Policy Options

AIG is among 11 out of 21 providers our team has rated and reviewed that offer six or more policy options to choose from. Five AIG plans are available for purchase online, with three additional options available by calling and speaking with a customer representative.

Of the five online plans, AIG Travel Guard’s Deluxe, Preferred and Essential plans are available nationwide. These are the provider’s standard plans, offering coverage for emergency medical care, trip protection and more. See the table below for a comparison of these three plans.

Out of AIG’s three standard Travel Guard policies, its Essential plan is the most affordable. After gathering quotes using seven unique traveler profiles, our team found the Essential plan costs $171 on average.

In addition to the three online options detailed above, AIG offers a Pack N’ Go plan and an Annual policy available for online purchase. The provider describes the Pack N’ Go plan as ideal for last-minute travelers willing to forego trip cancellation coverage. Note that this policy is unavailable to Montana residents. In contrast, the Annual plan offers coverage for multiple trips over a year. However, this policy isn’t available for Washington residents. 

AIG Offline Travel Insurance Packages

AIG provides “offline” travel insurance packages, which require you to call the company for a quote. These include Travel Guard Plus, Medevac Per Trip and Rental Vehicle Damage plans.

Travel Guard Plus is the most comprehensive travel insurance package offered through AIG, based on our review. It includes the provider’s highest level of medical expense coverage, allowing you to choose the hospital of your choice for any necessary treatment. In addition, AIG provides adventure sports coverage as standard with this plan.

AIG’s Medevac Per Trip plan can provide worldwide travel medical insurance and evacuation coverage for trips lasting up to one year. This policy also offers security evacuation coverage, which includes coverage for natural disasters. AIG recommends this travel policy for those applying for a Schengen Visa , which is needed for American citizens visiting the area for more than 90 days .

Rental vehicle damage coverage includes $35,000 or $50,000 in primary coverage for collision damage to a rental car. However, you’re subject to a $250 deductible. Note this package doesn’t include liability coverage, which car rental companies typically require.

AIG Optional Add-On Coverage

AIG Travel Guard offers various “enhancements” you can buy for extra protection during your travels. You’ll need to call a customer service representative for pricing on these add-on coverages. Based on our experience, not every add-on is available for purchase online. Add-on availability may also vary by plan — for example, AIG includes some endorsements as standard when you purchase the Deluxe plan.

• CFAR coverage : CFAR coverage allows you to receive a partial reimbursement on nonrefundable trip costs no matter why you cancel. This means you can cancel a trip for reasons outside those listed in your policy. CFAR add-on coverage is available on AIG’s Travel Guard Deluxe and Preferred Plans.
• Adventure sports bundle : This add-on removes the exclusions for adventure sports and extreme activities from the benefits featured in your policy.
• Name Your Family bundle : Allows you to include one person as a family member to benefit from related unforeseen event coverage.
• Pet bundle : This includes a daily benefit for boarding and medical expenses if your dog or cat experiences an illness or injury while traveling. It also includes trip cancellation and interruption coverage if your pet is in critical condition or dies before your departure date.
• Rental vehicle damage coverage : This rider adds collision coverage, which can help if you rent a car during your travel. This coverage does not include the liability coverage required by rental car companies. 
• Wedding bundle : This covers trip cancellations due to a wedding cancellation, as long as you’re not the bride or groom.
• Security bundle : An add-on that covers security evacuations, trip cancellations, and trip interruptions caused by riots and civil disorders.
• Quarantine bundle : Provides a daily financial allowance if new travel restrictions or government advisories require policyholders to follow an unexpected quarantine.

How Much Does AIG Travel Guard Cost?

According to our research and quotes gathered for various AIG Travel Guard travel insurance policies, a plan costs $251 on average. This is almost 14% more than the average cost across 20 different travel insurance providers we’ve reviewed and rated. Note that travel insurance costs depend on factors such as your age, total trip cost, destination and more. Your costs for an AIG policy may vary. 

To help you better understand the cost of an AIG plan, we gathered quotes for the provider’s Deluxe, Preferred and Essential plans using seven different sample traveler profiles. 

Based on quotes gathered from 20 different providers using seven unique sample traveler profiles, our research team found that the average cost of travel insurance is $221. Comparatively, an AIG Travel Guard plan may cost you around $251.

Does AIG Travel Guard Offer 24/7 Travel Assistance?

AIG Travel Guard offers 24/7 travel assistance benefits by coordinating, negotiating and consulting with a network of worldwide partners — travel assistance is not directly supplied by AIG itself. Our research shows that the benefits offered depend on your chosen plan.

You can find travel medical, worldwide travel, emergency travel and identity theft assistance with AIG policies. This assistance can help you with things such as physician referrals, medical evacuations, lost or stolen baggage, hotel reservations and more. You may also find concierge services included with your plan, which can help you with restaurant reservations, sporting or theater tickets, and more. AIG’s Deluxe plan notably offers up to $50 in roadside assistance coverage per car, which can help with towing, flat tires and lock-outs.

