Allianz Travel Insurance Review – Travel Insurance and Trip Protection

Unforeseen events can upend even the best-laid travel plans. Some decide that the low risk of a forced trip cancellation or interruption isn’t worth the cost of protection. Others simply aren’t sure what to do.

Most occasional travelers never give travel insurance a second thought. But it can provide valuable protection against the unknown, no matter how infrequently you travel or how smoothly your trips have gone in the past.

Allianz Travel Insurance, an international company with a major U.S. office in Virginia, is among the most prominent travel insurance providers for Americans traveling domestically and abroad. But it’s not the only one. A surprising number of companies offer travel insurance plans to U.S.-based travelers. Before you settle on a provider, or automatically accept the option offered by your airline or travel booking website, research how the leading contenders match up on coverage, pricing, and service.

In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at how Allianz Travel Insurance compares to other legitimate providers.

Allianz Travel Insurance: Coverage and Covered Events

Allianz Travel Insurance provides insurance coverage for a wide range of events that can impact travel. All of Allianz’s coverages are laid out below, but keep in mind that not every plan covers every eventuality, and that monetary limits for coverage vary by plan.

You need to review your chosen plan’s coverages and benefits — outlined in the sections below and in greater detail on Allianz’s website — to determine exactly what it protects against, how much coverage it provides, and what you continue to be responsible for after purchasing the plan. All coverage amounts are subject to change at Allianz’s sole discretion.

General Policy Costs and Coverages

For annual plans that cover multiple trips taken within a 12-month period, annual premiums start at a little over $100 per person and range to more than $500. For single-trip plans that cover individual journeys with specified start and end dates, premiums start at approximately $30 per traveler and range up to well over $100 per traveler.

Pricing for single-trip plans can vary tremendously based on traveler counts and ages, so it’s best to use Allianz’s online quote tool to get accurate information pertinent to your specific situation.

Allianz’s website does not break down the actual cost of each type of coverage below, nor does it allow customers to pick and choose individual coverages for purchase. In other words, customers have limited freedom to customize their plans.

Unless otherwise noted, all stated coverage amounts are per insured traveler, not per policy.

Coverage for Existing Medical Conditions

It’s also important to note that Allianz’s policies include coverage for expenses related to existing medical conditions, which the company defines as “an illness or injury that exhibited symptoms or was treated at any time 120 days prior to purchasing your plan.” In other words, you’re covered for expenses incurred under the terms of any of the covered reasons described below, such as emergency medical treatment and emergency medical transportation, due to events that can be traced to an existing condition — for instance, a severe asthma attack that requires hospitalization. This coverage does not cost anything extra.

Rental Car Collision Damage and Loss

Depending on your chosen plan, rental car collision and loss coverage provides reimbursement for rental vehicles lost or damaged due to the following covered reasons:

• Broken windshields
• Collisions with animals, nonliving objects, and other vehicles
• Vandalism or general damage
• Tire damage
• Fire
• Theft without recovery
• Theft with the vehicle recovered in damaged condition

Coverage limits range between $25,000 and $45,000, depending on the plan.

This is the only type of coverage available in a la carte form under the Rental Car Protector option, which covers up to $75,000 at $11 per day and supersedes covered parties’ regular car insurance. Accordingly, Allianz’s rental car collision and loss damage is appropriate for those who’ve made travel insurance arrangements with other carriers or chosen not to purchase more comprehensive forms of travel insurance at all.

Trip Cancellation

Depending on your plan, trip cancellation coverage provides reimbursement for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses — such as airfare and hotel rooms — in the event that you must cancel a trip before its start date due to any of the following:

• An immediate family member’s birth
• Carjacking
• Being required to work due to a merger or acquisition in your company or organization
• Being required to work because your workplace is rendered unsuitable for business due to fire, flood, vandalism, or other covered reasons
• Cessation of service by your travel carrier — such as an airline — due to strike, natural disaster, or other covered reasons
• A delay that cuts into more than half the scheduled length of your trip
• A family member’s, traveling companion’s, or your own death, serious injury, or serious illness
• A destination rendered inaccessible for 12 hours or more due to bad weather
• Involuntary termination from an employer for whom you’ve worked for more than three years
• A felonious assault on you or your person within 10 days of your scheduled start date
• Terrorism
• Hijacking
• Your home rendered uninhabitable by natural disaster, fire, or certain other covered reasons
• Military obligations
• Jury duty or court subpoena
• A serious traffic accident while en route to your point of departure
• Your own pregnancy
• Quarantine due to illness or other condition
• Being required to work during your scheduled trip for reasons not described above
• The theft of your personal vehicle

Coverage limits range from as little as $2,000 per trip to as much as the greater of $10,000 or the full, nonrefundable cost of the trip. However, not all plans include trip cancellation coverage.

