When you purchase a travel protection plan from Allianz Global Assistance, you’ll see that your plan documents talk a lot about benefits. So what is a travel insurance benefit? It’s a defined service or financial help in your plan — something that can make your situation better if something goes wrong while you’re traveling.

Travel insurance plans include different assortments of benefits, so you can choose one that offers the best protection for your trip. For instance, the economically priced OneTrip Cancellation Plus includes a handful of key benefits. The popular OneTrip Prime plan offers a wide range of benefits to protect you in a variety of circumstances. Read on to take a tour of the travel insurance benefits we offer.

Most of our plans now include an Epidemic Coverage Endorsement, which adds covered reasons to select benefits for certain losses related to COVID-19 and any future epidemic. Benefits vary by plan and by state of residence, and are not available in all jurisdictions. For more information, please see the Epidemic Coverage Endorsement page in your plan details and read our COVID-19 FAQ or our COVID-19 Coverage Alert.

Trip Cancellation Benefits

Canceling a trip at the last minute can be really disappointing — and really expensive. Many hotels, vacation rental companies, tour operators, airlines and cruise lines won’t refund your money if you cancel too close to your departure date.

That’s when  trip cancellation benefits can save the day. This crucial benefit can reimburse your prepaid, non-refundable expenses, up to the maximum benefit in your plan, if you must cancel your trip due to a covered reason.

The term “covered reason” is important! You’ll see it over and over again in your plan documents (and in this guide to travel insurance benefits). Travel insurance doesn’t cover every possible circumstance. “Covered reasons” are the specifically named situations or events for which you are covered in your plan. For trip cancellation, some common covered reasons include the serious illness or injury of an insured traveler or travel companion; the serious illness or injury of a family member; your home or your destination being rendered uninhabitable; and many more.

Available in: OneTrip Cancellation Plus Plan, OneTrip Basic Plan, OneTrip Prime Plan, OneTrip Premier Plan, AllTrips Prime, AllTrips Executive, and AllTrips Premier.

Travel insurance tip: The best time to buy insurance with trip cancellation benefits is immediately after making your travel arrangements. The earlier you buy insurance, the longer your coverage window.

Trip Interruption Benefits

Sometimes, your trip takes an unexpected detour: You trip and fracture your ankle. A hurricane slams your resort. Your tour bus crashes. Trip interruption benefits can reimburse your unused, prepaid, non-refundable expenses, up to the maximum benefit in your plan, when you’re forced to pause your trip or cut it short for a covered reason.

Trip interruption benefits also can reimburse you for extra covered expenses: additional accommodation fees (such as a single supplement fee from a cruise line, if your travel companion goes home early); transportation expenses you incur to continue your trip or return home; and additional accommodation and transportation expenses if the interruption prolongs your trip.

Available in: OneTrip Cancellation Plus Plan, OneTrip Basic Plan, OneTrip Prime Plan, OneTrip Premier Plan, AllTrips Prime, AllTrips Executive, and AllTrips Premier.

Travel insurance tip: If you get stranded due to a trip interruption, contact Assistance! Our expert team can help you figure out the best way to continue your trip or get back home, and can assist you with making new travel arrangements.

Travel Delay Benefits

You never planned to spend the weekend in Buffalo, NY… but here you are, because a snowstorm closed the roads and delayed your road trip to Toronto. So you find a cozy inn and order a big breakfast — and your travel delay benefits can cover the costs.

When your trip comes to an unexpected standstill, travel delay benefits make things better. This benefit can reimburse you for your lost prepaid trip expenses, as well as additional expenses for meals, accommodation, communication, and transportation during a covered delay.

Available in: OneTrip Cancellation Plus Plan, OneTrip Basic Plan, OneTrip Prime Plan, OneTrip Premier Plan, AllTrips Prime, AllTrips Executive, and AllTrips Premier.

Travel insurance tip: If your plan includes SmartBenefits^SM, you can opt to receive a fixed inconvenience payment of $100 per insured person, per day, for a covered travel delay (up to the maximum no-receipts limit). No receipts required — just proof of a covered delay. Learn more about SmartBenefits^SM.

Assistance/Concierge Services

Assistance is the heart of what we do. Every Allianz travel insurance plan includes access to the 24-Hour Assistance Hotline, available anytime by using the Allyz® TravelSmart app  or by phone. Our team of multilingual problem solvers is available to help customers with all kinds of challenges: changes in travel plans, medical emergencies, lost travel documents, misplaced luggage, lost or stolen personal items, pet care needs, etc.

Some plans also include access to our concierges, who can answer requests ranging from the routine to the extraordinary. Concierge services can assist with restaurant reservations, event tickets, catering and event planning, sightseeing recommendations, special service referrals and much more.  

Available in: Assistance is included in all Allianz travel insurance plans. Concierge services are included in the OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan, OneTrip Prime, OneTrip Premier, AllTrips Basic, AllTrips Prime, AllTrips Executive, and AllTrips Premier.

Travel insurance tip: Our concierge benefits are included in qualifying plans, but the customer is responsible for the cost of tickets, tours, catering, and other goods and services not covered by your travel insurance plan.

Pre-Existing Medical Condition Benefit

If you have a chronic illness or injury, or any other medical condition, can you still be eligible for travel protection? Yes! Travel insurance can cover losses related to a pre-existing medical condition, but you have to meet certain requirements.

Allianz Global Assistance defines a pre-existing medical condition as an injury, illness, or medical condition that, within the 120 days prior to and including the purchase date of your travel insurance plan, caused a person to seek medical examination, diagnosis, care, or treatment by a doctor; presented symptoms; or required a person to take medication prescribed by a doctor (unless the condition or symptoms are controlled by that prescription, and the prescription has not changed). You don’t need a formal diagnosis for your illness/injury to be considered a pre-existing medical condition.