How To Buy an AIG Travel Guard Policy

In our experience, AIG makes it simple to buy a policy, as you can purchase five of its eight plans entirely online. When beginning the quote process, you’ll need to provide information such as the country you’re traveling to, your method of travel (airplane, cruise, etc.) trip dates, initial payment date and total trip cost. The company will also ask for personal information, such as your date of birth and state of residence.

Once you’ve supplied this information, you should see a page that allows you to easily compare eligible plans. Once you’ve chosen the plan you want, you can select optional coverages for an additional cost. Note that the add-ons offered will depend on the plan. AIG Travel Guard supplies detailed information about what each add-on entails, helping ensure you fully understand what you’re purchasing before you commit to a policy.

From here, you’ll need to provide more personal information, such as your name, address, email and more. The company will also ask whether you worked with a travel agent to book your plans. Note that AIG offered us the option to receive policy documents by email or domestic mail. Finally, the provider will ask you for additional travel details. Since we chose to travel by air, AIG asked which airline we were flying with to our destination. AIG will then ask for your payment information to finalize your purchase.

If you want to purchase a Travel Guard Plus, Medevac or Rental Vehicle Damage plan, you will need to call and speak with a customer service representative. In addition to these three specialty plans, some add-on coverages are also unavailable online.

AIG Customer Reviews

Customer reviews and ratings for travel insurance providers can help you better understand the level of service a company offers its policyholders. Our research found that AIG currently holds a 1.1 out of 5-star rating on the BBB and a 1.7 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot.

Our research team read dozens of reviews posted by policyholders to learn more about what customers like and dislike about AIG. Because this provider’s ratings are low, we had difficulty finding reviews from recent months that featured a positive experience. Note that the positive reviews featured below may be a year or older.

What Customers Like

• Sufficient claim payouts : One customer reported that AIG paid their claim for items stolen during their trip. However, the reviewer also noted the company took several months to settle the claim. 
• Customer service : This policyholder appreciated how AIG’s customer service representative walked them through their claim. The customer said they heard back from the provider about a written refund request in less than 24 hours.

What Customers Don’t Like

• Difficult claims process : We found many reviewers who expressed frustration with AIG’s claims process, with some customers calling it “nearly impossible” and discouraging.
• Excessive documentation requests : Several policyholders, such as this reviewer , mention the company asking for documentation beyond what they felt was reasonable.
• Refund processing times : Reviewers, such as this policyholder , voiced frustration over how long the refund process takes after their claim is approved.

Our team reached out to AIG for comment on the negative reviews and lower scores included in our review but did not receive a response.

How To File a Claim with AIG

AIG allows you to file a claim through its online portal and tells policyholders to expect the submission process to take around 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Once you submit your claim, you should receive a claim number allowing you to track the status of your claim online. Note that you must cancel any travel arrangements before beginning the claim process. If you have questions during the claims process, AIG offers technical support and a claims line for assistance. 

Documents that AIG may request during the claim process include proof of travel, proof of insured trip, incident reports, receipts for claimed expenses, medical reports and more. If you’re filing a claim related to illness from COVID-19, you must submit a positive test result or at-home test verified by a medical professional for your claim to be considered for approval.

As we read through customer reviews specifically mentioning AIG’s claim process, we found that many policyholders were frustrated with the company for various reasons. This reviewer voiced disappointment about the excessive documentation requested by the company. Other policyholders, such as this one , feel that claims handling is non-existent.

Is AIG Travel Guard Worth It?

Based on our research, we found that AIG’s plans include all the standard protections you’ll find with competitors, plus add-on coverages for a broader range of circumstances. We appreciate how the provider offers an annual, multi-trip travel insurance plan in addition to including one child under 17 years old with each adult policy purchased. We feel that coverage from AIG Travel Guard could offer benefits if you’re looking for travel insurance for families or an annual plan to cover multiple trips.

According to the 86 AIG travel insurance policy purchasers in our travel insurance survey, 98% said travel insurance with AIG was worth the cost, and of those who filed a claim, 98% were satisfied with their payout.

However, our research found that AIG’s customer reviews on the BBB and Trustpilot are mostly negative. In addition, its optional CFAR coverage only provides up to 50% reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses, lower than some competitors. As a best practice, we encourage you to do your own research when shopping for a travel insurance policy, read customer reviews and gather quotes to compare. This way, you can find a policy that suits your travel needs and budget.

Frequently Asked Questions about AIG Travel Guard

Are aig and travel guard the same.

AIG and Travel Guard are related but not the same. AIG is a multinational insurance corporation that offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including travel insurance. AIG Travel Guard is a brand of travel insurance offered by AIG. In other words, Travel Guard is a specific type of travel insurance product offered by AIG, but it is not the only insurance product offered by the company.

What is the average cost of an AIG Travel Guard policy?