Trip Interruption

Allianz’s trip interruption coverage goes into effect if you need to interrupt (cut short) your trip in progress due to any of the events outlined in its trip cancellation coverage, with the exception of your own pregnancy. It applies regardless of whether you eventually resume your trip or not.

Coverage limits range from as little as $2,000 per trip to as much as $10,000. Only nonrefundable trip costs are included in coverage. Again, not all plans cover trip interruption.

Change Fee Coverage

Allianz’s change fee coverage reimburses change fees imposed by airlines when covered events force policyholders to change their flights. This coverage includes the same events as its trip cancellation coverage, with the addition of your or a traveling companion’s legal separation or divorce prior to the scheduled departure date, and the exception of your own pregnancy. Change fee coverage ranges up to $500 per claim.

Emergency Medical Reimbursement

Depending on your plan, Allianz’s emergency medical reimbursement coverage compensates you for emergency medical and dental treatments and procedures resulting from injuries or illnesses sustained on your trip. Coverage limits range up to $50,000 per event.

Emergency Medical Transportation

This coverage compensates you and your family for emergency medical transportation, such as by ambulance or helicopter, resulting from your own death, serious illness, or serious injury. Coverage limits typically range up from $50,000 per event.

Baggage Loss and Damage

Baggage loss and damage coverage provides reimbursement for baggage and personal effects lost, damaged, or stolen during your trip. Coverage applies whether baggage is lost by a common carrier — such as an airline — or hotel, or at some other point during the trip. Stolen baggage is only reimbursed if it is recovered with quantifiable damage or never recovered at all. Coverage limits range up to $2,000.

Baggage Delay

This coverage provides “reasonable reimbursement for essential items” in the event that your baggage is delayed by a common carrier, hotel, or tour operator for more than 24 hours. In this case, “reasonable reimbursement” covers basic items that you’re likely to need before your bags are shipped to you, such as toiletries, basic clothing, phone chargers, and so on, but not high-value items like jewelry or fashion clothing. Coverage limits range up to $1,000, although lower amounts are typical.

Travel Delay

This coverage reimburses you for expenses incurred due to a travel delay lasting six hours or more, and possibly prepaid trip expenses such as hotel rooms or transportation due to a delay of the same length, due to the following covered reasons:

• Civil disorder or unrest along your route, such as mass street protests
• Common carrier delay
• Hijacking
• Lost or stolen travel documents or essential items, including your passport and money — unfortunately, an all-too-common consequence of theft abroad
• Natural disaster
• Quarantine
• Severe weather resulting in road closures
• Unannounced strikes by personnel essential to your travel

This type of coverage can also reimburse expenses, such as flight re-booking, incurred due to a delay that results in a missed flight or cruise. Covered reasons include:

• A flight canceled or delayed for more than three hours due to bad weather
• Bad weather en route to your departure point
• Unavoidable delays due to traffic accidents while en route to your departure point or connecting point

Coverage limits range up to $1,600.

Travel Accident Coverage

Allianz’s travel accident coverage provides cash payments for the following eventualities resulting from travel accidents involving you or an insured fellow traveler: death, loss of hands, and loss of sight in one or both eyes. Coverage limits typically begin at $10,000.

Business Equipment Coverage

This coverage provides “reasonable replacement or repair of business equipment” — such as a camera or computer — that has been lost, stolen, or damaged at any point in your trip, as well as equipment delayed by a common carrier.

In most cases, “reasonable replacement or repair” means replacement with an identical model or repair costing less than the equipment’s assessed value. To qualify for coverage, stolen equipment must be recovered with quantifiable damage or never recovered at all. Coverage limits range up to $1,000.

Business Equipment Rental Coverage

This coverage reimburses you for rental equipment procured to replace business equipment lost, damaged, stolen, or delayed as described in the business equipment coverage clause. Business equipment rental coverage is sold with business equipment coverage. Coverage limits range up to $1,000.

