Travel Insurance Benefits

Travel Delay

Travel Delay provides reimbursement for meals and accommodations when a trip is unexpectedly delayed.

Baggage Delay

Provides reimbursement for clothing, toiletries and other essential items if luggage is delayed for a specified period of time.

Emergency Medical

Pays for the cost of treatment associated with a medical emergency incurred while traveling.

Rental Car Damage

Collision loss/damage insurance for rental cars covers the costs of damage to, or theft of, a rental car.

Money Back Guarantee

Money back guarantees are provided to allow you to decide if the policy you purchased is right for you. Your guarantee or “free look” period can last for up to 14 days depending on insurance company although it expires as soon as you use the policy by making a claim or reaching your departure date.

24 Hour Assistance Service

24 Hour Hotline provides the traveler with a broad range of services in the event of a travel or medical emergency including: medical referral and monitoring, legal assistance, emergency message center, emergency cash transfer, arrangement of medical evacuations or repatriations, emergency translations, and pre-trip assistance. Many companies offer additional services that differentiate them against their competitors. We have listed some of these services on the carriers page under the “why buy” heading.

Medical Evacuation & Repatriation

Emergency Evacuation arranges to medically transport a patient to an appropriate medical facility. Medical Repatriation arranges for a patient to return home to receive care. Repatriation of Remains arranges for return of deceased remains back to the place of residence.

Pre-Existing Condition

A pre-existing condition is an illness or medical condition that existed before a policy’s effective date, usually excluded from coverage. Travel Protection plans may include coverage provided you meet the condition of that insurance carrier. Many carriers provide coverage if the policy is purchased within a certain number of days after the initial trip deposit was made. A few carriers provide coverage if the policy is purchased before the final payment date. Please refer to the policy summary to determine any conditions for coverage. Some Medical Plans may provide limited coverage; Some may cover pre-existing conditions after a specified waiting period, while others do not provide any coverage.

Additional Benefits

Many companies offer additional services that differentiate them against their competitors. We have listed some of these services on the carriers page under the “why buy” heading.

Co-Insurance

Co-Insurance is the percentage of Eligible Expenses, after the deductible, which is the responsibility of the insured.

Baggage & Personal Items Loss

Provides reimbursement for lost, stolen or damaged baggage or personal items. This coverage is usually for your entire trip, not just your flight. If you have items valued over $1000 it is best to have these items “scheduled” on your home-owners policy.

Medical Deductible

The Medical Deductible is a co-pay amount which is the responsibility of the insured. Options vary by plan and can range from $0 to $2500. Deductibles can be charged 1) per policy; or 2) per person; or 3) per occurrence, injury or illness; or 4) combination of the above. Most Long Term Plans require you to select a deductible option while most Vacation plans offer a a zero deductible benefit.

Home Country Coverage

Home Country Coverage provides benefits for incidental trips to the Insured’s home country. Restrictions and reduced benefits may apply. Some policies provide optional cover for this benefit at an additional cost. Please refer to the policy wording for full details.

Identity Theft

The Identity Theft Recovery Unit (ITRU) offers fast and responsive support to victims of identity theft. This unit’s trained fraud specialists will help guide you through the necessary steps of restoring your credit profile. Specialists are proactive in contacting the credit reporting agencies, creditors and in providing helpful information to assist you with recovering and restoring your credit.

Renewable Policy

Provides information regarding options to renew policy including, minimum initial purchase period required to renew, and maximum time period policy may be renewed. Some policies are not renewable, however you may be able to purchase an additional plan. This may require you to re-satisfy any deductible, co-insurance and pre-existing period. Please refer to plan details for additional information.

Missed Connection

Missed Connection provides reimbursement in the event of a missed flight connection or for the additional costs to “catch up” to a cruise if the cause of delay is an accident or bad weather.

Hazardous Sports

To cover activities such as motorcycle riding, motor scooter riding, mountaineering, hang gliding, parachuting, bungee jumping, caving and heliskiing.