According to quotes gathered by our research team, the average cost of an AIG Travel Guard policy is $251. We calculated this average using quotes gathered from the provider based on seven unique sample traveler profiles. Note that your costs for an AIG Travel Guard policy will vary depending on factors such as your age, total trip cost and more.

Is AIG a trustworthy company?

Our team found that AIG is a trustworthy company with accreditation and an A+ rating with the BBB. AIG also maintains an A rating from the financial rating agency AM Best, indicating it can pay claims. While our research team found some customer reviews expressing frustration regarding AIG rejecting claims, the company is a legitimate insurer. To prevent the potential for denied claims, we recommend reviewing the policy you’re buying to understand what it does and does not cover.

Does AIG Travel Guard cover COVID-19?

Yes, AIG Travel Guard covers COVID by treating it as any other unexpected illness under policy terms. If you test positive for the virus during your trip, you could be eligible for medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation , trip interruption and trip delay benefits. Note that AIG requires a confirmed diagnosis and proof of illness form for any claims related to COVID-19.

Methodology: Our System for Rating Travel Insurance Companies

• A 30-year-old couple taking a $5,000 vacation to Mexico.
• A family of four taking an $8,000 vacation to Mexico.
• A 65-year-old couple taking a $7,000 vacation to the United Kingdom.
• A 30-year-old couple taking a $7,000 trip to the United Kingdom.
• A 19-year-old taking a $2,000 trip to France.
• A 27-year-old couple taking a $1,200 trip to Greece.
• A 51-year-old couple taking a $2,000 trip to Spain.
• Plan availability (10%): We look for insurers with a variety of travel insurance plans and the ability to customize a policy with coverage upgrades.
• Coverage details (29%): We review the baseline coverage each company offers in its cheapest comprehensive plan. A provider with robust coverage earns full points, including baggage delay and loss, COVID-19 coverage, emergency evacuation and medical coverage, trip delay and cancellation coverage, and more. Companies also receive points for offering a variety of policy add-ons like accidental death and dismemberment, extreme sports, valuable items, cancel for any reason coverage and more.
• Coverage times and amounts (34%): We compare each company’s waiting periods and maximum reimbursement amounts for baggage, travel and weather delays. Companies that offer customers reimbursement after fewer than 12 hours of delays earn full points in this category. We also reward travel insurance providers that cover more than 100% of trip costs in the event of cancellations or interruptions.
• Company service and reviews (17%): We look for indicators that a company is well-prepared to respond to customer needs. Companies with an established global resource network, 24/7 emergency hotline, mobile app, multiple ways to file a claim and concierge services score higher in this category. We assess reputation by evaluating consumer reviews, third-party financial strength and customer experience ratings, specifically from AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

For more information, read our full travel insurance methodology.

A.M. Best Disclaimer

If you have questions about this page, please reach out to our editors at [email protected] .

More Travel Insurance Reviews

U.S. News takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

AIG Travel Guard

Learn about travel insurance plans offered through AIG Travel Guard and how they compare.

Diverse range of travel insurance plans to choose from

Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage available with some plans (conditions apply)

Annual coverage available

Generous limits for emergency medical expenses and medical transportation available

Preexisting medical conditions waiver available (conditions apply)

Low costs for family plans

Essential plan coverage limits may be insufficient

CFAR coverage reimburses at only 50%

What AIG Travel Guard Is Known For

Like many other top travel insurance providers, AIG Travel Guard offers a broad range of plans to cover different types of trips. The company's main coverage options include the basic Essential Plan, the mid-tier Preferred Plan and the top-tier Deluxe Plan, which comes with the highest levels of coverage available.

AIG also offers an annual travel insurance plan that can apply for all trips that an insured individual (or group) takes within a year. Other niche plans from this provider include the Pack 'N Go Plan for last-minute trips, a plan for emergency evacuation and medical transportation, a rental car coverage plan, and an adventure travel insurance plan.

AIG Travel Guard stands out in a few different areas. First, the company offers cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage as an optional add-on with its Preferred and Deluxe plans. However, this coverage only reimburses up to 50% of prepaid travel expenses, which is lower than other providers. CFAR coverage only applies if travel insurance is purchased within 15 days of making an initial payment on a trip.

AIG Travel Guard also offers a preexisting medical conditions waiver when travelers purchase coverage within 15 days of the initial trip payment. Another standout feature of this company is that its mid- and top-tier plans have high coverage limits for emergency medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation. This emergency evacuation coverage, also called "Medevac," can pay for air evacuation services, transportation to the nearest hospital or clinic, medical transportation to your home country, and more.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance for Individual Trips

AIG Travel Guard plans for individual trips come in three tiers with accelerated levels of coverage and more add-ons available. This lets you tailor your travel insurance coverage to your unique needs, including the type of trip you're taking and the perils you want to protect against the most.

The chart below shows the coverages you can get with each tier.