Frequent Traveler Loyalty Plan

Allianz’s frequent traveler loyalty plan coverage provides reimbursement for frequent flyer mile redeposit fees (incurred when an award flight needs to be canceled) in the event that the trip is canceled for a covered reason. The covered reasons are similar to those specified in trip cancellation coverage, with the addition of:

• Legal separation prior to the departure date
• Employer termination, provided you worked for the organization for at least one year
• Loss of nonhotel accommodation abroad — for instance, an expatriate family member can’t accommodate you as planned due to a serious illness
• The financial default of a tour operator, airline, or cruise line

Coverage limits range up to $250.

Annual Plans, Coverage, and Pricing

Under the AllTrips brand, Allianz Travel Insurance offers several annual plans that cover all trips made within a calendar year and within the specified geographies.

Although their premiums vary greatly depending on traveler demographics, trip duration, destination, and other factors, these plans are generally cost-effective for frequent travelers who take multiple business trips or leisure vacations within the calendar year. In all cases, minor children are covered at no additional charge, and coverage for existing medical conditions is available.

1. AllTrips Basic Plan

This plan is designed for leisure travelers and business people traveling without expensive equipment. It includes the following coverages, with monetary limits where applicable (and subject to change at Allianz’s sole discretion):

• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $1,000
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $100,000
• Travel Delay, up to $600
• Emergency Medical, up to $20,000
• Travel Accident Coverage, up to $25,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $200
• Rental Car Loss and Damage, up to $45,000

This and all AllTrips plans also include access to:

• Allianz Travel Insurance Hotline. This is a multilingual, 24/7 emergency phone service that helps travelers resolve missed connections and other travel emergencies, arranges messages to people in other parts of the world — useful for travelers in remote international areas — connects travelers with medical and legal assistance, and helps resolve lost or stolen travel document emergencies.
• Allianz Concierge. This service provides detailed, customized information about each destination in travelers’ itineraries, and can assist with reservations at restaurants, entertainment venues, golf courses, hotels, and more.

For this and all annual plans, Allianz states that pricing varies based on the number of covered travelers, their ages, and other factors. In practice, pricing does not seem to vary much, even when accounting for a range of scenarios in Allianz’s quote generator. The annual premium for the Annual Basic Plan starts around $135 for one covered traveler and $270 for two covered travelers.

2. AllTrips Prime Plan

This plan is also designed for leisure travelers and business people traveling light. It includes the following coverages and limits:

• Trip Cancellation, up to $3,000
• Trip Interruption, up to $3,000
• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $1,000
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $100,000
• Travel Delay, up to $600 (daily limit of $200)
• Emergency Medical, up to $20,000
• Travel Accident Coverage, up to $25,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $200
• Rental Car Loss and Damage, up to $45,000

The annual premium for the Annual Deluxe Plan starts at $275 for one covered traveler and $550 for two covered travelers.

3. AllTrips Executive Plan

This plan is specially designed for business travelers, including those traveling with equipment. It includes these coverages and limits:

• Trip Cancellation, up to $10,000
• Trip Interruption, up to $5,000
• Change Fee Coverage, up to $500
• Business Equipment Coverage, up to $1,000
• Business Equipment Rental Coverage, up to $1,000
• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $1,000
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $250,000
• Travel Delay, up to $1,600 (daily limit of $200)
• Emergency Medical, up to $50,000
• Travel Accident Coverage, up to $50,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $1,000
• Rental Car Loss and Damage, up to $45,000
• Loyalty Program Redeposit Fee, up to $500

The annual premium for the Annual Executive Plan starts at $500 for one covered traveler and $1,000 for two covered travelers.

4. AllTrips Premier Plan

This plan is designed for families traveling on leisure and professionals traveling on business, including those carrying equipment. It includes these coverages and limits:

• Trip Cancellation, up to $15,000 per policy per year
• Trip Interruption, up to $15,000 per policy per year
• Change Fee Coverage, up to $250
• Business Equipment Coverage, up to $1,000
• Business Equipment Rental Coverage, up to $1,000
• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $2,000
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $500,000
• Travel Delay, up to $1,500 (daily limit of $300)
• Emergency Medical, up to $50,000
• Travel Accident Coverage, up to $50,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $2,000
• Rental Car Loss and Damage, up to $45,000

Premiums for the Annual Premier Plan are variable depending on the size of the traveling party, age of travelers, and travelers’ state of residence. They’re comparable to the Annual Executive Plan.

Single-Trip Plans, Coverage, and Pricing

Under the OneTrip brand, Allianz Travel Insurance offers several single-trip plans for occasional business and leisure travelers. Each plan covers a single trip with specified start and end dates.