If your travel insurance plan includes the Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver, you can be covered for losses due to a pre-existing medical condition if you meet all of the following requirements:

1. You purchased your plan within 14 days of making your first trip payment or first trip deposit;
2. On the policy purchase date, you insured the full non-refundable cost of your trip with us. This includes trip arrangements that will become non-refundable or subject to cancellation penalties between the policy purchase date and the departure date. (If you incur additional non-refundable trip expenses after you purchase this policy, you must insure them with us within 14 days of their purchase. If you do not, those expenses will still be subject to the pre-existing medical condition exclusion.);
3. You are a U.S. resident;
4. You were medically able to travel on the day you purchased the plan.

All other contract terms and conditions apply.

Travel insurance for existing medical conditions might sound complicated. We’re here to help! Contact us if you have any questions about how your travel insurance benefits work, or about what’s covered.

You should know that your health does not affect the cost of travel insurance. When you get a quote, we don’t ask you any invasive personal questions. In most cases, we calculate the plan cost based on your trip expenses and your age.

Available in: OneTrip Cancellation Plus Plan, OneTrip Basic Plan, OneTrip Prime Plan, OneTrip Premier Plan, OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan, AllTrips Prime, AllTrips Executive, and AllTrips Premier.

Travel insurance tip: If you’re not sure you meet the standard of “medically able to travel” when you’re buying insurance, consult your healthcare provider first.

Emergency Medical Care/Transportation Benefits

Getting sick or injured when you’re far from home is a traveler’s nightmare. Will you get the care you need? Will you get hit with surprise medical bills? How will you get home?

Emergency medical benefits and emergency transportation benefits can give you the reassurance you need. Together, these benefits may be the most valuable part of your travel insurance plan. Medical providers overseas often do not accept American health insurance plans; instead, they require payment up front for services rendered. Without travel insurance, the cost of an emergency medical evacuation overseas can reach six figures in some parts of the world.

Emergency medical benefits can reimburse you for eligible costs of medical care for a sudden, unexpected illness, injury, or medical condition you experience while traveling. Emergency transportation benefits can pay for pre-approved, medically necessary transportation to the nearest appropriate hospital or other facility. These benefits also can pay for medical repatriation, which means your transportation home once you’re medically stable to travel.

Available in: OneTrip Basic Plan, OneTrip Prime Plan, OneTrip Premier Plan, OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan, AllTrips Basic, AllTrips Prime, AllTrips Executive, and AllTrips Premier.

Travel insurance tip: If you have a medical emergency while traveling, call Assistance — or use the free Allyz® TravelSmart app  — as soon as you can safely do so. We can help determine where you can best be treated, connect you with local medical providers, monitor your care, keep your family updated, and arrange your safe transport home.

Baggage Benefits

Some travelers think baggage insurance only helps when the airline loses your suitcase. It can actually do a lot more! “Baggage” isn’t just your luggage; it’s any personal property you take with you or acquire on your trip.

If your baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen while you are on your trip, your travel insurance plan can pay you the lowest of the following, up to the maximum benefit listed in your plan:

• The actual cash value of the baggage;
• The cost to repair damaged baggage;
• The cost to replace the lost, damaged, or stolen baggage.

Read the baggage benefits section of your plan documents before you go, so you understand what’s covered and what’s excluded. High-value items (such as jewelry or electronic equipment) are covered up to the maximum benefit for high-value items shown in your declarations.

If your baggage is delayed during your outbound trip, your baggage delay benefits can reimburse you for purchasing essential items you need until your baggage arrives. (The length of a covered delay is defined in your plan.)

If your plan includes SmartBenefits^SM, you can opt to receive a fixed inconvenience payment of $100 per insured person, per day, for a covered baggage delay (up to the maximum no-receipts limit). No receipts required — just proof of a covered delay. Learn more about SmartBenefits^SM.

Available in: OneTrip Basic Plan, OneTrip Prime Plan, OneTrip Premier Plan, OneTrip Rental Car Protector, OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan, AllTrips Basic Plan, AllTrips Executive Plan, AllTrips Premier Plan.

Travel insurance tip: It’s smart to document the items you bring on your trip, just in case. Snap some quick pictures as you pack. If you buy any new items for your trip, keep the receipts in case you need to file a claim.

Rental Car Benefits

You know how when you rent a car, the agent tries really hard to get you to buy extra insurance? Here’s a tip: You probably don’t need everything they’re selling. Here’s another tip: You do need collision protection — and the OneTrip Rental Car Protector is the affordable way to get it.

Rental car insurance from Allianz Global Assistance provides primary coverage for covered collision, loss and damage up to $50,000, along with 24-hour emergency assistance. This means that if your rental car is stolen, or is damaged in a covered accident or while it's left unattended, the cost can be covered up to $50,000. For just $11 per calendar day in most states, it’s a great deal!

Available in: OneTrip Rental Car Protector Plan , AllTrips Basic Plan, AllTrips Executive Plan, AllTrips Premier Plan (rental car coverage is not available with AllTrips plans in all states), and as an add-on to OneTrip plans.

Travel insurance tip: The OneTrip Rental Car Protector also includes up to $1,000 in trip interruption benefits and up to $1,000 in baggage loss/damage benefits. This makes it a great choice to protect weekend road trips.

Related Articles

• SmartBenefits Explained [VIDEO]
• Travel Insurance and COVID-19: The Epidemic Endorsement Explained
• Trip Cancellation Insurance: Covered Reasons Explained