AIG Travel Guard Pack 'N Go Plan

AIG Travel Guard also offers a last-minute coverage option for consumers who don't need trip cancellation coverage. There is only one available tier for this plan, and it includes the following coverages:

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance for Multiple Trips

The company also offers an annual travel insurance plan. This type of coverage can work well for frequent travelers who are always jetting off somewhere new but don't want to purchase an individual plan for every trip. Coverages offered include the following:

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Costs

AIG Travel Insurance costs vary based on the number of travelers in a plan, the age of travelers, the cost of the trip, the tier of coverage selected and other details. We received quotes for several sample trips to give you an idea of how much you might pay.

AIG Travel Guard is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and the company also has a low rating with the platform of just 1.08 out of 5 stars. The travel insurance provider has closed 175 customer complaints filed with the BBB in the last 12 months and 791 complaints in the last three years. On Trustpilot, the company has an average star rating of just 1.7 out of 5 stars across 65 reviews on the platform. By contrast, the company has a 4.6 rating on InsureMyTrip. Here's an overview of some positive and negative user reviews that show the experiences of past customers.

Good Customer Service Experience

We bought a TravelGuard policy when we bought airline tickets through Frontier. Only a couple days later Frontier changed our flight times by 13+ hours which would no longer work for our travel plans.

Since it was within the 15 day "review" period TravelGuard fully refunded our premium consistent with their policy quickly and with NO drama.

I was able to talk with TravelGuard customer service with less than a minute of holding. He walked me through the steps to make a written refund request. I heard back from my written request in less than 24 hours. – Sara via Trustpilot

They paid my claim for stolen items when I was in Vegas on an annual travel plan. It did take a few months. The claim amount was three times the premium I originally paid. – Bradley S. via Trustpilot

Travel Guard has been unresponsive and has left me feeling frustrated and disappointed. I booked a trip and purchased trip insurance through Travel Guard. I had to cancel the trip for medical reasons and I filed a claim on January 8, 2024. The information they requested was uploaded on the Travel Guard Portal on January 9, 2024. Forty-eight hours after sending the information, I contacted them to make sure they had all the required information. They confirmed they had all the forms I sent. They told me it would take 10 to 15 business days to review the claim and the insurance adjuster would contact me. It is now February 12th and I have not heard anything from Travel Guard or the adjuster. I have called a few times and keep getting the same run around. I called again today and even asked to speak to a supervisor and was told the supervisor is just going to say the same thing and would not connect me. I paid good money for this trip insurance and am feeling like I was scammed. – William M. via Better Business Bureau

Had to Wait for the Check, But at Least it Came

My husband and I had a flight on Alaskan Airlines from Portland to Tampa, which was canceled because the airlines did not have sufficient staff to operate the flight. We were stuck in Portland for two additional days before we could return home. I thought we would be reimbursed in full, but it turns out, our policy only allowed for a certain amount per person daily. It took a month and a 1/2, but we did receive a check for $600. It wasn't the full amount of two additional days for food, lodging, and rental car, but it was better than nothing. – Clare L. via Trustpilot

Takes two weeks to get response from claims. Then they ask for additional information even though you already sent. Dont get to talk to claims adjusters only email I had to resubmit information again with letter of explanation. Another way to prolong payments. Very flustered with not being able to talk to adjuster. You only talk to a real person when you call in to ask for adjuster. They cant trans the call. Only emails still havent received reimbursement. – Cindy W. via Better Business Bureau

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a travel writer who covers topics like travel insurance, family travel, all-inclusive resorts and cruises. She has researched travel insurance options for her own vacations and family trips to more than 50 countries around the world and has experience navigating the claims and reimbursement process. Johnson works alongside her husband, Greg, who sells travel insurance through their travel agency, Travel Blue Book .

Read more about AIG Travel Guard in:

• The Best Travel Insurance Companies
• The Best International Travel Insurance
• The Best Vacation Rental Travel Insurance
• The Best Family Travel Insurance

AIG Travel Guard Insurance | Money

W e’ve reviewed Travel Guard from AIG as part of our exploration of the best travel insurance companies of 2023. This review will cover the pros, cons and features of AIG Travel Guard to help you decide if it’s the best travel insurance provider for you.

Best for Add-Ons

AIG travel insurance stands out for its wide variety of add-on options. Travel Guard offers a security bundle, pet bundle, sports bundle and many other add-ons to customize your travel insurance.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Pros and Cons

AIG Travel Guard is one of many insurance providers that support international travelers while they’re abroad. It isn’t your only option, so let’s take a look at how the company’s policies compare to competitive offerings. Here’s an overview of what you can expect from a Travel Guard travel insurance policy.

• Up to $1 million in evacuation coverage
• Plenty of add-on options
• Optional waiver for pre-existing conditions
• CFAR upgrade doesn't cover the entire trip
• Premiums can get expensive

Pros explained

AIG Travel Guard insurance is highly rated across review platforms. This might be the right insurance company for you if you’re looking for a policy with high coverage for medical evacuations, a range of add-ons and waivers for pre-existing conditions.