Pricing for single-trip plans is more variable than annual plan pricing. It’s based on the number of covered travelers, the travelers’ ages, the location (domestic or international), the total cost of the trip, and other factors. As with the annual plans, minors don’t add to the cost of single-trip plans.

Prices are quoted for each plan using three scenarios:

• Scenario #1: One 25-year-old traveler traveling for one week and spending $1,000 (domestic) and $3,000 (international) total on airfare, lodging, food, entertainment, and other travel expenses. This represents a relatively low-cost, low-risk situation.
• Scenario #2: Two 55- and 53-year-old travelers traveling for one week and spending $2,000 (domestic) and $6,000 (international). This represents a traveling couple of moderate means and moderate risk.
• Scenario #3: Four travelers, aged 75, 45, 43, and 19, traveling for one week and spending $5,000 (domestic) and $15,000 (international). This represents a multigenerational family on a spendy vacation, with the age of the eldest traveler heightening the overall risk.

Most OneTrip plans include 24/7 hotline access and concierge service as well. The exception is the Emergency Medical Plan, which includes only 24/7 hotline access.

1. OneTrip Basic Plan (Domestic and International)

This plan is a modified version of the AllTrips Basic Plan. Its coverages, limits, and features include:

• Trip Interruption, up to the lesser of $10,000 or the full prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Trip Cancellation, up to the lesser of $10,000 or the full prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $500
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $50,000
• Travel Delay, up to $300 (daily limit of $150)
• Emergency Medical, up to $10,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $200

Pricing for the OneTrip Basic Plan is as follows:

• Pricing Scenario #1: $36 for domestic travel and $91 for international travel
• Pricing Scenario #2: $108 for domestic travel and $262 for international travel
• Pricing Scenario #3: $358 for domestic travel and $740 for international travel

2. OneTrip Prime Plan (Domestic and International)

This plan is a modified version of the AllTrips Prime Plan. It has the following coverages, limits, and features:

• Trip Interruption, up to 150% of the prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Trip Cancellation, up to the full prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $1,000
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $500,000
• Travel Delay, up to $800 (daily limit of $200)
• Emergency Medical, up to $50,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $300
• Missed Connection, up to $800
• Change Fee Coverage, up to $250
• Frequent Traveler Loyalty Plan, up to $250

Pricing for the OneTrip Prime Plan is as follows:

• Pricing Scenario #1: $51 for domestic travel and $120 for international travel
• Pricing Scenario #2: $150 for domestic travel and $342 for international travel
• Pricing Scenario #3: $408 for domestic travel and $934 for international travel

3. OneTrip Premier Plan (International Only)

This is a more comprehensive plan that’s appropriate for travelers heading to remote or perilous destinations, where costly problems are more likely to occur. There is no annual version of this plan.

Coverages, limits, and features include:

• Trip Interruption, up to 150% of the prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Trip Cancellation, up to the full prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $2,000
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $1 million
• Travel Delay, up to $1,600
• Emergency Medical, up to $50,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $600
• Missed Connection, up to $1,600
• Change Fee Coverage, up to $250
• Frequent Traveler Loyalty Plan, up to $250

Pricing for the OneTrip Premier Plan is as follows:

• Pricing Scenario #1: $185
• Pricing Scenario #2: $532
• Pricing Scenario #3: $1,375

4. OneTrip Cancellation Plus Plan (Domestic Only)

This is a bare-bones plan primarily for travelers seeking to protect themselves against trip interruption, cancellation, and delays. Its coverages, limits, and features include:

• Trip Interruption, up to the full prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Trip Cancellation, up to the full prepaid, nonrefundable cost of the trip
• Travel Delay, up to $150 (daily limit $150)

Pricing for the OneTrip Cancellation Plus Plan is as follows:

• Pricing Scenario #1: $26
• Pricing Scenario #2: $114
• Pricing Scenario #3: $235

5. OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan (International and Domestic)

This plan focuses exclusively on post-departure benefits, including a full suite of medical coverages. Its coverages, limits, and features include:

• Baggage Loss and Damage, up to $2,000 ($50 deductible and $500 limit per article)
• Emergency Medical Transportation, up to $250,000
• Travel Delay, up to $1,000
• Emergency Medical, up to $50,000
• Baggage Delay, up to $750
• Missed Connection, up to $1,000 (daily limit of $200)
• Supplier/Itinerary Change, up to $500
• Accidental Death or Dismemberment, up to $10,000

Pricing for the OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan is as follows:

• Pricing Scenario #1: $37
• Pricing Scenario #2: $90
• Pricing Scenario #3: $224

Claims and Additional Features

Allianz Travel Insurance has a straightforward, transparent claims process. Customers can file and check claims online through the File a Claim and Check a Claim website features. Claims can also be filed over the phone, but it’s generally more convenient to start the process online and then call to follow up if necessary.