Maximum Trip Length

The maximum trip length applies to annual insurance plans. This is the longest time allowed for any one trip during the year in order to be eligible for coverage. A trip starts when you leave your home and ends when you return to your home regardless of the number of destinations in between.

Maximum Number of Trips

The maximum number of trips applies to annual insurance plans. This is the most trips eligible for coverage during the year.

All Events Upgrade

Provides reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and deposits if the trip is cancelled or interrupted for any unforeseen reason that is out of your control.

This is different than Cancel For Any Reason because Cancel For Any Reason allows you to cancel the trip without explaining why. All Events Upgrade requires you to provide an unforeseen reason that is out of your control in order to cancel or interrupt the trip.

Non-Medical Evacuation

Non-Medical Evacuation arranges transportation from a place of danger to a place of safety during a time of civil or political unrest.

Sports Equipment & Fees

This information relates to sports equipment loss or delay as well as trip costs for sporting activities that are not refunded due to cancellation or interruption.

Amateur Sports

To cover scholastic, collegiate, and other amateur organized sporting activities.

Trip Cancellation

Provides reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and deposits if a trip is canceled for illness, death or other specific unforeseen circumstances.

Life Insurance - Accidental Death

Provides cash payment for accidental loss of life or limb while traveling. Only a few companies offer coverage for the entire trip.

Trip Interruption

Provides reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and deposits if a trip is interrupted for illness, death or other unforeseen circumstances.

Life Insurance - Air Flight Accident

Provides coverage ONLY for the flight portion of your trip. This coverage is optional on some plans. We do provide flight only plans, these policies appear in their own category on the policy match page.

Hurricane & Weather

This information relates to Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption only. Most policies will include travel delay coverage due to a mandatory evacuation.

Cancellation coverage is provided in the event of a complete cessation of either a common carrier (ticketed public transport) or travel supplier (hotel, condo manager etc.) or your accommodation at destination being rendered uninhabitable by weather. Check individual policies to determine which of the above scenarios is covered as this denotes whether mandatory evacuation coverage is included or not.

Complete cessation of common carrier usually means the airport has to be closed for a certain number of hours in order for a claim to be valid. If your accommodation is under a mandatory evacuation order and the airport stays open you cannot make a claim.

Complete cessation of travel supplier usually means the hotel, condo or other accommodation has to be unavailable for a certain number of hours in order to claim. In this instance, you would be able to claim for a mandatory evacuation because your travel suppler can no longer provide you with accommodation. This coverage is only available if the accommodation is provided by a company licensed to provide that service.

Accommodation being rendered uninhabitable means your hotel, condo etc. either flooding or damaged so much you cannot continue to stay there.

Life Insurance - Common Carrier

This coverage pays in the event of death or dismemberment while you are traveling on any form of public transport.

Terrorism

Provides coverage in the event of a terrorist incident. Some plans only provide coverage if you are scheduled to arrive within a set number of days of the incident and some plans only offer foreign coverage.

Financial Default

Coverage is provided usually in the event of a complete suspension of operations due to financial circumstances whether or not bankruptcy is filed. All insurance companies offer different levels of coverage, please check individual coverage statements for more detailed info. Most companies do not provide coverage if you purchase your insurance directly from your tour operator. Some companies also have a limit on the time in between making your initial trip deposit and buying your insurance.

Employment Layoff

Provides reimbursement for prepaid, non-refundable trip payments and deposits if a trip is canceled due to involuntary layoff or termination of employment. Conditions apply.

Cancel For Work Reasons

Provides reimbursement for prepaid, non-refundable trip payments and deposits if a trip is canceled for specific unforeseen work related circumstances. Conditions apply.

Cancel For Any Reason

Provides reimbursement for non-refundable trip payments and deposits if a trip is canceled for any reason. Some plans provide only return of premium.