$1 million medical evacuation coverage

One of the main reasons people buy travel insurance is to pay for an emergency medical evacuation. If you get sick or injured while abroad, you may need to be evacuated for your safety.

With Travel Guard Deluxe from AIG, you get up to $1 million in coverage for medical evacuations. Travel Guard Preferred offers $500,000 for evacuations, and Travel Guard Essential offers $150,000. That coverage goes toward flights and other costs to get you to a safe location where you can receive high-quality medical care.

Offers a variety of special add-on coverages

AIG Travel Guard Insurance offers a wide variety of add-on coverage options. These riders can be added to your plan to customize your trip. These include:

• Medical bundle: This supplies extra coverage for medical costs and the option to choose your hospital.
• Wedding bundle: This allows you to cancel your trip if a destination wedding is canceled.
• Pet bundle: This provides a daily benefit for the costs of traveling with a dog or cat, plus coverage for veterinary bills.
• Inconvenience bundle: This covers certain problems that don’t end your trip, such as credit card cancellations, closed attractions and trip delays.
• Adventure sports bundle: This removes coverage exclusions for injuries caused by extreme sports such as scuba diving, skydiving and rock climbing.
• Baggage bundle: This gives increased coverage for baggage loss and delays.

Pre-existing medical conditions waiver available for purchase

If you have a pre-existing condition that could lead to medical costs during your trip, Travel Guard offers waivers to extend coverage for those expenses. The waiver must be bought before your trip. It might be worthwhile for travelers with chronic conditions, immune system deficiencies, and other conditions that can make traveling especially dangerous.

Cons explained

AIG travel insurance isn’t right for everyone. Before you buy a Travel Guard plan, you should be aware that you can’t get a full reimbursement when you cancel for any reason and that your premium might be more expensive than other options.

Cancel for Any Reason upgrade only covers 50% of trip costs

Cancel for any reason (CFAR) policies are common with travel insurance companies. This add-on allows you to be reimbursed no matter why you cancel your trip.

A standard travel insurance plan only offers reimbursements for a prescribed list of eligible reasons for canceling. These include medical or weather-related emergencies and the death of a close family member or traveling companion. But with CFAR, you can cancel under any circumstances and still receive coverage — as long as you do so 48 hours before departure.

Unfortunately, AIG Travel Guard with CFAR only offers a 50% reimbursement of your prepaid travel expenses. Other companies offer a higher reimbursement percentage, so consider whether you want more comprehensive protection before signing up for this insurance.

Expensive premiums

AIG Travel Guard is not the cheapest travel insurance company out there. Your exact premium depends on several factors, including your destination, plan type, add-ons and age. But based on our sample quotes, AIG travel insurance plans are slightly more expensive, on average, than other insurers’ plans.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Plans

Like shopping for the best travel credit cards , choosing the best travel insurance plan takes time and research. The best plan will save you money and give you peace of mind, while the wrong plan could be an unnecessary expense. That’s why looking for insurance companies offering multiple policy options is best.

AIG Travel Guard offers three main plans plus two bonus plans for international travel insurance. Let’s break those options down in detail.

Travel Guard Essential is a very basic travel plan offered by AIG. This budget-friendly plan comes with standard coverage for trip cancellations, interruptions and delays. Medical coverage goes up to $15,000 plus $500 for dental costs and $200 for lost or damaged baggage.

The Essential plan is best for a tourist or short-term traveler who is willing to sacrifice comprehensive coverage for a lower insurance premium. The plan can be beefed up with any of AIG’s add-on bundles.

Travel Guard Preferred is a mid-priced option for someone who wants more coverage. This policy comes with medical coverage of up to $50,000 and evacuation coverage of up to $500,000. Damaged, lost or stolen baggage is covered up to $1,000.

Travel Guard Deluxe, the most expensive plan offered by AIG, comes with a wide range of benefits and includes security evacuation, missed-connection coverage, trip-saver coverage and more. This plan offers up to $1 million for a medical evacuation.

Travel Guard Deluxe is a good choice for someone traveling to rural or dangerous areas. It covers almost any emergency and even includes robust coverage for your beneficiaries in case of a fatal accident.

AIG’s Pack N’ Go plan is designed for travelers who buy their insurance at the last minute. There is no cancellation coverage, but this plan offers up to $25,000 in medical coverage plus $500 for lost or damaged baggage. Buying travel insurance at the last minute is not recommended, but this is a helpful option if you plan a trip quickly.

You can purchase an annual travel insurance plan through AIG. An annual plan is ideal for someone who travels frequently, especially to dangerous areas. With Travel Guard’s annual plan, you’ll get:

• Trip delay coverage: $150 per day, up to $1,500
• Trip interruption coverage: up to $2,500
• Lost baggage coverage: up to $2,500
• Baggage delay coverage: up to $1,000
• Medical expenses coverage: up to $500,000 (dental coverage up to $500)
• Accidental death coverage: up to $50,000
• Emergency evacuations and repatriation of remains: up to $500,000

These benefits apply to multiple trips within the same year. You can renew your coverage annually or cancel at the end of a payment period. Purchasing an annual plan is usually less costly than insuring two trips individually.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Pricing

AIG travel insurance is comprehensive but on the higher end of the price spectrum. Premiums for Travel Guard Essential and Premium are on par with industry standards. Travel Guard Deluxe is slightly more expensive because of the added coverage that comes with it.