Allianz Travel Insurance has a pretty impressive cache of resources designed to reduce the likelihood of user errors that may jeopardize claim status. Its Claim Documentation Checklist, which outlines the evidence needed to successfully file each type of claim, is a key piece. So are its website FAQs and Travel Insurance 101 content portal, both of which outline the claims process in plain English.

The speed and ease with which claims are processed through to approval or rejection depends on the type of claim filed and the complexity of the situation. Generally speaking, claims involving medical bills and lost items take longer to resolve than canceled flights or missed connections.

TravelSmart App

Allianz Travel Insurance offers its TravelSmart app free to all customers. The iPhone- and Android-compatible app’s features include:

• Full policy information for all active policies
• Direct access to Allianz’s 24/7 hotline
• A real-time flight status checker
• Basic, country-specific contact information for ambulance, security, fire, and other authorities
• Country-specific, searchable hospital directories
• Language translation for first aid terms
• Medication dictionary with multilingual translations of prescription and over-the-counter medications

However, TravelSmart doesn’t have claim-filing functionality. To file a claim, you need to visit Allianz Travel Insurance’s actual website on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.

Allianz Travel Insurance’s Financial Stability (Ratings)

Allianz Travel Insurance’s reputation is made or broken by its ability to make good on travelers’ legitimate claims. In turn, that ability is made or broken by the company’s financial stability.

Several reputable ratings bureaus assign financial stability ratings to Allianz Travel Insurance and its parent company, Allianz SE. These ratings paint a strong — although not flawless — picture of Allianz’s fiscal health. Still, although there are no givens in life and financial stability ratings are subject to change at any time, Allianz Travel Insurance is regarded as a reliable insurer that has proven its ability to make good on legitimate claims and is likely to continue to do so in the future.

Advantages

1. Comprehensive Plan Selection for Frequent and Occasional Travelers. Allianz Travel Insurance has a comprehensive lineup of travel insurance plans that cover a wide range of travel situations. The annual plans are great for frequent travelers who expect to hit the road multiple times in any given 12-month period, while single-use plans are better for occasional travelers looking to avoid overpaying for something they don’t often use. Higher-end plans, such as OneTrip Premier, are ideal for travelers seeking greater protection, while low-end plans like OneTrip Cancellation Plus are fine for those who want nothing but the basics. No matter where you’re going or why, you’re likely to find an Allianz Travel Insurance product that fits your needs.
2. User-Friendly, Transparent Claims Process. Allianz Travel Insurance clearly wants its customers to file claims properly. It has an impressive cast of resources — including in-depth articles and a claim documentation checklist with information specific to every possible claim type — to help travelers do just that. This is good business for Allianz because it weakens the argument that the claims process is opaque or tough to navigate, and probably improves external perceptions of the company in the process. For customers, it reduces the likelihood of mistakes that can jeopardize claim approval.
3. Affordable Rental Car-Only Plan. Allianz Travel Insurance’s rental car-only plan is an affordable option for travelers not looking for comprehensive insurance, and who don’t want to use their personal auto insurance policies to protect their rental vehicles. At $9 per day, it’s often cheaper than comparable coverage offered by rental car companies.
4. Delay Compensation Is Better Than Some Competitors. Allianz Travel Insurance has generous travel delay insurance. In many cases, that’s more than enough to offset re-booking costs and other delay-related expenses. Many insurers give short shrift to travel delay coverage, leaving waylaid travelers in the lurch.
5. No Age Restrictions on Medical Coverage. Allianz Travel Insurance imposes no age restrictions on its insured parties, including for medical coverage. That’s an important and beneficial distinction with some discount insurers, which restrict or exclude medical coverage for older travelers.
6. Helpful Mobile App. The TravelSmart mobile app is helpful for on-the-go travelers. In the age of powerful and capable smartphones, many travelers forgo laptops altogether, and it’s nice not to have to camp out at a hotel business center or scour an unfamiliar city for increasingly uncommon Internet cafes.
7. All Minor Children Are Covered for Free. Minor children don’t add to the cost of Allianz Travel Insurance policies. That’s great news for families traveling with children, who can be more illness- and injury-prone than healthy adults. Not all travel insurance companies provide free coverage to kids, particularly on international trips.
8. Excellent Financial Stability Ratings. Allianz Travel Insurance consistently receives high marks from reputable ratings bureaus. Moody’s, A.M. Best, and Standard & Poor’s variously characterize the company’s financial stability and ability to make good on claims as “high quality,” “superior,” and “excellent.” Such ratings are subject to change in the future due to macroeconomic or company-specific events, but they should nevertheless reassure travelers evaluating insurance options. Allianz fares better on this question than many high-profile competitors — for example, Travel Guard, an AIG subsidiary, is consistently rated in the “B” range, indicating higher levels of risk.