For example, our quote for a month-long vacation in Europe for two people costing around $5,000 came to around $300 with Travel Guard Premium and $560 with Travel Guard Deluxe. Add-on bundles will add a flat rate to that price. Our quotes for the same trip came out to around $150–$300 with other travel insurance companies.

Of course, that’s just an estimation. Your exact premium will vary depending on your travel dates, destination, age, number of people in your party and other factors. AIG family travel insurance goes up in price for each family member added.

Talk to an AIG Travel Guard representative to get a personalized quote for your travel insurance. You can also request a quick quote online for a basic estimate.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Financial Stability

AIG Travel Guard is an established insurance provider and a publicly traded company. It has an A rating from AM Best, which reflects a high degree of financial strength and stability. AIG also has a rating of A2 from Moody’s and an A+ from Standard and Poor’s. Because Travel Guard is a product of AIG, you should expect this insurer to remain stable in the future.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Accessibility

Here’s how AIG Travel Guard compares with other top insurers in terms of accessibility.

Availability

AIG travel insurance offers coverage on six continents. You can search for your destination country on AIG’s website to ensure coverage is available, but remember that not all coverage is available in all destinations.

When it comes to buying travel insurance, AIG is only available to residents of the U.S.

Contact information

You can call AIG’s travel insurance phone number any time to get more information about your policy or request help. Both of these numbers have 24/7 availability:

• U.S. toll-free, 1-855-203-5962
• U.S. and international collect, 1-715-345-0505

If you need to file an AIG travel insurance claim, you can connect with a customer service agent online or over the phone. You can also reach AIG by mail at:

Travel Guard

3300 Business Park Drive

Stevens Point, WI 54482

User experience

While it does offer a travel-assistance app, this insurer isn’t as up-to-date with modern technology as other options. Its Travel Assistance app has 2-star ratings on both Google Play and the App Store and is difficult to navigate. The website is also slightly confusing and has several pages stating the same information. On top of that, AIG travel insurance claims must be filed directly with an agent.

However, getting a quote on the AIG website is easy. It takes less than a minute, and you don’t need to provide your name or any contact information.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Customer Satisfaction

AIG Travel Guard receives a high rate of customer complaints. It’s rated 1.01/5 stars with the Better Business Bureau. Some reviewers report a lack of helpful customer service and problems getting their AIG travel insurance refund for a canceled trip.

Keep in mind that these complaints are fairly standard in the travel insurance industry. Your individual experience will vary depending on your plan and other details.

AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance FAQ

What does aig travel guard travel insurance not cover.

• Pre-existing conditions (without an optional waiver)
• Traveling against your doctor's advice
• Traveling against warnings about war or other dangerous conditions
• Trip cancellation due to concerns over a COVID-19 outbreak at home or in your destination country. You may be eligible for cancellation coverage if you have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 before your departure.

What is the AIG Travel Guard claims process like?

Is aig travel guard travel insurance worth it, how we evaluated aig travel guard travel insurance.

We evaluated AIG Travel Guard for this review based on several factors, including:

• Range of plan options
• Accessibility
• Customer reviews and complaints
• Claims filing process
• The extent of coverage for the cost

Summary of Money’s AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance Review

AIG Travel Guard stands out for its variety of add-ons. Its optional bundles allow you to customize your plan to meet your travel needs. While the Deluxe plan is a little more expensive than other options, Travel Guard could be the right choice for you if you value flexibility and extensive coverage.

Whichever insurance policy you choose, be sure to plan ahead and buy your insurance far in advance. Keep an eye out for other ways to save on your trip, including the best travel rewards credit cards and travel booking sites .

© Copyright 2023 Money Group, LLC . All Rights Reserved.

This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Money’s full disclaimer .

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Our top-of-the-line, comprehensive travel coverage that sets the standard.

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Savvy coverage for the budget-minded traveler.

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Immediate coverage for unplanned trips and adventures

Annual Travel Insurance Plan

Year-round coverage for your travel investments.

Millions of travelers each year trust AIG's Travel Guard to cover their vacations

Travel insurance plans provide coverage for certain costs and losses associated with traveling. Travel Guard ® helps you navigate canceled flights, lost bags, sudden health emergencies, and much more—almost anywhere in the world. Whether you’re planning a two-day getaway, a cruise, an adventure vacation, or a month-long international holiday, our plans help cover travelers and their trip inverstments.

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Coverage available to residents of U.S. states and the District of Columbia only. These plans provide insurance coverage that only applies during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of each policy with your existing life, health, home, and automobile insurance policies, as well as any other coverage which you may already have or is available to you, including through other insurers, as a member of an organization, or through your credit card program(s). If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer or insurance agent or broker. Coverage is offered by Travel Guard Group, Inc .(Travel Guard). California lic. no. 0B93606, 3300 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54482,  www.travelguard.com.  CA DOI toll free number: 800-927-HELP.

This is only a brief description of the coverage(s) available. The policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. Insurance underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., a Pennsylvania insurance company, with its principal place of business at 1271 Ave of the Americas, Floor 41, New York, NY, 10020-1304. It is currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. NAIC No. 19445. Coverage may not be available in all states.

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Tin Leg Travel Insurance Cost

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• Why You Should Trust Us

Tin Leg Travel Insurance: An In-Depth Review

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Before finalizing your travel plans, look into various insurance policies to safeguard yourself against potential risks. Travel insurance is an invaluable resource that can protect you from many unforeseen issues, but not all companies provide the same level of coverage. And some companies' policies may cost more than others.

That's where Tin Leg Travel Insurance comes in. Created by travel agency Squaremouth, Tin Leg offers eight different plans with varying coverage levels and benefits, with the option to add Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage to select plans. Keep reading to see if Tin Leg is the right travel insurance for you.

Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost and trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited add-on coverage options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors

Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.

• Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.

Overview of Tin Leg Travel Insurance

Tin Leg is a travel insurance provider founded in 2014 by travel insurance aggregator SquareMouth. With eight different plans, Tin Leg is one of the providers listed in our guide on the best travel insurance companies , specifically for travelers with pre-existing conditions. We chose Tin Leg because seven of its eight plans offer pre-existing condition waivers, with a 15-day purchase window and no extra cost.

That said, Tin Leg has other coverages that are noteworthy. Its coverage limits for emergency evacuation go up to $1 million, which is great particularly if you have nautical travel plans as water-to-land rescues can be costly.

Additionally, sports equipment loss is included with seven of Tin Leg's eight plans. However, you will need to call for more information on adventure sports, as Tin Leg doesn't guarantee coverage.

Tin Leg's Travel Insurance Plans

Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans: Economy, Basic, Standard, Luxury, Adventure, Silver, Platinum, and Gold. Each plan offers varying levels of protection that correspond to the premium costs.

Here's a look at what you'll get with each plan. We've split the eight plans into two tables to make things easier to follow.

Here's how the Adventure, Silver, Platinu, and Gold plans compare:

Additional Coverage Options

Tin Leg travel insurance offers additional coverage options, but they're only available on specific plans.

You can add rental car damage coverage to the Luxury plan for an additional fee. And both the Gold and Silver plans allow you to add on CFAR (cancel for any reason) coverage . With CFAR coverage travel insurance, you can cancel for any reason not listed in the base policy and be reimbursed — in the case of Tin Leg, for 75% of your trip costs.

How to Purchase and Manage Your Tin Leg Policy

Travel insurance coverage varies greatly, and  the amount you pay reflects the range of protection . However, since travel insurance protects your financial investment, it's typically worth spending a few extra dollars for higher coverage maximums, especially for medical insurance and evacuation expenses.

Getting a quote from Tin Leg travel insurance is an easy process. You can do so from their website or an insurance aggregator like SquareMouth. You should be prepared to provide the following information:

• Number of travelers
• Age of traveler(s)
• Duration of trip
• Whether you want trip cancellation coverage
• Date of booking
• If you have any trip payments left to make
• One country you're traveling to
• Country of residence/citizenship

After inputting some personal information, such as your age and state of residence, along with your trip details, like travel dates, destination, and trip costs, you'll get an instant quote for the plans available for your trip. And from there, it's easy to compare each option based on your coverage needs and budget.

Now let's look at a few examples to estimate Tin Leg's coverage costs.

As of April 2024, a 23-year-old from Illinois taking a week-long, $3,000 budget trip to Italy would have the following  Tin Leg travel insurance quotes:

Premiums for Tin Leg plans are between 1.8% and 3.9% of the trip's cost, well below the average cost of travel insurance . It's also relatively cheap compared to many of its competitors

Tin Leg provides the following quotes for a 30-year-old traveler from California heading to Japan for two weeks on a $4,000 trip:

Once again, premiums for Tin Leg plans are between 3.4% and 5.2%, below the average cost for travel insurance.

A 65-year-old couple looking to escape New Jersey for Mexico for two weeks with a trip cost of $6,000 would have the following Tin Leg quotes:

Premiums for Tin Leg plans are between 6.9% and 9.4%, which is roughly in line with the average cost for travel insurance. This is to be expected, as travel insurance is often more expensive for older travelers.

How to File a Claim with Tin Leg Travel Insurance

One exceptionally nice aspect of Tin Leg is that you can report a claim online or over the phone. You can contact Tin Leg's claims department at 844-240-1233 or by email at [email protected] . It's available on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET.