Disadvantages

1. Premiums Can Be Higher Relative to the Competition. Although it’s not uniformly the highest-priced travel insurer out there, Allianz Travel Insurance’s premiums are sometimes higher than the competition. Competitor pricing is of course subject to change, and plan comparisons — not to mention service comparisons — may not necessarily be apples-to-apples.
2. Coverage Strictly Limited to Covered Events. Allianz Travel Insurance coverage is strictly limited to covered events explicitly listed in policy documents. The company doesn’t offer policies that provide coverage for perils not explicitly named; although such policies tend to be more expensive than policies covering only named perils, they’re useful for travelers seeking greater protection.
3. Trip Interruption Coverage Isn’t As Generous As Some Competitors. Allianz Travel Insurance’s trip interruption coverage refunds up to 150% of prepaid, nonrefundable travel costs. That’s nice, but not as good as some competitors, which may refund up to 200% of those costs.
4. No Reimbursement for Passport Replacement. Allianz Travel Insurance doesn’t provide reimbursement for travelers who need to replace lost or stolen passports. Although this is a relatively minor omission in the grand scheme of things, passport reimbursement is a common travel insurance feature, and it really comes in handy for those who lose these critical credentials while abroad.
5. Policy Documents Include Lots of Fine Print Requiring Careful Parsing. Like most insurance policies, Allianz Travel Insurance’s coverage documents contain lots of fine print about coverage definitions, limits, and exclusions. Before purchasing a policy, take ample time to read and understand this information, as it could make the difference between recouping hundreds or thousands of dollars in travel expenses and being left in the lurch. Opaque fine print certainly isn’t uncommon in the insurance industry, but if you’re uncomfortable with it, look for a provider that makes its policies easier to understand via plain-English translations of key passages and concepts. GeoBlue, a licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, offers relatively straightforward policies designed to put laypeople at ease.
6. Recurring Complaints About Customer Service and Coverage. Although you should always take anonymous online comments and reviews with a grain of salt, it’s worth mentioning that there’s a persistent and long-running pattern of consumer complaints about Allianz Travel Insurance’s coverage and customer service. User-generated feedback on reputable review websites — such as Yelp and TrustPilot — consists of high volumes of aggressively negative reviews, moderate volumes of glowingly positive reviews, and a dearth of more balanced reviews. Customer complaints tend to fall into two categories: wrongfully denied claims for supposedly covered events, and unresponsive or unhelpful customer service. Many complaints in the first category could likely have been avoided with closer readings of policies’ fine print, but the customer service complaints suggest that Allianz staff isn’t always attentive to or understanding of its customers’ needs.
7. No Individual Coverages and Limited Plan Customization Potential. With the exception of rental car loss and damage coverage, Allianz Travel Insurance doesn’t allow you to purchase individual coverages on an a la carte basis. This dramatically reduces customization potential, forcing you to remain within the constraints of the specified plans. If you only want or need certain coverages, such as business equipment replacement and emergency medical transportation, you need to look to a more flexible provider.

Final Word

If you wish to protect your next domestic or international trip, or at least certain aspects of it, you don’t have to purChase Travel℠ insurance directly from a provider such as Allianz Travel Insurance. Credit card networks such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express typically offer a host of complimentary travel-related benefits and protections on premium cash-back and travel rewards credit cards, provided you purchase the covered travel with your credit card. These perks often include rental car loss and damage insurance, trip cancellation and interruption protection, and lost luggage reimbursement.

Although they’re not necessarily as generous or comprehensive as actual travel insurance, credit card-wielding travelers — and those in the market for new credit cards — should definitely weigh them against travel insurance before deciding whether or how to protect their trips. Check your cards for coverage types and amounts, and remember that coverage usually only applies when you pay for the covered travel expenses in full with your card.