You'll be asked to fill out a claims form that asks about your trip details and the issue you faced. Tin Leg will then ask you to file supporting documents related to your claim. If you're filing a claim because you canceled a flight due to an illness, they'll likely require medical documentation that supports this claim. 

Tin Leg Customer Service and Support Experience

Tin Leg is well reviewed, receiving an average of 4.6 stars out of five on SquareMouth across nearly 3,800 reviews. Reviews on its Better Business Bureau are consistent with its SquareMouth score, also averaging 4.6 stars across over 110 reviews, admittedly a limited sample size. Additionally, Tin Leg is not certified with the BBB.

While most customers reported a smooth and speedy claims service, some noted that communication from Tin Leg during the process can be spotty. Additionally, customers complained about their claims being denied due to requirements they were unaware of when purchasing coverage. One customer wrote about how they had to cancel a trip because of work, but hadn't been working at their company long enough to qualify for trip cancellation coverage.

See how Tin Leg travel insurance stacks up against the competition. 

Tin Leg Travel Insurance vs. AIG Travel Guard

To compare Tin Leg travel insurance to Travel Guard , we'll consider the coverage limits from their highest-rated, Gold and Travel Guard Deluxe plans, respectively.

With AIG Travel Guard's Deluxe plan, you'll get:

• Trip cancellation coverage up to $150,000
• Trip interruption coverage up to $225,000
• Emergency medical coverage of $100,000
• Coverage for baggage loss, theft, or damage up to $2,500
• Travel delay coverage of up to $1,000

Comparing those coverages with Tin Leg's Gold plan, you'll see that AIG's coverages are better than Tin Leg's in all areas except one – emergency medical. While AIG offers emergency medical coverage of $100,000, Tin Leg's coverage limit is $500,000 (in primary coverage).

If the medical coverage piece is what's most important to you, Tin Leg would be the right choice in this scenario. That said, having $100,000 in emergency medical coverage is nothing to scoff at, so it may come down to comparing premium costs.

Remember that the premium costs will depend on the traveler's age, trip destination, and trip cost. So you'll need to compare these two insurers using your trip-specific information to get a solid idea of the costs associated with each plan.

Read our AIG Travel Guard insurance review here.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance vs. Allianz Travel Insurance

Both Allianz Travel Insurance and Tin Leg travel insurance offer a variety of travel insurance plans designed for different types of travelers with varying types and degrees of coverage.

In this comparison, we'll look at Allianz Travel Insurance's most popular single-trip plan, the OneTrip Prime plan, compared to Tin Leg's Basic plan.

With Allianz Travel Insurance's most popular single-trip OneTrip Prime plan, you'll get:

• Up to $100,000 in trip cancellation coverage
• Up to $150,000 in trip interruption coverage
• $50,000 in emergency medical coverage
• Up to $1,000 in coverage for baggage loss, theft, or damage
• Up to $800 in travel delay coverage

In looking at Tin Leg's basic plan, you'll find that these two policies offer the same $50,000 coverage limit for emergency medical. Still, Allianz Travel Insurance's plan exceeds Tin Leg's in the other coverage limits. That said, you'll have to quote both of these policies using your personal trip information to make an informed decision, especially if cost is the most important factor to you.

Read our  Allianz travel insurance review here.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance vs. Credit Card Travel Insurance

Do you have a travel credit card? If so, consider the type of insurance coverage it may (or may not) offer. Some basic coverages, like primary rental car insurance, are provided through your credit card's travel protection . And if you don't need medical coverage or don't have a lot of non-refundable trip expenses, the coverage offered by your credit card could suffice.

That said, don't forget that credit card coverage is sometimes considered secondary coverage. That means you'll have to file a claim with any other applicable insurer before filing a claim with your credit card company.

Read our guide on the best credit cards with travel insurance here.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance FAQs

All policies except Economy cover pre-existing medical conditions as long as you purchase your policy within 15 days of trip deposit.

You have 14 days after you purchase your policy to refund your Tin Leg policy, as long as you haven't left for your trip. 

All Tin Leg travel insurance policies include 24/7 emergency assistance services.

Tin Leg claims can be submitted online or over the phone at 844-240-1233 during business hours. You'll need to provide details about your trip and the problem that arose during your trip. The claims process is quick, according to customer reviews, but be sure to review your policy for guideline related to claims. 

Yes, all tiers of Tin Leg travel insurance offer cancellation coverage if you or a non-traveling loved one contracts COVID-19, though you will need to provide a positive test to receive reimbursement. 

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Tin Leg

To review Tin Leg travel insurance, we looked at several different factors. These included premium costs, coverage categories, and claim limits. In addition, we compared the policies and premiums available through Tin Leg to those from the best travel insurance providers to see how they stack up — and also considered any additional add-on coverages available and the ease of getting a quote and filing a claim.

In the end, the best policy for you will be the one that provides the coverage you need and limits you're comfortable with while also staying within budget.

Read more about how Business Insider rates insurance products here.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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